Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Oh, snap!
Yeah, so I blocked the Lace Ribbon Scarf this morning. And I saw THIS! as I was blocking. I don't think the blocking snapped it (or nearly snapped it)-clearly the yarn is still holding on my the tiniest of threads. I kinda blocked around it until I can fix the break after the scarf dries.
It's smack in the middle too...so I CAN NOT go back and reknit. I think it'll be alright, seeing that it's next to a yarn over-maybe I can spit splice the yarn? I am sneaky crafty so I think it'll come out okay. (Thinking positively here)
The scarf blocked out, measures about 10 inches by 77 inches. It's going to be a nice drapey scarf I think. I did wash it with conditioner (what I use on my hair), so hopefully that'll quell the itchiness factor.
Oh here's a pic of my blocking...ignore the clutter.
The Lace Ribbon scarf is FINALLY done! It only took 18 months... I still need to block it. So it's not 100% done (at least how I record things on my Rav page). It's a rainy dreary day (and nearly the end of the day)-so I will block it tomorrow.
Unblocked though, it is long.
And it will probably grow when I soak and block it, but I quite like (love) long scarves. I am a bit worried because the yarn (even though it is 100% Alpaca) is very itchy on my neck (damn sensitive neck). I am hoping the soak and the conditioner I use softens it up.
Now I can start Citron!! Dance, dance! I still need to wind the yarn. Woot, I get to break in the new Tinky Swift. Hee hee. Technically since I started the snood, I ought to finish that first as well, but technically it did hop into Knitting Bunny-hood, not really Another Designers Pattern.
God, I love technicalities!
And this is the yarn I will be using, the birthday yarn from WEBS.
I am thinking it will look fantastic paired with my brown lace dress.
The problem with knitting scarves (slower than backwards) and BLOGGING about it, it's hard to show interesting progress pictures. Here look it's the scarf, it looks the same, but um it's longer? And because I knit so incredibly slow...I am wondering if my knitting blog can be compared to watching paint dry. What do you think? Tell me, be honest. Smirk.
Well here's Lilac Blooms the same but longer.
It really is a fun knit and easily memorized...I don't even need my pattern notes any more. If I was smart I would work on a draft of the actual finished pattern, so it'll be done and finished once this scarf is completed. (First I gotta steal back my desktop from the kids).
Because I don't have enough to knit, this weekend I started a new project. It was at first someone else's pattern, but then because I am me I just started doin' my own thing. So a hat turned into a snood. (I have been wanting to make a snood for a while now).
I know it doesn't look very snoody, yet. Does it look snoody from this angle?
No? Yeah, looks like a blob to me too. I am not sure if it WILL be a snood once I am done, but I have hopes. High grand hopes. It's going to fly off the needles soon though, as I am knitting on size 9 needles.
I am in desperate need of a finished project. Oh what happened to the Lace Ribbon scarf that was very nearly complete? I am still plugging away...I just got, erm, distracted. Grin.
I am waiting for it to grow to my size. I think I have one more foot of knitting...I think. Heck, this may turn into The Scarf That Never Ends.
Ha! I cleared my creative plate...I feel at peace with my various Knitting Bunnies...sorta. And yet I seek to throw all that up in the air for the thrilling ride of the Knitting Olympics. (It's when you make goals to knit certain somethings while the Olympics is going on. Knit an entire sweater, finish all your WIPS, knit 17 socks! Craziness like that.)
I am desperately trying NOT to allow myself to get caught up in the fervor, no matter how many blog posts I read about the subject!
I have made my own goals. I don't need the stinking Knitting Olympics to help me.
Besides it's not like they are giving out actual awards or actual praise and laurels.
Repeat: I, Birdwell Evans, WILL NOT join in any Knitting Olympic Games!!
Last night we had our monthly potluck...way out in New Braunfels (about 30 min outside of San Antonio, but an hour and some change from my house). The host also sells yarn...Duuuuuuuuuuuuude, I was in heaven and hell. (Heaven because she had mounds of beautiful yarn; hell because I am on a yarn diet!!!)
I once again forgot my camera in my bag. Oops.
We had a yarn swap--sorta--most everyone forgot and those who remembered forgot to bring out their yarn. No one wanted mine, which was fine because I wasn't sure I wanted to swap. It's the green lace Malabrigo that while I love the yarn, I hate the colour. I need to over-dye it.
Well my friend Juanita let me have this:
I think it'll look great with a mossy lacey pattern I have been playing around with.
This one:
Of course that's not for now...later...someday.
I met the creator of this fantabulous Etsy shop: Bella Lili. Her jewelry? Is an embodiment of me, totally. I am in love. Gorgeousness.
I am still plugging away at the lacey scarves and shawls...they look the same. So I see no point in pictures. Yep, me boring. Lorelei broke my number 4 bamboo needle, the one I was using for the Lace Ribbon Scarf--so that one is being put aside until I can get a new one.
I am still plugging away at the Lace Ribbon scarf...it's a good TV project. Unless, I am cuddling with hubby then I switch to the Still Unnamed Shawl (I am knitting it on circular needles so I am not poking Jamey in the eye with the end of my needle). Poor guy has enough cuts and bruises from work. Grin.
