n i c o m a r a

NEW HOME

2007-06-13T23:00:00.000-04:00

LINK FIXED LMAO... thanks red

YET AGAIN lol.

http://blog.nicomara.net

yes, i have my own url...again lol

birthday update

2007-06-12T17:37:00.001-04:00

from the roommate, i got the yarn meter (so i removed it from my wish list) ... eca can dye now... when she gets a break
from the red, eca got these lovely hand spun and hand dyed sock yarn (pics to come) and these skien of noro

from the roommate's dad i got 3 skiens of 50/50 merino/silk (i think it's tussah silk) which i made simple toe up semi-footie socks ... well i only made one

and a skien of red worsted something...which i have to take pics of....

and for those of you who haven't seen a recent update of eca...she's got long hair now...
she takes really shitty pictures so be nice

OMFG

2007-06-12T14:20:00.000-04:00

ALL HAIL AND REJOICE!!!

NO ONLY DID I JUST GET MY "Simply Socks" by Anna Zilboorg...

wrapped in ziplock AND bubble wrap....

IT"S SIGNED BY HER!!!!!!!!

YES IT IS SIGNED BY ANNA ZILBOORG HERSELF!

pics to come

--- update ---

okay b/c i probably have one of the very very few books signed by her left... in pretty much 99.9% brand new condition... i found another book on amazon.com (yes cheaper than the $200 we've all seen)... so THAT book, when i get it, will be the book i use. in the mean time, i'm going to ask the roommate about archival wrapping. i just can NOT use this signed book... i can't.

omg have you seen the new knitty?!?!?!

2007-06-12T12:06:00.000-04:00

okay is this not the cutest little girl you have ever seen?

and red, we have another person to put out on our hitlist... well maybe just mine, but damn.... this girl is hot...and fuck, she's (around) my age! (and not that this matters, but she lives in the area). maybe i should go to the gym so i can get all pretty and what not... (ps. in the 3rd picture she actually looks like a slightly meatier calista flockhart) oh - here's her blog http://olgajazzzy.blogspot.com and yes, i'll probably be visiting this too lol

anyway...enough of the beautiful people...

i will be adding these patterns to my book of "must knits"

coachella - racerback, droop front tank
coupling - lace socks
sweat pea - less lace type of socks

okay...must do homework now...

call me "the sock wh*re"

2007-06-07T12:05:00.000-04:00

okay rather than make ANOTHER posts about socks... i just added a bunch of patterns i like under wish list...

so i guess this was sort of another post, but i modified and old one b/c eca's crafty like that ;)

--- original post---
okay don't do that but still...maybe red was right about eca's sock obession?

Why you ask?
it all started with me stumbling across this picture from this site

to which eca found
site 1
site 2
and site 3

and fell in love with these pictures from site 3

after much scouring of the internet, eca discovered she can't read german and had the roommate's exroomate read sites for her ... bc he's german and can read and speak german...and read and speak english too

so anyway...eca scours internet to find this book is out of print...AND used copies are running anywhere from 200-400 DOLLARS ... yes...

eca put a bid on ebay...but we shall see how much eca is willing to pay for such book...socks are pretty aren't they?

about that birthday...

2007-06-06T17:40:00.000-04:00

so the roommate comes home with ice cream cake and says "they ran out of wiis... so you get to choose what you want...a wii or that pink camera you keep playing with."

yes yes i know ... utterly no tact, but that's what's is lovable about roommate in a "i want to strangle you" sort of way...

so anyway, i just don't see really using a wii anytime soon (still in school and must do without distractions)

so i requested the following
package a:
down and up lace sock pattern

gothic spire

twisted flower sock pattern

soak aquae wash (b/c eca loves that clean fresh smell)

or

package b:
the yarn meter on the side bar

with either package i'd be happy...so we'll see what he gets.

yes red, eca and the socks. now hush!
marin gets a cookie for being nice to the eca =)

wow....

2007-06-05T14:43:00.000-04:00

thanks shei

i thought this was really cool so i posted it. i wish they would've paused longer between changes.

heaven help me

2007-06-05T12:21:00.000-04:00

okay...so here i am at work...killing time while waiting for the printer and i check out ravelry.

so i go looking, start reading about the very upset knitter and decide to take a look at the screen shots. i must say i'm very impressed.

me, being the obsessive person that i am...started looking at the names of all the patterns. needless to say i ended up with 3 new sock patterns, and again, have fallen in love with "a step above." here it is on ravelry here it is on the knitting universe website.

so yes, i bought the back ordered issue. unfortunately, there wasn't much else that was good in this issue...but hey sock patterns normally cost around $5-8 bucks...so a whole magazine at $7.50 with free shipping wasn't bad.

ps. if you're going to buy the magazine, DO NOT use firefox.

pps. (or is it pss???) i'm going to be using the lorna's laces bucks bar i bought a while ago =)

because i grew up in a bi-lingual household...maybe??

2007-06-04T11:28:00.000-04:00

okay so roommate always makes fun of me for getting sayings wrong...

and i was thinking of posting something like
"operation 'go behind the red's back' is successful" and then realized that "go behind so and so's back" is a bad thing. so the story on that is...the anti m (see the sidebar for link) and i got red (see the side bar please) a birthday present. yes, we went all incognito like and came up with plans on what to get the red.

we ended up getting her a swift and merion/silk roving.

now mistake #2...
i was knitting the worsted weight green yarn for the roommate and decided i would call the colorway "barely penetrated green" and realized that "penetrated" could (and probably does) have some bad/naughty connotations. but the word is very descriptive. the yarn wasn't colored all the way through because i didn't use enough die for the weight. 1/4 teaspoon measurements are good for fingering weight yarn, but not worsted! even though i did do my non-patented "add more dye during the dyeing process" moves.

but in both cases...oh well. the green isn't to my liking, but the roommate likes it. reminds him of moss or something???

but hey...my wrists hurt from marathon knitting.

i finished the embossed leaves pattern, but the socks are 1/2" too short b/c i made 6 pattern repeats instead of 7.

ps. links to come b/c i'm just lazy. can you blame me???
ps. pictures to come

Dye Session 04: Blues and Greens

2007-05-30T17:38:00.000-04:00

sorry this took so long to post...but here's the finished blue. my house actually looks a little like this color =) so that's exciting b/c i actually intended to try to mimic it.

i love the skein rolled up. it's so pretty. and there are SUBTLE VARIATIONS /me claps proudly

and here it is all laid out. i cut the ties on this one while it dried.

now i wanted to make the roomie socks. i actually don't need 2 full skeins of worsted weight yarn, but i figured i could make myself some or make him an extra sock should he ruin one...

this was dyed with the same dye (lots put into one jar and each pour measured precisely by measuring cup) and 2 different crock pots.

there's a bit more white in these than i'd like, but damn was this hard. i did my whole add more dye after 30-60 minutes right after you move the ties but it seems to exhaust quickly. maybe it's the vinegar?

and here they are side by side...purposefully messed up sides showing. notice in the skein on the bottom there's a bit of blue.

overall, i'm very happy with what i've done =)

memorial day

2007-05-29T09:36:00.000-04:00

okay...

i usually DO NOT post anything personal other than knitting...to be completely honest ...i've been trying to avoid thinking about it...because, i just don't want it to be real.

but...

Joshua James Frazier may you please, please be resting in peace.

thank you for everything.

i miss you
i love you
i wish i had more time with you

-from the memorial video-
"If I Ever Leave This World Alive"

If I ever leave this world alive
I'll thank for all the things you did in my life
If I ever leave this world alive
I'll come back down and sit beside your
feet tonight
Wherever I am you'll always be
More than just a memory
If I ever leave this world alive

If I ever leave this world alive
I'll take on all the sadness
That I left behind
If I ever leave this world alive
The madness that you feel will soon subside
So in a word don't shed a tear
I'll be here when it all gets weird
If I ever leave this world alive

So when in doubt just call my name
Just before you go insane
If I ever leave this world
Hey I may never leave this world
But if I ever leave this world alive

She says I'm okay; I'm alright,
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be all right

She says I'm okay; I'm alright,
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be all right
Yeah should be alright

Dye Session 03: Blues

2007-05-25T20:37:00.000-04:00

So, I decided that the green went so well, that i'd try making blue.

Well the first batch I did some bright blue with a smidge of black. Just a little bit of both because I wanted a nice soft blueish grey looking color.

After 30 minutes the water was almost clear and WHITE SPOTS GALORE! /me sheds tears

So, I did what I did with the green... rotated all the ties (burning my hands in the process), lifted the yarn, added only a bit of blue (powder directly to crockpot), some vinegar, let the dripping mix...

realized that the blue was not mixing well...so I used my chop stick (burning my hand some more) to mix it...when it was all just water and no powder clumps, I put the yarn back in.

30 minutes later the blue was taking, but STILL WHITE SPOTS
so this time i fliped the yarn inside out (so, if you held the yarn by one looped end, the parts that were touching now became the parts that were not touching...) hoping this would even out the color some.

put the yarn back in the water... cry over my burned hands (damn those crockpots get water hot)
30 mintues later, moved the top of the yarn to the bottom
30 minutes later, STILL WHITE SPOTS so I swished the yarn around to mix things up a bit... i really DO NOT want to add any more color (i wanted light blue...but now it's at a blue i'm comfortable with so I don't want to mess with it)

then remembered that the magenta + blue = purple skien was actually boiling...so i resolved to just let it sit for 60 minutes...in 30 i'll just probably look into the glass and see if i see bubbles along the edges...

but... if worse comes to worse, i can just dye it again tomorrow... with a darker blue and just cry...

but we'll see...maybe i'll be pleased with the results later.

---update 01---

okay so i went to look 60 mintues later and i CAN NOT understand why nothing is taking to the light blue/white-ish spots.

so, yes, i went to the dark blue and added a smidge to the water... now it's dark blue, blue grey, and white...

EHHHHHHHHH

waiting 30 minutes before i burn the whole thing.

---update 02---
well i gave up. did the "white spoon test" and the water was crystal clear. so i unplugged the sucker, cracked the lid... and decided to take some picutres.

it was very hard to catch the tones of the blues, so i'm putting up two pictures to show the depth. first up is the "light blues" ... which, in my opinion, right now...dominate the yarn

and here we have the "dark blues"

i'll post pics of it while hanging to dry and then pictures again once dry.

---update 03---
woke up this morning and rinsed... SURPRISINGLY the water was clear on first rinse. but since i used eucalan and there were suds everywhere, i rinsed a second time for good measure.

after rolling it (with a rolling pin) in a towel to get out the excess water, it was pretty close to dry. hopefully this means that it will be dry sometime tonight??? oh and this time i took out the ties while drying (b/c it makes dents if you don't).

so here we are hanging on the drying rack.

because it's so early in the morning, i went ahead and took pictures of my dry and ready to use new yarns.
this is the magenta which i redyed in blue...and it came out a raspberry color with blue highlights. so here's it in the skien ready to "go"

and here it is undone so you can see the color changes

now i'm beginning to realize that yellow is a very hard color to capture. this picture looks like the yarn is all one subtle (very) solid...but it's not... it's got yellow tones in it.

i actually went outside with a white towel and turned my flash off, used micro, and did a fast shutter speed in hopes to get true color...but damn is anything yellow hard...

my feeble attempt to show the color changes... i promise you, it's gorgeous.

Dye Session 02: Picture Essay continued

2007-05-23T18:09:00.000-04:00

That's right... this is a continuation... so read Dye Session 01 first =)

Okay...so I was itching to make green...and itching to dye something right... so I started over again. This time, I left the ties tight, but tied in 6 places instead of 4. And, I got smarter with the soaking. I added a glass and put a loop around it so I know where I can grab the yarn without tangling it.

I followed all the same procedures except
1. i used less dye powder in total (even though i mixed to get the green)
2. i used 1/3 - 1/2 cup of vinegar
3. i used warmer water for both the bath and the crock pot
4. this time i went to check and move the ties =)... but after 30 minutes and not 2-3 hours LOL

I thought it was looking pretty...but maybe a bit bright... so
1. I made more mix, but in lesser quantities than what I originally had
2. added 1/4 cup of vinegar.

now when i lifted the yarn (this is why I burned) i just let it drip into the crock pot. with the other hand, i added the new dye and vinegar bath. the dripping, in my mind, did the mixing.

i moved the ties (all 6 of them on HOT WET yarn) and relaid them in there - i went back to check after 30 minutes and was pleased with the color

so then i went to check on the magenta-ish abomination that I did yesterday. and yes...

there were white spots.

so i took a jar, some blue, some hot water and made another dye bath with a crock pot i just bought that day (which was yesterday LOL...yes, i went on craigs list and bought a crock pot while at work... picked it up during lunch too). anyways, after 30 minutes, it was distinctly BLUE and RED...which kinda had me panicing.

so i went to check on the lovely green again and felt better =)

so after 3 hours of cooking, 7-8 hours of cooling over night, 30 minutes of rinsing...here are the picutres of both yarns...

i love the green...maybe not as subtle solid as i hoped (a bit on the solid side) but that's okay... it still has to dry

this will definately be a subtle solid, but damn did it get dark! it went from magenta to a deep burgundy color - you can see some blue highlights in it...which i think will be cool once it's dried. i would like to see what this looks like on a much lighter scale... it's summer time and all so i wanna see some happy colors...

all that remains is
1. what color to dye next
2. what color to dye the worsted weight yarn for the roomie
3. should i keep dying or actually knit it first LOL.

