Yes, it's true. I at long last have a pair of woolly, cabled, hand-knit socks for myself! I have only ever made one full pair, for my mom to lounge around the house in, and they ended up with the toe of the second sock much smaller than the rest of the pair. (I think it was my excitement to finish them that made me grip my working yarn extra tight, and I can't blame myself for that so my mom will have to manage). I will post pics when I can locate the whereabouts of my camera, which seems to have mysteriously disappeared.
As to the updates to my W.I.P's list...
The cute amigurumi dog is no more, I am sorry to say. I ran out of the necessary orange yarn, and since the whole point of me learning to do this was to use up scraps I refuse to purchase more. The Trellis Cardigan went horribly wrong, as I set it down for a month without noting where I was past the armhole decreases and it turned out wonky when I tried to figure it out for myself. Little Zoe will just have to do with some sort of hat for her first birthday, or whatever else I can whip up on a $5 budget. The Esperanza Cardigan is still on hold, and will remain thus until the mercury plunges. There is no way I could stand knitting in 90 degree heat with an extra-long sweater back trailing over my lap. Not gonna happen. (Unless, of course, my parents suddenly decide to acquire central air).
On a brighter note, I started a pair of socks for one of my bff's. They are yet another Knitty pattern, Froot Loops. They have a bit of cabling to keep it interesting like Slippery, but these cables are worked over a repeat of seven stitches and four rows and thus is much easier to memorize and execute. I have the first done, and cast on for the second last night. I hope they finish soon, as I have two more skeins of Kroy sock yarn in a playful colorway, and my first ball of Lion Brand Sock-ease to try out calling my name. It's back to the sticks for now...I hope my sister can work the fire extinguisher-the bamboo needles are starting to smoke!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Knitting Circle Longing
I am currently knitting circle deprived.
I didn't really have an official group to begin with-my friends have never gotten as hooked on knitting as I have, and while my local yarn store has a well-established one no one is even close to my age and thus I feel out of place. When I first desired a group I hadn't yet discovered the unlimited resources of the internet knitting community, and needed someone to talk to about knitting. Badly. So what did I do? I taught my sister and cousins to knit!
My sister has done well, accepting a small degree of my advice at first and now slogs through everything herself. The oldest of my locally-based cousins dropped it, as he would rather play with an Xbox than play with yarn. He does humor me though, not getting exasperated if I pull out the sticks while I wait for a turn on Guitar Hero. The middle child knits on and off. She has completed a few scarves for her dolls and took part in a community blanket with her girl scout troop, but she usually loses her needles before I can teach her much beyond knit and purl. Oh well. like her brother she has learned to tolerate and even take an interest in whatever WIP I show up on their doorstep with. The youngest is terrorized by the three cats tangling her yarn, but she seems to like sitting with me on the couch and knitting while we watch tv. All in all, the four of them make up the closest thing I have to a knitting circle, a circle of which I am now deprived.
My sister is still here of course, but two people hardly make a circle. The other three members (who may not even know of their membership) have gone with their grandma and other cousin to visit their family in California for a month. I'm glad they can see everyone, but I miss them all and their fiber acceptence. I suppose if I want knitting companions, I'll have to go check out my local LYS.
Oh and guys if you're reading this I really miss you and can't wait to have you home again. Have fun in California! (And for goodness sake would it kill you to drop an email once in a while? Just kidding. Love you all!)
I didn't really have an official group to begin with-my friends have never gotten as hooked on knitting as I have, and while my local yarn store has a well-established one no one is even close to my age and thus I feel out of place. When I first desired a group I hadn't yet discovered the unlimited resources of the internet knitting community, and needed someone to talk to about knitting. Badly. So what did I do? I taught my sister and cousins to knit!
My sister has done well, accepting a small degree of my advice at first and now slogs through everything herself. The oldest of my locally-based cousins dropped it, as he would rather play with an Xbox than play with yarn. He does humor me though, not getting exasperated if I pull out the sticks while I wait for a turn on Guitar Hero. The middle child knits on and off. She has completed a few scarves for her dolls and took part in a community blanket with her girl scout troop, but she usually loses her needles before I can teach her much beyond knit and purl. Oh well. like her brother she has learned to tolerate and even take an interest in whatever WIP I show up on their doorstep with. The youngest is terrorized by the three cats tangling her yarn, but she seems to like sitting with me on the couch and knitting while we watch tv. All in all, the four of them make up the closest thing I have to a knitting circle, a circle of which I am now deprived.
