Morning Glory Knits

2008-01-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

I've transferred this blog to http://creativeoverload.wordpress.com.

Finishing is Hard

2008-01-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

It's been really foggy lately, even though it's been a littler warmer. Daffodils are even blooming, although I can't remember where I saw them. Spring always seems to come earlier than I expect it to. I guess that's because of the extremely long growing season in the Northwest. I've been finishing up writing a pattern, and debating whether to finish some of my unfinished projects. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether it's worth it. Mostly I have this problem with sweaters, and I am not sure whether it'll look good, and if it's worth my time. A lot of times I'll finish something and I still can't tell if it looks good or not. I can always spot things that I'd redo. Hopefully, that's helping me become a better knitter, and not just being a better perfectionist.

First Year Socks

2008-01-10T11:48:00.002-08:00

I finished these Spey Valley socks, using Knit Picks Essential tweed, in Inca Gold. I also have the blue tweed, and the brown feels more substantial, which is weird. I hope the Essential holds up well, since I have a bunch of it. I don't care if it pills, just that it doesn't wear through. I don't think I'm that hard on socks though, since even my cheap store bought socks last for years. I've started the other Conwy sock, and now I remember why I didn't want to do the other one. The pattern turn out nice, but it's annoying to do the twisted stitches. I have to finish 3 more single socks before I'm allowed to do anything else.

Last Finished Projects

2007-12-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

I figured these two projects would be the last of 2007. I actually wanted to finish a pair of Spey Valley socks I'm working on, but I just didn't have enough time. I did finish these two projects, the Puff Sleeved Feminine Cardigan from Fitted Knits, and the quilt. I used about 7 balls of Knit Picks Merino for the sweater and size 6 needles. I lengthened the sweater a little bit. I think I'm going to redo the neck, and make it shorter. But the sweater fits well, and it was a good simple project. The quilt I've been working on is done now. I think I started it in March or April, and then it sat for a while until I put on the back. My sewing machine has a hard time sewing a straight line lately, so the quilting and binding isn't great. I think for my next quilt, I'm going to do a sampler, so I don't have to do the same pattern over and over.
I've been designing a sweater lately, so that's been taking up most of my time. I found a good webpage for calculating decreasing, increasing, and other stuff. It's hard trying to figure out the math equations for some of that stuff. So this makes it a lot easier. For the next year, I want to finish all my single socks, and all the WIP's I've got now. It's starting to be a lot, so I can't start any until they are done. I also want to knit from stash for the whole year, which is definitely possible. I have a couple of projects lined up that will use size 2 or 3 needles, and that alone will take time. I also want to try designing more, doing more crochet, and doing a lace project. I also want to do more artwork. This year, I ended up doing a lot more knitting than anything else. I want to try focusing less on one thing. Well, those are my goals for next year, with knitting from stash being the most important. I will force myself to do that one. I just can't look at sales posted on Knitty or Ravelry, and I should be fine.

Short Sleeved Winter Cardi

2007-12-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

I have been working on designing a pattern for a while, so most of my other projects have been put aside. But I was tempted into starting a new one, as a quick project. I started the Short-sleeved Cardigan from Fitted Knits, in Patons Shetland Chunky Tweed. I'm not sure about this yarn, because it has acrylic in it. But I thought a bulky 100% wool sweater wouldn't be useful for more than a month or two in my climate. I just need to make quick, simple projects when I working on more difficult stuff. So far, I added short rows to the back, so it will be a little longer. I've noticed the front always sits too high and the back too low, with the top down raglans. I also didn't want to use the yo increases. I had plans to make some socks as a Christmas present, and ordered yarn in October. But I guess it was on back order, because I still haven't heard anything from the online store. I wanted that particular kind of yarn, then I ran out of time, so even if could choose another yarn, I wouldn't be done in time.
I don't really like to celebrate Christmas anyway. It would be nice, if there weren't the frenzy of buying presents. I like the idea of a winter holiday to celebrate the solstice, and to celebrate with friends and family, but I hate that it only seems to be about a shopping frenzy. A week after Christmas, the same products and sales are still there, and they are coming up with new reasons for us to shop again. Valentine's Day, Easter, etc. It cheapens the whole holiday. I guess I would feel differently if the traditions of Christmas were ones my family had practiced, but we didn't, so I don't associate them with my own life. I only see them in the media, as an advertisement, so I don't relate to it. Other people might see the whole thing differently, and not be so bothered by the media advertisements. I don't like that the media seems to tell us what we should be doing, and we all have to do the same thing, and decorate our houses and everything in the same way. I wish there more regional holidays, where each state or area celebrated a holiday differently, and there was a lot more diversity. That would be really interesting.

Unintentional Christmas Socks

2007-12-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

I started this sock in October, I think, and was making pretty good progress on it. I'm halfway down the foot by now, on the first sock. The pattern is Roza's Socks from Spring 2007 Interweave Knits, and I'm using Knit Picks Bare. I dyed it with Kool aid, using tropical punch and lime green, and a small amount of lemonade. I like the way the colors are coming out. It's difficult to see in a photo, but in each color section, there are bits of the other colors too. I'm working on another project that due on Christmas, so I haven't done anything else lately. It burns me out to work on one project exclusively. I don't even like reading one book at a time. Another exciting thing is that I finally got the Knit Picks Options needles, which are much better than the ones that I had. I tend to use a lot of cotton, and it's so much smoother with the metal needles. Using bamboo with cotton is just too hard on my hands.

Good Luck Cats

2007-12-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a bunch of different projects sporadically. Right now, I've got two socks in progress and four sweaters. They are on hold while I finish some Christmas stuff. Two of the sweaters are cotton and they were kind of hard on my hands. I'm using Cotton Ease for both of them, which I like, but it definitely isn't as nice to knit with as wool. I got some new Dream in Color Smooshy, in Strange Harvest and Good Luck Jade, and it's hard to keep myself from casting on another project. I like the muted colors.
I at least want to finish two of the sweaters by the end of winter, so I'll have to wait to cast on. I also was looking back at the first sock I did, Baudelaire, and realized it was too big. It seemed okay at the time, but now after making a few others, I realize it could definitely fit tighter. With that pattern, I originally started with the size large, and now will end up at size small. It's always hard to tell how well something will fit, even if you do know your size. If I could somehow knit two sizes at the same time, then try them both on, that would help. But, I really liked those socks, so I don't mind doing them over. A lot of the patterns I have lined up are top down, so those will be a nice change.
I happened to get this picture of my cats, which I thought was funny. They like to lick each other's ears, for some reason.

Monkeys are Truly Done

2007-11-25T10:48:00.001-08:00

I hadn't realized it's been a month since I posted anything. I've been busy, but also nothing seemed interesting enough to post about. In fact, I've been knitting, but none of that seemed really exciting. I've been trying to finish all the lone socks I've got, so I can actually wear them, but it is somewhat less interesting the second time around. I've actually worn some of the socks I've made which is interesting. I do notice the difference between my store bought socks, which is that the other ones feel softer, but fit differently. I guess I'm used to the elastic in the store bought socks. Anyway, here is a picture of my Monkeys, which took forever, because I had to reknit the first one. I didn't follow the rule about using the exact same needle for both socks, even if it technically says they are the same size. These fit well, except they fall down a little bit when I wear them. I haven't blocked them, so I wonder if it's just the lace trying to scrunch back up. I'm now trying to finish my Spey Valley socks from Knitting on the Road, and it should be faster, once I get past the patterned cuff.

Swatching Starsky (but not Hutch)

2007-10-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

I started working on Starsky from Knitty, and have been learning how to cable without a needle. I used these directions, and it is so much easier. For some reason, I kept thinking it would be a lot more difficult, and now I wonder why I wasn't doing it sooner. So far the pattern is working, except for the gauge. My gauge seems to be the same, yet it's turning out kind of small. I'm doing the medium size and hoping it to be around 41", but the back is about 19", so I don't know what's happening. I'm going to try washing my swatch and then measuring. I actually swatched this time with two different needles, size 9 and 10, to make sure I got the right gauge. But I must really tighten up my knitting when I do the actual project, or something. Hopefully I won't have to start over and knit the large size. I'm using Cascade Ecological Wool, which I really like. It's soft, but seems like it'll be strong.
I also finished a Waving Lace sock, using Merlin the cat bamboo sock yarn. I like the yarn, but I think I should have used a solid color with this pattern. It is pretty much lost with the bright colors. I don't really want to rip it out, though.

Blog Action Day

2007-10-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

I went to a knitting group for the first time on Thursday night. I didn't really know about any in my area. But I found out about one and had some time in my schedule. It was way in kind of an odd place, but I guess it's hard to book rooms in this town. I was surprised to hear that to book a room in the library, it's $50 an hour. In any case, it was interesting actually seeing other people knit in person. I rarely see anyone knitting in public and don't know any other knitters. I also got this new wool and mohair yarn, which is unlike anything I've got in my stash.

It' s also Blog Action Day for the environment. I was glad to hear that Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize, along with some other scientists, for their work on global climate change. I recently got a bus pass, and am trying to use the bus more often. I didn't own a car for a long time, but now that I own one, I start to get in the habit of driving everywhere. Another thing I want to start doing is reducing the amount of trash I produce. I think if I just buy less packaged food, a huge part of it is reduced. Some things seem to be ridiculously packaged, where each individual thing is inside another package, so I don't get stuff like that. The last thing I want to do is just to buy fewer things. A lot of environmental problems come from buying stuff without really needing to, and then just throwing it away, like plastic water bottles or disposable coffee cups.

