Well, the last part of the year has been nicely productive - that is, in terms of reading and knitting/craftwork.
I had, for the last couple years, planned on reading at least 50 books a year. I can, if I want to, easily read that amount. A book a week is no problem for me. I read multiple books - with my ADD, I'll read a chapter or 2 (or more) from 3 or 4 books a day - and if you've ever seen my "currently reading" shelf on Goodreads, You'll notice that there's plenty to choose from.
Unfortunately, for the last couple years, I've not been doing so well. I really cannot depend upon myself to just "do something" because I should. I need a push. A reason. An old-fashioned "kick up the pants".
Thank goodness Goodreads has come to the rescue and helped me with that. They brought out a widget/"competition" book reading challenge thingy for your homepage and you get to set (and manipulate) a target book amount. I don't remember exactly when I first noticed it, but my original target was about 35 books, and I kept increasing it. I finally set it (about 2 weeks ago) to 52 books and I got there last week. It was a fun challenge. I think, really, what clinched me finishing the challenge was the e-mail I got from Goodreads saying that there was a page "medal" you would get if you'd gotten to your target - and I'm a sucker for a prize. *grin*.
I'm now hoping that it's a permanent thing and so people can set reading challenges every year. Maybe I'll eventually read over 100 books a year. But I can't see that happening in 2012 - though you never know. . .
Now for my knitting:
The only target I'd set (around June) was to knit every day. I've been doing well. Some days I only knit a few rows, but for the most part, I'll knit about 40-60 rows (mostly spread over a number of projects). If I'm lucky, it'll be between 2 projects. On phenomenal days, I'll actually finish a project and start another. At this point in the year, I'm now firmly addicted to knitting (I have commented on this in a previous entry, but at the time it was an addiction to finishing a particular project...). I HAVE to knit something every day, and I can't do just a couple of rows - I now have to finish to a set point (not a big one, or I'd never get to eat or sleep).
In any other field (e.g. eating), I'd be upset about this. I've a mildly addictive personality and the thought of becoming addicted to anything gets me a little upset. But. (and it's a significant BUT.) There's a moderatly soporific affect that knitting has upon me (affect IS the right word). It's a nice feeling. I'm being creative, I'm being productive, I'm feeling good and I'm happy. It's a win-win-win situation when I'm knitting. I think the only downside is that getting yarn and knitting supplies isn't free. If yarn was truly free, then it'd be win all-around. *laughter*.
So, 2011 is good on two fronts. I'm reading more (and ploughing through the walls of books in my house) and I'm knitting more (and ploughing though the pile of projects in my house). Hurrah!
14 December 2011
01 November 2011
Lost for words - sort of
I'm knitting. I seem to be always knitting right now. I've got the "multiple projects" thing still going on, but my brain seems to want to decrease the amount of UFO's hanging around.
It's (obviously) never bothered me before, and to be honest, it doesn't now. But it seems like there's this lizard on the back of my brain getting hissy at the mess - the untidyness, the waste of time of it all.
So we'll see what happens on this front in the next 6 months.
I've recently finished 2 wool triangular lace shawls - one brown and one pink (I'veobviously forgotten the names and hopefully will rectify that in the next post).
But I've only started one new project yesterday to replace them - a pair of Thrummed mittens to go with a cabled hooded scarf I'm working on(started last month). I figure I might get both of them finished at the same time, considering the repeats on the scarf are 16 rows, and, I haven't gotten the thrum lengths finished (I'm using two different leftover roving yarns for the thrums and there's a lot less of the preferred colour than the other). so I need to pre-cut the lengths and divide them equally into baggies (suitably marked "L" and "R").
Later. I'm off to pre-draft thrums. It's turned out to be more difficult to do than I thought it would be. The yarn isn't cooperating. Drat.
It's (obviously) never bothered me before, and to be honest, it doesn't now. But it seems like there's this lizard on the back of my brain getting hissy at the mess - the untidyness, the waste of time of it all.
So we'll see what happens on this front in the next 6 months.
I've recently finished 2 wool triangular lace shawls - one brown and one pink (I'veobviously forgotten the names and hopefully will rectify that in the next post).
