Knitting news

Look what my nice mail lady brought me today:


NORO!

I've been SOOO wanting to make a Booga Bag. I found an online source that sells it for a good price, and I ordered enough for 2 of the Booga Bags (colors 115 and 124), and one extra ball in 94, because it looked interesting, and they only had one left (I could probably make a small version for something). That one loner is wound different and the brand name is only listed in Japanese. Interesting. I also got some Berrocco Chinchilla so I could see how the keyhole scarf I've mentioned before worked up in the yarn it was designed with. It's a nice soft yarn, so it'll be fun to work with.

I was so excited to work on it that I cast on as soon as I had a chance. I thought I'd use the opportunity to learn a new cast on technique. I used the single cast on for the Optik scarf, as it was the only one I even knew about until recently. I tried to do the knitting on method, but I couldn't make it work. I couldn't do it loose enough to do more than 4 or 5 (stitches?), and it was taking me way too long, so I went back to single cast on. *sigh* I got about 10 rows done tonight.

I've also almost come to the end of the yarn for my Optik scarf. Big problem... it's nowhere near as long as I wanted it to be.


Optik scarf (progress?)

It's about 22" long and a little over 4" wide, which means this is about how much I can wrap it around my neck:


Optik scarf around my neck

I haven't come to the end of the yarn yet, but I'm close. The balls are pretty small now. I would prefer that it be about twice as long as it is (if I hold one end and the middle of the back of my neck, the other hangs to about where I wanted the scarf to land).

I was thinking, if I could just get it long enough to have decent ends (that would require at least 8 more inches in length, basically to make a square of the matterial on each end beyond where it overlaps), I could just pin it together with a great pin or button and magnetic clasp. I'm thinking I won't be able to make it that far, and I'm not sure with this yarn if blocking would make much difference (okay, so I've never blocked anything... I'm a complete novice).

I can see two other options:

1) I could buy a 3rd skein of the Optik, and just use that to lengthen the scarf. it would still be a short scarf, but it would be long enough for the pin/button option. I don't want it to cost half again as much, though.

2) I could rip it back out and instead of doubling it up on itself, pair it with another yarn. I bought some Lion brand Microspun in black that I could do it with. That way, it would end up the length I wanted, and the Microspun IS nice and soft. The colors in the fabric would likely be somewhat less striking than they are now, though. The idea of undoing all that I've done already makes me rather sad, though, and it would be extra frustrating, because this yarn is so delicate that ripping it out might end up causing problems. Maybe I should unroll one of the balls and use the other end of the Optik to swatch this option. I dunno.

So, what would you do? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

It's about time!

Blogger has been down for something like the last 15 hours. I haven't been able to get on to post, or to access either my blog or anyone else's that uses Blogger/Blogspot. I am not a happy camper. I've been toying with the idea of moving over to Typepad (I really like that they allow categorizing your posts, having photo albums, on-site trackback, and that you can edit/delete comments) . If this proves to be more than a one time thing, there's no question that will happen.

Anyhow, on to the actual posting.

My 4 year old absolutely loved my Crochet for the Cause scarf, and wanted me to make her one. How can a mother resist a request like that??? So, I pulled some yarn out of my little stash, and made one up for her. It was about 3" wide, and about 3 feet long, and it took me less than one evening to make. And of course, then I had to make one for my 6 year old, because I wouldn't want her to feel neglected. Hers is the same length, but about 4" wide. I did the first foot the same night as my 4 year old's, but I had to finish it up the next night, and give it to them the day after that. They loved them (I knew they would):


Pink Scarves all around

The yarn I used was Caron Simply Soft. It really is soft and nice to touch. It does, however, like to untwist... and it seemed to do it more where the joinings were (or maybe it's just that it's more noticeable there), which doesn't look so great if you look close (not that anyone but me does). It also has a LOT of drape, so they hang longer and skinnier than I'd intended.

My 6 year old has caught the crochet bug. She's been chaining up a storm. She's such a funny thing... I've been having her use my bigger Crystalites set (L-P). Each day, she would pick out a smaller one to use, and when I finally asked her about it, she told me that it was because she was getting better, and she was using the smallest one that day because now she was an expert :) (LOL... it doesn't matter which hook she uses, she tightenes the stitches up to what I would get with about a size G or H hook).


The chain's the thing

She's so proud of herself!

My first FO!

Ok, maybe not the first one EVER, but certainly the first one since I started my blog or heard the acronym FO.


Crochet for the Cause scarf: DONE! 