My sister is still here of course, but two people hardly make a circle. The other three members (who may not even know of their membership) have gone with their grandma and other cousin to visit their family in California for a month. I'm glad they can see everyone, but I miss them all and their fiber acceptence. I suppose if I want knitting companions, I'll have to go check out my local LYS.
Oh and guys if you're reading this I really miss you and can't wait to have you home again. Have fun in California! (And for goodness sake would it kill you to drop an email once in a while? Just kidding. Love you all!)
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Shopping of a Different Sort
I know when my parents gave me that much-needed cash, I said I was going to have a Knit Picks field day. I know. But I caved, and blew it all at the yarn section of my local Ben Franklin. I also know I raved about how beautiful the yarn would be when it showed up on my doorstep. Well I didn't buy yarn. I decided that if I was going to get through the summer with any brain cells intact at all, I would need some mental stimulation. Books!
I first walked past the display case full of amigurumi, the cutie critters resembling Japanese cartoons. The turtle with the tie-dye shell was too cute, the little brown dog too adorable, and the books too conveniently placed below them. I reached for Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet by Ana Paula Rimoli. I prefer knitting to crocheting, but the occasional switch will keep me awake through those mind-numbingly boring days that seem to drag on forever.
Next I passed the needles. What did I see but a pack of four sizes of sock needles for $10! Socks are a great project to take on summer trips, and the great array of yarns for them beautiful and affordable so I snatched up the bargain before anyone else caught wind of it. (When I got home of course I noticed there was only three of the promised four sets in the package. That's what I get for being cheap!).
By this point I had finally made it to the actual yarn section, but as I loaded my arms with Kroy sock yarn to go with my needles, the wool blend rubbing against my arms, I realized that today was one of those days that was too hot to knit. I know, I know blasphemy. But I couldn't bring myself to even consider fiber on a ninety degree day. I left and on the way out passed...a basket of even more knitting books! I supposed if I couldn't knit physically, I would do the best I could mentally on it and grabbed a copy of At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much by the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McFee. Now when the mercury rises, my fiber obsession can continue!
What will I do now? Well I suppose I'll sit an inch from the air conditioner and search the web for wool I won't see until my wallet feels a little heavier.
I first walked past the display case full of amigurumi, the cutie critters resembling Japanese cartoons. The turtle with the tie-dye shell was too cute, the little brown dog too adorable, and the books too conveniently placed below them. I reached for Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet by Ana Paula Rimoli. I prefer knitting to crocheting, but the occasional switch will keep me awake through those mind-numbingly boring days that seem to drag on forever.
Next I passed the needles. What did I see but a pack of four sizes of sock needles for $10! Socks are a great project to take on summer trips, and the great array of yarns for them beautiful and affordable so I snatched up the bargain before anyone else caught wind of it. (When I got home of course I noticed there was only three of the promised four sets in the package. That's what I get for being cheap!).
By this point I had finally made it to the actual yarn section, but as I loaded my arms with Kroy sock yarn to go with my needles, the wool blend rubbing against my arms, I realized that today was one of those days that was too hot to knit. I know, I know blasphemy. But I couldn't bring myself to even consider fiber on a ninety degree day. I left and on the way out passed...a basket of even more knitting books! I supposed if I couldn't knit physically, I would do the best I could mentally on it and grabbed a copy of At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much by the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McFee. Now when the mercury rises, my fiber obsession can continue!
What will I do now? Well I suppose I'll sit an inch from the air conditioner and search the web for wool I won't see until my wallet feels a little heavier.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Home is Where the Knit is
Ahhhh...as much as I love the lake, it's good to be home!
Excuse my non-needle beginning to this post, but my fourth of July couldn't have been better. At the lake on the third of July the whole waterfront community takes part in what is referred to as "The Ring of Fire." At about 10:00, every house on the water lines the beach with flares so the entire lake is red all the way around the perimeter, with few streetlights to interfere with the spectacle. Multiple firework shows, amateur and professional, continue throughout the night, and are even better than usual as you get them twice-once in the air, and again in the water. If anyone happens to visit the Finger Lakes at this time of year, I suggest looking into this, as it is a gorgeous sight to welcome Independence Day.
Now that I'm done advertising local events, I can continue on my yarn meditations. As a result of the grades on my finals, my parents gave me a substantial sum of money to take with me on vacation. (Just to brag, I got 100% in both french and social studies, 97% in accelerated earth science, and a 99% in double accelerated geometry. Not bad, right)? With a good portion of it left, and more on the way for yard work, I plan to take advantage of my luck and browse Knit picks! Yay! Clearance is my best friend, and when it meets pure wool in delicious colors I just about pass out from excitement. What can beat a box of yarn meeting you when you get home? While I'm at it I'll take an order for the sweater my mom intends to have in her possession by autumn and have even more amazing fibers delivered to my door. Maybe I'll even buy a book on the history of knitting since they're having a book sale...I can't take it anymore I have to shop! Excuse me and I'll let you know how I fare.