But I've only started one new project yesterday to replace them - a pair of Thrummed mittens to go with a cabled hooded scarf I'm working on(started last month). I figure I might get both of them finished at the same time, considering the repeats on the scarf are 16 rows, and, I haven't gotten the thrum lengths finished (I'm using two different leftover roving yarns for the thrums and there's a lot less of the preferred colour than the other). so I need to pre-cut the lengths and divide them equally into baggies (suitably marked "L" and "R").
Later. I'm off to pre-draft thrums. It's turned out to be more difficult to do than I thought it would be. The yarn isn't cooperating. Drat.
12 September 2011
Pondering on projects
I'm amassing a large queue of projects on Ravelry.
Some of them are clothes I love the look of and would like to have the ability to be an ultra fast knitter so I could knit them and wear them almost as soon as they go on the list (an even better wish is the possibility to amass a great weath so I can hire many people to knit them for me *grin*).
But neither of those prospects are for me, so I'll have to trudge along, slowly knitting along and hopefully be able to live to 100 or better so I can knit them all (and wear them at least once).
There are, of course, a few projects listed that are filler/speculative/springboard projects - there to give ideas of what I really want. I'm never going to knit them.
There are a few that I have listed that are possibles - I think I like them, but I'm not sure.
Then there are the poor little projects listed that would like to be knitted, but they're actually what I call "candy floss" projects. These little items are projects who need to be knitted with the designated yarn. Special yarn that costs upwards of $20 dollars a ball. Now, honestly, I will occasionally splurge every 6 months and buy a skein of silk/merino space dyed lace or fingering weight yarn that costs about £16 a skein (better if it's less), but that single skein will make an item. The projects I have listed as "candy floss" need at least 6 balls of yarn per project, making the bill come out to over $100 an item (there's an project I made last year that was in the Vogue Accessories book, and if knitted with the designated yarn, would have cost over $400! I made it with yarn that I bought on sale for £5.99 for a pack of 10 balls and I think it came out absolutely lovely - I forgot the name. *grimace*). They're NOT getting made unless I find a suitible substitute yarn (it happens every-so-often). I'd be afraid to wear them at all, never mind wering them outside my house. Whew.
The finally there's also a 5th category of items in my queue on Ravelry. The "might-make-the-grade" projects. They're projects that are sort of akin to an item I want, but I think I might make if I don't find anything better within my own designated timeframe for that item. Sometimes I get lucky and find exactly what I want, sometimes I don't. It's a frustrating project list.
The reason is this: I constantly have a mental list of items I'd like to cook/design/make/knit/sew. They're not things that I know exist in reality, but I list projects/get items/research techniques to either figure out how to make what I want and/or constantly peruse patterns/photgraphs/books/items of all kinds to see if one day I can get lucky and either figure out how to make it - or - find that someone else has had the same idea I have and so design a pattern/kit for it - both things have happened before, and I'm sure will happen again. But, for all my skills, I don't have the ability to mentally draft knitting patterns on the fly like my grandmother did (that woman had KNITTING and CROCHET SKILLS).
I don't really even have the ability to re-draft written knitting patterns I like. For some reason I just can't make my brain do that. I don't know why and I wish I could turn it on.
I can draft up beading patterns and I can redraft sewing patterns with help from books (I can't remember the mathematics for them and I get in trouble trying to wing it). I can make up recipes (and remember them) from scratch and do VERY well.
I CAN easily memorise the stitch patterns within knitting patterns and I can make-up and re-design stitch patterns themselves, but making a whole knitting pattern is a whole different kettle of fish.
For me, it's like trying to draft a sewing pattern in 3D AND figure out how to spin the fibre and weave the fabric all at the same time. It just isn't going to happen. I'm envious of those people that can do that and I'll happily give my money to them - provided their design matches what's in my head. Bless them all.
Whew. This entry isn't really what I wanted to say and I don't have the power to re-draft it now so it goes up as-is. . .
My brain needs food.
Until later.
Some of them are clothes I love the look of and would like to have the ability to be an ultra fast knitter so I could knit them and wear them almost as soon as they go on the list (an even better wish is the possibility to amass a great weath so I can hire many people to knit them for me *grin*).
