Pink Alpaca

I'm back

2010-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

Hello, knitting world.

After a long hiatus, I'm knitting again. Not sure if anyone still reads this, but I thought I would try to get it running again.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in September 2007. It probably developed years before that, but it wasn't until my hair started falling out that I began to wonder if something was wrong. Went to the doctor, began taking the medication for it, and it took over a year to get the dosage right. In the meantime, I continued experiencing the symptoms: extreme fatigue, dry skin, memory issues, weight gain, and random hair loss. The fatigue was ridiculous. I was so tired that I couldn't even get ready in the morning without taking breaks. Shower, lay down, dry my hair, lay down, put on makeup, lay down. That and the memory issues were the reason my knitting faltered. I just couldn't concentrate enough. I'd get in the middle of a row, and completely forget what I was doing. I made mistake after mistake after mistake. Knitting became frustrating, not relaxing, and I had to put it aside.

But I got better. ("She turned me into a newt!" "I got better.") And now that I feel better, I'm able to knit again and have fun doing it. Last month I finished two baby hats for a friend, and tonight I went to a local knitting group.

I think my thyroid is under control. My hair is getting thicker again, and my energy is so much better. I don't know if I'll ever lose all the weight that I gained, but I've lost some, and that is encouraging. I can't remember the last time I felt this good.

I'll wait and see if anyone still reads this thing. If not, I may close it, so please leave a comment if you stop by. Thanks!

Home again

2007-07-28T10:25:00.001-07:00

I'm back from my travels, and it feels good to be home. I should be staying put for a while. Last August hubby and I traveled to London. In October we drove to Austin for a convention. Spring Break took us to NYC with some students, and in May we drove to Chicago and Michigan. We capped off this year of traveling by taking our high school students to Seattle.

Here's a shot from Seattle's Golden Gardens at sunset:

More photos to come later!

And yes, this post does have some knitting content...

I stumbled into a nice yarn shop somewhere by the pier in Seattle. It was called "So Much Yarn..." Sitting on the chair behind the counter was the most adorable French Bulldog. Her little tongue was just hanging out of her mouth while she napped. We were with a group so I couldn't loiter in the shop. So after rushing around to see their inventory, I bought some Plymouth Baby Alpaca in hopes of making a new hat for myself. I'd take a photo but my camera is full - need to dump out all my Seattle photos. So back to my travels...

By my rough estimate, we've traveled about 16,000 miles by land and air in less than one year. Maybe more, if you include side trips to places like Oxford, or Anacortes, WA. I know other people in this world travel even more than that, but for me it was a little strange to be preparing for trips all the time. It will be nice to stay in one place for a while, not worrying about luggage, packing, unpacking, laundry and such.

Though I'm sure in about 6 weeks I'll be ready to go again. It's hard for me to sit still for long.

Some people buy fancy cars, purses, shoes, jewelry, clothes and houses. But me? I'd rather travel. I buy a dress from Anthropologie every once in a while, and I like to go to nice restaurants. But once I save up any decent sum of money, the first thing I think of is, "Where can I go next?" We could use some new floors and sure, it would be nice to pay off my car. I'd love to have a cool new tv and audio system, or a new computer. But gosh... London is calling my name. Or maybe the Caribbean... I've never been there.

Fashion is fleeting. The new house or car I want so badly will eventually become the annoying, run-down thing I want to get rid of. Technology is obsolete before I get it out of the box. But my travels, the places I've seen, the people I meet, the experiences I have - those are forever. Maybe that's why I like to knit. It's something I spend time with, even travel with, and then I get to pass it on to someone who will hopefully enjoy it for years to come. I know the things I knit won't last forever, but hopefully the friendship and care behind them will last in people's memories.

yup, still here

2007-06-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in quite a while. When I started this new blog I didn't want to get in the habit of going weeks without posting. But, honestly, I haven't knitted in over a month. (That scares me!) So when you have a knitting blog, that means you're out of stuff to post. I think I'm just overwhelmed - so many of my friends are pregnant! Three friends are due within one or two weeks of each other. What to do?

So I think I just need to head to the yarn store and get started.

Life is going well. Working from home is challenging during the summer - sometimes I just want to drop everything and go swimming. But it's been raining like crazy here! We have flooding in our county, but luckily all we're dealing with is a soggy yard and a few big puddles scattered around it. I heard on the news that we've almost reached our average annual rainfall total. Last year we were in total drought. Fires everywhere. Go figure.