=)

---end---

Dye Session 01: Picture essay

2007-05-23T17:56:00.000-04:00

So... I got an itch to dye yarn...and immediately went NUTS and bought a bunch of supplies

Target: Crock pot, plastic measuring spoons, wooden spoon, and basin
Safeway: Vinegar
Knit Picks: Jacquard Dye Starter set and yarn (3 skeins fingering, 2 worsted)
Already had: empty jars, aloe lined laytex gloves, packaging paper, Eucalan wool wash and printed instructions

So I redid the ties on the skein because I thought they were too tight...

this turned out to be a big mistake because i put it to soak and realized i was going to have a tangled mess

But I went ahead and did the following while it soaked
1. put room temp water in crock pot
2. put on gloves and mask
3. get the jar and put in some dye powder
4. added some hot water to swish (i don't like stirring to get out clumps and really didn't want to use ANOTHER utensil that i would never be able to use again)
5. added the rest of the warm water from the tea pot into the crock pot
6. added 3/4 vinegar to the crock pot
7. added dye solution to crock pot
8. grabbed yarn, squeezed it some
9. stuck it in and let it cook.... because i wanted a subtle solid i refused to move it...

it was looking so pretty until i started talking to red and realized that there are going to be white spots! so i ran to check...but alas, it was too late. the dye was almost completely exhausted and there was white spots galore.

---end---

don't laugh at me

2007-05-23T12:11:00.000-04:00

so...i'm a hayao miyazaki fan. my first movie of his i saw was spirited away. very very beautiful. although, i did want to stab the little girl for her lack of tone because she just seemed to scream throughout the whole thing.

my next movies of his i saw on a miyazaki marathon on cartoon network...but the roommate bought me howl's moving castle.

this is definately one of miyazaki's more mature films (if you can even say that)but i've watched it ... non stop ... since what? monday? and i'm still going LOL.

anyway, i love the art work, i love the colors, i love the voices. (christian bale is hot...in general)

so anyway...goober me who is a fan's type of fan (yes i've knitted a harry potter slytherin scarf - as a gift - that my friend wore to the opening and had people accost her for)

man am i tangential or what today?

anyway, being a goober fan fan ... i want to knit the toys on howl's bed. i'm leaning more towards the hippo with the stupidly long tail. yes, i will attempt to knit it big (life size)... and i figure it's easier than knitting wobbly spots on a cow ... with green ears (too cute)

but yeah... i figured knitting the toys would be easier than knitting a howl, calcifer, etc.

i am thinking of dying up some deep navy blue yarn and knitting some feathery lace socks...but that would require research and effort...but it is much less effort than trying to knit a howl...

maybe someone should just find me christian bale so i can make him socks...and our dogs can play together... /me starts dreaming...

so yeah... hippo with stupid long tail anyone?

my finger hurts

2007-05-22T23:47:00.000-04:00

okay so i've had a two day dying adventure =)

i'm actually writing everything up in word and will include pictures AFTER i'm done with everything...

but let me tell you i'm pretty excited =D

i'll have some nice happy green socks. by "happy" green i mean something slightly yellowish, light, and happy. hopefully it's a subtle solid

oh - just found this >> http://theknittery.com/c/120995/1/8ply-dk-silk-merino.html look at the "barley grass" and that's pretty close to the color i have =)

i'll also have some varigated (or subtle solid) purple socks....they started off as magenta, but i missed spots (damn yarn ties) so i redyed it in a little bit of blue...got a bit worried b/c it was actually looking like blue, pink, and purple...but after 3 hours the water stopped being blue, pink water remained (assuming dye has been exhausted since the color's been completely mixed) and the yarn is purpleish... DARK purple...so we'll see.

definately LOVING dying =) feels so satisfying.

definately going to the knittery (see side bar under shopping) for some sock yarn =) cashmere sock yarn with nylon...

/me drools

can't wait to show you guys pictures

i'm also thinking of sending people some yarn i dyed just for the hell...but we'll see =)

---end---

ps. added Anti M to the side bar...say hello and take a peak!

happy birthday to me

2007-05-15T22:41:00.000-04:00

okay, so it's like...super super early for my birthday...but...instead of the spa i bought dying stuff.

so... here it is
1. jacquard acid dye starter set that has Vermillion, Fire Red, Sky Blue, Sapphire Blue, Yellow Sun, and Jet Black. this means i'm going to have to think about how to make green lol.

2. three (3) skiens of superwash/nylon fingering weight yarn @ 462 yards each (to test subtle solid dying)

3. two (2) skiens of superwash/nylon worsted weight yarn @ 220 yards each (for aaron's socks that i still haven't done)

i need to get
1. a crockpot (going to target)
2. masks
3. white vinegar
4. gloves (i think i have some at home)
5. a wash basin (i think i want a specifc one for washing)
6. these instructions printed out before it suddenly disappears off the internet ()

but i do have to report the following good stuff
1. the cable ribbed socks have been done =) i need to wash them
2. finished ONE jaywalker sock today @ bf's basketball game
3. camisa is done being knitted. just need to block and seam =)
4. i got fitted knits (i know i'm horrible)
5. i got knitting on the road (dude you have no idea how quickly this book is disappearing!)
6. i got the cashmere yarn from red =) very excited....

but yes... i must go now...

---end---

update on the crack

2007-04-30T10:35:00.000-04:00

so i bought last minute knitted gifts...and i read the pattern and they say use 10 skiens of 100 years of noro AKA 1000 yards

well i have 14 skiens of 67 yards which is only 938. so i had red reserve me another skien (yes 15 now) for a total of 1005 yards.

and while i'd like it to look like elliphantom's sweater

and get this... i'm MORE thank likely going to make it a 3/4 sleeve as seen here

we will see... because the yarn is sooo squishy i odn't know if the folded over hem will work /me thinks...but what do i know lol???

i love you red

2007-04-28T15:41:00.000-04:00

see this...

meet cashsilk, 676, from laines du nord. it is 50% extra fine merino, 25% silk, 25% cashmere.

yes, my red told me about the sale and is going to be my long distance supplier. /me sighs

so she calls me to chat, tells me there's a sale going on - you get more of a discount if you buy 10 items...i got 14...damn you red, i probably could've gotten away with 12...but she convinced me that the extra balls i could make a cute hat or something

so what am i going to use it for? last minute knitted gift's hourglass sweater.

i went on a search looking for a sample sweater. sweet georgia uses 9 skiens of about 96/99yards but the knit picks says 11 skiens of about 99 yards... and i'm getting 14 of 67yards... so i'll end up between the two.

/me crosses fingers that enough yarn was purchased.

oh well. i'm excited. i love top down sweaters and i'm sure i'll figure out some use for it!

oh and red says it's squishy =)

*references:
company website: http://www.novayarn.com/nv/Shade/982.html
picture from: http://www.pureknits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=352
store: http://www.poshayarnboutique.com/
sample: http://sweetgeorgia.planetfishdesign.com/archives/knitting/knit_hourglass_sweater/
sample: http://knitpicks.com/Hourglass+Pullover_PD30579223.html

back in the saddle

2007-04-26T13:53:00.000-04:00

so i unravelled the branching out and the bayscheir (sp?). i actually did not get rid of as much as i thought i did lol.

i bought the "favorite socks" book by interweave press and have knitted a sock from it. i need to try it on to know when i should begin the toe, but all in all, i'm pretty pleased considering it's been forever since i actually knitted.

my next step will be to NOT start anything new until i finish what i have left to do.

haitus

2007-02-24T20:16:00.000-05:00

okay - so i haven't been on in forever...

aaron's brother, joshua frazier... sgt joshua frazier, was killed in iraq feb 6. 2007.

i have not been able to do much since then, but today was definitely a better day than it has been in forever.

so i'm going on an even longer hiatus until i feel ready to continue things as they used to be.

for stories and news clips of josh, please google "joshua frazier marine"
he's been featured in numerous places including television broadcasts of abc, nbc, cbs, fox (oliver north's show) as well as npr, cnn, washington post.

the very first story was through the free lance star (fredricksburg.com) which includes the original story, obituary, and funeral articles.

*e

way to start off the new year

2007-01-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

my camisa is not done... my jaywalkers are not done... my mom's tulip is not done...

oh and my computer crashed... yeah i'm on a loner computer. doesn't that suck?

until next time my dears...

---end---

camera crisis

2006-12-18T14:59:00.000-05:00

okay, it's official. i've done lost my camera. yes, baby pictuers, puppy pictures, knitting pictures and all.

last time i saw i was *thinks* when my sister came home from the hospital, so around thanksgiving. it's almost been a month and i can't find it. but, i did find the freaking charger and the usb cable...

i'm hoping that i find it soon, but if anyone wants to donate to the "eca needs a camera" there's a lovely camera that's pretty cheapy AND donates a portion of the proceeds to breast cancer =) Fuji's Z3 in "breast cancer awarness pink" at best buy for $200...

yes i know "but eca, that's a lot of sock yarn i could buy with that... shoot, that's a lot of yarn period... that's like, 2 or 3 sweaters right there!"

my sister tells me to keep looking. my wallet tells me to keep looking and find my old 2mp camera

but we'll see.

oh, making awesome progress on the camisa. it's super quick! really super quick. i just hope alpaca doesn't drape. i was reading the swatching/blocking instructions off of knitty.com and that thing said to hang the swatch with a DPN threaded through it for weight, and check it again in a day or two.. .MAN! Why does swatching take forever!??!?! so yeah, i skipped the hanging processes, but i did wash it!

now i'm worried my fat gut won't fit into the damn thing! oh well. we shall see! i'm hoping to wear it for new years... wouldn't that be cool?

pick me up

2006-12-15T18:02:00.000-05:00

okay... i needed a little boost because i haven't been in the best of moods lately...

so i went knitting shopping (pics to come later).

i purchased:
classic elite straight knitting needles (14" US 6)
bryspun straight knitting needles (14" US5) - I really wanted to try the DPNs but i was very unimpressed with the tip
brittany birch dpns (7" US2) - they make US1.5 and US2.5!!! how cool is that?!?!?

And i got some lorna's laces... i think I got tahoe??? but i'm not quite sure...

when i find my camera, charge the battery, and take the pictures off the card, I'll be sure to post come pictures.

As for the pattern of these lorna's... i'm not quite sure yet. my needle, yarn, and i will conference and get back to you!

blah! blah i say

2006-12-11T16:53:00.000-05:00

okay so instead of working, i spend the past 30 minutes working on this blog... to which blogger said "if you don't like it you can switch back..."

and i don't see that switching option... anyways, i'm going to have to redo this.... blah blah I say!

ehhhh... maybe i should give up blogging and just do stalking?

i mean, i've unravelled so many projects and picked up others... unravelled those and redone others....

we'll see. it's not like i have time to do this b/c of school and all.

February and April 07

2006-11-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I went to buy.com because grumperina had a link on her blog to a book...

anyway... i kept on clicking on stuff like "lace style" by interweave... and others (like about 5 others) that were all due out in February and April of 07.

Funny how there was nothing in January or March, but hey... at least now I know to save my money.

=)

ps. i have updates on socks... i just need to find that damned charger for my camera
---end---

OMG! IT'S A BOY!!! (again!)

2006-11-21T22:47:00.000-05:00

okay, i don't normally write about non knitting things... but...

my sister delivered! she was expected to go around december 19th i think???? but they took her off of whatever that medicine is that makes you not contract on sunday.

anyways, i was in the hospital all freaking day, almost fell asleep...

i watched the entire delivery and didn't get nearly sick or almost pass out like her first one...

i still think live birth is gross looking... but it's still amazing.

so that brings the count to 3 nephews and 1 niece from both my sisters!

yay for babies!

yay they're watching

2006-11-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

hehehe - cookie and kristi read my blog

*giggles*

oh... i guess i have to post something too....

well here's the long and short of it all - DON'T SECOND GUESS THE PATTERN - especially when the maker (eunny) finds the hypotenuse of shoulders so that stripes line up perfectly when wearing it...

b/c anyone who uses algebra and geometry to make a pattern... well, i doubt they post mistakes.

so my heel - i second guessed it... i knitted the the back loop instead of knitting - and i did k1, s1 instead of s1 k1 --- but atleast i was smart enough to purl until end and slipping the last...

but yeah, i'll fix it on the next one.

ps progress picks to come

---end---

socks socks socks... oh and progress oh and publicity?