Left Handed Trials

2007-09-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

I started knitting using my left hand to hold the yarn, so I can eventually knit faster. Once my tension started to improve, it did seem easier to switch between knit and purl stitches. When I first started, my tension was horrible, so the knitting looked really uneven. Here is an example. It looks more puffy and uneven in real life, so I'll have to redo both fronts of the cardigan. It's Bianca's Jacket from Fall 2006 Interweave Knits, and I'm using Lion brand Cotton Ease. I actually redid the back too, because my tension was off, which is frustrating. But, I picked this project because it had so much stockinette, and wanted to practice using my left hand. I want to do more fair isle knitting, but it always bugged me that my left hand felt so awkward. Other than that, I've been knitting socks. Single socks only. It's so hard to start knitting the mate, after already doing the project. I don't understand how some people say it takes them only about 3 or 4 days to knit a pair of socks. It seems like it's been taking me months to knit just one sock.

Thousands of Quilted Triangles

2007-09-23T12:54:00.001-07:00

Quilt square
Originally uploaded by sphilange.

I've been working on this quilt for months now. I decided I don't like sewing up triangles, so it took me a long time to work on this quilt. Now, it's almost finished, and I just having the actual quilting part. My sewing machine won't do free motion quilting, so I usually just outline the squares. Some of the areas don't work out as well, but so far, this is the most complicated quilt I've made. This is one example square. On the next quilt, I've decided just to do a sampler quilt of all different squares. It's less tedious and I think it would be interesting to try to fit all the different squares together.

Starting Over

2007-08-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

I've started Bianca's Jacket from Interweave Fall 2006, using Lion Brand Cotton Ease. The gauge for that is for a heavier yarn, but I'm knitting the medium size and expecting it to be smaller. I'm also using my left hand only, so my gauge is a little bigger. It's really awkward and my right hand keeps trying to take over. It feels like when I first started knitting, but it does seem faster, or it will be once I get used to it. I like not having to move the yarn much when I'm on the purl rows. The purl rows actually seem easier, because I keep grabbing both the front and the back loops when I'm knitting. The yarn and all the loops feel less secure, but I guess that's because I'm not used to it. The main thing I don't like is that my knitting looks so uneven. Some stitches are really stretched out and everything looks kind of crummy. I just want to get better with using my left hand so I can do fair isle more easily.

2007-08-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

I finished the Monkey socks, except they aren't technically done. As you can see, one is taller than the other. Also the foot of the shorter one is in a tighter gauge, so I have to redo the other one to match it. I'm not sure if I should redo the top area of the shorter one, or the entire other sock. The taller one feels a little better with the looser gauge, and I don't have to struggle to put it on. The ironic thing was that I used the same size needle, size 2.5 mm, but used different brand needles. On one I used Knit Picks, and one is Addi dpns, and the Addis seem to look a tiny bit bigger. I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Somerset, which I definitely liked for this pattern. It's kind of hard to see the pattern in the picture, but it stands out in person.

Another Single Sock

2007-08-18T16:28:00.001-07:00

Conwy 2
Originally uploaded by sphilange.

I finished Conwy from Knitting on the Road. I used Fearless Fibers yarn in Raspberry, which looked more purplish on the website, but turned out to be a dark hot pink, which I ended up liking more than purple. I used size 2.25 mm needles. The yarn seems to work really well with this pattern, because it doesn't obscure the pattern. The only thing I would have changed is to not decrease halfway down the leg. It wasn't really necessary, and made the sock a tiny bit too tight, but not enough so I wanted to fix it. I have now five single socks and for most of them, I haven't even started their mates. I figured that would happen, since I'm not a focused-on-one-project type of knitter.

Rusted Root Done

2007-08-08T00:59:00.001-07:00

Rusted Root
Originally uploaded by sphilange.

I finished Rusted Root after several months of having it hibernate. I started off knitting a larger size, but started over with the smaller size. It fits really well now. This was a simple project, but the boring stockinette areas made it harder to keep knitting. I don't usually like to knit something in the exact yarn and color of the pattern, but I like this color and happened to have some. I used Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Sedona, with size 6 needles. The lace part was easy, but I still made a small mistake. I don't know how to go back and add yo's to an area, after I've knitted several inches. If I unraveled the vertical row, it would be hard to recreate the lace pattern, with all the increasing and decreasing. Even with stockinette, I don't know how to add yo's to an area. If anyone knows how, or knows of a good source to learn from, it would help. It happened to me with lace knitting often enough, so I figured there must be a way to go back and fix mistakes.

Movin' On Up

2007-07-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

I finally got my Ravelry invite, I'm Sphilange on there. The thing that bothers me the most, is that I just got rid of my DSL and now I have dial up, so it takes forever to look at stuff. But so far, I like looking at patterns and yarns, and seeing people's finished projects. It's surprising how much stuff is already on there, considering it's still in beta mode. I'm still figuring it out though, and putting my WIP's on it. Also, the Interweave Knits Fall preview is out. So far, it looks pretty good. I'm still in the summer project mode, though. I tried to start the Josephine top, from the Spring 2007 IK, and could not get the gauge right. It's looks like in order to get gauge, I'll have to use size 2 or even size 1 needles, and the designer used size 5. I don't know that I want to do a project on needles that small. It's hard enough just finishing socks. I'm still looking for another reasonably quick summer project, possibly Tomato from No Sheep for You.

Hemp Hat

2007-07-16T18:20:00.001-07:00

I finished this hat sometime in June. It's the Maze hat from Knitty, in the colors pictured, Charcoal and Aubergine inAllhemp 6. This was a difficult yarn to knit with with, since it felt like twine and was hard on my hands. But it does seem really durable and went in the washing machine with no problem. I have enough left over to make another one in the opposite color scheme. I've also been working on Rusted Root, again in the same yarn as the pattern, Cotton Fleece Sedona red. I had originally made the medium size, but it turned out way too large. One thing that's weird about the pattern is that there is no schematic for the sweater sizes, so you have to do math in order to figure out how big it will get. But the size small fits, and I just have about six inches to go.

Socks and more socks

2007-06-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

I found this page of album covers that is really funny. Some of the outfits remind me of the ones in Stitchy McYarnpant' s book, the pictures of whole families wearing matching hideous sweaters from the seventies. With knitting, I've mostly been working on socks. Except for Rusted Root, which I started in the medium size, and it turned out to be too big, so I had to restart in size small. I noticed though, that there aren't any schematics of the pattern, so it was hard to tell what the actual size would be. The medium is 35" to 38", and the small is 32" to 35", so I figured the medium would fit. Oh well. I actually finished this sock, in Fearless Fibers raspberry, but it is a little too tight. I'm not sure if it will stretch a little after blocking, or I'll have to redo the whole thing. It is Conwy from Nancy Bush's On the Road. The yarn was a little splitty, either with this pattern, or the yarn, I couldn't tell. I used size 2.25 mm (1) needles. I also dyed a batch of Kool aid yarn again, using Lemon Lime, Lemonade, and Tropical Punch. I was originally going to have more yellow, but it started looking too rastafarian, so the Tropical Punch covered up most of the yellow, and even most of the green. That color definitely seems the strongest, since it bleeds into everything next to it, and needs the least amount of Kool aid for the most coverage. Now I'm working on Spey Valley, again from Knitting on the Road, and the second Monkey sock. Then I can start on this Kool Aid yarn.

New Yarns, Alternative Fibers

2007-06-07T10:39:00.001-07:00

I got some hemp yarn, Allhemp 6, in Aubergine and Charcoal, in order to make Maze. The yarn is actually a lot denser than I thought it would be. I was thinking it would be lighter and shinier, but it's more dense and ropey than I thought it would be. It's hard to knit with and at first my hands got really sore. It really does feel like knitting with twine, but it seems extremely durable. Some yarns I've used feel like they'll tear apart in my hands or get ruined, just by handling them. I've finished the Maze hat, but haven't washed it yet. I guess hemp is supposed to get a lot softer after washing. I've been wanting to try out some of the nonwool yarns out there. Next up would be Tofutsies sock yarn, which is wool, nylon, and soysilk. I also got this handpainted sock yarn from Etsy, and I'm thinking about making Anastasia with it. It has a short row toe, which I haven't done before, so I'll have to sit down and really concentrate on it.

One Lone Baudelaire

2007-06-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

I finished one Baudelaire sock, after making it too big. It is the first sock I ever made, so I'm really happy with it. I used Filatura di Crosa Zarina and size 2.75mm needles. I made the size large at first, but then went down to a size medium. I think I could have even made the small or gone down a needle size, because it feels like it could be tighter. The hardest parts were the beginning figure 8 cast on and the beginning of the cable. The figure 8 cast on felt really awkward and seemed too loose. I had to do it a few times to get it to look right. The beginning of the cable is where you have to increase I think 4 stitches for every stitch. It started to get so tight, I could hardly get my needle into the stitches. I think I could have made the four stitch cable instead of the eight stitch cable, but I don't want to redo the sock over again. If I make this pattern again, I'll know. Overall, I like this pattern a lot, and it was fairly straightforward. Now I just have to make sure I cast on for the second sock immediately.

Mesilla Sans Embroidery

2007-05-18T18:32:00.001-07:00

I finished Mesilla, after redoing the neck twice. The first time I didn't pick up enough stitches, so it was way too small. It came out smaller than the sleeves, actually. The second time, I increased stitches in the blue foldover part, so it would lie flat. Otherwise the folded over neck area seemed to curl over and wouldn't stay folded over. I may or may not still put on the embroidery.
I used Mission Falls cotton in Sea for the main color, and Jade, Wintergreen, and Dark Blue for the rest. I really liked using the Mission Falls, since it's really soft. I also got most of the yarn really cheaply on Ebay, otherwise I probably wouldn't have used this brand. The main thing I think I would change is too make it a little longer. Otherwise, it's a really comfortable sweater, and was pretty easy to knit.