Ok, I'm going to go now. I promise I'll go knit something and get back to regular posting.

Mitered purse

2007-05-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

Last summer, Mason-Dixon Knitting inspired me to make a mitered-square tote bag - a panel of 4 squares on each side. And I wanted it to be in those crazy colors that I remember from those 90s windbreaker suits. I started running out of yarn, so it became a clutch.

Sorry I didn't post photos as I went along. I never think to do that. And I knit these squares off-and-on throughout 2006. (One was created on the way to Atlanta last summer.) Next time I do a mitered square I'll take a couple pics. It really is interesting to see how they come together. They're easier than they look.

Basically I seamed together 4 mitered squares, then mattress-stitched them up the sides. I picked up 6 stitches along one edge, knit a garter stitch strap, bound off the strap and then stitched it to the other side.

I'm toying with the idea of felting it. Anyone have an opinion on that?

I'll add a liner when it's all said and done so that it won't buckle when I carry it. Maybe it needs a zipper, too...

Details:
Cascade 220, colors... um, I forgot
US size 6, Denise Interchangeables

here comes the busy season

2007-04-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

And so it begins. Seems like life gets zany right around the time of my birthday. Something to do nearly every weekend. Lots of projects at work. Summer youth group schedule is being ironed out.

We've got a trip to Chicago coming up. Going there for a wedding and then we're going to see some much-missed friends. Then we'll be prepping for our 11-day trip to Seattle this summer. Summer. It's just around the corner, and it seems like Christmas was yesterday.

Summer is a strange time for knitting. It's a time when a lot of people put away their yarn and don't even think of knitting until they smell that first hint of autumn in the air. Others trade wool for cotton and work on tank tops. Me... well, I guess I use the time to work on accessories for me and my house. I play with purse patterns. They're small and knitting them won't give me heatstroke on those icky Texas summer days.

I'm thinking of trying needle felting. I also want to attempt my first adult-sized sweater, so if I start on it in June maybe it'll be finished by the first cold snap. (No danger of that... last year it didn't get cold here till January-ish.) And a couple of my friends are having babies, so I'd better get started on their gifts.

Oh, I almost forgot. My niece finally fits into the cardigan that I knit her, and she wore it last week. I still can't believe that I knit it. If you haven't seen it, it's in the archives somewhere, called "Sophie's Cardi" or something like that. She looked really cute in it and I forgot to take a picture. I had to wash it for her so, when I take it back, I'll be sure to take a couple. :)

Argosy

2007-03-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

I finally finished something! For the last 6 weeks or so I've been working on Argosy, a scarf pattern from knitty.com. It's not yet blocked, but I wanted to post pictures before I forgot. I can't wait to pin out the right angles and enjoy the simple lace pattern.

Alas, I lost the ballband for this yarn. It was 100% wool, worsted weight. Hand-dyed. Might have been Peruvian. I love how the colors striped throughout the pattern.

I finished Argosy somewhere in the air between Atlanta and NYC. When we arrived in NY, it was quite chilly and windy. Wrapped British-style, Argosy was fairly warm. But I needed to quadruple-wrap it around my neck when we were on an evening cruise around the harbor - the wind pierced through the wool quite easily. It probably has more to do with the yarn than with the pattern. For some reason, it just didn't fluff up very much. Maybe a gentle wash and quick blocking will do the trick.

I'm giving this one away as a gift, but plan to knit another one for myself. I just love this pattern! But... I know if I go straight into this pattern again I will get bored. It's my nature. I think I need to find something else to keep me occupied. Maybe I should start my first adult-sized sweater in hopes of finishing it by November...

Still here

2007-03-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long absence. I was swamped with work. Each day I used up all my words on lesson materials and executive summaries. Anyhoo...

I'm working on the Argosy scarf pattern from knitty.com. It's nearly finished, so it wouldn't make much sense to post a photo if I'm going to post the official/finished photo in a couple of days.

We're going to NYC this weekend! We're chaperoning our local high school's choir trip. Seventy students. Fifteen adults. I can't wait! Will write more about it and post pics when we get back. And don't even think about toilet-papering our house - someone's watching it.

It's freezing outside...must be time for the Stock Show

2007-01-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

Nearly every year since I can remember, the arrival of the Stock Show means the arrival of cold weather and some form of freezing precipitation. But hubby and I braved the cold, windy night and made a trip to the show.