2006-11-04T19:04:00.000-05:00

yes i know... i took on the eunny jang - what was i thinking? well i was thinking roomie's coworker is a really nice guy. r's coworker is trying to invite us over for dinner - and for a non people person, that's a huge deal - so i wanted to give him a present. you know one artist to another...

it's in gems opan in the navy color from springwater fiber. i know i suck with the links right now , but i'm supposed to be doing other things.

the opal is sportweight and i DID NOT mod the pattern at all. i had called my red and asked for her opinion - and she just happened to be knitting a sock in sport weight for her dad who just happens to be the same shoe size... AND my buddy that i introduced her to happens to be the same shoe size and he graciously took measurements of his foot for her... which RED NEEDS TO EMAIL ME FOOT MEASUREMENTS =) hint hint... i love myself/red =)

but it is beautiful, surprisingly easy to follow. i'm starting to like charts.

remember elisha's jaywalker? well i ran out of yarn...well realized i was going to, ripped it out - oh and yes, the whole "knit the bottom in a solid color" thing didn't work... well b/c socks are in the round and not flat! so anyway... that got ripped out and became the rpm from knitty (although it's not mentioned in their archive, you actually have to google it... i don't understand why)

but this was the only picture that showed the colors well - the heel is different from what i'm used to. i like it. and i didn't try it on b/c her foot's longer than mine... i'm a size 6 and she's a 7.5-8. the toe was pointer than i'd hope, but i already grafted and i wasn't going to ungraft.

and yes...all you non believers, i casted on the 2nd sock for rpm.

okay so all you non believers... i did put down the 2nd rpm and casted on the pomatomus. *sigh* it was a tugging of the flowers roomie gave me (for no reason at all! you gotta love random gifting!) which happened to be the same colors as the yarn i got from kbrece on ebay. (i know i know links links)

the yarn is GORGEOUS and it does not pool in this pattern.

yes i know ... it took me how many socks to realize that things will pool depending on needle size, knitting round v flat, and pattern....

anyway... i love the colors. they're really fabulous. really really really fabulous. i can't wait to knit with the other skein i have...

oh and this is pretty cool - i'm still on the mailing list for the Nova KnitWits of Del Rey...and somehow one of the ladies has a photographer and/slash journalist coming to the knitting group next week to take pictures to MAYBE BE IN NOVA LIVING!!! how fantabulous is that?

and what's even better is that it's this coming tuesday and i maybe able to make it... b/c school will actually be slow! =)

it just makes me miss them and those - like red and g - who have left. there are a lot of new people - so maybe i'll make new friends????

it's always nice to find others who knit.

which reminds me, i love kristi of knitanon.com - she actually writes back and is really nice. she invited me to her spinning group =) too bad i live ... oh on the east coast and she lives on the west. b ut i love nice knitters...

i'm telling you - when i open my store, it's going to say "leave your egos behind" or something along those lines... and yes, i copywrite this!
hahhah

anyways ttyl!

---end---

oh dear - where have my jaywalkers gone

2006-10-23T09:57:00.000-04:00

okay so my whole thing about knitting the top 1/2 of the sock in the varigrated and the bottom in solid...

well it was a nice though, but it won't work.
1. a sock is knit in the round so i'd have to cut the yarn after every row to reattach it
2. the sock is knit in the round so i'd have to knit 1/2 of the foot in varigated and the other 1/2 in solid

so... I RIPPED THE WHOLE DAMNED THING OUT!

and started the RPM pattern from knitty

it's a very lovely pattern - my first purls are loose while the 2nd and 3rd are tight.. so i have to adjust my guage or use a larger needle if it's to fit my friend.

but another unfortunate thing - the color pools a bit... but that's okay... it's a risk taken. and i'm not about to start another one!

so yes... pics to come later...2.5 of the 6 repeats for pattern rounds completed. so hopefully this will be a fast knit! i may have to go up a needles size to make it loser but it does have negativ ease!

anyways - picks to come.

---end---

picture pages

2006-10-14T08:39:00.000-04:00

okay - so here are pictures of some progress i've been making

first up is this lovely brown sheep company's wildfoote luxury sock yarn in color sy09 mums. this is one of the 3 colors that the roomie purchased for me while on vacation with his family. it's machine washable, but it says something about vinegar???

next we have a close up of the pattern. it's the yo cable from "sensational knitted socks," a lovely book. it's cast on 16 in figure 8, increase until 15 stitches per each needle. use four US2 needles. I'm using susan bates.

now the jaywalkers!

isn't it pretty? well i ran into a bit of a problem... i'm running out of yarn. the pattern calls for a 465oz skein, and i'm using a 440. on top of that i'm doing the "bigger" jaywalker pattern, so i'm going to assume that's going to take up more yarn.

solution: knit the heel, the gusset (that arch part), the bottom of the foot (and if i'm really running out, the toe) in a solid complimentary color. i was hoping to bring out the green, but it looks like i should do a blue or purple. exciting huh? hopefully it doesn't look like ass b/c that would really suck.

anyways, hope you enjoyed!

---end---

green gable blocked

2006-09-29T20:18:00.000-04:00

so ummmm. yes... the blocking made the shit bigger... so i'm trying to block it small, is there such a thing?

it's lose it's yellow, and the bottom is really tight (they're not kidding when they say bind off loosely!

now i'm wondering, why something 14" across (comes out to be 28") is a good 2" loose on me???

I mean, i'm not getting SMALLER!

oh, the pants are like a men's large or something - so that's why it's clumpy around the bottom. i'm guessing i'll need to wear a camisole underneath b/c it's showing my white bra (but maybe a nude color bra will save it?)

i am blocking it 14" and going to re-steam and hope it shrinks...but yeah...

oh, and i'm blocking the 3rd swatch for the salina and the size in one swatch in the round that red told me about.

it would've been smart if i did 2 purl stitches at the end and the beginning of each needle so i could tell where the divide was =P oh well...

still not to sure if i'm happy about this sweater or not, don't let the smile fool you.

---end---

best roomie in town

2006-09-18T20:52:00.002-04:00

so i had a week vaca from the roomie b/c roomie went on vaca for a week.

unfortunately school sucked and prevented me from enjoying too much of knitting. i did make progress on teh swatch for my mom's shirt. i did finish the swatch for salina on US 3's... but the best surprise of them all...

6 different skiens of sock yarn from brown sheep company. yes roomie bought me some. apparently roomies whole method for picking out yarn was "what wouldn't she pick for herself? i'll get her that!" my instant reaction upon hearing this was utter panic... omg will roomie get me fun fur? bright neons or metallics?!??! will roomie get me... ACRYLIC~?!??!?!!?

but nope... roomie got me, surprisingly, pretty colors. not the combinations i would have chosen, but that's the great thing about a gift. oh and roomie knew enough to ask about guage AND dye lots!

so yes, i have 3 different colors (2 skiens each) of brown sheep's wilde foot sock yarn. i think 2 are brilliant bouquet, 2 are mums and the other 2 are rag time???

oh and i went out and bought sensational knitted socks... great ideas... of course, i didn't read the blatant instructions that said "READ HOW TO USE THIS BOOK BEFORE USING THE BOOK"

so i casted on, ripped, casted on... ripped did some math.. casted on, ripped... did more math, and casted on again =)

haha yeha i know, but iw as so excited to use it!

oh and i went to michaels (no dpns!), uniquities (closed on sunday) and finally ac moore to pick up some 000, 00, 0 & 1 five set dpns (go figure) adn an extra sets of US 2 dpns by susan bates.

thanks to roomie, again, for suggesting i purchase more than 1 set of US 2s.

but yes... i'll let you knwo what my sock is when i finish. i think im ay need to adjust guage HAHAHAH, so it'll be the 50th time i'll rip, but we'll see. i htink my next thing will be to invest in differnt color nylon threads ro reinforcements of heels and toes!

until next time...

---end---

ps. i love purple mingren!

the jaywalker grows

2006-09-12T12:18:00.000-04:00

so as far as christmas shopping is concerned, i have a lot of people's items done except, well mostly my family.

these are my friend's sock. it's about 2" above the ankle right now, i was debating on whether or not to do any reduction for a slimmer fit aroudn the ankles, but i had to remind myself that these are not for me, they're for someone less. Maybe i can block the upper part to make it a little looser. she is taller than me...

i have started swatching the tulip for my mom. i tried the "loosely loop" method and that was just a crock of shit...

i was worried that if i swatched on my bamboo dpns, the guage would also be off b/c i'm planning on kitting it with my denise set. but, i gave in and did it red's way... where you use 3 different DPNS (in my case US 6, 7, and 8) and swatch each side.

The pattern is for 20sts/4" and the yarn gives 23sts/4" but i'm wondering how much the yarn will relax after bathing. I'm hoping that the US6 will work.

oh and i made the mistake of thinking, if i want less stitches go smaller HAHAHAH =) so there went 1/2 an hour of useless swatching!

but... we'll see how it goes.

oh the picture was taken on my camera phone which has a protective covering over the lense. so it's fuzzy! =P and i can't find the charger to my digicam. i know i know...

i'll clean my house one day!

---end---

new yarn

2006-09-06T09:03:00.000-04:00

okay so i caved... well here's the story, well multipile stories. i've been on a hunt for teal/turquoise sock yarn, subtle solid. i've also stumbled across a seller (kbrece) in my ebay favorites that i didn't realize was there.

so i've been looking, found a colorway that i liked. I lost the bid even though i was frantically watching it every 2 seconds.

so yesterday, a new set of yarns ends around 520pm, which is when im driving home on my way to work.

so i bid $18 max on 2 yarns... figuring that 1 (the blue/green blend on the right) i was going to lose. the max bid was at 13.50 and i won it by 2 bucks... so i really didn't expect to win, i thought whoever was watching was going to out bid me and go for $20 or something.

the other bid, the blend of green, black, and blue was the one i initially wanted. so i figured, if i bid on both, then at least i should win one thing.

well i got 2 ahahhahah. so say hello to

purple green & deep blue green black

they are 440 yards of fingering weight 100% merino wool =)
shipping is $4.05 for up to 4 skiens, and both skiens were $15.50

so now we'll see how jacked up the colorways are (if they're confused varigrated or really varigrated) and if we'll make them as gifting socks.

reference: images taken from the auction pages of each individual yarn. please go to http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZkbrece if you wanna shop!

---end---

xmas shopping

2006-09-05T14:51:00.001-04:00

okay, so i've been wondering what i'm going to do for people for xmas. as i stated before, there seems to be a big thing against receiving knitted socks.

so, i've started xmas shopping. when i see things that instantly remind me of certain people, i buy. yes i know it's early. and yes, i know i have an issue with giving gifts WAY early because I can't handle surprises... but oh well =)

that's how eca rolls beyotch!
/me giggles

the only problem is that i have absolutely no clue what i'm going to get family for christmas. i know what to get everyone else in the world, but not my family. how sad is that.

---end---

xmas shopping

2006-09-05T14:51:00.000-04:00

sock operation

2006-08-30T17:25:00.000-04:00

so this is the story of my soc operation

   here we have the realization that i fucked up somewhere. so i unravelled the stitches between the YO, k2tog that i messed up on

   now comes the other realization that knitting on the same size needles was going to be very hard...

   and here i switched to size 0 because it was easier to work with. i do have a ladder, but hey, at least it's better than breaking the yarn b/c the sucker's so tight.

   and here we are close to the conclusion of the operation

now i must say the following:
1. the lighting sucks
2. the suck operation is SO MUCH BETTER than unravelling the sucker... USE SMALLER NEEDLES
3. heaven help you if you're doing a complicated lace pattern
4. i'm very close to actually purchasing a url...

---end---

no more secret pal 9

2006-08-29T13:25:00.000-04:00

so i saw grumperina's button about "i'm my own pal" and naturally, i thought of secret pal.

Then i saw the origin of the button (click the button in the side bar to view). I like the concept of the whole thing.. .but the mandatory 60 spending... i really dislike that, i mean, gift giving should be gift giving. when the del ray group had an xmas exchange, we said $5 bucks. or was it 10? but still, it's manageable. and the $60 doesn't include time or posting to ship. so you could make a wonderful clapotis that costs more than $80 to make, but that's not good enough - well that's how it seemed to me in reading. so yeah. it's off my list now.

so anyway - b/c i have nothing to do, this is what i'm going to do...

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end and/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? yes. hahahah. that or a hand painted snob.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? Just a knitter at this point. (not edited)

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.). i DISLIKE smellies. I dislike flowery smells.

4. How long have you been knitting?ummm continuously... probably since 2005?

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, but it's private, I don't like people all up in my biz.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I don't like smelly stuff. i'm really picky about the smells. Typically I like lavendar and eucalyptus - but if it's made wrong I hate it. I do like clean fresh scents though.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes, but anything too sweet hurts my teeth.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I paint. I would like to take up sewing since I've inherited my mom's sewing machine and table.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) ooooh... it's easier to say the artists: stan getz, ella fitzgerald, miles davis, fiona apple, mos def, floetry, jill scott, k-os, bjork, gypsy kings, amel lerruix (spelling), jaoa gilberto, bob dylan, marchoobea (spelling), the roots, rage against the machine, tribe called quest, black eyed peas, classical music...