But neither of those prospects are for me, so I'll have to trudge along, slowly knitting along and hopefully be able to live to 100 or better so I can knit them all (and wear them at least once).
There are, of course, a few projects listed that are filler/speculative/springboard projects - there to give ideas of what I really want. I'm never going to knit them.
There are a few that I have listed that are possibles - I think I like them, but I'm not sure.
Then there are the poor little projects listed that would like to be knitted, but they're actually what I call "candy floss" projects. These little items are projects who need to be knitted with the designated yarn. Special yarn that costs upwards of $20 dollars a ball. Now, honestly, I will occasionally splurge every 6 months and buy a skein of silk/merino space dyed lace or fingering weight yarn that costs about £16 a skein (better if it's less), but that single skein will make an item. The projects I have listed as "candy floss" need at least 6 balls of yarn per project, making the bill come out to over $100 an item (there's an project I made last year that was in the Vogue Accessories book, and if knitted with the designated yarn, would have cost over $400! I made it with yarn that I bought on sale for £5.99 for a pack of 10 balls and I think it came out absolutely lovely - I forgot the name. *grimace*). They're NOT getting made unless I find a suitible substitute yarn (it happens every-so-often). I'd be afraid to wear them at all, never mind wering them outside my house. Whew.
The finally there's also a 5th category of items in my queue on Ravelry. The "might-make-the-grade" projects. They're projects that are sort of akin to an item I want, but I think I might make if I don't find anything better within my own designated timeframe for that item. Sometimes I get lucky and find exactly what I want, sometimes I don't. It's a frustrating project list.
The reason is this: I constantly have a mental list of items I'd like to cook/design/make/knit/sew. They're not things that I know exist in reality, but I list projects/get items/research techniques to either figure out how to make what I want and/or constantly peruse patterns/photgraphs/books/items of all kinds to see if one day I can get lucky and either figure out how to make it - or - find that someone else has had the same idea I have and so design a pattern/kit for it - both things have happened before, and I'm sure will happen again. But, for all my skills, I don't have the ability to mentally draft knitting patterns on the fly like my grandmother did (that woman had KNITTING and CROCHET SKILLS).
I don't really even have the ability to re-draft written knitting patterns I like. For some reason I just can't make my brain do that. I don't know why and I wish I could turn it on.
I can draft up beading patterns and I can redraft sewing patterns with help from books (I can't remember the mathematics for them and I get in trouble trying to wing it). I can make up recipes (and remember them) from scratch and do VERY well.
I CAN easily memorise the stitch patterns within knitting patterns and I can make-up and re-design stitch patterns themselves, but making a whole knitting pattern is a whole different kettle of fish.
For me, it's like trying to draft a sewing pattern in 3D AND figure out how to spin the fibre and weave the fabric all at the same time. It just isn't going to happen. I'm envious of those people that can do that and I'll happily give my money to them - provided their design matches what's in my head. Bless them all.
Whew. This entry isn't really what I wanted to say and I don't have the power to re-draft it now so it goes up as-is. . .
My brain needs food.
Until later.
31 July 2011
But for all the boredom, go I . . .
Right after the last post, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps, gave myself a good talking to and got knitting. I'm still knitting steadily.
I completed and blocked 4 shawls within the last 2 weeks.
I'm rather impressed at myself.
The shawls were:
Summer Shawl knitalong pattern by Wendy Knits
Growing Leaves shawl by Lankakomero
Iris knitalong by Krazee Kitty
and
. . .
I can't remember. I washed it and pinned it out. . .come on - it's the shawl that was being described in the previous post . . .
oh!
Seafoam Shawl by Sarah Barbour.
Whew. (Not because I did all that work, but because I remembered).
I'm hoping beyond hope that I can continue this rate of knitting and pattern completion. Now, concidering that I've got 4 patterns that just need sewing up and blocking, there's a very good possibility I can actually do it.
But. There's a small metal blockage that's preventing me from sewing up those patterns. I don't know why. It's not as if I have to do complex mathematics or physical gymnastics in order to thread or hold a needle. *sigh*
I really want to complete one of them. I'm not so happy about another one, and a third is just a bit fiddly. The last one. . .