Kool Aid is Delicious

2007-05-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

I tried Kool Aid dyeing the other day, with a skein of Knit Picks sock yarn. I actually wanted to use blues and greens, but it's impossible to find any other colors but red and purple. I think Kool Aid isn't that popular anymore. I never really liked it as a kid, because it tasted kind of weird to me. It's a little bit alarming that it dyes so brightly, since you'd be drinking these colors. Anyway, I used grape, tropical punch, and pink lemonade. The tropical punch was definitely the brightest, and the grape is more of a faded purple. I ran out of Kool Aid, since I was underestimating how much I'd need, but hopefully the white parts will blend in and look intentional. I used the tutorial on Knitty, which was really helpful. I hope the colors stay as bright, and the skein still smells like fruit. I'm still looking for a pattern to use, but I'm thinking about Roza's Socks from the Spring IK. Although I think that uses size 0 needles, so who knows.

New Pet Attacks Yarn

2007-05-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't been knitting as much lately, mostly because I got a new kitten about three weeks ago. He's extremely playful, so that's it's hard to even get a picture of him standing still. I also haven't felt much like writing, for whatever reason. It was hard getting the two cats to get along, because the orange one is very territorial. He still seems annoyed with the kitten sometimes, but they seem to be getting along now. I'm still working on all the same projects, Bonita, from last year's Interweave; Baudelaire, and Eunny's Deep V Argyle vest. They all seem to be taking forever, especially Bonita, which has been in the WIP pile since last year. I'm using size three needles with Knit Picks Shine, so two rows seems to take about an hour. I'm thinking I should have left off some of the side lace and only done the diamonds in the center. Oh well, hopefully it'll fit.

Stranded Colorwork is Awkward

2007-04-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

I've been working on the Deep V Argyle Vest and so far, the main problem is that my gauge is off. I know that the gauge might change after I wash it, but I just figured I would start it, and see if my gauge was working out. I'm not sure if I should count on that or not. I really don't want to make a swatch and wash it, even thought that's what I should do. Making swatches feels so tedious, like I'm doing homework or something. The other problem is that my left hand feels so strange holding the yarn, but after finishing this, it should be much less awkward.

I pulled out two more projects that I had quit working on last fall, which I thought were coming out kind of small. But I decided to keep working on them and try to block them if I could. One is the Lotus Lace Tank with SWTC Bamboo in turquoise, and the other is Bonita with Knit Picks Shine sport
in hydrangea. After seeing all the progress I had made, I didn't want to just rip it out and either start over or abandon it completely. I would rather wear a too small sweater, than completely start over.

First Amigurumi

2007-04-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

I got these patterns from Etsy. They were both pretty easy, since I needed a quick project. The elephant was the first time I did amigarumi. I started the Deep V Argyle Vest from Eunny Jang, and already my gauge was off, so I had to restart it. I'm using Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport, which I like a lot. The instructions are really detailed, so I haven't had any problems so far. Another thing I realized was that the dpns I was using for socks are actually smaller than other size 2 needles, like Addi turbo. I don't know why they would be different sizes, but my according to my needles sizer, the Addi turbo are bigger than size 2. That's kind of weird.

One Less UFO

2007-03-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

Another project from last summer, that I finished up recently, was the Granny's Not so Square Bag from The Happy Hooker. It was basically all finished for months, but I was trying to find O-rings, which are impossible to find. I also wanted to line it, so it would be more sturdy. I ended up lining it with fabric and somewhat stiff interfacing, and putting in an inside zipper. That was difficult for me, and I had to do it a bunch of different times, because the pocket kept becoming inside out. Anyway, I really like how this turned out and it seems really sturdy. I used all the recommended yarns, Berroco Suede in Tobacco and Wild Bill Hickock, and Berroco Twist in Sprout, Sweet Violet, Soul, and I think Satin Beige. The inside lining is actually the more green color, and the blue areas on the bag are actually purple. Sometimes it bugs me that it's hard to get accurate colors in photos. The crochet part was easy, except the last part when you switch from the Cotton Twist to Suede, you are supposed to crochet around the surface of the granny square to outline it. I couldn't figure that out. But it's not noticeable. My next crochet project from that book is either Short and Sweet or Unseamly Sweater.

Demi is Done

2007-03-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

I finished Demi, from Rowan Vintage Knits in January, after about 7 weeks of knitting. I used about 7 skeins of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed in Plum, with hardly anything left over. I used size 8 needles, although I think the yarn might work better with size 7. I didn't want to redo the pattern for a smaller needle size. Then I worked almost exclusively on this project, since I liked it so much. The sweater fits well, although my gauge must have been off, because it came out smaller than the size I knit (medium). It is a little more close fitting than I expected, but seems to work anyway. The main thing I modified was the size of the bobbles. Instead in row 1:I knit into the front, back, and front, of the stitch row 2: turn and purl across the three stitches, row 3: turn and slip 2 stitches together as if to k2tog knit the 3rd stitch and pass the first two stitches over the third. It worked a lot better. In the book I think the bobbles are five stitches and that was too big for me. The hardest part was the construction of the button area at the top shoulder, because I wasn't sure how it was supposed to connect. The button area is knit separately and sewn onto the top shoulder and the back later. This was a good project, because there was a lot of interest during the whole thing. There were a lot of ends to weave because of the button area, but the sweater turned out good, and the yarn gets softer after washing.

Mission Falls Wool is the Best

2007-02-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

I finished Calorimetry recently. It was really quick and took probably an hour. I used Mission Falls merino wool. I got some mill ends of it from Ebay, and so far it is my favorite wool. It is really soft, and the stitch definition is good. I wish I could afford to use this for a sweater, but it's pretty expensive. For Calorimetry, I cast on 86 stitches, since I've heard that using the original pattern makes it turn out huge. I also did only about 13 of the short row sections. I have only done short row a few times, and in those patterns, they used a wrap and turn, before turning a and working the short row. I didn't see why, but now, I see that otherwise it creates holes. This pattern didn't have you wrap the stitch, so holes are created. I also finished half of Backyard Leaves, and I wish I had done both halves at the same time. I like the pattern, I just couldn't get myself to work on it for some reason. The pattern is difficult to see, but after it's blocked, it should be better. I also started the We Call Them Pirates hat, using Knit picks Telemark. I'm using a size 5 needle, and am actually going to use the hat as a swatch for Knit Picks Norwegian Ski Sweater. I had to add stitches to the pirate pattern (I have no idea why, since I should have fewer stitches), and am probably going to do one more repeat of the pattern. I think my colorwork is getting better, though. Another pattern I've had my eye on recently is Eunny Jang's Argyle Vest, since it also uses steeking, like the Knit picks sweater.

Early Spring Cleaning

2007-02-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

I've been going through my yarn recently, and decided I will try to only knit from my stash for a while. I have enough for about four to five sweaters, six pairs of socks, and other random projects. The problem is that I will be really excited about a project, and I'll start it, then it will seem boring, or I decide I don't like it. I have a lot of skeins of different colors, so I'm forced into doing stripes a lot of the time. If I do decide to get more yarn, it will be for a solid colored sweater. I have to finish a lot of projects, though. It gets stressful when there is a huge backlog of unfinished projects piling up. It feels unorganized, and more like work instead of a hobby. I've also decided to work more on techniques.
The first thing I've started is just practicing stranded knitting. The main thing about that is, my left hand holding the yarn feels awkward, since I'm used to knitting with my right hand. I want to just practice knitting with my left hand in basic stockinette, and I think fair isle will be a lot easier. After that I want to try knitting without a cable needle. I've seen instructions, but I've never spent the time to sit down and actually learn it.
I can't post any pictures, because my camera is in the process of dying. It can turn on for several seconds, then the batteries die, even if they are new. It's annoying, because I haven't had it that long. But hopefully, I can get a new camera soon. I have three finished sweaters and a hat that I haven't posted, and several projects in process.

So Many Projects

2007-01-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

I've been going through a lot of started projects, and there are a lot that need finishing. It's overwhelming sometimes, because I keep starting new ones, so they keep piling up. There are some things that I decided aren't working. One is the Lotus Blossom Tank. I really like it, but it won't fit me. If I redo it, I need more bamboo yarn. But I have to decide whether it's worth it to spend so much on something I might not wear. I get caught up in how good a pattern is to knit, and how interesting it looks, without making sure that it's something I'll actually use.
I want to just finish what I already started and only use yarn from my stash, with the exception of socks. I really want to make socks, and have started a couple of times, but they didn't fit. I decided to start with Widdershins, because I already have the yarn for that. The next thing would be to redo the Baudelaires, which are too big. I have to make gauge swatches for the yarn, since I don't know which size needles to use. I hate making swatches, but I think it necessary. I also got some Fearless Fibers yarn, but I haven't decided which socks to make with it. I'm also making progress with my entrelac scarf. I might put the Lady Eleanor (from Scarf Style) -style fringe on it, but I haven't decided yet.

Demi Actually Progresses

2006-12-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

I've finished the back and the sleeves, and started on the front of Demi. I had already gotten a lot of the front done, but it was in a smaller size and was starting to look too small. It seems like after I get through one repeat of the pattern, it goes a lot quicker, so I didn't mind too much to rip out the front. I'm surprised with how quickly the progress on this sweater is. I guess it's because it's in worsted weight. I still have some projects that are on #3 needles that I started earlier this year, that still aren't close to getting done. I quit working on them because it became tedious.