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? my favorite color is blue (subtle, soft, muted). but i'm really begining to like green (not a puke color green where there's too much yellow in it). i'm starting to appreciate bright colors, but neons are totally not it. ummm purples, pinks, those are working well. reds are iffy - they have to be a really rich color red and not a crayola plasticy looking red. pastels and fall colors are gorgeous. if you look at my photo album a

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with my roommate and my 2 chow chows. i lvoe finding chow chow stuff b/c you NEVER see those breed products anywhere.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) I want to work for my self. I want to retire young if I can't work for myself. I want to move away from DC to NY, WA, MA, IL, or CA.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Hmmm... varigrated... but GOOD varigrated. not the varigrated that can't make up it's mind on whether or not to be solid, striped, or varigrated. It's like a 3 in one abomination. For good varigrated please see brooklynhandspun.com for slightly striped but varigrated enough to not be stripe, please fee fearless fibers

my latest passion is subtle solids.... oh so dreamy.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I absolutely stay away from acrylic. Any wierd fibers like buffalo. I do have a desire for cashmere or just something soft... oh and the fancy fur type stuff... or the ladder looking stuff... with the obnoxious colors

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? hmmm... socks =) knitting socks with GOOD varigrated yarn

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? hahaha socks =) right now, socks. i'm in school and work, so this is somethign that i won't want to stab myself for not finishing

17. What are you knitting right now? See sidebar up update =)

18. What do you think about ponchos? Cute! but i'm small, so i'm picky about how stuff hangs on me. I mean, I can still fit into size 12 in the kid's section at Target, but someh

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars because I never have to worry about losing needles... straights are nice though. I'm usually a buyer of lantern moon straights b/c i'm a big alturist.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? no plastic. if it's wood, ebony, blonde (no rose wood or palm, i don't like the look of them) or bamboo. i do not mind addi's and have been wanting to try knit pick's new line.

21. Are you a sock knitter? Yep. (no change)

22. How did you learn to knit? Taught myself at first with books and a bad cd from jo-ann's. but i got a dvd from yarnbag.com and have been loving it ever since.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? ummm my karabella cowl neck sweater is still unfinished, so i guess a year or so?

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? animated character? i like anime, how about that =)

25. What is your favorite holiday? i don't have one. i really think they're just commercialized or have lost all well intended meanings. i only like them b/c i don't have to work during them.

26. Is there anything that you collect? yarn...patterns that i'll probably never get too, books... lots of books, mangas right now. school books if you count the fact i have no choice. anything snazzy chow chow related.

---end---

references:
secret pal 9 rules: http://secretpal9.blogspot.com/2006/08/rules.html

grump's link about secret pal 5: http://www.grumperina.com/knitblog/archives/2005/05/favorite_bird.htm

wine and needles secret pal questions: http://wineandneedles.blogspot.com/2005/01/about-me-list-with-purpose-secret-pal.html
*not edited or no change = from wine and needle's blog

the knitter shall see

2006-08-29T11:04:00.000-04:00

so, i'm assuming i've developed a really bad bad case of allergies. my eyes and nose are really dry. i can't wear contacts anymore and i can't breathe easily through my nose anymore. The latter has affected me and i've started breathing through my mouth even mroe, which has caused my throat to dry.

notice the trend here is DRY.

unfortunately, since i can not wear contacts anymore (good bye colored lenses that i wanted to try) i have to wear glasses full time. no, o2optix did not work. my eyes were blood shot w.in 30 minutes of wearing and yes, i put in rewetting drops ever 5 minutes.

and i can't get laser eye surgery b/c my eye sight hasn't stabled. so, glasses and perscription sunglasses.

this was purchased with polarized dark grey lenses. at first i was worried that the brown wouldn't go well with the dark gary, but the frames really are much darker than this image shows. the frames are a bit larger, but i like that in sunglasses. unfortuantely, because the lenses are polarized, they can't be thinned, so i'll look bug-eyed. hopefully the dark color of the lenses will counter act that.

yes, i realize that these are my current frames - but they're nice. i was hoping to find something green or blue, but why spend money on another frame? okay so it's mainly because i couldn't find something i like, but these are a nice pair. besides, i need to save money for more important things like my girls, christmas, and of course, yarn =) (notice i didn't say knitting supplies but specifically yarn).

i know, these aren't yarn pictures, but i'm at work. my camera battery is dying, so it may not survive the xfer, and i've just been too lazy to complete anything...

but i will leave you with this teaser, i completed a pair of socks. no only that, but i finished one sock in one day! amazing! i knwo i know... i'm working on finishing the bed socks again.

---end---

references:
http://eyeglasses.go-optic.com/store/eyeglasses/details.asp?id=18813
http://www.framesdirect.com/framesfp/Nine_West-tcogtj/r.html

Christmas Knitting

2006-08-23T13:30:00.000-04:00

Okay - so I've labored over what to do for Christmas/Holiday gift giving.

For knitters, it's easy... for non knitters, it's not so easy.

I made my then 6 month old nephew a sweater, which I've never seen him wear.
Last year I made a slew of scarves, a hat and some golf club covers...

This year I don't know what to do. I thought, "OOOOOOH socks! Who won't love a pair of hand knitted socks?"

Well apparently a lot of people wouldn't. :*(

So now I just don't know what to do. The only non-knitter that I know I'm going to make something for is my brother in law.

---end---

a new method of socks

2006-08-22T11:24:00.000-04:00

i know i need to post pictures, I'll get to it... but i started to do a toe up sock pattern ! it look me about 3 different yarns and multiple times of ripping and swatching to figure out just what i wanted... but here it is disected..

pattern: first seen on grumperina, original pattern from craftoholic with math from universal toe up pattern from knitty
yarn: fearlessfibers.etsy.com, 100% merino wool in wisteria
needles: US 2 set of 5 dpns from skyrider
toe up method: figure 8 toe from knitty

modification:
1. toe up was not short row wrap
2. toe length was probably 2-3" long. i have long toes and since the pattern is somewhat lace, i wanted a good majority of the toes covered.
3. probably the heel will be a yo as opposed to a wrap. (see side bar)

thoughts about the new method - damn that's fast! and i LOVE how you can try them on. toe up sock and top down tops - gotta love them.

ps. all references to how-to's are located in the side bar under references. pictures to come soon!

---end---

in the words of greg the bunny's count

2006-08-19T23:56:00.000-04:00

a'ighit blah!

yes yes... so you wanna know why?

well, i f*ed up my salina... i did not swatch. i went to my lys and even the cashier was like "so you learned your lesson huh?" /me pouts

i also had to purchase (yes, i was forced to buy) more yarn because my swatch skien + tax did not equal $10. so, i bought sock yarn from cherry tree hill - dude talk about some tiny guage... i mean, they really mean fingering. but, it's a very nice soft yarn although not a subtle solid.

i personally prefer a thicker sock yarns, but everyone who handpaints is doing superwash... the fates are against me /me pouts again

so, i unravelled a new sock i'm trying (yes i know, my 3rd incomplete sock set) to use it on the cherry tree hill's burgundy superwash. (the sock is a SOMEWHAT lace patter and the varigrated yarn was detracting from the simple lace - too much going on).

so yeah... that sucked.

i'm thinking i'm going to move to the "speed demon" sized yarn (term from sweet georgia yarns) from now on... now, what to do with the 12 billion handpainteds i have... oh yeah, i should knit them /me rolls eyes

yeah i'm tired, i'm grumpy and instead of knitting like a maniac my first break from school - i'm ripping...

the salina
the orangina (wow that rhymed)
the new sock

and lord help me NOT to rip the cowl neck sweater i started 2 years ago...i'll just probably change that to dpns and take them off the circulars...

*deep breath*

this is going to be a short break filled with ripping...

---end---

executive decision...

2006-08-18T09:05:00.000-04:00

okay... so i had a dream about yarn last night... okay yarn and patterns, i know i know, to a non knitter i'd sound crazy, but i swear i'm not.

anyway. the dream went like this.
orangina in takhai stacey charles' cotton classic ... RIP IT ... use it for knit and tonic's sizzle pattern
the ggh scarlett in wine that was ripped from a ribbed skirt from knitty ... USE IT ... for orangina

so i get into work, yeah i know i shouldn't have, i'll stay an extra hour today... and went straight to yarndex. i wrote out the yard/ball, stitches/4 inches, the total yardage i have in my stash/yarn type, the total yardage needed/pattern, and the stitches/4 inches for each pattern.

1. i have more than enough cotton classic for the sizzle (but i'm going to double check that)

2. i don't have enough scarlett for the orangina. i'm 76 yards short. since i like longer shirts, this isn't going to work. i'm going to have to get 2 new balls and pray that the colors are close enough. (i've already been burned by blue sky alpaca w. the same color number but VERY VERY different dye lot - but that's another story!)

3. i could forget the orangina... but only temporarily! and use the scarlett for a hat pattern that i bought from celia.etsy.com - although it's cotton, so how much give is there in that??? maybe i could do an odessa too... and give those away for christmas?

thoughts?

oh here's number 4.... i could make some dk weighted socks =) HAHAHAHHA

yeah, thoughts please?

---end---

oh yeah... and my photoalbum is about to drop me unless i order a print for my picture or buy membership. i have 4 freaking days... so, i'm hitting up my best friend, tim, to come save the day. *crosses fingers*

that's over 500 pictures and links that'll be lost! this weekend is going to be busy for me trying to salvage all of this stuff.

look ma... i made a button

2006-08-17T10:35:00.000-04:00

yes, i did...

look to the side bar under "me"

=)

---end---

I LOVE YOU KPIXIE

2006-08-16T14:02:00.000-04:00

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

it is with great pleasure that i announce to you, world, that KPixie has not only agreed to special order me 8 skiens of Lorna's Laces Shephard Sport in Chocolate, but they're giving me a 15% DISCOUNT!!!!

*deep happy sigh* there is something right in the world...

so, i will be the proud mama/owner of chocolate shephard sport from lorna's laces...

i'm also tempted to asked them to special order me douglars fir (shown on the right) for the odessa hat by grumperina on mag knits. oh yeah, minus the beads (if you didn't get all that, it's okay b/c the link is here) but, should i keep spending? should i expect them to discount that special skien? but isn't the color beautiful? wouldn't the two look nice together?

and i dream on...

---end---

lorna's laces

2006-08-15T11:53:00.000-04:00

okay, usually a substitute yarn means a few things
1. there's more yarn per the money meaning
2. it's cheaper or
3. you already have a stash
4. your picking a different material (so maybe up in price)

well meet chocolate from lorna's laces. it's 200 yards per skien at approximately $10/skien. 100% SUPERWASH wool with 6 sts/in (24sts/4 in).

I wrote kpixie asking if they do special order and offer discounts for bulk orders, i had to ask! i'm going to be buying 1600 yards, so that's pretty bulky =).

anyway, i saw this website which has a better color card since the pictures are much larger than lorna's website. so yeah... there are other colors i may consider... but, damnit, it's so expensive.

yes yes i know, stop looking for yarn.

references: yarn image is taken from yarn-store.com

---end---

not sure why i bother

2006-08-15T11:00:00.000-04:00

but i'm on the hunt for yet more yarn... what? what is that? yes i know i just bought 1100 yards of 100% peruvian alpaca in a lovely olive green color that's dk weighted... yes i know i was supposed to use that for the somewhat cowl, but it's that g word.

guage it's haunting me. everything says gauge. now things are saying BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR GUAGE, i tell you them g followers are getting pretty darn fanatical.

so now i'm worried that the weight of the yarn is SLIGHTLY thicker than the yarn they used. the feel of the sweater will be thicker/stiffer. how will it drape? (and that's another one of them haunting words)... you can't tell drape unless you knit the shit up and wash it...

so now, not only do you have to buy an extra skien to knit several different 5" (b/c the more the better and you need 1/2" for the garter stitched edged) swatches on various needles you have to WASH it before measuring it... so

1. pick your yarn (X)
2. pick your needles (a, b, c)
4. swatch x with a, b, and c
5. measure pre wash (all 3 of them)
6. wash (all 3 of them)
7. measure post wash (all 3 of them)
8. match the post wash guage to the finished guage they're telling you to have.
so if the yarn happens to relax after washing, then you need to knit tigheter b/c the washed swatch is how your guage will end up. so even though swatch C's prewash guage may be a match, swatch A's post wash guage may be the one you need....

SUCKY huh? hwat are you supposed to do? tag them before washing? BLAH

anyway, this is the one that's giving me trouble. i want this in dark dark brown. but, you need like 1600 yards (rounded up for swatchign purposes). try getting that under 40 bucks!

and yes, i mean soft yarn, not too much shedding, and hopefully non itch. and after hours of searching with red - NOTHING... it's become a mission. must find yarn

reference: image from vogue knitting Fall 2006

---end---

knitting socks

2006-08-12T22:33:00.000-04:00

i realized that i knot on circulars backwards... i didn't realize there was such a thing, but i discovered it when i went to lunch with red...

we both whipped out our socks and BAM... she was knitting with teh beginning closest to her, and i was knitting with the beginning furthest from me...

i didn't realize how much of a problem this was going to be. i've always knitting plain stockinette and lace as oppsoed to something that looks very different from the inside out.

anyways...

every time my pattern said knit, i had to purl. and DONT even get me started on the kitcher/graffting stick. that was a monstrocity. it basically looks the way it needs to ON THE INSIDE.

so yeah.

but the sock is done. i probably should block it a bit so it doesn't feel so cramped up in to toes?

so now... which sock to finish, jeanne's lace sock, or starting the 2nd one?

i'll probably finish jeanne's sock and give it to her when i see her on break (from school)???

oh yeah... and about hte hostility, i'm ready to be over it. it's really draining and just not good. red, thank you for your patience. i love you for it.