Excuse my non-needle beginning to this post, but my fourth of July couldn't have been better. At the lake on the third of July the whole waterfront community takes part in what is referred to as "The Ring of Fire." At about 10:00, every house on the water lines the beach with flares so the entire lake is red all the way around the perimeter, with few streetlights to interfere with the spectacle. Multiple firework shows, amateur and professional, continue throughout the night, and are even better than usual as you get them twice-once in the air, and again in the water. If anyone happens to visit the Finger Lakes at this time of year, I suggest looking into this, as it is a gorgeous sight to welcome Independence Day.
Now that I'm done advertising local events, I can continue on my yarn meditations. As a result of the grades on my finals, my parents gave me a substantial sum of money to take with me on vacation. (Just to brag, I got 100% in both french and social studies, 97% in accelerated earth science, and a 99% in double accelerated geometry. Not bad, right)? With a good portion of it left, and more on the way for yard work, I plan to take advantage of my luck and browse Knit picks! Yay! Clearance is my best friend, and when it meets pure wool in delicious colors I just about pass out from excitement. What can beat a box of yarn meeting you when you get home? While I'm at it I'll take an order for the sweater my mom intends to have in her possession by autumn and have even more amazing fibers delivered to my door. Maybe I'll even buy a book on the history of knitting since they're having a book sale...I can't take it anymore I have to shop! Excuse me and I'll let you know how I fare.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Lakeside Knitting
My parents decided to take a trip to the Adirondacks as a celebration of their 15th anniversary, and as a result my sister and I have been on a vacation of our own. My aunt lives in Florida, but last year bought a summer home in the finger lakes as incentive to visit more often. This is where I have been spending the last week, either curled up in the hammock with a good read or purling away on the deck. It is beautifully calm, and the perfect place to work on some summer knitting.
What am I knitting this summer? Well I have decided to begin what should have been started a long time ago. Though I have been knitting for three or four years now, I have never finished a sweater. Not even a baby cardigan. I was shocked to realize i had been so lax, and decided that my cousin's daughter was in need of a little something to keep the chill away on her first birthday. And with a bit of tan acrylic I indirectly inherited, I began the Trellis pattern from Knitty. I got past the armhole shaping on the back when I realized I was being both cheap and lazy. Cheap for not investing in some decent yarn for such a monumental knitting leap as a first sweater, and lazy for skimping out by knitting a garment for little people. I have until September for her birthday, and set it aside in favor of a project for myself.
My next choice was the Esperanza Long Cardigan from the 2005 Pattern-a-Day Knitting Calender, in Lion Brand Homespun Windsor. It's been going super fast on size 10 1/2 needles, and I have to say the foot after foot of stockinette isn't nearly as monotonous as I thought it would be. The color is so delicious I have yet to get bored, and I think that this will be the perfect sweater intro (plus it will give me practice with knitting set-in pockets!). My biggest concern now is the seaming...I'm afraid I'll ruin all of my hard work with my iffy hand-sewing skills! But I shouldn't worry prematurely-it's time to go back to the needles. Have a wonderful Fourth of July!
What am I knitting this summer? Well I have decided to begin what should have been started a long time ago. Though I have been knitting for three or four years now, I have never finished a sweater. Not even a baby cardigan. I was shocked to realize i had been so lax, and decided that my cousin's daughter was in need of a little something to keep the chill away on her first birthday. And with a bit of tan acrylic I indirectly inherited, I began the Trellis pattern from Knitty. I got past the armhole shaping on the back when I realized I was being both cheap and lazy. Cheap for not investing in some decent yarn for such a monumental knitting leap as a first sweater, and lazy for skimping out by knitting a garment for little people. I have until September for her birthday, and set it aside in favor of a project for myself.
My next choice was the Esperanza Long Cardigan from the 2005 Pattern-a-Day Knitting Calender, in Lion Brand Homespun Windsor. It's been going super fast on size 10 1/2 needles, and I have to say the foot after foot of stockinette isn't nearly as monotonous as I thought it would be. The color is so delicious I have yet to get bored, and I think that this will be the perfect sweater intro (plus it will give me practice with knitting set-in pockets!). My biggest concern now is the seaming...I'm afraid I'll ruin all of my hard work with my iffy hand-sewing skills! But I shouldn't worry prematurely-it's time to go back to the needles. Have a wonderful Fourth of July!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)