The last one. I'm not sure why I'm so reluctant to get the last one finished, but I'll go look at it again and post the reason in a future post.
I've got to go knit - GOT to.
I love this productivity, really, I do.
I'm SO happy.
Later.
I completed and blocked 4 shawls within the last 2 weeks.
I'm rather impressed at myself.
The shawls were:
Summer Shawl knitalong pattern by Wendy Knits
Growing Leaves shawl by Lankakomero
Iris knitalong by Krazee Kitty
and
. . .
I can't remember. I washed it and pinned it out. . .come on - it's the shawl that was being described in the previous post . . .
oh!
Seafoam Shawl by Sarah Barbour.
Whew. (Not because I did all that work, but because I remembered).
I'm hoping beyond hope that I can continue this rate of knitting and pattern completion. Now, concidering that I've got 4 patterns that just need sewing up and blocking, there's a very good possibility I can actually do it.
But. There's a small metal blockage that's preventing me from sewing up those patterns. I don't know why. It's not as if I have to do complex mathematics or physical gymnastics in order to thread or hold a needle. *sigh*
I really want to complete one of them. I'm not so happy about another one, and a third is just a bit fiddly. The last one. . .
The last one. I'm not sure why I'm so reluctant to get the last one finished, but I'll go look at it again and post the reason in a future post.
I've got to go knit - GOT to.
I love this productivity, really, I do.
I'm SO happy.
Later.
17 July 2011
Bored yet again. This too shall pass....
Well, I'm exercising patience in all my knitting. If I'm honest, I'm really not in the overall mood to knit, but I know that I must knit. I must overcome and demolish this reluctance to knit, for the rewards will be happiness and pride in myself for completing a project - any project. Plus, I'd then be able start another project to get bored with.
It's funny in it's absurdness, really.
I don't know exactly what I would like to be doing other than knitting, but I think the primary problem is that the project I'm presently finishing (1 1/2 rows before bind-off) is a ruffle edging for a plain but pretty shawl and it is excrusciatingly, mindnumbingly boring. I'm working on the final row of endless knit front and back into the same stitch (kfb).
This is the third time I've had to do this (non-consecutively) for the ruffle. To construct the ruffle, there are rows of knit, purl and kfb in combinations. The initial cast-on knit row was approximately 70 inches long, and while the first row of kfb was boring, doubling the original length, I'm now working on what feels like endless, eternal inches of knitting.
Though amazingly, in the process of typing this complaint of mine, I feel enormously guilty that I'm not working on it. I think it's time I return to my self-imposed torture.
I hope I'm not going mad.
Later.
It's funny in it's absurdness, really.
I don't know exactly what I would like to be doing other than knitting, but I think the primary problem is that the project I'm presently finishing (1 1/2 rows before bind-off) is a ruffle edging for a plain but pretty shawl and it is excrusciatingly, mindnumbingly boring. I'm working on the final row of endless knit front and back into the same stitch (kfb).
This is the third time I've had to do this (non-consecutively) for the ruffle. To construct the ruffle, there are rows of knit, purl and kfb in combinations. The initial cast-on knit row was approximately 70 inches long, and while the first row of kfb was boring, doubling the original length, I'm now working on what feels like endless, eternal inches of knitting.
Though amazingly, in the process of typing this complaint of mine, I feel enormously guilty that I'm not working on it. I think it's time I return to my self-imposed torture.
I hope I'm not going mad.
Later.
29 June 2011
Back to taking photos. . .
I missed it.
I'm only using the Samsung camera phone right now, mainly because I can't edit any photos on my netbook due to the simple fact I've no photo-editing software on it.
My Olympus digital camera takes photos that are just too large to upload -unaltered- to any website at the resolution I have the camera set to. I'm also not going to change that resoultion because I've found that at lower resolutions, the photos look "bad". Therefore, me using only the camera phone it is.
I'm not 100% happy I can't edit my photos (I'm not even close to being 50% happy if I'm honest), but I'm doing the best I can in the shooting of them. I'd much rather take the photos and have to reshoot/replace some of them in the future, than not take them at all (it's very hard to retake photos of knitting-in-progress when the project's long been finished and blocked).
surprisingly, It's really fun relearning to shoot photos like this. I forgot how much fun photography can be with equipment that's a bit "raw".
