In the past month or so, I finally mastered double-pointed needles, commonly known as DPNs. What motivated me to learn was the Basic Mittens pattern in "Knitting for Peace" by Betty Christiansen. Amazing book, its been a vital tool in my quest to start my own knitting-for-peace/charity-knitting group.
I am going to start such a group, for a sad and desolate group of people who, as far as I know right now, no one has bothered to pick up the needles and knit for. I hope to have something going early next year. So far, I've just been telling friends about the idea, and reading, researching, and knitting. I want it to be like Afghans for Afghans and The Dulaan Project.
A couple friends voiced their desire to help this cause, and one went so far as to buy a little "Learn to Knit" kit from Peace Fleece, and is now fast becoming a knitter. I'm hoping to see her this weekend and will give her handiwork a once over, and teach her how to cast on. Her mom did that step for her, and it was a disaster, since she is not a knitter!
I hope more of my friends pick up their needles for a worthy cause as this.
I also learned how to do i-cord! Discovered the 'i' stood for 'idiot' and was doubly ashamed at my slowness and stupidity in learning it. The one thing that helped was the free knitting videos on http://www.knittinghelp.com/. I still have to thank that wonderful lady for filling the role of the knitting teacher that was acutely missing from my life! I am passing on the link to others, and will email her sometime this weekend to thank her for her efforts.
What else, what else...?? Still working on Niece's blanket! LOL! It's never going to be done, and now I'm really not sure I like it as I once did, because lately I've learned the truth about Vile Acrylic yarn... :(
Anyway, I better publish this or it will never be!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Has it Been Almost a Year?
WOW!
This blog is badly neglected. I probably shouldn't have started it to begin with.
Lately, I've been working on my Mother-in-law's "Four Generations Shawl" from Spin Off magazine. My Mom gave me the pattern, and I thought it would be perfect for my MIL using the fuchsia mohair also from Mom. Its so far almost halfway done. I'm on my third cake of yarn and have just two more left. I hope I don't run out!
I'm also at the end of the overalls for S, I had to make them much bigger than the pattern. I mean, I had to put in many more rows than were in the pattern, even though my gauge is dead-on. I don't quite know how to explain this, but its O.K. That's one of the beauties of a good knitting pattern, you really can stretch the rules and make the pattern fit the person its intended for perfectly.
My latest, experimental bath mitt is nearly done. There' s a loooooong story behind that statement! Whew!
I found that pattern on the band of the Sugar n Cream cotton yarn, and loved it. Thought it'd be a great present for Mom, and I needed one, too. I knit up Mom's in no time. I got the Violet Veil color scheme, that lovely variegated with violet, blue, yellow and white, to match her garden/pansy themed bathroom.
I sent it with some handmade soap, and she thanked me for it a few days later.
I then knit up mine, using up some of the variegated yarn I had leftover from the bathmat I crocheted and thought it would be great to have a matching bath mitt! I used this color: Westport.
I was so eager to use it in my next shower. I put it on, pumped some shower gel on it, and tried to lather up. Then, I was totally bummed: the thing stretched out and totally lost shape when wet!
I posted this predicament/discovery on the About.com knitting forum, and got some great responses. Yes, I was told, this is the nature of cotton yarn. Its has no memory. We discussed alternative yarns, and one bright lady suggested I contact Sugar N Cream, which I haven't yet. I will, though, they really need to know that this yarn is NOT compatible with this pattern! Or, this yarn is not compatible with a BATH MITT.
So, days came and went, I had the baby (now 7 months!) and a couple months later visited my mom and family up north. Being a spinner, she introduced me to the a lovely world I fiber that, until then, I had no access to.
Included in the many wonderful gifts she gave me was a cake of burnt orange yarn spun from cowhair!It was pretty nifty!
Just last month I decided to knit it into a Bath Mitt using the SUgar N Cream Ball Band pattern, but I put in an eyelet row myself which I thought would make it extra-spiffy for gift-giving. I forgot to add the hanging loop!
Will post pics of it and my Peace Fleece grocery all-purpose bag soon as I can!
Anyway, I haven't tried my bath mitt yet, but if its good I'll use up the rest of the yarn for another, possibly to give as a gift.
This blog is badly neglected. I probably shouldn't have started it to begin with.
Lately, I've been working on my Mother-in-law's "Four Generations Shawl" from Spin Off magazine. My Mom gave me the pattern, and I thought it would be perfect for my MIL using the fuchsia mohair also from Mom. Its so far almost halfway done. I'm on my third cake of yarn and have just two more left. I hope I don't run out!