It ended up being about 5.5" wide, and roughly 48" long (based on my uber-accurate measurements, arrived at by folding the scarf into fourths lengthwise and then laying an 8.5"x11" piece of paper on top for comparison), if you discount the fringe. If you include the fringe, then it's about 8" longer. The pattern said the finished dimensions would be 7" x 50". As my dad is fond of saying... "close enough for government work".

PS... For some reason, the fringe really pleases me. :)

Help, please

Well, I've been making some progress on my Crochet for the Cause scarf.


Cause scarf progress 

I ripped what I had back out, because it was narrower than the pattern said it should be, which means it would probably be way longer than I wanted. So, I took it out, and added another repeat of the pattern. Then, I worked on it pretty much all night. It's now about 22" long (it's supposed to end up about 50" long), but after the yarn had rested over night, it is still only about 5 1/2" to 5" wide, rather than the 7" it's supposed to be. I don't think it will grow too long, though. The yarn is disappearing faster than would seem to be right for it to end up 2 1/2 times as long as it is now. I may be wrong, though... this is the first time I've pulled the yarn from the center, so I may not be guaging it well.

Here's where I could use some help. When I join a chain to something on the previous row/round, especially if I'm joining to a chain space, I end up with a loosey goosey stitch. Can you see how open it is?


Loosey goosey joining 

I have tried everything I can think of to avoid this, and nothing I've done will make it a nice, tight, join. Is there anything I can do, or is this just the way it is and I should quit being such an obsessive perfectionist?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

The sky is on fire!

I took some pictures tonight at sunset, and it looks like nothing less than the sky burning furiously.


Ablaze 


Maelstrom 


Can you see the evil face in the clouds? 

Click on the picture for a larger image, if you have a hard time finding it.

If you still can't see it, click here, and I'll show you.

"Bearly" working

I joined my first -along. I'm going to be doing a (how cute is that?).

I'll be working on a crocheted thread bear. It is the most adorable thing I've ever seen. It's also fully thread jointed, so you can move his arms and legs and turn his head. Here are a couple of pictures of what it should look like when I'm all finished:


The Cutest Little Thread Bear ever 

This little blue one was the first one the pattern's author made up to sell. It was made with tatting thread and stands just 1" tall. It sold for $174.


Cutest threadbear... another example. 

This pink one was made with #10 crochet thread and was just shy of 2" tall. It sold for $269. I've also seen it done up as a panda bear... too cute.

I bought the pattern from the author, and she specifically says you can make them to sell. Since she's rather famous in the thread bear world, I doubt I'd get the same kind of price for mine, but maybe this can help with the cost of my yarn addiction. :) And then again, maybe it'll just turn out that I have a cute little bear of my very own... who knows.

I started working on mine before we moved, but had to put her away to pack and such. I'm making up a rose colored one, and I plan on crocheting a little rose to attach to her when she's done. Here's my progress so far (I sure hope my sticky note didn't fall off the pattern... otherwise, I won't know where I'm at):


Bear beginnings 

(Anyone ever tried to take a picture of their own hand while balancing the camera and pushing the button with your NON-dominant hand, all while trying to get the focus right and not wiggle too much? It's sooooo hard! I'm shocked that I actually got a picture I could use out of the experience.)

Stash enhancement and progress made...

Stash enhancement

I got home today from going to a movie with the kids, and found a package on my doorstep :) Here's what I got:


Yarn Delivery

There's 3 of each of these yarns. The chenille is for this scarf:


Beaded scarf

It is the exact color (teal) the pattern says it uses, but it doesn't look anything like it. The picture from the magazine makes the scarf itself look more like navy blue. The picture above shows the bright teal, but it really doesn't even capture the brightness of it. This is one bold color! I may like how it turns out, but if not, I'm pretty sure I can think of at least one person that it would make a good gift for for Christmas.

The Incredible yarn is for this scarf. The color is Autumn Leaves. I fell in love with this scarf when I saw it, and the color is going to look great on me.

The Color Waves yarn is for this bag:


Color Splash Handbag

Another thing that I just knew I had to make as soon as I saw it. I'm really not much of a bag person, so to fall in love with a handbag is a surprise for me. I have not been able to find the handles pictured here. I bought a couple of other options, we'll have to see if either of them work out, or if I have to go on a more extensive hunt for ones that will work with this pattern.