Speaking of Still Unnamed Shawl, I am a few repeats from another transition...this time it'll be more pronounced. I am thinking of something leafy. But I am not sure, so this is causing me to put the brakes on the project. I had being undecided. Nevermind that I hate that this shawl is STILL nameless!!
Oh, I saw this lovely shawl today, Clothide. So pretty so simple...wish I had thought if it. Grin. I'd love to knit this, but argh don't have the TIME!!! Knitting Bunnies took one look at it and collectively screeched, "Don't you DARE!!!!"
No pics today: it's raining and I am sore from my new workout routine and bending down to photograph my knitting just hurts
I am pretty frugal when it comes to money: I always want bang for my buck and I love dual use or re-purpose. I have always wanted a swift (it holds hanks of yarn while you wind them into balls). It's on most knitters wishlists. It is pretty damn necessary: if you don't have husbands or children willing to hold the yarn for you. Now I have used chair backs: this is aggravating. I have used my own feet: also aggravating-especially if you need to stop and tend to a child. Like most non-swift folks, I have borrowed friends or gone to a ball winding party.
(You know: a bunch of knitters get together to take advantage of sole knitter that has a swift and ball winder)
Aside: also don't have a ball winder. They are expensive and a uni-tasker. So I am pretty unlikely to buy one for myself. So I use other things, empty cardboard paper towel thingy, a pill bottle, or more recently a cute nostepinde I picked up at the craft store.
It's pretty and it's rosewood.
So I don't have a swift. A few years ago I heard around the internet of a wonderful crafty solution for a swift (they are also expensive): a swift made from Tinker Toys.
Haazzaah! I have tinker toys! But this week I finally got around to digging them out from their putting place (they were in the garage, then the den closet). Armed with the tutorial from Crafty Jen, I set to work. Now over the years they've gotten pretty scarce, so I was a little worried I wouldn't have enough of the odds and ends.
But fortune favoured me and I had JUST enough to make it work.
Tada!
I haven't tried it out yet, I don't like to wind hanks into balls until it's time to start: it's a temptation to let the project to jump the line. But I did try to see if one of my hands fit on it...
Of course the real test is actually using it, but it spins fine. So I am not too worried. Besides it was 50 dollars and it's not some one's poor hands. lol
On the actual knitting front, I am still plugging away on the lace ribbon scarf and since I decided that it WASN'T near completion I'd let Citron cut ahead of those socks. (I really want to knit that beauty!)
I need to dig out the Celtic Knot bag and find my place and finish that thing!
I saw a really pretty lacey scarf a few days before Christmas when we walked down the San Antonio Riverwalk-it was really pretty and simple...and so a Knitting Bunny was born. Now, I have been making a TON of scarves. So many I am wondering if I am giving the impression I can only design/knit scarves. I decided to put the lace pattern onto a triangle. Get in line Bunny! I have 3 active Birdy's Knits designs on the needles. Okay 3 that I know of right now writing this blog post...there may be more. (Those Bunnies are sneaky--constantly pushing ans shoving other Bunnies out of line.) The lace is gonna be very clean and I am wondering about the border/edging. Should the border flow straight from the triangle? Should I knit it on? Should it even be jagged border? Would it be best if it was smooth? Should I add a fluttery ruffly type of thingy? I like interesting edgings.
The Bunny is nibbling.
I have been knitting on the long forgotten FO, Lace Ribbons. I thought I was almost done; I am nearly done with the skein. But, really it's not as long as I would like and I have another who skein. So at the most now it's only 2/3 done, at the very least 80%.
I started this scarf in the summer of 2008...the yarn is gorgeous, Alpaca, but it's itchy. I am hoping somehow softens with a wash and a block. I am also wondering if I should make a matching tam or rasta. See the bunnies are NIBBLING!!
The problem with juggling multiple knitting projects is sometimes one project inevitably is favoured over another(s) and you sorta drop the ball(s) while you clutch just one. Grin.
Right now I am clutching this lavender beauty to my chest.
It's a lace scarf knit in the Orenburg tradition...I added some estonia elements by added nupps (they are on the border--they will be seen easier once it's been blocked). So far I am calling it Lilac Blooms...might change it to Lilac Blossoms. If my other swatch is in any indication--it'll be a wide scarf at about 12 inches. The plan is for it also to be long. I say plan because I only have one hank of this yarn and I am knitting every last bit of it.
Tomorrow it's supposed to be uber cold. They say the coldest in 30 years; so my plan is to sit on the couch wrapped in lot's of blankets and knit (gotta keep those fingers from freezing). I am hoping to get some of those pesky FOs done.
Don't know if you should expect pictures any time soon though...I normally take them outside (lights better), but with it so cold: I am NOT opening any doors or going out side until the weather Canada sent us goes AWAY.
Like Anne Shirley says: It's a brand new day with no mistakes. I am one of those annoying types that sets goals (not resolutions) for myself for the coming year. Since this is a knitting blog, well then: I get to share my knitting goals and plans for this year.