I'm also at the end of the overalls for S, I had to make them much bigger than the pattern. I mean, I had to put in many more rows than were in the pattern, even though my gauge is dead-on. I don't quite know how to explain this, but its O.K. That's one of the beauties of a good knitting pattern, you really can stretch the rules and make the pattern fit the person its intended for perfectly.
My latest, experimental bath mitt is nearly done. There' s a loooooong story behind that statement! Whew!
I found that pattern on the band of the Sugar n Cream cotton yarn, and loved it. Thought it'd be a great present for Mom, and I needed one, too. I knit up Mom's in no time. I got the Violet Veil color scheme, that lovely variegated with violet, blue, yellow and white, to match her garden/pansy themed bathroom.
I sent it with some handmade soap, and she thanked me for it a few days later.
I then knit up mine, using up some of the variegated yarn I had leftover from the bathmat I crocheted and thought it would be great to have a matching bath mitt! I used this color: Westport.
I was so eager to use it in my next shower. I put it on, pumped some shower gel on it, and tried to lather up. Then, I was totally bummed: the thing stretched out and totally lost shape when wet!
I posted this predicament/discovery on the About.com knitting forum, and got some great responses. Yes, I was told, this is the nature of cotton yarn. Its has no memory. We discussed alternative yarns, and one bright lady suggested I contact Sugar N Cream, which I haven't yet. I will, though, they really need to know that this yarn is NOT compatible with this pattern! Or, this yarn is not compatible with a BATH MITT.
So, days came and went, I had the baby (now 7 months!) and a couple months later visited my mom and family up north. Being a spinner, she introduced me to the a lovely world I fiber that, until then, I had no access to.
Included in the many wonderful gifts she gave me was a cake of burnt orange yarn spun from cowhair!It was pretty nifty!
Just last month I decided to knit it into a Bath Mitt using the SUgar N Cream Ball Band pattern, but I put in an eyelet row myself which I thought would make it extra-spiffy for gift-giving. I forgot to add the hanging loop!
Will post pics of it and my Peace Fleece grocery all-purpose bag soon as I can!
Anyway, I haven't tried my bath mitt yet, but if its good I'll use up the rest of the yarn for another, possibly to give as a gift.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Update! Guess I'm one of those bi-annual Bloggers
Wow! Has it really been this long since I last posted?! I have no choice BUT to be one of those bi-annual Bloggers...
Life has been extremely hectic, so much so that I've gotten almost nothing done at all in the knit & crochet department. I didn't finish that lovely bedspread for my darling oldest niece, heck I haven't even finished the sweater I made my almost 2 year old! It just needs the zipper, but stillllll.... its been almost a year since I began it.
I did have my 3rd baby, another boy!
I also did manage to complete a few little things: the crocheted kitchen rug I mentioned in my last post; a lovely bath mat; a bunch of bath mitts (which gave me many many problems that I'll get into in another post); 2 pairs of booties (one I kept for my Muffin Man, and one I gave to my mom's friend in Ohio); a cotton kitty bib; and a Grover doll from Sesame Street. He's actually from one of those vintage kits by Vogart, I got it off eBay with a bunch of other Sesame Street gang kits, like Big Bird, Bert and Cookie. I managed to get the pattern for Ernie, but hopefully will get all the kits some day.
I should be posting pictures of my recently accomplishments once the camera is repaired, or we get a new one, whichever comes first I suppose!
Life has been extremely hectic, so much so that I've gotten almost nothing done at all in the knit & crochet department. I didn't finish that lovely bedspread for my darling oldest niece, heck I haven't even finished the sweater I made my almost 2 year old! It just needs the zipper, but stillllll.... its been almost a year since I began it.
I did have my 3rd baby, another boy!
I also did manage to complete a few little things: the crocheted kitchen rug I mentioned in my last post; a lovely bath mat; a bunch of bath mitts (which gave me many many problems that I'll get into in another post); 2 pairs of booties (one I kept for my Muffin Man, and one I gave to my mom's friend in Ohio); a cotton kitty bib; and a Grover doll from Sesame Street. He's actually from one of those vintage kits by Vogart, I got it off eBay with a bunch of other Sesame Street gang kits, like Big Bird, Bert and Cookie. I managed to get the pattern for Ernie, but hopefully will get all the kits some day.
I should be posting pictures of my recently accomplishments once the camera is repaired, or we get a new one, whichever comes first I suppose!
Sunday, January 7, 2007
2 Months have elapsed already?
I can't believe we are in 2007 already! WOW! Just to update, I did NOT get my niece's Grandmother's Flower Garden bedspread afghan done, mainly due to the people at Red Heart deciding to discontinue the Medium Sage color. I now have to complete the afghan with a lighter (replacement) shade, Light Sage. I was so mad when I found out it was discontinued!
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