First we enjoyed the heated indoors and visited the various vendors. Whether you're looking for a new backhoe, goat pen, ranch fencing, hot tub, salsa maker, pink boots for an infant or a sign that says something like "My husband ran off with my best friend, and I sure do miss her," you can find it at the Stock Show.

We then visited the various animals in the non-heated adjacent building. It wasn't very full, yet. I suppose you have to visit on a competition day. But we did get to see goats, rabbits, chicks, pigs, sheep and ducks.

Here's a photo of the little piglets, at a rare moment when they weren't fighting for a primo spot under the heat lamp.

And this was the best part of our evening - watching a chick break free from its shell. It looks quite dead here, but I can assure you that he/she was wiggling around and nearly ready to try out its legs. It would have helped if its brother/sister, already fluffed-up and clean, weren't walking on it occasionally...

And now for the knitting part of this post. I knit another Mason-Dixon ballband dishcloth, this time in a hot green/periwinkle competition. I still need to weave in the ends.

Elaine's socks

2006-12-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

Inside my coffee table are wicker bins, stuffed with my knitting. And in the rightmost one is the beginning of my first-ever sock. I cast it on in September, with the intention of giving the finished pair to a dear friend of mine, Elaine.

Elaine, my mom's best friend, was in a nursing home battling a long illness. I thought hand knit socks might be the perfect gift for her. Having never made socks before, I was a bit nervous. But she loved to crochet and knit so I knew she'd appreciate them regardless. So I picked out some yarn I thought she might like and set to work.

I had issues with it from the beginning. Cast-on edge was too tight. Needles needed to be a size smaller. I finally got things right but progress was slow. My part-time job began. Christmas knitting got in the way. The sock is about half-finished and still in the bin.

Elaine passed away on the 21st at the age of 57. It was a shock to me and my family. We still held on to the hope that she would get better. Elaine was like an aunt to me. She called me her little-tiny-baby-Kara, even up till this past year. Our two families celebrated the Fourth of July together nearly every year - tubing trip, late-night snacks and movies, fireworks, games and laughs. Her laugh was amazing. I miss her so much.

And now I don't know what to do with Elaine's socks. I can't bear to open up that bin in my coffee table. I don't think it's guilt of not finishing them that's hurting me, but maybe it's that I planned them for her, and even if I were to finish them I couldn't imagine giving them to anyone else. I spent 10 minutes choosing the yarn. Half a day finding the right pattern. For Elaine, and for no one else. I suppose the unfinished sock will sit in the bin until I can decide what to do with it. I may finish them for her daughter. Or maybe for my mom. Or maybe just for me, so I can think of her when I wear them. Maybe knitting these socks will help me get past this grief.

Thanks to all who read this. I needed to get this off my chest.

Why aren't I posting?

2006-12-19T23:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. It's because I'm knitting Christmas gifts, and some of the recipients may wander onto this blog and see them. So, for now, no posts. But below you'll find a cool, knitting-related photo from our London trip. Cuneiform writing detailing instructions for dyeing wool. Crazy!

I failed to take a photo of a dog sweater that I made last week. It was for a Miniature Pinscher, and I used chunky yarn, so I finished it in just a couple hours. When we see our friends on New Year's Eve, I'll be sure to get a pic of Kitty wearing it. Yup, her name is Kitty.

I've run into sort of a conflict with my knitted Christmas gifts. Tomorrow, I'm going to my parents so I can exchange gifts with some family whom we won't see on Christmas. My cousin will be there, and I knitted the same thing for her that I knit for my mom. I guess I'll make her go into another room to open it. :)

I was up until 3:30 last night working on gifts and cards. My house is a disaster - yarn, thread, and fabric scraps everywhere. Gift wrap and presents all over the floor. I suppose if I bought some furniture for our spare room I could corral all of this into a kind of craft room. (We're in our first house, and even after a year we don't have it all together.) For now, we're saving for living room furniture. One step at at time. That's what being young and married is all about.

I was on track to finish knitting these gifts in time for shipping, but work multiplied this past week and I got behind. Oh well. I won't be too late with them. And I'm confident everyone will like them. Can't wait to post the photos!

A liner!

2006-11-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to say that I completed sewing my first zipper and my first liner onto a handknit. This week I made a makeup/notions bag. The zipper went well; my whipstitch on my liner is, um, not so good. I hadn't sewn in quite a while so my technique was rusty. By the time I got to the other side of the bag my stitches were more even.

