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March 27, 2006
Feeling Better
My elbow is feeling better. That was way scary. It's one thing to lay off keyboarding for awhile but KNITTING! My hands were itching for a project. Interestingly enough, it got almost immediately better after I placed a heating pad between my shoulder blades.
So I finished the second handspun Odessa. It's just as beautiful without beads, especially with colors like these.
Then I started a project I've been afraid of for sometime now. It's called Barnegenser i Kattemonster or Child's Sweater with a Cat Pattern by Kari Haugen...
...from Norsk Strikkedesign - A Collection From Norway's Foremost Knitting Designers.
I bought the kit (on super sale) at Yarns by Design last year. This is the least intimidating sweater in the collection. Each one is an opus. It's such a lovely pattern though and it's for a child and it was on sale so I went for it. Even though I've done color knitting, I wasn't sure I was good enough to do it justice. So after the ribbing it rested. It rested alot. I was stuck between stranded - won't a kid's fingers get caught? and non-stranded - won't the cream show through the charcoal and vice versa? Then I read Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears. She gave me the confidence to forge ahead - stranded no more than 5 stitches and trust your instincts. So I did. It is crazy fun.
Lessons Learned: First it must be really cold in Norway because the fabric is dense. So dense I keep checking the needle gauge conversion. Second, Knitting Without Tears is a great confidence builder. Third, after I'm done I want one for myself. And I don't even like cats.
Posted by Jacqueline at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
For those of you who’ve read At Knit’s End and The Yarn Harlot, Knitting Rules! is a bit of a departure. It is about knitting, the thing itself, as opposed to knitters and what happens to them when their lives, openly or not, revolve around knitting. What rescues it from being just another tips and tricks book is of course the Harlot’s inimitable sense of humor. Stephanie has a gift for articulating the knitting subconscious. She describes the shadow so well that you can’t help but recognize yourself at every turn (or should I say row). Take the chapter on gauge for example. I recently had several knitting disasters in a row (no pun no pun) and they were all related to gauge. Not only did I learn several new things about gauge, I was open to learning them because all my little gauge-related resistances were brought to light and they were funny.
The layout focuses your attention beautifully, which is really important given the amount of material this book covers. You can read it cover to cover or topic to topic. And the illustrations are perfectly in tune with the writing. It also includes a fantastic collection of useful charts. My favorite one is Needle Sizes – metric, U.S. and British. Instead of reaching for one of my many roaming needle gauges, I now turn to page 56. Some other favorite charts are Typical Head Sizes and Figuring Foot Length. Best of all is Stephanie’s explanation, or rather non-explanation, of pi. I now have the confidence to knit circles based on pi without understanding pi as people who understand pi understand pi. I am so relieved.
Overall Knitting Rules! is a must have. Not only did I inhale it in one sitting I was surprised how much I learned. This is definitely a book you want to buy in multiples. While it makes a great gift for knitters at all levels, I think it’s particularly well suited to new knitters. It has tons of information but it is so fun and funny it doesn’t feel like yet another long list of things you need to know.
Posted by Jacqueline at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)March 22, 2006
Owwwwwwww
My elbow hurts! I keep trying to convince myself it's not the knitting. Then I try to knit and sure enough, I done did it. I guess this is the perfect time to clean up my sewing room. And my assorted fiber related messes of which there are quite a few. And finish my non fiber related UFOs which are threatening to take over.
Drats! I'm keeping my knitting nearby. So I can stroke it while I mend. Here's some advice to the wiser from the Bead Lizard.
Posted by Jacqueline at 06:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)March 20, 2006
On The Fringe
I woke up yesterday in a frenzy so I did the only logical thing. I started a new project. Using some of my very own handspun I made another Odessa, without beads, AND a purse with a clasp!
The idea for the purse came from Starting at the Fringe by Freyalyn Close-Hainsworth in Spin-Off Fall 2005 issue. For those of you who are not familiar with Spin-Off, I highly recommend it. I started reading it because in almost every issue they have a really interesting knitting and/or crossover into knitting pattern. In this issue I was drawn to the "handspun" fringe detail on very small knitted purses. At the tip of every fringe is a bead. See?
I'd also been wanting to make a purse with a clasp so I went for it. Now I have a confession to make. When it comes to following knitting instructions, I am usually in such a rush to actually be knitting, I usually skim over instructions and find my own way. Same went for the clasp instructions. So the purse is not technically perfect but I'm going to keep working on it because I really like both the beaded fringe detail and the clasp.