Progress

I spent some time this evening re-dying my Misti baby alpaca lace weight yarn. I hope the color turns out better this time. I was very careful... I put the side down that had the most misses from before, and I made sure that I spent the first little bit (actually, the whole time I could still see pink in the water) stirring the yarn around, so that all of it was exposed to the dye. I really wish I could tell if the color is more even than it was before. Until it dries, though, it all looks more grey and less pink than it will really end up being. If it didn't take, I'm just going to have to chalk it up to the way the yarn takes color, and hope it doesn't look too bad once I've crocheted it into the shawl.

I also worked on the Crochet for the Cause scarf (with my Crystalite hooks).


Start of the Cause scarf

The pattern says the hook they give you is a size P, then says it's 10.0mm. My Crystalites set shows the P as being 11.5mm and the N as being 10.0mm, but even that looked bigger to me than the one in the kit (granted, I don't have it to do a side-by-side comparison). I ended up doing the foundation row with the N, and the rest of the pattern with the M (9.0mm).

Can I just tell you how frustrated the foundation chain makes me? The chains don't tend to stay even when you try to crochet into them, and being the perfectionist that I am, it just drives me bananas.

Gremlin tales

I have a gremlin living in my house. He's sneaky. He'll hide out for years, so we think he's gone, but every now and then, something happens, and I KNOW he's here.

Remember my missing pink crochet hook? It's still missing. As far as I can tell, it is nowhere. There were maybe 3 minutes from the time I last saw it to the time I started frantically looking for it, and I didn't get up from where I was sitting at that time. We've looked everywhere. I've torn the couch apart multiple times (interesting what I DID find in it), and dug my hands into all the cracks and crevices. DH and I even tipped the couch back to take a look underneath, to no avail. The kids cleaned up the room. DH has even now (not because of the crochet hook, but he has) taken a bunch of moving boxes out of the room down to the basement. It just isn't there. Nor have we been able to find it anywhere else (the computer room, DD's bedroom, nowhere).

Have you ever had something go missing that absolutely cannot be missing? Let me tell you a couple of tales of my gremlin's earlier exploits (he's been with me at least since college).

During my sophomore year of college, I had a Biology class. Towards the end of the year, there was a huge test, and I needed desperately to study for it. My book suddenly was nowhere to be found. Luckily, my fiancee (my DH now) had a roommate that had the same class, and he let me borrow his book to study. I stayed up late into the night studying for the test, both in the kitchen and in my bedroom in my apartment. I finally got too sleepy to study and went to sleep in my bed. I woke up early the next morning, and studied more in my bed, and then finally went to go take the test. I returned the book to the roommate, and went to take a nap (I'd been up way, WAY too late). I laid down in my bed, and there was my book... UNDER THE PILLOW. Now, I'd slept in that bed, and I'm sure you know college biology books are huge. There is no way I would have missed it having slept and studied on the bed as I had. My roommates said they hadn't taken it, and I have no reason to doubt them. None of them were taking the class, and they weren't so capricious or malicious to have taken it when I needed it to study for a test.

Later, after DH and I were married and living in married student housing, I had received a pell grant check for something like $800 or $900. I set it on our table... I knew exactly where it was. Other things piled up on the table, too (I have horizontal surface sydrome... all the horizontal surfaces in my house end up covered with stuff), but I never moved the check, and neither did my hubby. I finally got around to wanting to cash the check and I searched all over the table for it... first where I KNEW it was, and later through ALL the piles of papers. I did this repeatedly, and could not find the check. I don't remember how long later (a week or a few), I was looking through the papers on the table for something else (or... maybe I was even cleaning up... what a novel idea that would've been at the time), and lo and behold... there was the check. EXACTLY where I had placed it, and therefore EXACTLY where I'd been searching for it. There's no way I would've missed it before, and yet it wasn't there... but then it was.

ARGH! So now the little beasty has my pink crochet hook. Any guesses where it will turn up?

UPS came... finally

My long awaited Crochet for the Cause kit came:


Crochet for the Cause kit

I was so excited, I could barely make myself stop to take a picture before tearing into it. I found something to wrap the fringe with (note: a VCR tape is a perfect measuring guide for 10" lengths of yarn... 4" wide and 1" deep), and was working on that, when I noticed my 4 year old messing with the pretty pink crochet hook. After getting her to put it down, I finished up the fringe wrapping, and then cut it and used a small bit of yarn to tie the lenths into a bundle, so I wouldn't lose them.

Then in true Knot Again fashion, I couldn't find the pink crochet hook so that I could start on the scarf *whimper*. I searched all around where it and I had been; the little one denies taking it, and I couldn't find it where she had been (insert head smacking sound here).