Increasing my Stash

2006-12-23T23:56:00.000-08:00

I decided I need to work on my two color knitting, so I got the yarn to knit the Manresa legwarmers. I don't know if I'll wear legwarmers, but the pattern seems good, and I want to practice fair isle knitting in the round. A lot of the colorwork I've done is uneven and puckered, and feels awkward, so I want to practice. I'm using Andean Treasure, which is super soft, and fairly cheap, so even if I rarely wear the legwarmers, it won't be a big deal. I've a little bit so far and already the pattern will have to be changed. The needles used are size 7 and that feels too loose to me, since it's a sportweight yarn.
I also got some Andean silk to finally use on Backyard Leaves, from Scarf Style. There are a lot of patterns from that book that I like, and I want to try one before the winter is over. Andean silk is definitely soft and seems like it'll be good for a scarf, but I don't know how well it blocks. It seems like a lot of people have used Andean silk for their Backyard Leaves, so it must work. I only blocked wool and one time, an unfortunate blocking of Wool Ease, where I ruined the scarf. Acrylic won't block, and it got really flat and stretched out, and thin. I don't know what I was thinking, but at least it was only a ribbed scarf.

2006-12-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

I've been focusing on the Demi sweater from Rowan Vintage Knits. I didn't finish my Nanowrimo novel since I wanted to work on this sweater instead. The plot didn't work and I just didn't feel like cranking out pages and pages of bad writing. So instead, I made a lot of progress on this sweater. I started out with the small size and realized it looked really small, and decided to start over, after I had almost gotten to the armhole shaping on the back. I wish I would realize things like t his earlier. The second try actually went a lot faster, because I got the rhythm of the pattern down, so I didn't need to study the chart so much. My goal is to finish or mostly finish this by the end of December, so I can actually wear this when it's cold. This probably won't happen, but it is a lot faster than I lot it would be, so who knows? I'm using the recommended Yorkshire Tweed Aran in Wild Plum, and the actual color is somewhere in between these two pictures. I like this yarn, even though it isn't all that soft. It seems like it'll be really durable, and I like the tweed effect. I think the part that will be the hardest is the side closure at the neckline.

Joining in with Entrelac

2006-11-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

I've seen a lot of mentions of entrelac lately, so I thought I would try it. It does look harder than it is. The hardest part was in the initial picking up of stitches on the purl side of one of the squares. I realized I had been picking up stitches in a certain way, so that it always seemed to show up as purl stitches on the right side of the fabric. I had to play around with it a little, but once I got that, it worked out. The other thing was finding the right yarn. I tried Rowan Tapestry, but it didn't stripe as much as I wanted, and looked too much like just brown. It looks good on the ball, but then the color hardly changes. It is really soft, being part soy and part wool, so I'll have do something else with it. I ended up using Noro Silk Garden lite, which is a lot better. It's soft and the color changes are noticeable, but still a little subtle. I don't want to look like a clown. Now, the only thing is getting more of it, since it's fairly expensive.

Gigantic Sock

2006-11-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

I got a bunch of Mission Falls cotton on ebay for a really cheap price, so I started Mesilla. The start is different than I thought it would be, since it doesn't start in the round, even though it is top down. It's kind of hard to picture how it's going to come together, but I think once I start working in the round, it'll be more clear. I'm using the sea color, and I got enough so that I might also make a shrug from Interweave, which used this yarn.
I also finished the heel for the Baudelaire socks, and it's too big. It was fitting okay, if slightly loose, until the heel was done and now it's an inch or more too long. I think I might have to start over and redo it in a smaller size. I don't want to, but I kind of figured this might happen. I never can just do a technique or pattern I've never done before, and have it turn out perfectly. Maybe now it will be easier, since I know what's coming, when I make the second one.

Writing Progress

2006-11-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

I started doing the Nanowrimo again this year, and again I'm far behind this time. I wanted to be ahead, so I didn't have to keep writing ten pages in one day, but that didn't happen. I have an outline of my story, but it's hard to turn that into actual events or dialogue. I tend to just follow my character around, like now she's walking out the door, now she's walking down the street, and now she enters the store, and so on. It's boring to write, but it's hard to know how to move the events along so it makes sense. It makes you see fiction in a different way, instead of as a reader, just following everything along. I've read a lot of books, so it seems as if it would be easy, but writing makes you think of the construction of the story differently. I hope I can finish it, because it is good when the plot kind of takes over, and I see relationships between the characters that weren't there before.
On the knitting front, I'm to the point where the heel shaping starts on the Baudelaire socks. I guess the whole heel shaping part is the difficult part of socks, so I'll see how that goes. I'm still working on everything else, and it seems like it's taking forever. I have about three or fours projects going that are on size 3 needles, so it seems like I keep knitting and never make much progress. Once these are all done, I think it might start a project with thicker yarns.

Fall Star Quilt

2006-11-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

I recently finished my second quilt. The star squares were originally supposed to go on the outside of a center area, but it didn't look right. I had the black leaf fabric and realized that the squares would look a lot better against that instead. One thing I didn't do right was on the back fabric. I cut it too small, so I thought I would put in a binding and cover up all the extra space. I had left about four inches between the front and the back all around. I had already started quilting and had to rip out all those seams along the edge, and attach extra fabric to the back in strips. The whole thing was tedious, but it doesn't seem to show. So next time I know not to do that. Other than that, I like how this turned out. The fabric was a lot smoother and didn't bunch up during the quilting process, unlike my first quilt. I still want to quilt around some of the stars in the center, because it seems to make the quilt lay more flat. The whole thing seemed to go a lot more smoothly, compared to my first quilt. I have some Halloween themed fabric, so I was thinking about using that for my next quilt.

Socks and Boxes

2006-10-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

I've been knitting more lately, but I realized that I haven't really finished any major projects in a months. I think the reason why is because all my projects are on # 3 or #5 needles and are more complicated than anything I've done before. I started the Baudelaire socks, and am using the Filatura di Crosa Zarina yarn. The color is actually more deep red. This is the first sock I've done, but I have done fingerless gloves before, so that's similar. I've also been making progress on the Lotus Blossom tank. I have one more repeat of the lace, then stockinette, which will go faster. It'll be done in time for the middle of winter. I am using Bamboo yarn, which I really like. It's silky and I like the texture. The lace is also complicated enough so it doesn't get boring. I really hope this pattern fits. Here is also a picture of my cat. He likes to get inside boxes and bite them. There are bite marks all around the edges of any box he can get a hold of. I've never had a cat who liked to bite so much, and at least he isn't biting me.

Booga Bag Done

2006-10-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here is my finished Booga Bag. I used Noro Kureyon and Patons merino wool, which felt differently. The Patons was done the first time I took the bag out of the washing machine, but after two times, the Kureyon still has stitch definition. I like how it turned out, except I would have made it a little bigger and the handles longer. I don't know what the ratio of how much it shrinks is, and I didn't want to make it enormous if i wouldn't shrink much. Other than that, I like how it turned out. I wanted to have a sort of stained glass effect, and it seems like it worked.

The Most Challenging Sweater

2006-10-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

I started Demi from the book, Vintage Knits by Rowan. It is easily the most complicated project I've done so far. But I'm having more problems with Shedir and the Bonita shirt from Interweave. The only problem so far with Demi, is that some of the purls are in the wrong places, but the fabric is dark and I didn't want to start over. For some reason, it always seems to take me a few rows to get the hang of the pattern. One problem was that I wasn't using some way to mark the rows or what I just did. Then I remembered highlighters. It seems dumb that I forgot about using them.
So far, with the Demi pattern I can see what the difference between the knit stitch and knit in the back loop stitch. It really stands out more when you knit through the back loop. I'm using Rowan Yorkshire Tweed and it's fairly dark, so the pattern would be really hard to see, but the pattern really pops it out. The only thing is that every single stitch for the entire sweater is part of a chart, so it will take a long time. Shedir is going okay and I decided to knit through the back loop on that also, for the same reason.

Felting is Hard

2006-10-04T10:23:00.001-07:00

I've been felting lately. I finished and felted Booga Bag, but I'm not sure how much I like it. I'm going to post pictures of that later, maybe after I've lined it. This is Patons SWS felted twice, which still has a lot of stitch defintion, but feels felted. I was going to put a zipper in it, but I think it's too thick. That's what happened to me before, where once the stitch definition of the fabric disappeared, the bag was ridiculously thick. It was literally and inch thick. I don't think I like felting that much, because it never works out how I want it to. I've been wanting to make Nicky Epstein's Floral Felted bag for a while now, but I don't want to put all the work into the intarsia, just to have it ruined during felting. Maybe using thinner yarn works out better, though.

Bags and Stuff

2006-09-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

I found this bag from Berroco, and I'm thinking about trying it out, because of the fair isle. I want to get better at fair isle, so this seems like a better beginner project, instead of a whole sweater. I'll probably get a cheaper yarn though. It calls for 10 balls of Ultra Alpaca, which would be about $100. The designers must have access to lots of yarn, so they don't think about the cost.
I made this small pouch out Noro Kureyon. It is the end part of a ball which has mostly blues and greens. It doesn't seem like the colors work together, like the colors on this bag should have been it's own colorway, and the blues and greens should be separate. I felted it, but it doesn't look like it. I think Kureyon is harder to felt. But I really like it, since it reminds me of fall and barns.
I've also been working on Shedir, which isn't going well. I've had to rip out and reknit the same 3 rows over and over. They are not even the hardest part of the pattern. I think I had one stitch in the wrong place and it threw all the others off, so half of it looks wrong. Part of it is that I'm using a tweed yarn, so it's harder to see the stitches, and there are so many of them, that's it's hard to remember what I just did. Hopefully it's right now, and it will get easier.