---end---

YARN IS HOME!!!

2006-08-11T12:55:00.000-04:00

yay! all wonderful 10 skiens have foudn their way home... they weren't kidding when they said it would take up to 9 days... (it's taken 10 not including sunday and the 31st of july)... but it's okay b/c they're home now.

i've been debating whether or not to release my stash into the wild and just shelve them.... (ya know take them out of the plastic)...

i remember hearing on queer eye for the straight guy that you must immediately free your clothing from the plastic bags because the lack of oxygen kills the fiber...

so i'm wondering if the same is true about yarn? i guess i will look it up on snopes

this is the only thing i found... on google...

---end---

lost yarn and love

2006-08-10T12:44:00.000-04:00

hear yarnie yarnie yarnie original heading
yes it is tragic... but my 10 skiens of olive green 100% alpaca yarn are missing in the USPS system... either on a truck, on the wrong doorstep, or lost in a facility...

we are fortunate that the original owner is tracking the lost babies for me at the post office... what is it with them lately? everyone seems to be having problems?

but yes... please, let's all gather 'round and send some warm wishes and some yarn-hunting-home-finding vibes their way.

edit
i saw this in the profile of a friend of mine:
[x]Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot. - he does both

[x]Who calls back when you hang up on him. - we've worked out a deal (door signals)

[x]Wait for the boy who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats. - definately him

[x]Who holds your hand in front of his friends. - 99% of the time (except at work for some reason, but that's probably b/c i don't like it hahaha)

[x]Who thinks you're the prettiest when you have no makeup on. - definately him

[x]The one who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you. - he does he does...

[x]The one who turns to his friends and says, 'That's her.' " - DEFINATELY him...

i'm lucky... thank you for loving me. thank you for it all.

*note: i know i never really talk about much other than knitting related things on here, so HIM is NOT alpaca, sheep, cashmere goat, yarn, notions, or an accessory =) just to clarify hehehe

---end---

knitting heinousness (spelling?)

2006-08-10T08:19:00.000-04:00

~~^^ okay there is a picture there, just click the empty box... i'll republish it once my other program is running~~

just to be official and all - here's the permalink there's another picture of her ass in the air, but i thought i'd be nice and not post that.

um.... i just dont' know what to say... but EWWWW the very last thing I needed to see this morning was wendy's (from knit and tonic) boy underwear and cellulite... i mean god, at least have an ass... and even if the picture is blurry there's still cellulite! i mean, if you're going to take the time to edit people's comments on your blog, take the time to photoshop your damn legs. i mean, if your'e going to retake photos of you knitting b/c of "angles" get rid of the cellulite...

see, i normally visit this and 2 other blogs (red's and deliah's) in the am for morning inspiration... but omg... i think i want to throw up... gross...

i mean, i know women have stretch marks and cellulite and saggy boobs... but still. come on...

---end---

blue sunday

2006-08-06T17:29:00.000-04:00

okay, i did it again...

i read ANOTHER pattern incorrectly. i was feeling pretty damn upset, but i cam up with the bright idea of feeding a rip line through the knitting in the form of a much smaller 24" circular... so i ripped... then i realized... SOMEHOW, the ripping got tangled. the line i was ripping SOMEHOW ended up between stitched in the row i was ripping out. on top of that, i dropped my rip line a row 1/4 of the way towards the end. and... to make it worse, i fed the line through the left leg of the stitch, not the right, making all of my stitches backwards.

so, not only did i unravel 1/4 of the stitches to below where i was supposed to be, i had to flip 1/6 of the stitches while i tried to free my tangled yarn-to-ball. then i had to reknit the 1/4 of the stitches to get it back to where it was supposed to be... then i had to flip all 68 remaining stitches so i can knit them properly.

oh, how far did i have to go back? not nearly as far as the salina, but 2" - which, in the round, is a lot of hand cramping.

so, i'm just really pissed off/depressed/defeated. all my motivation... well the little i had left, is now gone. i want to retreat into a bottle of wine or a bubble bath.

---end---

now i'm depressed

2006-08-03T21:17:00.000-04:00

1. for personal reasons
2. for school reasons (not depressed just haven't found my groove...yet)
3.
~~god~~ bathala i can't even say it...

i had to unravel 16.5" x 13" of knitting... DK knitting... yes yes, i had to unravel my salina... why? BECAUSE I DIDN'T READ THE DAMN PATTERN CORRECTLY....

and it's amazing how i talk myself into needing something that i don't (like my ring purchase earlier today), i seriously convinced myself that i kenw what the pattern meant. and no, don't even bother giving me the "but why didn't you just ask?" i didn't ask becuase i really thought i knew what the pattern was saying... ugh i don't even have the strength to keep writing...

---end---

not again

2006-08-03T09:02:00.000-04:00

yes... i was week, i bought it. the largest disc is 1/2" in diameter.

---original post---

oh lord help me, i want go to shopping...

$26 for ring around the moon
$28 for silk wristlet
$32 for (knitting)bag

not including shipping for any of these items (3 + 2 + 6 respectively)= $96 FREAKING bucks...

DUDE... what's wrong with me?

i even get all sentimental/spiritual when i think about them... for example, the ring, i think "it's a symbol of continuity and self focus..." for the purse it's like a mission... why why why do i do that?

oh... and thank goodness for red's internet =) i makes me feel much better.

---end---

banished from work!

2006-07-27T14:50:00.000-04:00

okay, so you know how people take a smoke break, like ever 1/2 hour? i decided, since i'm working on salina from rowan vintage knits, to knit here and there.

and by here and there i mean:
-waiting for breakfast or lunch at the deli downstairs
-waiting for the printer or copier to print off 100 pages
-waiting for someone to give me back edits to a document...

well someone told my boss. i won't say someone "snitched" because i wasn't trying to hide it too much...but i have my (normally incorrect) theories on who said what. but again, it doesn't matter.

work is about perception. you look like you're busy if you're surfing online.
You look like you're busy if you walk around with a piece of paper in your hand and grumble to yourself (think george castanza from seinfeld). You look busy if you take a smoke break (at least i think)...

so, this knitter is now no longer allowed to bring knitting to work, yes that's right. it's not enough for me to NOT knit at work, I can't bring my materials with me period. I can't knit on the grounds of the building anywhere...

i know i know. you don't have to tell me.

...sneaking in a pick me up
my knit or die shirt (i know it's backwards, i took the picture in a mirror) and yet another picture of my sock yarn stash (oh dear how i want to nuzzle thee)

roller coaster, of yarn... roller coaster, woohoo hoo

2006-07-25T13:37:00.000-04:00

okay so tell me why i don't plan... okay well i do plan, i had the full intention of buying rowan felted tweed, until i saw the $9/skein (which i need 6 for the sweater + 1 to swatch = $54). Then I found elsebeth lavold's silky wool for $7 (which i bought 6 = $42 w.out tax)... so i eagerly went in search of pictures, and found knitter's review had the same f*ing color! excitement abounds!!! *skipping* so the pictures are up on my knitting album.

anyways, i decide to READ the damn thing and sadness
1. it pills
2. it wears thin

but after talking to red and roomie ..
1. what doesn't pill (wool in general)
2. what doesn't wear thin with use (socks! elbows!)

oh and hilarity factor #2, there are two different vintage knit boosk... one by rowan (the one i'm talking about) and one by sarah dallas

hilarity factor #2, i actually want the sarah dallas book! but i didn't get it, i got the rowan one instead... so where we are talking about different patterns, different books, trying really hard to have a conversation about completely unmatching ... well everything!

---- original post ----

~~okay - so i'm trying to get a picture to post, but it's not working for some reason...~~

anyway, i went out and, on a lark, bought elsebeth lavold's silky wool - 6 skiens...(lord say it's enough) for the salina from vintage knits by rowan (see side bar for knitting photo album)

so, in thinking of red, who called me from a knitting store yesterday... my yarn-er in crime... i thought of this song as i impatiently waited for the yarn to post!

Adapted Chorus from Nelly Furtado's Man-Eater.... SING WITH ME NOW!!!!

Yarn-eater, make you feel yarn
Make you want yarn
Make you spend all for yarn

She's a yarn-eater,
make you buy yarn
make you knit yarn
Make you want to buy somemore

She's a yarn-eater, make you knit hard
Make you purl hard
Make you want to knit to guage

She's a yarn-eater
Make you feel yarn
Make you want yarn
Make you spend all for yarn

Wish you never ever met her at all!

---end---

quizilla - what color are you?

2006-07-24T10:05:00.000-04:00

What Color Are You?

BLUES are motivated by INTIMACY, seek opportunities to genuinely connect with others, and need to be appreciated. They do everything with quality and are devoted and loyal friends and employers/employees. Whatever or whomever they commit to are their sole (and soul) focus. They love to serve and will give freely of themselves in order to nurture others lives.BLUES, however, do need to be understood. They have distinct preferences and occasionally the somewhat controlling (but always fair) personality of a confident leader. Their code of ethics is remarkably strong and they expect others to live honest, committed lives as well. They enjoy sharing meaningful moments in conversation as well as remembering special life events (i.e., birthdays and anniversaries). BLUES are dependable, thoughtful, nurturing, and can also be self-righteous, a bit worry-prone, and emotionally intense. They are like sainted pit-bulls who never let go of something once they are committed. When you deal with a BLUE, be sincere, make an effort to truly understand them, and truly appreciate them.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

pick me up...

2006-07-21T23:46:00.001-04:00

take 2: red had good advice when she said, "you shoudlnt' post when you're upset." i had about 12 items on the crappy day listed, but cut it down to 5...

*sigh* i think i should sleep... anyway, here's the new post

---post---

okay, today was a pretty crappy day at work... on a personal note

1. i have a butt load of homework and a posting the professor wrote made me realize that paper i was brainstorming in my ehad was completely wrong

2. i found out my "art-ner" in crime is moving back home... to a land very very far away

3. i found out that my red's happy hour was today (well i should say i was reminded) and i couldn't go (b/c of work and school)

4. did i mention i have a paper to write?

5. cancelling brunch with old floormate because of working on sunday

so, i needed a little pick me up. i had mentioned fiber therapy (why did this one person think i was talking metamucil type of fiber when this person knows i knit?!??!?!)

when i got home i was greeted with my sockaholic purchase... and how cute is it that red's yarn was wrapped in plastic together and mine was wrapped in a separate bundle? it's like these yarns (FIBERS) were destined to be with us!

so here's my yarn stash... YES i know it's a grainy picture, but i put a protector on my camera phone lense - and it just so happens i put my fingers all over the sucker!... so yeah, protective cover + finger prints = grainy pictures but it makes ME happy and that's all that matters!

3 from fearlessfiber @ etsy
2 from celia @ etsy
2 from brooklynhandpunyarnsales @ blogspot
1 from g from nova knit wits
1 from two loops @ etsy / 1 from sunshine yarns @ etsy = can't tell which one is from which bc the colors are similar, but one of them is buried in the pile

---end---

and there's another one...

2006-07-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

what is this chaos you say??? what is this skull and crossbones? no it's not pirates of the caribbean part 3 where knitters are pirates and fight with needles instead of swords...

it's a tshirt - yes that's right...

i gave in... bought the tshirt. it's from american apparel so i know i'll defintely fit in a small... because that's what my shirts on threadless are made from.

so there's another $16.50 (12 + shipping) down the knitting black hole... but, if i get this shirt in soon, maybe i can wear it friday at work? or sunday when i visit my old floor mate for brunch?

so what's next you say? what else am i going to drop money on? please, please, don't overwhelm me right now. i can't take the pressure.

it doesn't help that fellow gemini red is ~~searching~~ scouring ebay for alpaca or alpaca blends...

---end---

stop the insanity

2006-07-18T21:54:00.000-04:00

omg omg omg there's so much i want to buy.... and bought....

okay, with what i bought...

say hello to sockaholic from fearless fiber @ etsy.... if you consider it the points of a star starting from the top it goes: me, red, me, me, red... yes, that's right, us yarn addicted folks have bought a bundle of sock yarn and split it. it should be here in two to three days... yes that's right, two to three days! excitement abounds...

this gem i found because red got a shirt (you'll be below) that was pretty hot...so i went looking and found this! i'm pretty much leaning towards the pink/black combo, but waiting to see the sizing measurements - etsy as well for 12

so this is a shirt similar to the one that red has (hers is blue t with green letter)... but i wrote in asking if this chick has any smalls. she has l and xl and i'm definately not that large! - another etsy buy for 20

this is a purse that's just gorgeous and i want it! hahahahha =) this is, of course, at etsy! it's 28, so i want to buy it.... but

i'm having brunch on sunday with ben at http://www.taqueriapoblano.com/menu.html - i haven't seen him in forever, so i should probably save money... but i really really want these *tears*

help! someone tell me what to do! the last 3 items would be 60... but i dont' get paid until the end of the month! ugh... food v. knitting! what's a girl to do?!?!?