Now granted, I do have a Crystalites hook in the same size the pink hook is supposed to be, so I could probably go get that if I had to (and if it doesn't turn up by the kids' bedtime, I will, so that I can work on it while I watch TV), but I sooooo want to use the pink one (silly, huh)?

Froggin': Knitting progress, or lack thereof...

I started working on my Optik scarf tonight. After a few rows, I noticed that I had managed to lose a stitch, and so I had to start pulling it back out. I really hate doing that with this yarn, because sometimes it tangles and I can't get it out more w/o damaging the yarn, and it makes it fuzzier all along the way. I must've lost the stitch (probably by knitting two stitches together) the last time I worked on the scarf, because I had to pull out more than I had actually done today.

I spent the rest of the night getting back to where I'd gotten before the frogging (or fairly close, anways).

The scarf is long enough to BARELY overlap when I wrap it around my neck. I'm not thinking it'll end up as long as I wanted it to be, and I'm pretty sure I won't have enough to do the fringe I was hoping for. Now I have to decide if I want to spend the money for another hank, or if I want to try to add a button... and if I go the button route, how do I guage where to put the button hole withouth having to go to the end and then rip it back out again.

I'd post a picture, but really, it's just a longer rectangle than it was before, so there's not much difference between what it is now and what it was before. I'll post a pic when I get to the end of these two skeins, and have a better idea of just how long it will end up being.

My sky

For all you skywatching knitters out there, here's a picture of my sky, taken at sunset last week. I love the pastels.


My sky: Sunset, October 7, 2004

Enjoy!

The Great Pink Ribbon Project

My Threaded Bliss is hosting The Great Pink Ribbon Project. The sweet lady who runs this store is taking donated knit or crocheted pink ribbons and will sell them to earn money for breast cancer research.

If you have a little extra pink yarn around (any fiber is okay), and have a few minutes to spend making a ribbon or two, it would be so nice if you would. The pattern below is easy and quick to work up... but they can be knit or crocheted. Follow the link above for the address to send them to.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help out!

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month...

I made up a pattern for a crocheted pink ribbon:


Crocheted Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon

Crocheted Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon pattern:

Materials:

Small amount worsted weight yarn in pink
Size G crochet hook

Chain 31

Row 1: Sc in the 1st ch from the hook, and in every ch across (30 sc). Ch 1, turn.
Row 2: Sc in each ch across.

Edging: Ch 1. Sc in the middle of the end of the ribbon. Ch 1. Sc in extra loops of each ch of the foundation row. Ch1. Sc in the middle of the 2nd end of the ribbon. Ch 1. Sl St to 1st sc of row 2 and fasten off, leaving a long tail (about 6").

Finishing: Wrap into a ribbon shape. Weave in ends, using the tail to secure the two thicknesses together where they join.

(Note: when sc'ing into the extra loops of the foundation row, I found it helpful to use the actual hook to catch the loops, rather than the head of the hook. I hope that makes sense.)

Enjoy!

Wow! I'm knitting!

Optik scarf start

I cast on for the Optik scarf tonight. I'm using 2 strands to even out the thick/thin parts of the material. It looks like I got about 6 inches done. That took me pretty much most of the evening... oh, say 3 hours. Since the yarn has one mostly thin strand and one thick and thin strand, it is a little hard to work with. But look at the amazing colors! (You can click on the picture for a larger version.) The only thing I don't like is that the gold sparkly bits aren't more evenly spaced out. I'm way too much of a perfectionist.

See my shiny new Addi turbo circulars? Even though I have to fight to keep the stitches from slipping off, I do so, SO much better working with metal than I had been able to with the bamboo. And, I hope that eventually, I'll be skilled enough that it won't take so much effort to keep the stitches behaving.

Strike 4

Today I went on one of my infamous wild goose chases. I spent all afternoon running around the city looking for the Crochet for the Cause kit by Lion Brand Yarn. We're getting a new, larger JoAnn's in town, and it doesn't open until the 29th. Walmart didn't have it. Michael's didn't have it. Hobby Lobby didn't have it. ARGH!

I finally ended up ordering it online, direct from Lion. I really wanted to just start it today, and I hated having to pay shipping, but that was the only choice I was left with.

I LOVE CROCHETING!

I like all kinds of ways to create things on my own, but I really have to say that crocheting is at the top of my list right now.

One thing I truly love about crocheting is that it makes me feel feminine. My hands look so elegant while I do it. The yarn/string slips effortlessly through my fingers, and voila! something beautiful emerges.