Granny Afghan

2006-09-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

I finished this granny square afghan after months of not working on it. I used Bernat Chunky acrylic yarn, which is really cheap. I used one ball of all these colors and still have a lot left over. The blue is actually purple, though. I still am going to put some kind of edging on it, maybe just shells or something simple. When I started, I planned on doing a bunch of different types of granny squares, but I ended up doing the most basic one. I did this project as my easy one, where you barely have to pay attention to it. I like having a simple one, if I'm also working on something more complex.

Wall Hanging

2006-09-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is my second quilt, which is going to be a wall hanging. I need to find a fabric that will work in the edges. The one I picked out already seems like it would be too busy. I got most of the fabric from those Joann's quilt block kits, which made it cheap. The central part was patterned by me, based on the dimensions of the other squares. It is a traditional square, but I couldn't find the exact dimensions that I wanted, so I came up with it. These squares are about 12". I still have problems with the seams not being exact, and the squares turning out to be different sizes. I guess I just need more practice to be exact. I want to try more elaborate quilting designs on this one, maybe with metallic thread.
Another thing I'm going to try is making a Booga Bag. I have some Noro Kureyon that I was making a scarf out of, but it would have been way too scratchy. I am afraid of ruining the yarn by felting, though. I felted a bag made from Brown Sheep bulky pride, and it turned out to be and inch and a half thick and completely ugly. It's way too dense and is basically ruined. I don't want that to happen to the kureyon. I think I'll try felting with some cheaper stuff first, since I must have done something wrong with that other bag. But I really like the Kureyon colorway that I've got, so the Booga Bag seems like a good thing to make with it.

Blossoming Trees

2006-09-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

These are two squares from a small quilt I started working on. I found some of those Joann's quilt squares kits on sale, so I used some of the fabric from that came with them. Those kits are good, but then you know exactly how it'll look when it's done. I realized with the last quilt I made, that the colors were too similar, and I didn't leave enough unknown parts of the quilt at the end. I think the whole process is more interesting if there are things that you have to figure out all along. If everything is completely figured out for you, there doesn't seem much point in making it. I guess knitting is kind of like that if you're using a pattern. But some of the time, I just want that particular sweater, so it doesn't seem like an artistic process. I haven't been knitting much lately. I started on a sweater, but it was way too tight, so I had to rip it back. That gets really frustrating. I would like to start a project and have it work and fit with no problems, for once, without having to resort to making only scarves.

Books & Quilts

2006-09-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

I've been working on quilts lately. I'm stuck on one of them and can't figure out what to do next. I want to make several quilt squares, but I don't want them to be the same, so I'm trying to find some that will work together. I was thinking about different types of stars. The other one is a lot easier because the squares will be the same, but have different color schemes. I got a bunch of fabric that was on sale, so I'm trying to figure out how to use it. I also want to get some Halloween fabric for either a small quilt or pillows. Most of the stuff I've seen so far is too cutesy, but I think a quilt or something would be cool.
I recently found out that my library has downloadable audio books, which is good. Most of them are ones I've never heard of, but some are good. Hopefully they'll keep getting more, because I like listening to audio books while I knit. I found this web site which has free audio books to download, and they are all classics that are in the public domain. A good book that I've listened to recently is My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It's about a girl who has leukemia and her parents decide to have another child who will be a donor for the girl. She ends up donating bone marrow and other stuff to keep her sister alive, but now is suing her parents for medical emancipation. It makes you think about how the leukemia affects everyone in the family, and how it makes them do things they never thought they would.

Crochet Granny Bag

2006-08-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

I started the Granny's not-so-square bag from the Happy Hooker. I ended up using the recommended Berroco Cotton twist, because it's shiny and seems more durable. I used a couple of other cottons, but the colors weren't right, and they didn't blend in with the suede on the outside. Now the only thing is I ran out of suede, and the color I'm using, Tobacco, is difficult to find unless I pay a lot. Also I can't find the 2" O-rings for the handles. So the project is on hold for a while. Which is too bad, because I really like these colors. The picture makes the purple look too blue, and the Cotton twist is a lot more shiny in reality. It's twisted with rayon, so it looks really pretty.
I've also been having a lot of problems with Blogger. It's erased my template a few times, won't let me log in, won't let me post pictures, and overall just frustrates me. I don't want to pay for a another blog, like typepad, so I guess there's no solution, but it's still irritating.

Some Soy Wool

2006-08-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

These are the latest knitting projects that I've worked on. One is the Bonita shirt, which has a really easy lace pattern. It isn't showing up well in the picture, but it does look crisp with the yarn I'm using. The pattern is easy to memorize, so it goes more quickly. I'm using Knitpicks Shine, which is soft, and doesn't seem like it will wear out too quickly. I've used the worsted weight Shine, and it seemed like it got too fuzzy too quickly. I also got this ball of Patons SWS, which is soy and wool. It is really soft, like mohair. I don't know what I'll use it for, but I like the colors. I'm going to felt it, to see what happens. The green WIP is the Lotus blossom tank, which has a lot more complicated lace pattern. I've heard that this pattern runs a lot bigger, or the lace really stretches, so I made the small, but it might still be too big. The lace part isn't too difficult, but I have to pay more attention. The bamboo yarn I'm using is definately has a different texture to it. It's more rough than cotton on my fingers, it feels silky. It's kind of strange that I'm knitting bamboo yarn with bamboo needles. I can't think of another material that would happen with. I've barely just done one repeat of the lace pattern, so this will probably take me until the winter. I want to make sure that both of these fit right, because some of the things I've knitted didn't fit completely well.

Branching Out Finally Done

2006-08-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been working on this scarf for over a year. That might even be true. It got tedious to do the same repeat over and over. I used the Elsebeth Lavold silky wool from the pattern Branching Out. Just in case there's a knitter out there who hasn't seen this pattern. I think this is my first finished lace project that's more extensive than fingerless gloves. I like lace knitting, but I can't see myself doing those intricate fingering weight shawls that some people are into. It might be fun for a while, but then it would take forever. I get too easily distracted by new projects.
Another thing I've tried lately is fusing on a quilt. It is easier than I thought it would be. You just use an iron on stabilizer, then attach it to the back of some fabric, then peel away the paper and attach that fabric to a base fabric. There are more complicated ways of doing it that involve making templates with freezer paper, but I haven't done that yet. I'm in the process of making a fused hanging quilt. It isn't all that great, since I'm just trying to learn the process now.

First Log Cabin Quilt

2006-08-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

I just finished my first quilt. It's in the log cabin style and I used cotton for the batting. When I started, it didn't seem like there was enough of a contrast between the colors, but it worked out. I wanted to keep this first one more simple, but I can see how I could have used more fabrics, a patterned border, or different types of log cabin piecing. I used thin cotton batting that was doubled, but next I won't double it. The hardest part was quilting it, because it was hard to jam it all under my small sewing machine, and the fabric would get all bunched up. Next time, I want to measure everything more accurately, because I only measured the original parts of the squares, then nothing else. I wanted to just start doing, instead of measuring and checking everything. I probably won't make really intricate quilts, because I really don't like all the precise measuring and creating templates. I want to just cut the fabric and start sewing right away. I'll probably make art quilts, so the mesuring and templates won't matter. I do like how this turned out, though, except that it's way too hot to use it right now. It fits my bed and is really warm.

New Bamboo Yarn

2006-08-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

I recently got this yarn in order to try the Lotus Blossom tank from Interweave. The bamboo is actually the same shade as the one used in the magazine, but it doesn't look like it. I don't know what I'll do with the other blue cotton yarn. It's from Elann.com, and is more stiff than I thought it would be, but maybe it will last longer. I want to use the bamboo, but it doesn't seem like it will be enough. It's more soft than I thought it would be, but it does split more often. I have so many started projects now, that I really have to finish some of them, before I start a bunch of new ones. So I'll probably end up making the tank just in time for winter! I've barely been knitting lately. None of my projects seem interesting. They are ones I've been working on forever, and they never seem to get done. I think I really need to try more quick projects, like hats, so I feel like I'm actually finishing stuff.

My First Quilt, or New Cat Bed

2006-08-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have almost finished making my first quilt. It is in the log cabin style, since I wanted something simple, just to try out. I wanted to get better at just sewing straight lines, and keeping everything even. I measured everything exactly , but my seams still didn't turn out straight, so all the squares are different sizes. It didn't matter too much, except that the pattern doesn't line up perfectly. The hardest part is having to actually quilt the thing and deal with the small table surface. My sewing machine doesn't seem to make the stitch that looks like a broken line, or do free motion quilting, so the quilting doesn't look as good as it could. But as long as it holds together, I don't really care.

Bonita Progress

2006-07-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

I've been making some progress on the Bonita shirt. The Knitpicks shine I'm using is really soft and is easy to work with. The pattern is easy, but I messed it up and had to unravel part of it. I still have to pay attention to it. This is the first pattern I've done from Interweave. It seems like I've been knitting awhile, but looking back at my projects, they all seem to be mostly stockinette. I definately want to make some more complex patterns in the future. I want to make the Lotus Blossom tank from this same issue. The lace is more complicated than this pattern, so I figure I can switch back and forth between them. I ordered some bamboo yarn, so I can see if I want to use that.