And guess what I found next to the clasps. The beads I ordered a few days ago for a fraction of the price. Silly me, I made the mistake of looking for these beads in the huge bead display. Not by the teeny tiny clasp display in the embroidery section. Sigh. A sign no doubt that I must finish my commission. But at least I have the smaller beads. Note the difference in size? The hole is exactly the same and works great with sport weight yarn.
I need to take a break. My hands are hurting. Almost two hats and one purse are a bit much for one day. I don't know what got into me but I had to knit and I had to knit with rich, saturated color. As you can see, I'm almost halfway with yet another Odessa using some more of my handspun. The yarn turned out so soft. The fiber is from The Fold and the yarn from ME! I can hardly believe it. It's hand painted Blue Leiceister and the colors were just what I needed.
March 16, 2006
More Progress
Four, Five and Six are done! Two more to go and this project is finished. I do like the smaller beads. Turns out size 8 refers to the size of the hole, not the size of the bead. I had more delicate size 8 beads in my stash in exactly the perfect color. Problem is there's only one store nearby that carries them and I've been boycotting them vigorously.
I've been described by people that like me that I am very passionate. Those that don't like me find me intimidating. Actually they use another word but I'm trying not to cuss. You see, when it comes to teaching someone something they don't know, I have the patience of Job. Really and truly. There is no question too basic and no limit on how many times you can ask me the same thing. I believe teaching moments are sacred. That people are at their most vulnerable when they ask to learn. That it is a very tender moment and should be treated with reverance. That said, I have no patience for accountants that can't add, healthcare professionals that don't care and customer service people that are nasty. Hence the boycott.
There is a knitting store nearby. So close in fact it is an eight minute walk door to door. A slow eight minute walk. It's a tiny store but the selection is very good. Lots of variety in both price and quality. Lots of patterns. Lots of needles. But the proprietors? They are something else. One is rather standoffish although she is knowledgeable. Personally I think you need to be warm and fuzzy to sell yarn but not everyone is warm and fuzzy. Mind you I buy more from warm and fuzzy but maybe sales is not the priority here. The other one is so rude and obnoxious I swear they might as well put the close sign out. I have overheard her gossip so viciously that I've walked out due to pure discomfort. She was so rude to me last time I bought something that I haven't set foot in her shop again. Last year alone I spent thousands in yarns, books, retreats, subscriptions, fiber, etc. Yes my dear husband who is reading this - thousands.
Now I'm an experienced knitter. And hey, I'm from New York. I am not easily bullied. What does infuriate me is the number of new knitters this shop has turned off. Over the past year, I have had at least half a dozen new knitters tell me that they almost gave up knitting because of their encounters at this shop. That's why I boycott them. That's why I hand out cards of my favorite shop and my favorite teachers and my super friendly supportive guild. That's why I ordered and am willing to wait four to six weeks for a handful of beads in the mail. Because our knitting dollars count. And new, nervous, tentative knitters deserve the warmest and fuzziest of welcomes.
Posted by Jacqueline at 08:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)March 09, 2006
Progress Report
This blog thing is new to me. I've learned that if I wait to have a project done, my entries would be few and far between. So here's a progress report on the J4 Alpaca Project - eight hats in Suri Alpaca. I'm on number 4. For those of you who remember the 8 by March 8th deadline, well, let's just say I have other qualities.
Top - The pattern on top is Odessa. by Grumperina. It came out beautifully. Bottom Left - Odessa with a Jacquie variation. Bottom Right - My own design. Jean loved the Odessa / Jacquie variation so there will be more to come.
I also discovered a use for Jim's Guinness glasses. Together with an inverted bowl, it makes the perfect hat form. After I finished each hat, I soaked it in Eucalan, spun it dry in the washer and IMMEDIATELY put it on the hat form. It dried quickly, softly and true to form.
March 04, 2006
She's Here! She's Here!
I have a niece named Sophia!
I can't wait to hold her in my arms. That's the new deadline for the receiving blanket. The saga is long and I don't have the heart to share now. But I will share the latest small successes. I finished 2.5/8 hats for J4. I have eight due on the 8th!
This is a modified version of Grumperina's Odessa pattern. It's really beautiful. I used J4's suri alpaca. Rachel and her sister Emily promptly informed me that this is what they want for Christmas.
It's been tough recently. I've been jumping from project to project in a frenzy without the usual peace that comes from knitting. I have learned a thing or two about substituting fibers but I'm not quite sure what that is. Whatever I learned I learned the hard way. Eeek. More later...
Posted by Jacqueline at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (968)