The yarn is leftover mystery yarn, given to me by a friend. The liner came from the remnants bin at my local quilting shop. I think it's from the Girlfriends line.

My motivation to make this bag came from Martha Stewart's Holiday special issue, full of craft/gift-giving ideas. The instructions were clear, and included the zipper/liner how-to. Maybe to some the addition of those things is common-sense. But, due to my 8th grade home ec. teacher's 12-week illness, my knowledge of such things is limited to the teachings of our substitute - a middle-aged Jamacian biochemist. We never learned to sew, and we only made Rice Krispie treats. We also drove him crazy by dressing up our CPR practice torsos. But I digress.

Total time spent on this was about 4 hours - 2 for knitting with distractions, 1 for adding the zipper and 1 for adding the lining (everything was hand stitched - I don't own a machine). I'm really happy that I learned how to do this. I love special linings, and can't wait to pick out some vintage fabric patterns for more bags.

US size 7 circulars
Final dimensions: about 8" wide x 6" high

New purse

2006-10-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

I finally finished this purse! I don't know why I was so unmotivated to finish it. I even took it to London so that I would have something to do on the plane, but I was too tired. In my bag it sat.

I started using the Sophie's Bag pattern, but wanted something more trapezoid-like, and I wanted something with a long strap. Clutch purses are cute, but they stink when you have to carry groceries, a niece, etc.

The yarn was so beautiful that it made me nervous to felt it. For those of you who aren't knitters, felting involves throwing a knitted item into the washing machine on the hot/cold, high agitation cycle. It shrinks the item significantly, and makes the stitches disappear to create felt. (The fiber has to be 100% animal fiber, usually wool, in order for felting to happen.) The item becomes dense and sturdy. So, if you've ever wondered why the label on your sweater says "Hand Wash Only," that's why. Of course, for fun, you can felt an old sweater and actually cut shapes out of it and they won't unravel. You can then sew those shapes together to make something, like a purse, or maybe even sew some shapes onto a shirt or bag.

Here are the before and after photos:

I love the colors. Usually I don't like variegated yarn. I like to control how something will turn out. But you have to see the bag in person to appreciate the boldness of these colors. I tried to take a close-up photo but it didn't do them justice. The dye is so fresh and vibrant. I like the bag so much that I might actually keep it for myself.

Guess who I met today?

2006-10-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I went to Granbury today to attend their autumn festival, and you'll never believe who we got to meet:

Peter Mayhew! Chewbacca!

We had just arrived at the festival in the downtown square. We were heading into the craft/food booths when hubby said, "Kara, it's Peter Mayhew!"

We walked over to his booth and saw that we could get a photo with him - autographed - for only $20. We couldn't pass that up. We sat down, his wife took the pic, and we visited with him for a bit while we waited for it to print. I'd heard that he was a shy guy and it's true. But he was really kind and seemed to be enjoying the afternoon. His booth wasn't swamped with people. I'm sure it'd be worse at a Star Wars convention. But this was relaxed and a lot of fun.

Chewy. In Granbury, Texas. How cool is that?

Why knit when you can go to the Fair?

2006-10-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much to post lately, as far as knitting is concerned. I finished another bib but it's not much different from the last one. I'm working on a cool purse, though:

I bought the yarn with the intent of knitting something for myself. I have a habit of finishing something, then thinking, "so-and-so would really like this...", and then I can't help but give it away.

We went to the State Fair of Texas the other day. I absolutely love the fair. Where else can you go for fried pralines and a life-sized butter sculpture of Marilyn Monroe?

We also saw the Cardstacker, the guy who holds various world records for stacking playing cards. He was recreating the Dallas skyline (indoors, not out in the wind) and it was awesome. We played some midway games and watched some vendors peddle their wares. The Sushi Master was pretty neat, even though I'm not a fan of sushi. I have issues with cold meat/fish.

I tried the Fried Coke but wasn't super-impressed. Yeah, Fried Coke. Basically they made doughnut holes with Coke in the batter, then covered them with Coke syrup, strawberry syrup, whipped cream and cinnamon. It was tasty, but I was disappointed that I couldn't taste the Coke in the dough.

If you go, try the fried pralines. They're scrumptious. Fried batter goodness on the outside, gooey praline in the center. Mmm.

Aloha bib

2006-09-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

I already posted this on the Mason-Dixon Knit-a-long, but here it is just in case you're not a reader of that blog.