---end---

TMB hat success

2006-07-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

so, TMB love the hat! It's great and it's soft! TMB parent will be providing a picture of TMB in the hat soon...

which reminds me, i owe red pictures of gold strips... oi - since when did i become such a "yeah i'll get to it" type of person?

i have money and tempted to buy the sizzle i have money, but should i spend it? i guess i should knit a swatch with the yarn i have at home to see if it'll even work for the pattern...

how can i possibly think of other patterns when i've got like 5 projects needing completion?

oh and tell me WHY my roommate noticed that i only knit one sock and not the other? do i have a bunch of one sockers hanging around the house or something? maybe i'll make a clothes line hanging from my office ceiling (since the vents are on the floor) and hang all my socks so i don't loose them... all my single socks... *tears

---end---

ek gag!

2006-07-11T17:09:00.000-04:00

or is it eek gad?

well whatever it is...
biking has been a challenge,
school has been a challenge
red just makes it all interesting with mitten designs when i'm in the middle of work =)

but, i felt like i was spinning out of control, but then I caught up on posting for school. now i have to read.

i'm on a mission to complete my paper asap so I can go to a party this saturday with my roomie and old floor mate.

but red, thank you.. thank you for helping me feel less insane!

oh, on the knitting update - orangina front has finished! the back portion can now begin!

---end---

my political view test results

2006-07-10T23:20:00.000-04:00

okay - i have NO idea what any of this means, but my roommate says i'm evil ahahahahhaha gotta love these online tests they're so scientific *eye roll

oh the page said this about centrists "You exhibit a very well-developed sense of Right and Wrong and believe in economic fairness. "

You are a
Social Liberal
(61% permissive)

and an...
Economic Moderate
(41% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Centrist

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

quick post

2006-07-09T10:14:00.000-04:00

i

h a t e

school

---end---

knitting desires

2006-07-08T22:18:00.000-04:00

it always happens that you desire things when you don't have money or just can't have them... well, here's my desire list...

<< this my friends, is the shell bag by lantern moon. it's for purchase at yarnmarket for $28.85

<< now this is another lantern moon beauty. it's called maya. and this is for pruchase at jimmybean's wool for $22

this gem is from all things heather, for purchase at kpixie for $21. it's knitted on size US3-5 and is what i like to call "speedy sock yarn" >>

<< this is from yarn botanica, pretty isn't it? it's got pretty neutral colors, but it's fingering... i'm very tempted to do socks with thicker yarn. but this is available at kpixie as well for $21

there are also a few bags from etsy that i like. the designer's name is angela liu - here are the links olive sakura tote for $75 and the matching wristlet for $27

yeah i know it's all so fucking expensive *sigh* but yeah... i want hehehehe

---end---

testing

2006-07-08T20:58:00.000-04:00

test

NEW JOURNAL

2005-10-18T09:13:00.000-04:00

http://eknits.mindsay.com

016.Free Patterns for Fingerless Gloves

2005-10-07T09:34:00.000-04:00

all links open in a new page =)

The Pictures
To see the images for these patterns, either click the link below, or reference the following photo summary:
http://eknit.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album16

The Patterns
001.Mikado Ribbon Fingerless Gloves - mid bicep, 1 cable - up to knuckles, thumb covered - http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/mikado-gloves.html

002.Buttoned Up Fingerless Gloves - 1/3 down arm - up to 2nd knuckles, thumb covered - http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/mikado-buttonup-gloves.html

003.Voo Doo Wrist Warmers - 1/2 down arm, ribbed - up to knuckles, thumb covered - http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTvoodoo.html

004.Wrist Warmer Pattern - 1/3 to 1/2 down arm, cabled around - up to knuckles, thumb exposed - http://wineandneedles.blogspot.com/2004/12/wrist-warmer-pattern.html

005.Web Surfing Mits - 1/2 down arm, ribbed with 1 tiny cable detail - exposed knuckles and thumbs - click for pattern link

006.Someone Stole the Fingers Off My Gloves Gloves - 1/2 down arm, tiny cables around - up to knuckles, exposed thumb - click for pattern link

007.Kid Merino Fingerless Gloves in Rainbow Stripes - 1/3 or 1/2 down arm, ribbed - up to 2nd knuckles, covered thumb - http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/KidMerino-fingerless_gloves.html

008.Kim's Sockotta Fingerless Glovers - 1/4 down arm, ribbed and St st - up to 2nd knuckles but INDIVIDUAL FINGERS, thumb covered - http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~kfairchi/fingerless%20gloves.html

*e

ps. here's where i found almost all of them http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/mittens_gloves.php

015.General Updates

2005-10-04T15:42:00.000-04:00

Oops... i forgot to mention that I was making a hat for my friend Alex. It's in the colors of his fraternity. I used Karabella Aurora 8... which i love, but apparently it pills quickly (according to a knitting review http://www.knittersreview.com/article.asp?article=/review/product/010531_a.asp).

I started the project and finished it in 2 days... it was pretty cool, i used the london beanie pattern from the previous hat post and did some math to figure out how to make it fit his head. I have pictures of it up on my photo website, hopefully i'll be able to give it to him this weekend.

oh, and i hate dpns hahahha - i tried doing dan's hat and just wanted to kill myself, so i gave up and got ciruclars instead =)

unfortunately, it took a while for them to come in, so i started on noah's sweater hoodie. i'm just about done with the back panel piece.

oh and i posted on craig's list looking for knitters and jewelry making companions =) i've gotten a few responses but one of them led to a knitting group =)

oh and there's an event http://www.knit-out.org/ that i want to make elisha go with me to =)

hopefully it won't be too cold!

*e

014.Pattern Wish List

2005-09-13T08:55:00.000-04:00

#.Skill Level - Item Type - Type of Pattern - URL

to see picture of all the patterns to choose that way, click the following link:
http://eknit.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album07
otherwise, just click on the individual pattern links of the descriptions are enough for you =)

001.Intermediate - V Neck Long Sleeve Sweater - unknown -http://www.knitrowan.com/html/pattern_results.asp?type=&keyword=&complexity=&productCode=&category=New&StartAt=6

002.Experienced & Advanced Cable - V Neck Elf-ish/Celtic Hoodie - Chart http://www.girlfromauntie.com/patterns/shop/rogue/detail.php for the pattern and http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=305 for the yarn kit

003.Intermediate/Advanced - V neck Lace Long Sleeve Sweater - unknown - http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1063

004.Intermediate - One button Long Sleeve Cardigan - unknown - http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=964

005.Intermediate - No Button Rounded Long Sleeve Cardigan - unknown http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=986

006.Intermediate - Side Cabled Halter - unknown - http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=722

007.Intermediate - Plain Knitted Halter - uknown - http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=720

008.Intermediate - Plain Tank Top - unknown http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=759

009.Intermediate - Rolled neck Sweater Tank - Unknown - http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=760

010.Beginner/Intermediate - Wide Strapped V Neck Tank - Unknown - http://www.knitpixie.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=354

011.Unknown - Cowl-Neck Sweater - Unknown - http://www.yarnmarket.com/yarn/Karabella-Cowl-Neck_Sweater_KK150-820.html

012.Unknown - Young & Restless Tunic - Unknown - http://www.yarnmarket.com/yarn/Needful_Yarns-Needful_177_Young_Restless_Tunic-2030.html
*note - the top and bottom are made separately and then sewn together

*e

013.favorite online websites

2005-09-12T18:54:00.000-04:00

company name - url - reason for likes - reason for dislike

kalidescope yarns - kyarns.com - great needle selection (lantern moon rosewood and palm only, brittany birch woods)

hello knitty - helloknitty.com - good selection of yarns but yarns only

knit pixie - knitpixie.com - great patterns, fast answers to inquiries online, good selection of yarn, great website organization - can not search by yarn categories, only by company

knit happens - knithappens.net - great selection of expensive yarns, okay single purchase patterns - pricey, store front not connected to online store

yarn market - yarnmarket.com - good for price comparision, usually cheaper prices, good alternative yarn selection

elann - elann.com - cheaper needles, good alternative yarn selection, cedar balls!!!

pattern works - patternworks.com - huge yarn selection varying from cheap to expensive, great notion section

knitting-warehouse.com - great selection for michaels/joann/acmoore type stuff but cheaper

*e

012.Wooden vs Metal Knitting Needles - oh and plastic too

2005-09-12T13:56:00.000-04:00

http://www.livejournal.com/community/knitting/5258343.html

This is a great discussion, I'll probably xfer it onto hard text incase she decides to delete her blog, make it so that only livejournal users can read, etc...

but here's the long and short of it.

Wooden:
1. better grip of the yarn
1a. sometimes too grippy - so depends on the type of wood and the finish
2. because of the better grip, it's better for "loose knitters"
3. light weight - this makes a huge fucking difference when knitting if you knit a lot
4. warming
5. highly recommended for double pointed needles (so the stitches don't fall off either end)

Metal:
1. slick slick slick! you can knit fast with these puppies (think addi tubro circulars http://www.addinadeln.de/pages_english/index_en.html)
1a. sometiems too slick and your stitches can fall off easily (think double pointed needles)
2. because of the slickness, it's better for "tight knitters" (like me)
3. now this can go either way depending on preference, but that metal "clicking" noise (when you're making a stitch) and that metal "sliding/scratching" noise (when you tranfer the stitch from one needle to another. some of you may thing "oh cute sound" and others of you may think "ahhhh nails on a chaulk board"
4. cool to the touch - makes a difference in winter
5. heavy - i knitted 8 scarves with lions brand wool (the stupid -aka ultra- soft kind) with silveralume susan bates 14"... my fucking wrists hurt like hell. i was tempted to go out and get a carpal tunnel/ bowling/ roller blading wrist brace

There is plastic, but i haven't knit with those and don't think i ever will...

so think of it like this...wooden is to ergonomic keyboard as metal is to typical keyboard...

also... what needle you use really depends on
1. personal preference (duh!)
2. project (if you're on a circular doing a lot of work and are an experience knitter, you'd probably want the addi turbo circs)
3. money

i may buy some addi circs the next time i do knitting that requires them, but i don't think i will until i'm getting more advanced.

and i will buy the expensive lantern moon needles for the cause (check out that blog entry) but for those of you who like something other than bamboo... try Brittany Birch Crochet Hooks (beautiful decorative top) and Knitting Neeldes (not as fancy but still nice and elegant) - cheapest at elann.com when compared to kyarns.com and patternworks.com

*e

011.Knitting with a Cause: Lantern Moon Needles

2005-09-12T13:49:00.000-04:00

http://www.lanternmoon.com/aboutus.asp

http://www.knittersreview.com/article_tool.asp?article=/review/product/050728_a.asp

I've seen these puppies all over the place - they are expensive as hell, but are of very nice quality and look (obviously).

I read the comments section on this website and stumbled across one about some lady wanting to give up her dog b/c it ate her needle and another saying "great cause." So i did some snopping and found the "about us" website.

so then i thought "how much of this shit actually goes to them?" so i called and spoke to a representative - i dont' have her name, but she was very nice and personable.

Anyway... she basically said...
1. they work with a lady in vietnam who works with the workers
2. the owners used to live in Vietnam
3. a good part of their proceeds goes to help the workers
3a. there are middle men, but the lady mentioned in #1 has a lot of integrity and the owners obviously trust her
3b. they are not for profit so 94% of their profit doesn't go to the workers like in other groups such as "dr.s without borders"
4. (and this was important to me) the workers didn't want to feel like a charity case... aka "help the helpess vietnamese" type of thing, so lantern moon doesn't go around bannering "we help the vietnamese basket weavers!" type of thing

so will i buy
yes, but i recommend going to the store first as the feel of the needles vary with the wood

will i cry when i buy
hell yeah, it's $16-35 for two sticks of polished wood! but, it goes to a good cause!

*e

010.Knitting with a Cause: Mac and Me Patterns

2005-09-12T13:42:00.000-04:00

09.11.05

I discovered "Mac and Me" when I went looking for a sweater to knit Noah for Christmas... hopefully I'll finish it before March haahahaha... I'll probably end up knitting him a size 2 Yr Old.

Anyway, I'm all about things with a cause and supporting other, etc etc etc and all the proceeds go to Mac (apparently a girl)'s college tuition.

Now that's a smart mom for being so entrepreneurial!

So if you have any kiddy stuff you like to knit, then buy them!

Stitch DC carries them but it's only good for locals as they don't have an online store
KnitPixie.com
PurlSoho.com

go to google to find the rest...

to see the pattern i bought, visit the "Noah Christmas Gift" link.

*e

009.Noah's Christmas Gift

2005-09-09T14:18:00.000-04:00

09.12.05
so i found a new pattern from "Mac and Me" which i love. View the album to see more pictures and links to the pattern. The great thing about the "Mac and Me" patterns is that all the proceeds go for Mac's college tuition and what not. So you know me, gotta support =) i actually didn't know that until I got home and read the back panel of the pattern.