I decided to lay off going after submissions. I thought the deadlines would help, but they just made me feel panicky (and cranky) and began to stifle my creativity. I am not saying I am NOT going to submit anything, if a deadline happens to fall in line with a complete project, then I'll mosey it on over, but no more chasing. I want to concentrate releasing patterns here at my shop for all of you lovelies (and of course on my family--they are young and need me to be more present).
I also need to finish up some UFOs that are so near completion that it's ridiculous that they are still UFOs. Bad knitter, no cookie!
My rusty Ribbon Lace Scarf has like a few more rows and it's done. Purple slippers need to be seamed.
Then there's the UFOs that are halfway done. My Knitting Bunnies are excellent at knocking UFOs out of queue. I'm figuring that I won't let myself start any more outside projects (outside meaning Other Designers (OD) work), until I finish those UFOs.
Because I really want to start Citron from the latest issue of Knitty. I figure having one or two OD projects would be very restful from any sort of decision making when I am working out the Knitting Bunnies.
I also need to work on a few of my older BK projects: one of which needs to be finished by June for the arrival of my brand new niece or nephew.
The purple one is done, need to finish the red one. The other two socks are still in time out. My brain hasn't had the time to work out the wibbley wobbley sockie wockie problems.
I also have a few very OLD projects from when I first started knitting that I really ought to finish--almost forgot about those. Nice easy mindless projects...sometimes lately I have needed the easy and mindless. This year my brain felt very overtaxed. And from my current state of mind...it ain't gonna get better.
Also less submission less Super Secret Projects: so the tantalizing teasing will be lessened. Grin.
I also need to conquer the big near unravel of 2007.
One more thing before I go knit some more. The kids LOVED the knitted toys (Yay!) and someone wants a shawl like Granny's Shawl, but in pink. Grin.
Here I was deliriously happy that I can knit FOR MYSELF, exclusively...and then I go and decide to through one last knit project for Lorelei.
My mom made these for Lorelei ages ago...they finally fit, BUT we can only find one.
They are adorable, so I decided to re-engineer some, in purple. Going at my pace they'll be done...someday. Grin.
I have also been working on other things...I finally finished that old orenburg swatch. It grew...I had wanted to mount it in a shadow box, but it's a foot wide. It'll make a nice dresser topper.
Originally I knitted this swatch as a teaching aide and to help in constructing my Lorelei scarf...but I fell in love with the pattern of this swatch so I decided to go ahead and make a tradition orenburg scarf--with a bit of estonia tossed in for flavour.
Of course I only just started, but hopefully it'll knit up fast.
Whew! After 4 hours of sleep I finally finished the last knitted Christmas present!!
Isn't he SO cute. He's also incredibly soft. Which is awesome on the finished product, but HELL on knitting hands and wrists. I used a worsted weight cotton, at a tight guage with lot's of k2togs and k3togs. Because I was on a time crunch there was no rest...I had to work thru the pain. Yes, knitting sometimes involves PAIN. Burning, throbbing P-A-I-N!
But he's so cute!! And yes I will make another one ALL_FOR_ME! Not sure if I'll try alpaca or cotton. ;-)
In any case, I am just knitting for ME now. Glorious lace knitting, no throbbing, no burning.
Pattern: Smith by Ysolda. Yarn: Blue Sky Cotton. Needles: US size 5 and 7. Alterations: none...I even used suggested yarn.
Lorelei is chomping at the bit for her own knitted stuffy (although sometimes she wants dolly clothes). I am thinking of making her the actual bunny.
As you know I altered the Sophie the Bunny pattern into a kitty, I thought it might be helpful to let y'all know how I made the cat ears, iffen you want to do the same. Grin.
Cat ears instructions. pick up 16 sts as shown. knit 2 rounds, round 3: ssk, k4, k2tog, reapeat. round 4: knit all round 5: ssk, k2, k2tog, repeat. round 6: knit all round 7: ssk, k2tog, repeat row 8: k2tog(2) round 9: k2tog, then break yarn and thread yarn thru loop.
Repeat for the second ear. I also made a garter stitch scarf and boots.
I am pleased to announce my newest pattern, Ribbon Candy. This wonderfully versatile scarf can also be a cowl, a wrap or a hood--using the ribbons to shape the scarf.
I really loved the yarn I used for this project, Queensland Collection Sugar Rush. The yarn is soft and has a wonderful stitch definition. And the drape--whoa...It also holds it's block wonderfully.
The pattern is available in my shop for $6.00 as a PDF download.
And about 3 days ago, I thought it would about time I finished it.
I had only the golden sequins and the roof top snow done. The rest I completed in two days.
Once again my inflated sense of what I can accomplish in a certain time frame strikes again. Looking at it now, I am like, "Dude I should have gotten more done!" Grin.
It's a fun project. Lorelei is delighted in each new piece I add. I know I am NOT going to get all the little figures done by midnight, but I am hoping at least for the first few (at least one!). And I can work on each new little piece each day.
Even though I have a lot still to do knitting wise...this is the kind of thing the kids would enjoy now. So it goes.12:25 PM -- Email --
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