This is my second bib, created for some family friends of ours. My husband's former boss is going to be a dad for the 4th time , and they know that it will be a boy. (Four children ages 7 and younger! Oi!) So, to celebrate, I picked out some bright orange and blue from my stash and set to work.

The yarn is Needful Yarns' Kim, which I believe is 55% cotton and 45% acrylic. I've made a ballband cloth from it and after two months of use it's holding up well. The colors are losing their luster but I think it's due to our ridiculously hard water. But it dries quickly so that's a plus.

I used US size 5 needles and it helped my slipped stitches to stay tight and uniform. They were getting loose and bunchy with a 6.

The button is special because my husband collects Hawaiian shirts (aka Aloha Shirts). I found the button in a tropical-themed pack at Michaels. I think it'll make them smile. :)

Back from London

2006-09-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I spent a week in London and it was wonderful. Too fun and amazing to put into words. Since this is a knitting blog primarily, I'll focus on the fiber side of our visit. Pictures are good to start with, so here's something I purchased:

The front

The back

Isn't he cute? He matched my decor so I just had to have him. How much was he? £16. It sounds much better to say £16 than $30 US, doesn't it? Well, vacation is a time to splurge. He's filled with lavender but no way am I going to tuck him into a drawer for freshening my laundry.

I bought it at Loop, a store that someone recommended to me via the M-D KAL. Loop is in a northern London neighborhood called Islington. I was hoping to find a cozy shop brimming with tons of yarn and lots of knitters. Loop is more of a boutique - good yarn, good products, but no place to sit and knit. So if you're traveling to London you might want to look up some knitting groups if you're hoping to really connect with some new friends.

I had heard that Rowan and Debbie Bliss would be cheaper across the pond. Well, it wasn't at this store, perhaps because of its locale and the 17.5% VAT (value added tax) they slap onto everything in London. Loop had a wonderful small assortment of natural and synthetic yarn and haberdashery, and it was full of completed projects for purchase - pillowcases, sweaters, children's toys, felted brooches, ceramics and even knitted jewelry. I would have taken pictures but I didn't think the lady behind the counter would have appreciated that. You can visit their site for pics, though: http://www.loop.gb.com/shop.html

I also purchased two crocheted cushion covers (no pic because I can't get the color to turn out right). They matched my living room and they were on sale. So that justified the bird purchase. :)

I was inspired by their handknitted jewelry and I think I need to try my hand at it. And I love my bird. I want to try to make a friend for it.

Oh, by the way, if you're flying out of London keep in mind that they won't let you carry your knitting needles on board. Luckily, I'd planned to read and sleep on the plane so I'd put my knitting in my checked luggage. But imagine if I'd had to pull my favorite circulars out of my project and just throw them away! (By the way, has it ever occured to them to place the full details of forbidden items at check-in? They had a short, generic list there but didn't show the exhaustive list until we were at the metal detectors.)

Babies and Bubbles

2006-08-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

I'm between projects right now. Two of our friends are going to have babies within the year, one in October and another in February. Both will be boys. I suppose hats would be a good idea. Well, if this heat wave continues October might not be a good hat month.

And I'm still thinking of making the bubbly curtain from Mason-Dixon. I need to swatch some yarn in my stash to find a good candidate for the project. A friend of mine just recently closed her yarn shop and she surprised me by letting me take home a box of yarn. In it were a few skeins that she'd been using to knit up display samples, as well as some samples of stuff that she never carried. If I get a chance this week I'll take some pics and maybe some of you can help me decide what to do with it. It's a good problem to have.

Yee haw

2006-08-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

I wasn't feeling well today so I took advantage of my lethargy and spent a couple hours on the couch watching tv and knitting...

A Texas face cloth. I'd discovered this item over on the Yarn Harlot's blog. Her book tour took her to Austin last weekend, and one of her readers, Susan, knitted the cloth while in line to have her book signed. I just had to have it! I contacted Susan via her blog, and she sent me the link to the pattern over at knittingknonsense.com.

I need to go buy some red and navy cotton and make some more of these. Hubby suggested I rework the pattern to put a lone star in the state. I'd like to rework it so that it's in seed stitch rather than garter, but don't know when I'll feel that ambitious.

Sugar 'N Cream Cotton in Ecru, US size 6 needles

Baby Kimono

2006-07-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

My friends Tom and Melissa welcomed their daughter into the world on Thursday. Also on Thursday, I finished the little one's welcome gift, a baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Thanks for waiting, baby! I thought I'd be late finishing this.