The Heat

2006-07-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to knit the Bonita shirt from Interweave, but it is so hot here that it's impossible. But so far it's fairly simple. The foldover hem seems like a lot of work for just less than an inch of knitting. I had to redo it twice, because of gauge. I used metal needles and the slippery cotton made it really annoying. Now the only thing I'm worried about is that it's still turning out too big. I don't think I've ever knit with 100% cotton, but I've heard that it's really stretchy. Another shirt that I wanted to knit sometime soon for summer is the Lotus Blossom Tank, from the same Interweave. I don't have anything that is like that, and the lace would be the most complicated that I've knit.

New Shirt on the Horizon

2006-07-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

I got some Knitpicks Shine for the summer Interweave Bonita shirt. I really like the lace patterns on it, because it isn't too complex. I don't know how well Shine will last, so I don't want to spend months and months if the yarn doesn't last. The color is actually lighter, it's Wisteria, a light grayish purple. I wish Knitpicks had a lot more color choices, for almost all of their yarns. Another thing I'm going to try is sock knitting. I've heard that it's difficult, so I want to attempt it. I got some sock yarn from Knitpicks a while back, and I really don't like the color or the feel of it, but I guess I'll use that.

Cupcake Finally Done

2006-07-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

I finally finished Cupcake, from the Happy Hooker. It probably took me about two weeks, but I stopped for month. I changed some of the waist shaping and the length, because I had a different gauge. Also the sleeves were too wide, so I did double decreases in the center of the sleeve, about two inches before the lace part. It made the sleeve curve and fits my arm a lot better. I'm not sure how the original sleeve was supposed to fit, but mine stuck out really strangely. I used Amazon Nova cotton yarn in Medium brown, which was cheap and easy to use. I think I might try a knitting project with it. Another thing I noticed was that that bottom hem, where the first chain is, is really tight compared to rest of the shirt. Everything else is stretchy, but that part isn't. I think if I made the first chain with a larger hook, it wouldn't be like that. But other than that, I'm happy with how this turned out, especially for my first crocheted piece of clothing. The next thing I want to make is the Unseemly Sweater, but I'll probably wait for a while. I already have to many unfinished projects.

Cupcake Reborn

2006-07-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

I decided to finish some UFOs that have been in the back of my closet. I like working on this shirt, which is Cupcake from The Happy Hooker, but I really changed the pattern around. My gauge was different, so all the numbers are changed. The best part was that I didnt' write down all those numbers, I just calculated them when I was crocheting. I wasn't looking forward to doing all that again for the front, since I had no idea what I did. I ended up just measuring the back then estimating. Hopefully it will work out. I plan to also finish Branching Out in the next week or so. I just want to move on to new projects, so I want to get these over with.
I also saw the new Knitty, and am not too excited about it. I haven't got into making socks, and almost all the patterns are socks. I did like the hemp maze hat, the Perdita bracelet, and the Manresa legwarmers. I really like the pattern on the legwarmers, and might just use it for something else, since I don't wear legwarmers much. I wanted to see more tops, but in a way, it might be better that there aren't any. I already have too many patterns that I want to try, and I wanted to try to make my own patterns, so that's probably enough.

Future Projects

2006-06-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't been knitting much lately, but I've been thinking about making the Bonita shirt from the summer Interweave Knits in Knitpicks Shine. I don't know if I would do all the embroidery, but I like how it looks. I tested out a swatch of Shine, and I liked knitting with it. It's so smooth, so I wanted to try it out as a sweater. I've haven't made anything with pure cotton yet, so it will be interesting to try it. I've mostly been sewing, and that's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Even when I measure right, and think that I'm sewing a straight line, I comes out crooked. I try ripping out the seams with a seam ripper, but it cuts the fabric instead. It's frustrating, but I mainly want to do fabric collages, or art quilts, for wall hangings, so sewing in a straight line won't matter as much.

The Machine

2006-06-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

I got my first sewing machine a couple of days ago, and am learning how to use it. I think it's from the 1960's, but it works well so far. I've only used one other sewing machine, which probably from the 1950's, since it weighed about 60 pounds or something. I eventually want to use it to make art quilts, but I'm trying to make really simple stuff right now. I wanted to get a really fancy one with lots of stitches, but I don't think I need that. It's hard enough just trying understand how to use it, and getting the stitches to be straight. I never seem to cut the fabric exactly, then the seams are uneven. Hopefully it won't take too long to get better at it. I really like the art quilts that I've seen. They almost look like paintings or collages. I don't understand how they put them together, though, and how everything looks so even. I think I might just make a simple quilts with squares or triangles to start with. That might be difficult enough at this point.

Cupcake Unfinished and Stitches

2006-06-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

I finished the back of Cupcake, from the Happy Hooker. My gauge is completely different from the pattern, so I changed the measurements and the increases a lot. I started another one, but it would have been way too small, because I didn't pay attention to the gauge at first. I used the recommended Amazon DK yarn, which was cheap, and seems good so far.
I haven't been working on this project for a while, since I got a stitch dictionary, Vogue Stitchionary. The book has a lot of good stitches in it, that seem up to date. I looked at some other books, and a lot of the patterns reminded me of bad clothing from the seventies and eighties. I've been trying out different lace patterns with different yarns, to see how the yarn affects the lace pattern. It's interesting, because I get a lot of ideas of things to add to plain patterns that I've seen.

Designing Sweaters

2006-06-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to design a sweater myself, and it's not easy. I found this page, which helps in charting patterns, except the font for the spreadsheet seems to have problems. If I wanted to make cables with both purl and knit stitches, the font doesn't work. I don't know if it's the font or my computer, or what. It works well for other stuff, though. Another thing is that it's difficult to figure out where lace patterns or cables should go on a sweater, so they don't interfere with shaping. It would be easier to make a sweater that has no shaping, but I don't like how those fit. I also realized that I need to learn how sweaters fit, and how the amount of ease affects it, and basic information about shirt construction. In a lot of patterns, I like only certain aspects of it, but I don't know how to change them, and have the altered sweater fit right. I can't find information on how exactly to knit different collar and neckline styles, and have it work with the sweater. Designing sweaters and knitted stuff myself seems to be the next step for me. I can learn more about the overall construction, instead of just blindly following the pattern, not really knowing why I'm doing the increasing at a certain point, or whatever.

Spring Rhododendron

2006-06-09T02:21:00.000-07:00

Yoga Bag

2006-05-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

I finally finished this bag. It was really simple, but for some reason, I never wanted to work on it. I used Lion Cotton, which is difficult to knit with. I got the pattern from S&B Nation. I wanted to make it longer, so it completely covers the bag, but I didn't calculate right. If I ever make a yoga bag again, I'll just make it stockinette stitch, so it doesn't take forever. At the top you can see the diamond lace pattern more clearly.

Granny Square Afghan

2006-05-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here are the granny squares I've made so far. I like these because they are instant gratification. I'll have to make twenty or thirty for an afghan, so it will take a while. All my other projects are just sitting there and I feel uninspired to work on them. None are close to being done, and it feels like I've been working on them for a long time now, with not much progress, so it's frustrating. I've been taking time off from knitting, and working on paintings more often.
These squares are the basic granny squares. I thought of making different types, but they didn't really work well together. They turned out to be a different shape than rectangular, so it didn't look cohesive. I thought about keeping it more simple, then adding a few really different looking squares diagonally. These are done with Bernat Softee Chunky, which is extremely cheap, but is good to work with. I've seem patterns for afghans that uses really expensive yarn, so the thing ends up costing over a hundred dollars, and you'd have to dry clean it. I don't really get that, since it is a blanket that's meant to be used.

Granny Squares

2006-05-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

I've been working on granny squares lately, since they're quick and portable. I found a bunch of different patterns, and I think I'll just connect them together for an afghan. The color choices aren't my preferred colors, but the store didn't really have a good selection. They had three different shades of hot pink, but no blue or green at all. These are actually purple, but they don't look like it. Other than these squares, I haven't done any knitting at all. It's way too hot for it. There are a lot of good summer patterns, but I feel like I'd ruin the fabric if I actually wore them during the summer. On another note, I got some t-shirt iron on transfers, so I'll see how well those work out. I'm planning on putting artwork or designs that I've done onto them. I don't know how well they'll hold up, but even regular t-shirt patterns wear out after a while. I think it's a lot better to wear handmade or personalized clothing, so you don't have to look like everyone else, or buy what the fashion industry wants you to wear.

Changes and Updates

2006-05-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot more drawing than knitting lately. I went through a period where it seemed more frustrating than actually fun. I find that if I approach it as if the final product is only part of a process, and it's not final, then it makes it more fun. I've been drawing more in the graphic novel style lately, and there is less pressure that way, because it feels more like practicing. If I try and crank out finished pieces that have to be perfect, it gets annoying.
I started Cupcake from Happy Hooker again, because my gauge was off, and it wouldn't have fit at all. I found that the general measurements of this shirt had to be changed, because it seems to be for a specific body type only. It is an easy enough pattern, so you can loosely keep the general look of it, but change it a lot. One thing I've been thinking about crocheting is a granny square afghan. I've never made a blanket and I like that I can just get a little bit of yarn and add to it over time, because the dye lots wouldn't have to match. I just have to find the right yarn for it. This is a picture of my cat, who falls asleep in strange places.

Greensleeves

2006-05-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done with this sweater. The sleeves will go by more slowly because I have to knit them with double pointed needles. It fits well enough for not really having a pattern. It seems too roomy in some areas, but I don't want to fix it. I wanted to use up this yarn, Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride, which I think is really itchy. I won't be getting anything with mohair in it anymore. I haven't been as into knitting lately, since I decided to just use up the yarn I have, and adjust or finish up previous projects. It's not as exciting as getting new yarn for a pattern I really like. At least I'm not knitting this sweater in the middle of the summer heat. Last year, I started a thick wool sweater in July, for some reason.