I'm off to take more photos. I've a lot of knitting to shoot.
I'm only using the Samsung camera phone right now, mainly because I can't edit any photos on my netbook due to the simple fact I've no photo-editing software on it.
My Olympus digital camera takes photos that are just too large to upload -unaltered- to any website at the resolution I have the camera set to. I'm also not going to change that resoultion because I've found that at lower resolutions, the photos look "bad". Therefore, me using only the camera phone it is.
I'm not 100% happy I can't edit my photos (I'm not even close to being 50% happy if I'm honest), but I'm doing the best I can in the shooting of them. I'd much rather take the photos and have to reshoot/replace some of them in the future, than not take them at all (it's very hard to retake photos of knitting-in-progress when the project's long been finished and blocked).
surprisingly, It's really fun relearning to shoot photos like this. I forgot how much fun photography can be with equipment that's a bit "raw".
I'm off to take more photos. I've a lot of knitting to shoot.
20 June 2011
Yahoo!
Well, I've finally got a mobile phone that'll take decent pictures - it's not fantastic, but it'll allow me to at least get photos of projects online (an Samsung E2550).
I don't have the money to afford a smart phone (and to be honest, I don't want one - I'm not busy enough to warrent having one). So I just waited until "regular" phones had better cameras.
It's about time.
I just need to remember to clean the lens/skin apature before taking pictures. That's not hard.
Later
I don't have the money to afford a smart phone (and to be honest, I don't want one - I'm not busy enough to warrent having one). So I just waited until "regular" phones had better cameras.
It's about time.
I just need to remember to clean the lens/skin apature before taking pictures. That's not hard.
Later
12 June 2011
Found a pattern - possibly
Well, I recieved the new issue of The Knitter (#33) and there's this lovely garter stitch shawl in 4-ply (called Mariposa).
I really like the construction, but unfortunately for the Manos, I don't have a pair of 4.5mm needles free in order to to a test knit (not a swatch, as I don't actually care about matching the gauge as it won't happen with the Manos DK yarn). Well, if I'm truthful, I've got a pair of needles (interchangeable tips) free, but I don't have a long enough cable free to use with the needles. I know that if the test knit works, I'll just want to continue with the pattern, and I won't want to wait to do that. I'll lose the impetus to continue, and it's not a big shawl.
Now, there's a small problem with the cable I want to use for the Mariposa shawl. It's currently in use on the Seafoam shawl, and then I want to use it on the (presently hibernating) first Growing Leaves shawl I started. I could, if I'm honest, just frog that first G.L. shawl, but I think I want to give that shawl away - depending on what it turns out to look and feel like when I've washed and blocked it - if it's ugly and scratchy/squeaky in feel, I'll keep it to use when the weather's cold. If it's pretty and soft, I'll put the photo on Facebook and ask Friends/Family if anyone wants it, and if that doesn't pan out, it'll get donated to the local charity shop.
So, seeing how the Seafoam shawl is being a bit slower to knit than I thought it would be (the yarn is slubby and a teeny bit sticky for 100% cotton, so each ssk takes more time than expected to make), and the Growing Leaves shawl is a bit quicker than I thought (the second shawl, despite each row getting longer, is practically flowing off the needles when I spend any time knitting it), I think I'm looking at about 3-6 months before the Mariposa shawl even gets started.
That's being wildly optimistic, if I'm honest, although that might be a good thing - since it gives a better chance for me to find another pattern or two to use on the Manos yarn - not that I'm being hopeful about that since it took over 6 months to find just one I liked enough to even seriously consider knitting.
Later. I'm off to knit.
I really like the construction, but unfortunately for the Manos, I don't have a pair of 4.5mm needles free in order to to a test knit (not a swatch, as I don't actually care about matching the gauge as it won't happen with the Manos DK yarn). Well, if I'm truthful, I've got a pair of needles (interchangeable tips) free, but I don't have a long enough cable free to use with the needles. I know that if the test knit works, I'll just want to continue with the pattern, and I won't want to wait to do that. I'll lose the impetus to continue, and it's not a big shawl.