I knit it in Sugar 'N Cream cotton and used a little more than two skeins' worth. The pattern was really interesting because the whole thing is knit as one piece. When finished, you fold it in half (the top edge of the sleeves is the fold) and sew up the side seams. For those of you who don't knit, sewing isn't done with needle and thread or a sewing machine. You thread your yarn through an oversized tapestry needle, then use what's called a mattress stitch to seam the edges together. The ribbons, however, are sewn on with needle and thread.

The pattern called for 1/2" wide grosgrain ribbon. I really liked the colors in this 3/4" wide ribbon, especially since the baby's room is decorated in green, so I went with it. Next time I'll probably search harder for the appropriate size.

Now if I can just find a cute way to wrap it and get it into the mail...

A short tale of a ballband washcloth

2006-07-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

I recently traveled to Atlanta to serve for one week at a homeless shelter. Before anyone worries about me, it was a nice shelter. Really cool in an urban warehouse/loft apartment sort of way. Exposed brick, cool paintings and lights hanging from the rafters. No air conditioning, but it rained for half of the week so it wasn't entirely bad.

On the first night, the noise of the storm prevented me from going to sleep. So I started working on a kelly green/bright pink ballband washcloth from the Mason-Dixon book. Throughout the week I would work on it whenever I couldn't sleep. The streetlights outside were bright enough for me to read by, so it wasn't difficult. And all week I searched for the person to give it to.

On the last day I decided to give it to the woman who is in charge of the shelter. I never had a chance to speak to her, because she was so busy, but I felt compelled to give it to her because I saw how humbly she lived. Sheetrock had been erected into a makeshift apartment for her so that she could have some privacy in this open-floor plan shelter. For the most part it was a peaceful week. But, on our last night, two old men got into a fistfight. She emerged from her apartment in her bathrobe, broke it up, and led the guys away to settle the matter. Such a tough woman.

And so I just had to give her the washcloth as a small thank-you for the work she does. She deserves some me-time, even if it's just to wash her face with something cute.

Just ranting

2006-06-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's the 4th quarter of Game 6 with about 4 1/2 minutes to go, and I can't bear to watch so I'm choosing to rant on my blog.

Silly Mavericks. I don't get it. These guys are PAID TO PUT A BALL IN A HOLE. Does it make sense to miss 7 attempts in a row? And does it make sense that if someone so much as burps near Wade they call foul? And does it make sense that at halftime they interviewed Heat players, showed Heat video montages, and gave no coverage to the Mavericks - the home team - whatsoever?

My favorite moment is when an offical calls "traveling". Ha. Everyone travels. I guess they throw that call in every once in a while to make it look like they still care about playing by the rules.

And I think it's ridiculous that game outcomes are so dependent upon fouls. That a player can simply draw fouls and that talent makes up for his sheer inability to put the ball in the hoop. And I love the theatrics of the fouled players. These guys (both teams) want to be treated like tough, brawny men, yet when it comes to fouls they're like little princesses.

The World Cup is actually more appealing to me right now. So simple, and much less negative.

It's about time

2006-06-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

When I finished this washcloth I thought, "It's about time!" I had difficulties from the get-go - stitches falling off the needles, misinterpreting part of the pattern, ripping and casting-on at least 3 times... It's not the book's fault. Maybe I was just worn out and should have saved it for a different day. Or week.

I also say "It's about time" because I finished this a couple weeks ago and never posted about it. I was bitter, I suppose.

And "it's about time" that I get this sucker in the mail, because it's recipient's birthday was nearly four weeks ago. I'm enclosing some grapefruit soap and a canister of Scharffen Berger cocoa powder. Mmmm...Scharffen Berger.

Friendship Beanie II

2006-06-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

Not a great photo, but it'll do.
I still need to make the big pom-pom. My pom-pom maker isn't big enough so I guess I'll just have to make one from scratch. In hindsight, I should have started the stripes sooner. The top one is hardly visible when the hat's worn. But maybe the pom-pom will balance everything out.

I mentioned in a previous post that a good friend (I'll call her SB) and I are making these hats together. Good friend, sheesh, she's one of my best friends. Friends like SB don't come along very often. Our husbands get along great, too. And the crummy thing is that SB and her hubby are moving to Chicago on Monday. We had a farewell get-together last night, complete with bratwurst, cider, and some great music on the stereo - Guns'n'Roses, circa our middle school years. Yes, friends like this don't come around very often. I predict many visits to Chicago in our future.