But it made me feel better for spending $5 on one pattern when i could've spent $4.50 for 3 with the other one... although, the mac and me patterns come with actual photos of the thing... and not just picture inserts i'm talking about a 4x5 taped to the front, non glossy too... so that was really nice.

i'm having a bit of trouble understanding what the fuck some parts of her pattern means, but i figure i can go to an independent study class at stitch dc to ask for help, but i'll be damn proud of it when i'm done!

09.08?.05
Yes, yes, I know I'm supposed to be making Dan a hat, but while I'm in the middle of looking for a hat pattern that'll fit his head, here's my project for Noah ....

http://eknit.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album05

I have to buy the pattern, so i can't link to it, but it'll be purchased from knit happens (the physical store) so i can get 20% off my next purchase... i can get atleast 4 stamps out of the hat and sweater yarn so i'll need 3 more before i can take advantage of that 20% thing...

and yes, i will do the ghetto thing and buy in increments of $15 hahahaa. (see "The Knit Happens Insatiable Knitter Card" http://knithappens.net/section_2.cfm)

but it's my hope that after knitting this baby sweater i can finally take a crack at the debbie bliss stuff (particularly cathay) http://debbieblissonline.com/books/cy/index.htm

so more to come...

*e

008.Hat Patters, Measurement Charts, Online Conversions

2005-08-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

09.06.05
ooh, i found some felting hat patters to buy from kalidescope yarns (www.kyarns.com)
http://kyarns.com/pick-up-sticks-wavy-flower-felted-hat-knitting-pattern.html

http://kyarns.com/pick-up-sticks-bow-felted-hat-knitting-pattern.html

I'll probably felt them with Cascade 220 until I find something better to knit with...

I just have to get Elisha to measure her head now =)

08.29.05
My friend, Dan, asked me to make him a beanie... he offered to get me something in exchange, but he's given me such neat things =) like my own domo doll and a hindinanotami (god how do you spell it?!?!) so him and his big head (24.5 inches) are making it hard for me to find a pattern to accomodate... most patterns don't mention what size head it will for or if the hat stretches...

oh, and i apparently have a large head for an adult woman (22 inches). aaron said it was my hair but it still makes me sad *sniff* most women hat sizes stop at 20 inches.

but here are some resources i've found...

Online Conversions
some of the measurements are in centimeters and others are in inches...
http://www.onlineconversion.com/length_common.htm

Hat Sizes
from inches to hat size to description
http://shop.mlb.com/sm-determine-your-hat-size--bg-222821.html
average sizing
http://www.thedietdiary.com/knittingfiend/Hats/HeadSizes.html

How to measure your head
this is also a link to a basic patter, but tells you how to properly measure your head
http://www.hjsstudio.com/hat.html

Customized hat patterns
this was just cool... apparently you just enter your sizes where appropriate and it will generate the answers for you...
http://www.thedietdiary.com/knittingfiend/Hats/

here is a list of hat patterns for him and myself =) from http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/hats.php

Owen Wilson's hat from Life Aquatic (for me)
http://mogknit.blogspot.com/2005/02/life-aquatic-beanie-pattern.html

The only pattern i found that has his head size ... but it's a nice hat too
http://mlminspirations.com/patterns/Nautilus/index.html

This is just really basic for anyone
http://www.p2designs.com/pdfs/ptn-BasicBeanie.pdf

The only pattern i found that tells you how to precisely achieve the proper hat size
http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/kpatt02.htm

I really like this hat, but it doesn't mention the size
http://mlminspirations.com/patterns/Pismo/index.html
and this one too (for the both of us)
http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/kpatt01.htm

A hat I liked for myself, but again, with no measurements
http://www.geocities.com/knittingsolo/seeded.pdf

A hat that i liked for myself or as gifts for girls
http://www.scknitting.com/spring2005/tea-cosy-hat.html
and
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/kwe-earflapHat.html

okay this just looks cool, but really advanced for me since it's patterns
http://www.wiseneedle.com/patternpage.asp?pattern=knitpatchullu
and
http://www.knitpicks.com/Projects/Projects_Display_Yarn.aspx?itemid=50411220&yarnid=5420122
and
http://www.almostrandom.com/needlesnhooks/patterns/clapotiscap.html

obviously for a child, but i like it anyway... i need to learn how to cable
http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/forum/viewtopic.php?t=143

*e

007.Stripes and Color changes - Jogless Jogs

2005-08-29T11:15:00.000-04:00

http://www.socknitters.com/kickback/joglessjog.htm

i thought this was worthy enough of it's own section...

i was a bit worried that if i did this joggless jog on elisha's scarf then she wouldn't be able to find the seam if she washed it... but it's pretty easy to see...
for example http://eknit.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album01&id=DSCN0006

there are 3 rows of silver stripes. notice that there are 2 stitches of silver on the left (they looked liek they're stretched too) and 3 stitches on the right? well, if you were making a seam, then those are your edges. so if you have 5 rows, then you'd have 4 on the left side and 5 on the right.

now, it was hard for me to figure out the "pick up the stitch directly below..." instruction. as i mentioned in my entry about elisha's scarf, i thought it was an m1 move...

but knit stitches go like this (pretend the main color is red and the new stripe is purple. also pretend that your stitch marker is at row 4)
stitch 1 2 3 4
row 1 ^ ^ ^ ^
row 2 ^ ^ ^ ^
row 3 ^ ^ ^ ^

so when you finish the first round of the new color and come back to stitch 4 ... pick up the stitch directly below. this means go to row 2 stitch 4... place it on the needle and knit row 2 stitch 4 together with row 1 stitch 4.

then you knit like normal...

you are NOT picking up the yarn between stitches. you are picking up the stitch from the prior row.

hope this helps.

006.Online Ordering Reviews

2005-08-19T10:39:00.000-04:00

Name of Company - Date of Order - Items Ordered - Cost of Items - Shipping Cost - Shipped Date - Date Received - Review

yarnmarket.com
date ordered: 10.12.05
products and cost: karabella cowl-neck sweater KK150 @ $6.85
addi turbo circular needles 16" us5 @ $14.85
shipping cost: $5.49
date shipped: 10.13.05
date received: 10.17.05
review: why do you have me log in to place an order when i can't log out? god i love their shipping and tracking - they're great with questions about products as well OMG THE PATTERN CAME IN A PLASTIC SLEEVE THAT WAS HOLE PUNCHED! THE WOOL WASH CAME IN IT'S OWN SEPARATE BAG INCASE OF SPILLING!!! i love yarn market!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

knitpicks.com
date ordered: 10.12.05
products and cost: 2 skeins of Wool of the Andes in Evergreen @ $1.79 ea, $3.58
1 skein of Wool of the Andes in Chesnut @ $1.79 ea
1 Addi Turbo Circular 24" US5 @ $14.95
shipping cost: $5.25, $25.57 total
date shipped: 10.13.05
date received: n/a
review: i only ordered from here b/c the pattern uses this yarn, and the person wanted the same exact thing...

knitting-warehouse.com
date ordered: 10.12.05
products and cost: Lion's Brand Wool-Ease in Oxford Grey, Cranberry, Butterscotch, and Peacock at $2.36 each
Clover soft ring stitch markers at $3.75
Eucalan Regular Wool Wash 16.9 oz at $7.89
shipping cost: $5.99 flat rate for ground - $27.07 total
date shipped: 10.14.05
date received: 10.17.05
review: GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE - i called b/c i didn't get any email information regarding shipping or processing, so i called and they gave me the tracking number (shipped usps) - really really pleased with them! i wasn't on hold long either.
compared prices with joann.com - you have to look to see which is cheaper. sometimes joann's offers free shipping but more expensive items, so you have to look and see which is a better deal... i prefer giving my money to smaller businesses though =)

knitpicks.com
date ordered: 10.06.05
products and cost: Royal Ball Winder $41.99
Addi Natura 24" US7 Circulars - $14.95
shipping cost: Free for orders $30+
shipped date: 10.07.05
date received: 10.14.05
review: update to prior entry - i'm still disappointed with the website, but the summary of your order doesn't come until the send you the email saying they're shipping you your stuff... sounds kinda backwards to me though... wouldn't you want to know what you bought immediately prior to shipping just incase something's wrong?
[old entry]
okay - i just got the email confirming that my order was there and
1. there is no summary of the order or how much you spent. all it tells you is your customer number and order number and when to call them for questions
2. i'm really disappointed with the website.
2.a. when i log in to surf the website and then decide i want to look at my order status, i have to log in again
2.b. the "login" button doesn't change to say "log out" or "welcome erica" or wahtever, so you have no way of logging out or knowing if you have
this better get better or i'm never ordering from them again

knithappens.net
date ordered: 10.04.05
products and cost: Karabella Aurora 8 "Spring Green" 716 x 12 = $71.88 + $3.59 tax = $75.47
shipping cost: $8.95 ($84.42 total)
shipped date: 10.05.05
date received: 10.06.05
review: I wrote to ask what are the color codes for their yarn and got a quick response! That was nice. Their service actually seems to be getting nicer. I haven't yet received a shipping notice (10.05.05) which is a suprise because they usually process things pretty quick, but we'll see, the day is still young! OMG UPS SHIPPING & TRACKING!!! Okay why did I think they used USPS??? No wonder the shipping is so much! Okay, I ordered 12 balls and 1. the color is more vibrant than i had expected, but htat's okay. but... dude, they never ship yarn in boxes... they were all squished :( come to think of it, have I ever gotten yarn in boxes?

dreamweaveryarns.com
date ordered: 10.03.05
products and cost: 2 x Silk Needle Sleeve (Size Wide) = $14.00
shipping cost: $3.95 Total: $17.95
shipped date: 10.03.05
date received: 10.08.05
review: update on old entry - it didn't match... could it kill you to email me saying it doesn't? one good thing is that they ahve a nifty cheat sheet card - stitches/needlesize/yarn weight, hooks, etc
[old entry]
the website profile manager looks exactly like knitpixie.com - same icons and fonts and stuff... do not like how the silk needle sleeves doesn't have a color option like yarnmarket's does... but do not like yarnmarket's lack of having both sizes. I did qualify for reduced shipping ($2.00 instead of the $3.95) NO TRACKING AND NO ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME!!!! They have a comments section, but don't respond to the comments you make when they make up your invoice. WILL NEVER ORDER FROM THEM AGAIN!!!!

spinblessing.com
date ordered: 09.28.05
products and cost: Clover US3 and US4 16" circular needles, $7.60 each, $15.20 total
shipping cost: $4.50
shipped date: 09.28.05
date received: 10.01.05
review: i can't believe i ordered it and 7 minutes later it was shipped! confirmation number and everything! i never have a complaint about them! i liked how the invoice said 'thanks for your repeat business' =)

knithappens.net
date ordered: 09.19.05
products and cost:
karabella aurora 8 "maroon" 2 balls, "banana" 1 ball, and "ivory" 1 ball and $5.99 for the karabella
1 skien of cascade 220 "forest heather"- $7.00 for cascade
Total ($30.96)
shipping cost: $6.95
date shipped: 09.20.05
date received: 09.21.05
review: uber fast shipping and tracking - i really don't like how they rename the colors on the website. if a company names nad numbers their colors, the use the names, but if a company numbers their colors then they name the yarn color themselves. it makes matching yarns very tricky (liek if you needed more yarn and only have the color code from the label). since the online store and the physical store operate independently and since the only number listed is for the physical store, it's disappointing. can't pick it up until the 22nd b/c my apt is slow to sort!

knitpixie.com
date ordered: 09.17.05
products and cost:
Alpaca Sportweight . 0010 natural medium gray,
Alpaca Sportweight . 009 natural light grey,
Alpaca Sportweight . 100 black, $7.50x3
Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton . 620 fern, $8.50x4 and
Kate Gilbert Joseph Pattern, 5.00
Total $61.50
shipping cost: $5.00
shipping date: 09.19.05
date received: 09.21.05
review: uber fast shipping! Yay, invoice in color and signed by owners =) came nicely packaged wrapped up in a bag tied with a piece of yarn and some tissue papering. no tracking b/c it’s shipped via usps

spinblessing.com
date ordered: 09.17.05
products and cost:
boye 3 aluminum stitch holders, $7.20
Clover Takumi Bamboo 7 inch Double Point Knitting Needles US Size 7 $8.10 and US Size 4 $7.85 ($23.15 total)
shipping cost: $4.50
date shipped: 09.20.05
date received: 09.22.05
review: even though they use USPS they give you a tracking number so that's always fun... now comes the waiting!

yarnmarket.com
date ordered: 09.17.05
products and cost:
lantern moon ebony sz8 12" needles - $19.85
shipping cost: $5.49
date shipped: 09.19.05
date received: 09.21.05
review: they have all the lantern moon needles! ebony and blonde are the hardest to find. everyone always has rose wood or palm wood... omg one day shipping and tracking! (post is closed on sundays) how cool is that!?!?! great box! no worries about breaking but could use a bit more stuffing

helloknitty.com
date ordered: 08.11.05
products and cost:
1 skien of cascade 220's #8509 grey - $6
shipping cost: $2 flat rate!
shipping date: 08.15.05
date received: 08.16.05
review: apparently this arrived the same day as my knithappens order, but my stupid apartment complex couldn't find it (i think they may have squashed it a little too). unfortunately, my roommate failed to mention to me that it came in but wasn't found, so i just picked it up on the 19th. but ordering with them is pretty fast but there's no tracking number and that's kinda annoying.

spinblessing.com
date ordered: 08.14.05
products and cost:
clover knitting needles, 1 package of 7" dpns sz3, 1 package of 29" circulars sz4 - $15.45 no tax =)
shipping cost: $4.50
date shipped: 08.15.05
date received: 08.17.05
review: she personally signed the invoice, so that's always a nice personal touch. the package was stuffed so that's nice too - don't have to worry about your needles getting squashed. she also ships with tracking using usps, while their tracking isn't the best, at least you can see when the item has been delivered. pretty happy with them. no complaints, would order from them again.

knithappens.net
date ordered: 08.14.05
products and cost:
6 skiens of ggh scarlett's wine - $6.25ea @ 39.38 w. tax
shipping cost: $7.95
date shipped: 08.14.05
date received: 08.16.05
review: Super fast shipping! Although I did email them with a question and they didn't answer me back, which I think sucks. I hate poor customer service. But they do use UPS which means that the tracking is awesome. So I was really happy with this. Last item ordered and first one to arrive! One thing that does suck about their website is that if you have a question about their online inventory, you can't call them. The number listed on the website is to the store. The store and the online store operate independently. Another thing I don't like about their website is that they don’t' tell you who the manufacturer is of all their items. So if you see something you like and they don't have it, you can not call them to ask them when they will get more in stock and you can't search for it anywhere else. they are great for ordering online, just don't have any questions about stock or manufacturer of non yarn items.