I want to feel the same way about knitting. There are tons of incredibly beautiful things that I want to knit (you stinky knitters are the ones that introduced me to the world of gorgeous yarns, and my pocketbook loathes you). So far, though, knitting makes me feel like a klutz. Between my trouble keeping the tension anything close to even, and the stitches wanting to either all slip off the needles or stick in place, and the weird way I've ended up holding my knitting needles to make it work for me (I balance the bottom of my left needle on my tummy while I use my right hand to work the right needle and my left hand to handle the yarn and keep the stitches on the left needle in place) that just looks and feels awkward and anything but feminine... I just don't get the same feeling from knitting.

Feeling better

I was able to work some more on my softy goodness scarf again tonight. I was a little smarter about it this time, and took some allergy medicine before I got started, and I made sure I did not touch my face while I was working on it, and washed my hands when I got tired enough I had to put it down. It's grown to about 12 inches long now. I'm beginning to hope I have enough yarn to put a shell stitch border on it.

Ay, matey, I be the one-eyed knitting pirate...

Ok, really, it's the crocheting pirate, but that doesn't roll off the tongue nearly as well.

My left eye is terribly swollen.

So, I posted about the lovely, soft angora yarn I got. Today I started working it into a scarf. I had to frog it out and start over a bunch, because I'm sort of making it up as I go along, because the keyhole scarf pattern I was planning on using calls for thicker yarn, a much too large crochet hook, and has the slit going the opposite way from how I want it to go (It's definitely easier to work going the other way, but since when do I do things the easy way.

So, anyways, I'm working it a lot, and somewhere along the line, I realize that my eyes are REALLY watering. There's also filmy stuff moving across it in front of my vision, so I start rubbing my eyes trying to get rid of it.

Here's the thing... I'm allergic to rabbits. No, I didn't forget that... I just was hoping it wouldn't be a factor. I have a sweater with angora in it, and it doesn't bother me, and I touched the hank of yarn and rolled it into a ball before, all without significant problems. But, I think the amount of touching involved when I'm knitting and crocheting is just too much for my poor confused immune system.

Hopefully, my little scarf won't bother me when it's all done, and I'm just wearing it around my neck... because I so want this little luxury.

I did get about 6 to 8 inches of it finished (it's 3 or 4 inches wide). I didn't measure it, and I'm not pulling it back out now to do so.

Of course, I'm thinking this might mean I shouldn't make these for all the ladies in my family like I wanted to (who wouldn't love me if wrapped their necks in such softy goodness???). Doesn't necessarily mean I won't... but I probably shouldn't. That, and the fact that the price of the hanks went up from $20 to $27 within the last 2 weeks at both places I can buy it from. That's not a small bump in price... it's a 30% increase! YIKES!

*sigh*

Goodbye bamboo circulars.

I went back to Green Valley Weavers & Knitters. I'm happy to say they were willing to let me return the bamboo circular knitting needles. Of course, I was wanting to exchange them for the more-than-double-the-price Addi turbos, so, I'm guessing they didn't feel they were out anything.

While I was there I also picked up some of the softest yarn:


Woodlake Woolies yarn

It's made out of angora, and it's just heavenly to feel. I was disappointed to see that they raised the price from $20 to $27. Luckily for me, they still had one hank in the color I liked marked at the old price (the lady who worked there pointed out to me that they didn't change the prices on the ones they already had, just put the higher price on the new stuff they got in). I want to make a scarf out of it. I'm thinking of making a keyhole scarf like this one. I might tinker around with the pattern a bit, though, because I'd like the keyhole to go the other way.

I'm also still drooling over Prism yarn's Cool Stuff. The store had 300 yard hanks for $84 the last time I came in... the price has gone up to $90 now, though. Either way, it's way too expensive, but I really love the variegated materials in it. It's so nice! I especially loved the Periwinkle colorway, and the web page above has more colors than were at the store... I love the Peacock; and the Pearl, Antique, Patina, Smoke, and Tumbleweed all look great, too. *sigh* I have way too expensive taste.

Pictures! Hobby Lobby acquisitions:

TLC Wiggles and eyelash yarn

The picture doesn't capture the color of the Wiggles yarn very well. It really is a nice hot pink color... it looks a little orangy in the picture. I thought I'd use these to make my 6 year old a poncho.



Camoflage sock yarn

This I got to make my son some socks. I had planned to make me and my hubby and the kids socks for Christmas, rather than buying slippers. We'll see how that works out.