Ribs

2006-06-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

No, not the knitting kind, the eating kind. Last night I whipped up the Baby Back Ribs with Jammy Glaze from Rachael Ray's mag. They were easy to make and turned out really good.

I'm stuck. I don't know what to knit next. I had yarn picked out for some projects but I have trouble knitting anything for myself. I've got birthdays etc. coming up so shouldn't I be getting a jump on those things? The only things I've made for myself recently are washrags.

I'm thinking of making the Bubbly Curtain from Mason-Dixon Knitting. But I can't afford the Euroflax, so I need to find an affordable equivalent.

Absorba, the Great Bathmat

2006-05-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

I finally finished Absorba, the Great Bathmat from Mason-Dixon Knitting. I love this thing! It feels great on your feet - so squishy - and it's 100% cotton so it'll be way easy to care for. This one is a gift for someone so I'll need to make another for myself.
One of the big topics on the Mason-Dixon KAL (KAL is knit-along, for you non-knitters) has been the difference between Sugar'n Cream and Peaches & Creme cotton yarns. Basically, they're the same. But the pattern called for a double-worsted weight, and all my store carries is regular worsted. I was too impatient to order it. So, I had to make some modifications...

I used four strands of Sugar'n Cream worsted (2.5oz / 120yd / 109m) held together - two strands of Ecru, one of Light Ecru, and one of Cream. I actually bought an 800 yd cone of the Ecru and wound it into two balls. I used US 15 circulars (plastic).

Original pattern gauge: 9 sts + 17 rows = 4"; finished dimensions are 18" x 27".
My gauge: 9.5 sts + 17 rows = 4"; finished dimensions are 18.5" x 24.5".

If I do it with four strands again, I'll probably use US 13's. The plastic needles helped speed things along with the cotton, but they caused me to knit a little loosely. And I might make an extra round of strips to make a larger mat.

I used about 2.5 balls (about 300 yds) of each color to complete this variation of the pattern. The Ecru cone cost about $6 and the regular balls were $1.27 at my store. So I figure this project cost about $13 for me to make. Thirteen dollars! You can't beat that.

Picking up stitches II

2006-05-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's how I pick up stitches on a garter stitch piece. But, keep in mind that I learned by piecing together info from some books and online videos. I could be wrong. If I am wrong, someone please let me know so that won't embarrass myself in my knitting group! :)

Basically, I stick the needle through the hole where the purple arrow is pointing, grab my yarn, and bring it back through. I haven't had trouble with loose stitches before so I don't use a smaller needle. (But thank you to the person who suggested going a size smaller. I may need that tip in the future, especially when working on things like sweaters!)

Hope this helps!

Picking up stitches

2006-05-12T09:05:00.001-07:00

This post is for bethc from the Mason-Dixon KAL.

Here's the back of my log cabin washrag. It's not the prettiest example of picking up stitches, but it's not something I'd be embarrassed for people to see. I'm not good at weaving in ends, and that's something I need to work on.

If yours is bumpier than this, it could have something to do with the way you're picking up the stitches. Maybe you could knit a quick square and practice on it.

I have to go celebrate an early Mothers Day today, but tonight I can post some pics of how I picked up the stitches.

I think your washrag is really cool!

Friendship beanies

2006-05-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last fall I taught a friend of mine how to knit, and recently she wanted to learn how to make a hat. I figured it'd be easier to teach her if I was working on the same project myself. And we thought, why not knit matching hats? We picked some brown Misti Alpaca and some pink Cascade and set to work.

It's the Kittyville Hat from Sn'B, but we're knitting it sans earflaps, tassles and kitty ears. Instead, we're going to put a ginormous pink pom-pom on top.

I feel like I'm back in elementary school making friendship bracelets. Here's a pic of my progress so far.

A leisurely knit

2006-05-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to get away. A few weeks ago, hubby and I visited the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens for an afternoon of relaxation. He read and napped, I worked on a birthday purse. The squirrels paid us a few visits but were too quick for my camera.

A stroll around the Rose Garden was just what the doctor ordered. This tree was my favorite find of the day.

The basket runneth over

2006-05-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

A 50% off sale - huzzah!

In the top left corner: I saw the turquoise and magenta and had visions of a windbreaker suit that I had in the early 90s (every cool middle schooler had one!). I need to find a kitschy pattern for this bag. It's gonna be a riot. Maybe I can find my old NKOTB buttons and pin them on...