*e

005.Skating Queen Skirt

2005-08-19T10:33:00.000-04:00

Pattern: http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTskatingqueen.html
Photo Journal: http://eknit.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album04

09.19.05
so i tried to knit like a bitch on the first panel of stitches (the 6" pleated section) but i failed. US Sz4 needles are really small.

but i have to put this aside so i can knit the stuff by request for my friends...aka dan's hat and noah's sweatshirt hoodie.

i think most of this "holding" comes from the fact that i read the waist measurements... but my hips are about 3 sizes larger than my waist (damn you ass)... but we'll see!

08.22.05
*tears* so i misread the pattern instructions, and after the "k2tog, yo, k1, yo k2tog" i KEPT DOING IT *sniff* when i was supposed to ST st (stocinette stitch) after doing the yo part for one row.... so i had to unravel it... but it's different from unravelling on a straight needle because you have to move everything onto the new needle and htey're connected... so it's "move on stitch, move all the work, move one stitch" and for 165 stitches with 1/2", that's a long time... so i unravelled it thinking i could just insert the needle again. then i realized i can't do that b/c the stitch marker is off so i don't know where i started and then it became this huge mess. i had about 120 yards of unwound egyptian cotton. i tried handrolling it using one of the websites i previously posted, but that didn't work well *sniff*

but i managed to work it out. i made a loop of yarn and have a glass in the center to help me keep it from tangling. i also relaxed my cast-on stitches and so when i work in the round, i'm not tugging on it. it's a bit loose, but i'm trying to tighten it all up prior to starting the pleats!

08.19.05
I love ordering from KnitHappens.net. You'll have to see my knitting ordering review section...

But I love the egyptian cotton =) It was fucking hard to cast on b/c it's so soft and fine that instead of having a 5 wound strands on the needle, it ende dup looking like 5 tiny strands side by side... but it's uber soft. Picks up lint (from soft blankets or doghair) like a bitch though... and sometimes wheny ou try to pull it out it just ends up breaking.

I've done part 1, which was knitting the 1.5" of the back of the drawstring area. I need to take a picture and put it up online.

The color is gorgeous, the material is so soft and it's machine washable and dryable. Can it get any better than that?

*e

004.ball winders and swifts

2005-08-15T10:26:00.000-04:00

okay - so i bought a cascade 220 yarn... okay okay... i bought 5 skiens of cascade 220... they look like a twisted pastry.

when untwisted it's probably a 1-2 foot diameter loop... this is very different from the balls or rolls that i'm used to working with. please note that cascade 220 mean 220 yards which is about 100 grams or so and a gram is about 1 oz or so right?

after doing much research i've found the following

you have to be VERY careful if you decide to knit with a 2 foot long loop
a ball winder is probably a good investment*
a swift (a weird umbrella looking device) is probably a good investment**
winding by electric drill or mixer is scary looking (god you should see some online pictures) - fortunately for me, i own neither
winding 220 yards by hand does NOT look like fun
there's line one winder to choose from that makes 4oz balls
there's like one cone winder to choose from that makes 4oz balls

here are some websites for you about everything winding...

ball winders http://www.knittersreview.com/article_tool_more.asp?article=/review/profile/020822_a.asp
ball winders and yarn swifts http://www.magknits.com/warm04/articles/askmaggie.htm
winding by hand and ball winders http://www.earthheartdesigns.com/Earth%20Heart%20pages/Knitting%20Fun/Tips%20&%20Hints/yarn_ball_handling.htm

notes:

* while the ball winder is cool and practically a godsent, it makes crappy dinky 4oz balls... i don't like having to cut yarn and make ties and weave in the tails... i like the long beautiful uninterupted pieces of yarn... it could be from my asian heritage since cutting noodles is bad luck... but i like those huge log looking this you get from buying lions brand yarn from michaels... why can't they make ball winders like that?

** it seems like metal swifts are cheap as hell so the consensus is to get a wooden one... or you can use the back of the chair, or if someone loves you a lot - you can use an extra person and have them hole up the 2 foot long loop. the way the swift works is that you have someone (or you if you're coordinated enough) open up the swift to a circumference smaller than your loop, and insert the loop and open it.

now, if you choose to wind, swift or both, please not the following - tightness seems to be an issue with yarn. if you stretch the yarn too much it will lose the elasticity. if you wind it too much it will lose elasticity... get the picture?

so what am i choosing to do? that's right... lay out the 2 foot long loop on the couch, slightly open, and be VERY VERY careful not to tangle the yarn as i unwind it one round at a time.

003.Elisha's Scarf

2005-08-15T08:18:00.000-04:00

picture link - http://eknit.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album01

09.26.05

DONE =) washed, blocked, dired, fringed... but she took it w.out me trimming the fringe

09.19.05

so i knitted like a crazy bitch this weekend and went from 9 or 10 stripes to 13!!!! just 2 more rounds of 27 in main color and one more set of stripes and i'll be done!!!!

and yes, i have decided to wash and block!

so that'll be done in time for elisha to take home when she comes over. i'm so excited. my first real knitted project.

and i count this as "real" because 1. i watched a dvd on how to knit so i learned technique 2. i actually understood guage and knitted properly 3. i had to do research on yarn and needle size and binding off techniques, etc...

yay!

09.14.05

I added the HP Azkaban Knit Along button =) hehehe... yeah, dorkdom...

Oh and I've taken more pictuers, but my camera is dying and won't stay on long enough so i can xfer the pics to my mac.

but the good knews is that i completed the 8th set of stripes =)!!! only 6 more to go!

08.29.05
okay. for some reason i didn't really envision working on circulars as knitting in a spiral. i guess i thought it was like stacking blocks (stitches) in a circle and then going up one... so like a stacked tower rather than a spiral.

knowing that you knit in a spiral explains the shifts in colors (or stripes) when you knit.

doing some research online i figured out it was called a "joggless jog." (i don't even know how i arrived at finding the title for it... but here's teh website i found most useful http://www.socknitters.com/kickback/joglessjog.htm

all other times i thought the "pick up stitch directly below" was a m1 move, until i saw they were actually picking up the sucker in the picture ahhahaha...

more pictures of elisha's scarf put on =) yay. i figured at the rate i was knitting i'd finish it in time for christmas. (you need 15 sets of stripes. i was averaging about 1 set/week and i have 3 down... so 3 months from now (15-3 = 12 sets left. 12 sets/4 weeks per month = 3 months).

i have to up my game if i want to finish it... *sigh* my skirt may have to be put on hold...

08.22.05
okay so i redid the prior entry b/c it wasn't helloknitty's fault that i didn't get my yarn, you'll have to read the ordering review to get the story.

but i started my stripes =) not quite sure how to "carry up" the yarn on a circular... i figured it would be the same as a straight needle, but the color i'm carrying up shows through the seam of the color i'm knitting with... so i can see green on the silver stripe and silver on the green stripe. weird huh? oh well, i'll figure it out =)

the colors look nice, i'm excited... it's a very easy "no brain required" knitting project. i can't wait to finish it and send it to her!

08.19.05
i do not have the silve yarn yet - so i'm stuck... not happy, see online ordering reviews...

08.15.05
So I've casted on my 90 stitches, I joined the scarf improperly and didn't realize it until I needed to add a stripe, but that's okay. Technically speaking, it's not proper, but it still works.

What I mean by improperly is that instead of casting on 91 stitches and joining #91 and #1 together or instead of just continuing on the round and really tightening up on the knit, i knitting back into #90, placed my stitch marker, and then continued... so i have to remember this when i'm one or that one stitch will always have on extra... but i don't know if it'll matter or not when i put the fringe on *thinking*

anyway, i'm very proud of my knitting, it's even and smooth, and i've learned to hold my stitches "continental style"... now, if only i could knit w.out looking so i don't miss anything on tv hahahahaa.

the one problem i have is that the cascade 220 yarn is wrapped like a pretzel... basically it's one BIG loop and it's twisted up into itself so make it compact. I'm used to tubes or balls of yarn where you pull an end and knit with that, and the yarn ball/tube unravels from the inside out so everything is need an orderly.

well i have about a 2' loop laying on my couch when i knit being really cautious not to get it tangled... and when i'm done i have to retwist it back on itself... it was when i had come to need a stripe i realized that i should've bought a ball winder (see wish list hahahaha)... but i'll do that later, right now it's still manageable.

i ordered the silver color from helloknitty.com and it hasn't shipped yet. i'm kinda upset considering i ordered yarn from knithappens.net last night and it was SHIPPED last night.

oh well ... it's probably good i odn't get obsessed w. my knitting right now - i need to concentrate more on working out =)

*e

002.Knitting Inventory

2005-08-14T21:05:00.000-04:00

so here's a list of stuff i own or have ordered - http://eknit.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album02

i started off with silvalume needles b/c i thought "ooh metal, slicker, faster" but have found out that bamboo or wooden is supposed to be better b/c it's lighter in your hands and easier on your wrists. And I find that true. the 14" straight needles are so big for me to work with, and i haven't knit anything that required that width, so most of the time, the end of the left needle is sitting in my lap and i work my needles in a perpendicular rather than a crossing, like you see most people do it.

i have pretty much used everything except for the cable needle b/c that's something i just couldn't teach myself to use. i'm hoping that yarnbag.com's new knitting dvd will have someting about it.

by the way, that dvd on yarnbag.comis the best dvd. i have other "how to" books or cd and that's the best one i've found. and i hate referring to things, but i love this and would buy it for my friend, except i don't have money right now...

oh, and i love circulars. the more i learn about knitting, the more i find people fancy circular needles... which i understand it for the working with tube like things (socks, thick scarves, sweaters, bags, etc) but have come to appreciate having your two needles attached. you don't lose your other needle in the couch cushions or on the floor! it really is the same technique when you think about it... you knit from left to right... and instead of going around in a circle, switch hands like you would straight needles and do it again. i think i'm going to invest in circulars from now on...

*e

001.Hello World!

2005-08-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

so i've picked up a new hobby along with painting and jewelry making ... it's knitting! hahah not like you couldn't tell from the url of the blog...

but it's easy, it's fun, and it's protable =) knowing my impatience, i'll probably take up sewing next.

anyway... last year i made like 7 or 8 scarves for people for christmas. i taught myself how to knit and while my technique and understandings were off, it got the job done.

scarf making is a bit boring, b/c it just goes on and on and on and on, but it's a great way to learn how.

so after 2 months of knitting nothing but LONG rectangles, i stopped knitting.

i took up painting b/c my sister had a baby, and then i stopped that b/c i moved and lost room to paint. and no, i can't paint on the floor b/c i have dogs that shed, and no there isn't anywhere to separate them from being near me.

then i took up jewelry making for a short bit. it's fine and fun, but it's hard to find sterling silver or stainless steel - so i'm waiting until i have enough money to afford going to the jewelry show again to get supplies.

so now it's on to knitting =) i find this much more rewarding so i'm going to be like others who knit and take pictures and post online and stuff...

(this makes me miss having my own website, but hey... what can the poor do ;) ahahha)

so anyway... i'm going to do set this blog up like this...
knitting inventory
knitting wish list
and then everything is by project =) hopefully blogger is easy for setting it up like this...

anyway thanks for looking

*e