Summer time Crochet

2006-04-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

I bought some yarn to start Cupcake, from the Happy Hooker. I'm gradually working my way through the book, since there are so many good projects in there. I want to make more knitted summer stuff, since I've basically only made worsted weight sweaters, that I can't wear all the time. So far, Cupcake seems easy enough, and I'm using the recommended yarn, Amazon DK. It's really smooth and lightweight. I keep starting new projects and not finishing them. I'm excited when I start, then the pattern seems tedious. If I work on a bunch of different projects, it keeps them from getting boring.
I'm glad summer is here, because it means in season fruit is here. There's nothing like organic strawberries, blueberries, and mangos, in my opinion.

First Top Down Raglan

2006-04-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

I unraveled another sweater, which I had done a while ago. I kept noticing all the problems with it, since it was the first sweater I made. Some parts were done wrong and I ended up not really liking the style. It was green and purple, so I used the green to start this raglan sweater. I used Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride, which I won't be able to wear for a while, since it's too warm now. So far, I like how it's coming together, and there won't be much seaming at the end. It's going by really quickly, and I like being able to try it on as I go.
I was thinking about using the purple yarn for a crocheted sweater, but I might not have enough. I was thinking of a lacy pattern, or something else more challenging than stockinette, so I'll just have to keep looking.

Sugar Magnolia

2006-04-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

I went to Hendricks Park yesterday, and hadn't been there for years, it seems. I don't know why I don't do things I like more often. I think springtime here is the best, because everything is blooming, even bushes and shrubs you wouldn't expect.

Sesame Is Good

2006-04-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

I finally finished with this sweater. I started thinking it was too small, but I finished and blocked it, and it seems fine. The buttonhole band curls though, and I don't know how to fix it. I thought of rebinding off again tighter. I used Brown Sheep cotton fleece, which I really like. I don't know which specific colors they were, because they were mill ends. It feels soft against the skin, and is lightweight. It was a relatively easy sweater, except that I kept running out of yarn, so the size became an issue. Also, the colors bled after I blocked it, so I guess I would have to wash it again.

Lace Projects

2006-04-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have been working on lace patterns lately. One is Branching Out and the other is the Om Yoga Bag from S & B Nation. I'm using Lion brand cotton, and it is more difficult to work with, but should be sturdy. I' ve seen some mistakes already on Branching Out. I think I didn't add enough yarn overs, so I ended up with too few stitches. I just have to pay more attention to it.

Fat Bottomed Bag In All It's Glory

2006-04-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

I finally finished this project. It took a while, because the yarn split constantly with the herringbone stitch. The stitch is the only one used throughout, and it really is a lot slower than the regular ones. But I like the finished texture. I might do more to dress up the bag, with ribbon or a crocheted flower. One thing that I would have done differently, is to sew the lining to the bag before I attached the handles. It was really difficult to get the lining centered in the bag. I was just excited about finishing, so I didn't think about that. I like the finished look of crocheted bags a lot better than knitted. They seem a lot more sturdy.

Granny Squares Bag

2006-04-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

Granny Squares Bag
Originally uploaded by sphilange.

I recently finished this bag in one day. It was crocheted with Lion suede and cotton, based on the Granny's No Square pattern. I want to do the orginal, which uses much more expensive yarn, but I wanted to test out the pattern first. It turned out a little bigger than I wanted, because the suede is so much thicker than the Berocco suede the pattern called for.

Dislike the Name, Like the Project

2006-04-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

I am halfway done on the Fat Bottomed Bag from the Happy Hooker. I used Lion Brand cotton, which splits a lot, but is cheap. The construction of the bag is different than I thought it would be, since you're working sideways, instead of from the top. I might make fewer rows, because I don't it to be as wide. It's taking a while, but hopefully the finished project will turn out good.

Mosaic Coaster Attempt

2006-04-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

I made these recently, with glass tiles. I wanted to make a design, but it was difficult to cut the tiles precisely. I think they turned okay for the first try.

Branching Out into Lace

2006-03-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

I started my first lace project, Branching Out. I've got the yarn to make Elizabeth, from the Knitpicks pattern, but the yarn is so much thinner and the pattern seems more complicated. I want to start out with a simpler project first. So far Branching Out is not too complex, but I have to pay attention, especially to the yarn overs. My goal is to make a lace sweater, like this one from Knitpicks, or something like it. I think I would have to practice, though, before I could make something like that with no mistakes.

Exchange Bag

2006-03-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

This pattern is from The Happy Hooker and is done with nylon cord. It's difficult to work with because it's so stiff, but I like the finished product. I had to restart this a couple of times, because it kept turning out wrong, but I found out that there was an error in the instructions. The number of stitches is supposed to be 95 on the rows of shells. Anyway, I was thinking of making a wallet to go along with it at some point.

New Projects, Failed Old Ones

2006-03-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

This is the new yarn that I got. I will probably make a Branching Out scarf and a Shedir hat from the reddish yarn. Both of these are the nicest yarns I've worked with. I wish I could afford to only use expensive yarn. I finished Sesame, but it turned out too small. My gauge was right and the size was right, but it turned out to fit different than I thought it would. It's annoying that it didn't work out, but I think I might just redo it and try a different color scheme. I was thinking about dark blue and burnt sienna, so it would be more simple. I will probably work on smaller projects first, since it is really frustrating to go through a whole project and not have it fit.

Sesame Languishing

2006-03-20T20:13:00.000-08:00

Here is my almost finished sweater that I started at the beginning of February. It would have been done sooner, but I ran out of the gray yarn for the thin stripes. It was the least amount of yarn, but I couldn't find it anywhere, and eventually had to unravel a camera case and mp3 player and use that. The sleeves have a part that folds over, so they took longer than usual, and it felt like I kept knitting and knitting and they stayed the same length. The whole thing is stockinette, which I do get sick of, but I like the pattern. Hopefully it will fit well, because of the set in sleeves. The yarn is Brown Sheep cotton fleece, which I like a lot. It seems perfect for my climate, where it's not all that cold, but not warm.

Continuing Saga of the Exchange Bag

2006-03-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

I am still working on this bag, after starting in three times now. The pattern isn't really that difficult, I think it's because the nylon is hard to work with. The first time, the shells didn't line up right, and I didn't have the same tension throughout. Then, I somehow increasing the number of stitches, so one side started going on a diagonal, and it would have looked strange. Hopefully it will work now, because I like the pattern, and the purse seems like it would be useful. It is frustrating to keep redoing the same pattern, but I think it will be worth it.

Another Crocheted Bag & The Evils of TV

2006-03-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

I started the Exchange Bag, with nylon yarn. It is difficult to work with and I had to start it twice, actually. Once it gets going, it's easier, but I had a hard time not twisting the original chain. I'm using Coats and Clark yarn, which is really cheap. The whole thing might cost about $6. I like this bag, because it seems like one that would be really useful, because the yarn is so tough. A lot of stuff that I made feels delicate, so I end up not using it as much.
I realized that I haven't watched a TV show in months. I just got so sick of commercials, and the shows themselves are so mindless. I used to watch TV all the time, like an addict. It was strange because the more I watched, the more I would want to watch. It was like I couldn't think of anything else to do, because my mind had shut off. It's like a drug in so many ways. When you first start, you anticipate that it will be really fun, then it's not, so you keep watching, trying to feel that initial amount of excitement. The shows themselves are more cut with commercials too, compared ten years ago. I am glad that I finally stopped watching, because in the end, it's just depressing to sit there watching other people live their lives, or whatever.

Finished Overdue Artwork

2006-03-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Here are two drawings that I left unfinished for a long time. I loose the momentum while I'm doing something, so I just move onto something else. I used images from a magazine for the collage, then used colored pencils for the rest of it. The insect drawing is done with colored pencils. I haven't been working on artwork for a while. I want to spend more time just drawing, because I think it's my weakest area. It is more difficult, because I have to think of original ideas, and I have preconceived ideas on how it should turn out. It doesn't seem like there's enough time to do all the things I want to, and there's always some area that's being left out. I guess everyone feels like that, because we're expected to do so much, and there's only so much time in the day.

In Bloom Bag

2006-03-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

I finished the In Bloom bag from the Happy Hooker. It was a really easy pattern, and went by quickly. I decided to add interfacing between the lining and the bag, so it would be stiffer. I used Patons Deep Olive and Peacock, for the flower. The flower was the hardest part, because it was hard to tell if I had enough stitches in the beginning. The only thing I might have done was to put a zipper on the lining, before I sewed it to the bag, so my stuff won't fall out.

A Crocheted bag

2006-03-08T23:05:00.000-08:00

I started a project from The Happy Hooker, a crocheted bag that I'm going to add flowers to later. I've never made crochet flowers, so it will be interesting. I might even add buttons, or embroidery, depending on how it looks. I wanted to do the granny squares bag, but all the yarn would make it more expensive. The crocheted bags seem more sturdy. I wanted to knit a bag for a while, but they seem too flimsy, and I don't like most felted bags. I think the texture looks better for bags too. Crochet seems more interesting right now, I guess because I just learned how to do it. A lot of the projects I want to do are crochet.
I'm glad that Knitpicks has added more yarns and more colors, because now I can do some projects that would have required more expensive yarn. I have some patterns for sweaters from Interweave Knits that call for worsted weight cotton, and I had a hard time finding it. But now, I'm going to look at some of those patterns again. Also, now I can do the Short and Sweet Shrug from The Happy Hooker. I don't know when I'll wear it, but I really like the laciness of the pattern.