In the top right corner is a lovely heathered brown. In the spirit of Ugg and all things sheepskin, I'm going to pair it with the white nubbly stuff for a small clutch.

Continuing clockwise, you'll see some red Cascade and some Berroco. I have a relative with a July birthday, so I wanted to make a little Fourth of July bag for her.

The Misti Alpaca will help finish out a hat that I'm working on.

And, finally, I'm thrilled to say that I could finally afford to purchase some bison yarn. This stuff is amazing. After knitting your garment, you give it a quick agitation in warm water, a quick fluff in the dryer, and then lay it flat to dry. What you end up with is a silky soft, fluffy, very smooth fabric. Come to think of it...214 yards simply isn't enough. I need another skein...

On top of all this, I'm trying to knit purses for my friend's bridesmaids. They're quick projects, but I struggle to knit a pattern more than twice. I get so bored. And now I have all this promising, fresh yarn beckoning me to start something new. Must. Finish. Bridesmaid purses. Then reward myself with more bison yarn.

I heart purses

2006-04-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

Project Details:
Pattern: Sophie, from Julie Anderson for Black Sheep Bags, modified handle
Yarn: Cascade 220 (7816) and some scrap yarn for accent
Needles: Size 9 circulars, 16" (pattern called for 10.5's)
Started: end of March 2006
Finished: April 11, 2006

I'm really proud that I've finished this gift on time. It's for a friend whose birthday is tomorrow. Though I knew it would only take a few hours to knit, I started about three weeks ago. I mostly worked on it during Sip 'n Knit at my LYS, but today I had to knock out 20" inches of I-cord so that the bag could be felted and dried by tomorrow.

I modified the handle because of my experience with using this bag. Sophie's twisted I-cord handle tended to roll off my shoulder, which is where I would wear the bag when loading groceries into the car, browsing at the mall, etc. So I nixed the twisted i-cord and just did a basic strap. This purse is fun and is great for a beginner. The only sewing required is using the kitchener stitch to attach one end of the finished handle to the bag.

Sophie's Cardi

2006-03-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

Sophie's Cardi

Project Details:
Pattern: Baby's First Tattoo, from Stitch n' Bitch Nation
Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft 4 Ply; 50g/197yds; 57% extra fine merino, 33% microfibre, 10%cashmere
Color: 426 Mosaic
Needles: Size 3US straight
Started: mid-January 2006
Finished: March 8, 2006

At the end of last year I really wanted to try knitting a sweater. I wanted to know if I could do it, and I wanted to know if I'd even enjoy it. So I decided to start with something small. And what better to knit than a little sweater for my niece?

I found this pattern for a baby cardigan and thought it looked easy for a first sweater. The pattern called for a contrasting trim color and a design pattern on the front panels, but I wasn't up to that challenge (plus the shop didn't have a good contrast color for the main color I chose). I just wanted to work on the basics.

I started with the back panel. Piece of cake. The two front panels were a breeze, too. But something went crazy with the sleeves. I finished one and didn't even bother to measure it to see if it was the right size. Then the second one turned out much smaller. I measured them...and neither one of them matched the pattern's dimensions. I'd like to think it was caused by my flu and NyQuil. I was ticked so I put it away for a week so that I could have a fresh start on it.

I finished sleeve #2 yesterday and went straight to seaming everything together. It was a bit intimidating - I knitted this on 3's so the stitches were tiny, and it was difficult to find the places where I was supposed to insert the needle. After some trial and error I figured it out. The work was tedious but it was fun to watch the seams magically come together. After finishing the seams I cast on the neck band while I watched Conan O'Brien.

This morning I went to my LYS (Local Yarn Store) for our weekly Sip 'n Knit. I bound off and began the fun process of weaving in the ends. Came home, steam-blocked it, and now I just have to decide if I want to put snaps on it. It's already warming up around here, so maybe I don't need to.

I enjoyed knitting with the Rowan 4 Ply. It was soft on my hands and didn't dry them out too much. My only gripe is that its texture was a little inconsistent. Some sections of it were mashed, or flat, and felt kind of rough. This created a weird nubby texture in some spots. Out of four skeins, only one didn't have this problem.

Will I ever knit a sweater again? Depends. Knitting a baby sweater is a bit stressful because you have to finish it before the baby outgrows it. So maybe I'll try knitting a grown-up one for myself someday. That way I can take my time.

New Blog

2006-01-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

This is my new blog. I'll start posting after I get my new template sorted out.