Knitting into Oblivion

2006-03-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the sleeves for Sesame. They are longer than usual, since they are meant to be folded up, so it felt like I kept knitting and knitting and they would never get finished. That seems to happen sometimes, especially with stockinette, like the knitting never changes. Now I have only one front to do, then the collar and button area until I finish. After this, I want to start another crochet project. Maybe the granny squares bag from the Stitch & Bitch Crochet book, or a scarf. I decided to put up a picture of my cat, just for fun, since there aren't enough pictures of cats on the internet.

sidewalk chalk guy

2006-03-02T02:03:00.000-08:00

sidewalk chalk guy

The pictures on this site are incredible. It really looks like the sidewalk is opening up or the objects are actually there. I wonder if the artist uses some kind of sealant on his paintings, or if they get washed away. That would be insane if they did.

Skull Potholder

2006-02-26T19:03:00.000-08:00

DSCF0509
Originally uploaded by sphilange.

Here is my first project from The Happy Hooker. I reversed the colors for either side, instead of doing two. I noticed how my gauge and color switching became more even on the second side. If I make more of these, I would make it more lacy and circular. It was fun doing this project because it went so quickly. Next, I want to do the one skein scarf, and one of the bags. I think I’ll save some of the sweater projects for summer, since they are so lacy. Last summer, I remember working on a thick wool sweater for some reason, and it was way too hot for that type of thing.

Half Done Ripple

2006-02-24T20:46:00.000-08:00

This is the first crocheted scarf that I did, with Noro Kureyon #92. It's the first part of it. This scarf went by pretty quickly, faster than knitting it, I think.

The Happy Hooker

2006-02-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

I finally got a copy of Stitch & Bitch Crochet, and the projects seem pretty good. Right away, there were a bunch that I want to do, and I can see ways to change them a little, so they're more like what I want. I started on the Skull Potholder, to learn how to change colors with crochet. It's easy, but the carried along color isn't as well hidden as it is with knitting. A lot of patterns call for cheaper yarns, and the weight of the yarn is also given in the instructions, which is helpful. I see a lot of patterns that I really like, but they call for really expensive yarn, and it's hard to know which cheaper yarn would make a good substitution.
The next thing I want to do is make the one skein scarf, which looks like it'd be really fast. Some of the other more involved projects, like the sweaters and shrugs, look good, but I'd have to wait to buy the yarn. I'll have to stick with small projects for a while until I can get more money. I'm almost halfway done with the Ripple Scarf, which the first crochet project that I started, from a crocheted scarf book. For a while, I had trouble with the decreases, because the book doesn't include instructions for it. But it working out now. Crochet definately seems easier, but I think knowing how to knit helps.

Crochet Ripple Pattern

2006-02-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

I started my first crochet project, a scarf in the Noro Kureyon yarn. The first time I did it, I didn't look at the directions closely enough. The pattern starts on one line, then goes to a second, and only the second line is repeated. But I assumed both lines were repeated, for the front and the back. Other than that, though, the pattern is really easy. I think once you know how to knit, crochet is a lot easier. The pattern will probably be more clear on this scarf once the yarn is lighter in color.

Alpaca Farms

2006-02-19T01:22:00.000-08:00

No Brakes!
Originally uploaded by Walnut Creek Alpacas.

I saw this picture of an alpaca and it made me think about alpaca yarn. The two don't seem connected, because I haven't seen the fur turned into yarn. It's interesting to see the actual animals that our products come from, since most people probably never see the animals or are connected with them. I remember seeing someone spinning or carding wool at an historical farm when I was a kid, but that's the only time I think I saw an animal's fur being processed, or even an actual sheep, for that matter. The whole process seemed antiquated, and I didn't really think about where the whole came from now, at least at the time. It would be interesting to see a yarn factory, and see how it's processed now. It's probably something I wouldn't want to see, however, and would make me want to only buy yarn from organic farms.

Crochet Beginnings

2006-02-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

I ordered the Stitch and Bitch Crochet book, and am excited to see what the patterns are like. I only learned to crochet, so it'll be interesting to see how different the patterns are from knitted ones. Crochet seemed a little easier at least initially, because you don't have to learn to hold the needles comfortably. That was the hardest part for me when I first started knitting. I'm still working on Sesame, and have the sleeves and one front to finish. I used Brown Sheep mill ends for it, and one problem I've noticed is that every so often, the yarn is tied together in a knot. But for $1.25 an ounce, that's fine. I like the yarn a lot, because it's smooth and seems like it'll look professional after it's done. It should be done by the time warmer spring weather comes along. I bought some Noro Kureyon #92, for a crochet project. I think this is one of my favorites, because it has colors that remind me of the ocean, with dark prussian blue and sea green.

Half Finished Projects

2006-02-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

I have a bunch of projects that I haven't finished yet, and other ones that I need to fix or just redo. Some of them are from when I first started knitting, so I was thinking about just redoing them. The projects I have to finish are a hoodie, the Letter have it bag, some fingerless gloves, and Sesame. The one I want to redo is a striped sweater that turned out too big. I think the best thing would be just to redo the whole thing in a smaller size. The entire thing is too big, and fits strangely. But most of this stuff are projects that I'm not excited about anymore, because I found patterns I like better, or I don't like the yarn choice. I have all this thick wool yarn, that really doesn't work in the climate I'm in. I might just forget about these projects until later, and work on stuff I actually like. Some of the projects I'm thinking about are the Lucky Clover Wrap from S & B Nation, the ZigZag sweater from Knitty, the Shedir hat, some of the scarves from Scarf Style, and maybe some lace scarves.

Mill Ends are Cheap

2006-02-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

I wasn't going to get any new yarn, but I noticed that there were mill ends of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece at my LYS for $1.25 an ounce. I got enough to make the Sesame sweater, probably with some left over. I like this yarn a lot, since it's DK weight and mostly cotton. The LYS also has Lamb's Pride mill ends, which I don't like that much. I realized that I should probably only knit DK weight and lighter, since it really doesn't get cold enough to need big bulky sweaters. I like the Sesame pattern, because it's lightweight and simple. I tried to think of ways to make add in fair isle or something to change the pattern a little, but I wanted to make a more simple sweater that I can wear a lot. After this, I want to try a lace project, which should be a lot more complicated.

Fiber Arts Projects

2006-02-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking of a project to do next and a few things came to mind. One was a project using felted wool and cutting shapes out for a picture, then embroidering it for the details. It seems interesting because I've never done anything like that, and it involves wool, but in a different way than knitting. I also thought of some quilts that I've seen, where it's more like a picture and the fabric is used to create a landscape, instead of geometric designs. If I had a sewing machine, I might try that. I remember when I took art classes in college, there was a fiber arts section, but I never paid much attention to it. I mainly took drawing and painting classes. I think now after learning how to knit, I wish I would have looked into taking some fiber classes. I think it's interesting to use cloth and fiber to create pictures, because it looks so different from a painting. Anyway, I am still working on the Letter Have It bag, and am thinking of redoing the front panel. I think I want to have a better pattern, and then embroider in some details after it's felted.

MaryElla Bracelet

2006-01-31T20:28:00.000-08:00

I finished the MaryElla bracelet from Knitty. I used the same yarn and everything from the pattern. The only thing that was difficult about this pattern was that I couldn't find 0000 needles that were longer than 4", so they kept stabbing my palms when I knitted. I might make this again and use bigger needles, or just get rid of the center part where the thread goes, because that was the hardest part of the pattern. I think I would also use only one color of beads.
Now I'm redoing the Under the Hoodie sweater, because some parts didn't turn out right. It was the first sweater I knit, over a year ago, and the pocket part was all twisted and the sleeves were too big and weren't attached right. I didn't like wearing it, because I always noticed those problems. Now that my knitting skills are better, it seemed better to change it, than to let the sweater just sit in a drawer forever. Also, I can't buy any yarn for a while, so I have to fix projects I already have, and use up my random yarn.

Attempting Felting

2006-01-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

I started the Letter Have It bag from Stitch and Bitch Nation, and this is the front part. I tried making the intarsia pattern myself, and graphed it on knitting graph paper. It turned out too far up, so I might make this the back and try again. I'm not all that excited about the bag, but I wanted to try intarsia and felting, and this seemed like a good beginning project. I eventually want to make the Floral Felted Bag from Interweave, if I can find the pattern. My intarsia skills have to be improved a lot until I can do that pattern, but I really like it. It looks like a professionally made bag.
I also got the Scarf Style book, so I am excited to try some of the patterns in there. Backyard Leaves, the Dragon Scarf, the Flower intarsia scarf, and maybe the crocheted striped scarf, to start with.

Next Project Ramblings

2006-01-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to decide what my next knitting project should be. I'm thinking Zigzag, from Knitty, something from the Scarf style book, or a lace pattern, since I never did a complex lace pattern before. I was thinking about how long some of the cheaper yarns last, and wondering if it was worth it to use them. I don't want to spend all this time working on a project, to have the yarn wear out after I wear it a couple of times. For really complex patterns, that will take me months, it probably would be better to use a good yarn. Then for simple stockinette patterns, that I can crank out, I would use cheaper yarns. I wish I could afford to use luxury yarns on everything, but if I pace myself and save my money for certain projects, I could get good yarn every once in a while. Also, if I did get really good yarn, and even knitted something simple, I could unravel it in a couple of years and knit something else. I read somewhere that women in the past would knit sweaters for their kids, then unravel them every few years when the kids grew. You definately couldn't do that with cheap acrylic yarn. So, I guess I will do a more simple pattern, with moderately priced yarn, for now.