Now, there's a small problem with the cable I want to use for the Mariposa shawl. It's currently in use on the Seafoam shawl, and then I want to use it on the (presently hibernating) first Growing Leaves shawl I started. I could, if I'm honest, just frog that first G.L. shawl, but I think I want to give that shawl away - depending on what it turns out to look and feel like when I've washed and blocked it - if it's ugly and scratchy/squeaky in feel, I'll keep it to use when the weather's cold. If it's pretty and soft, I'll put the photo on Facebook and ask Friends/Family if anyone wants it, and if that doesn't pan out, it'll get donated to the local charity shop.
So, seeing how the Seafoam shawl is being a bit slower to knit than I thought it would be (the yarn is slubby and a teeny bit sticky for 100% cotton, so each ssk takes more time than expected to make), and the Growing Leaves shawl is a bit quicker than I thought (the second shawl, despite each row getting longer, is practically flowing off the needles when I spend any time knitting it), I think I'm looking at about 3-6 months before the Mariposa shawl even gets started.
That's being wildly optimistic, if I'm honest, although that might be a good thing - since it gives a better chance for me to find another pattern or two to use on the Manos yarn - not that I'm being hopeful about that since it took over 6 months to find just one I liked enough to even seriously consider knitting.
Later. I'm off to knit.
01 June 2011
Getting better
I love my brain. . .
I finally read the other entry and saw that I'd forgotten to mention a few projects.
A Seafoam shawl (pattern from Ravelry) in 100% cotton yarn (Patons) colour: bright turquoise. I'm about 40% percent finished with the body. I'm not really looking forwards to knitting the ruffle I have to pickup from the edge for, but it'll look great.
The "Classic White Shirt" pattern from the March 2011 issue of Knitting Magazine. It's in the required yarn for the pattern (I think it's Rico cotton essentials, DK weight, white). I'm going to dye it another colour once finished, or I'll only wear it once. I'm unlucky that way with white clothing.
The Patchwork Jacket is still languishing waiting for its ends to be sewn in, but I've found buttons for it and they look good. Not looking forwards to blocking it, though.
The lace wrap cardigan is in a similar postion. I'm feeling a bit "iffy" about my body and I'm not convinced I'll fit in to it in a couple months. I hate the way my brain works (or not) in this way. *bah, humbug*. I'm definitely losing weight and inches - all over. Unfortunately, I can't "see" the weight loss due to that all over loss. *grumble* Dratted brain.
I've blocked the Lace circular waistcoat/vest, and worn it both ways a few times (no true top or bottom). I now have discovered the back of it right between the armholes needs to be sewn in smaller due to the yarn stretching (bamboo yarn - known for its stretching. *sigh*). I'll use bonded nylon thread due to it's stability. Luckily the rest of the vest will be cute even if it stretches a bit more overall.
I think that's all.
I'm generally feeling better. I should be back to "normal" health within the next week.
Later.
I finally read the other entry and saw that I'd forgotten to mention a few projects.
A Seafoam shawl (pattern from Ravelry) in 100% cotton yarn (Patons) colour: bright turquoise. I'm about 40% percent finished with the body. I'm not really looking forwards to knitting the ruffle I have to pickup from the edge for, but it'll look great.
The "Classic White Shirt" pattern from the March 2011 issue of Knitting Magazine. It's in the required yarn for the pattern (I think it's Rico cotton essentials, DK weight, white). I'm going to dye it another colour once finished, or I'll only wear it once. I'm unlucky that way with white clothing.
The Patchwork Jacket is still languishing waiting for its ends to be sewn in, but I've found buttons for it and they look good. Not looking forwards to blocking it, though.
The lace wrap cardigan is in a similar postion. I'm feeling a bit "iffy" about my body and I'm not convinced I'll fit in to it in a couple months. I hate the way my brain works (or not) in this way. *bah, humbug*. I'm definitely losing weight and inches - all over. Unfortunately, I can't "see" the weight loss due to that all over loss. *grumble* Dratted brain.
I've blocked the Lace circular waistcoat/vest, and worn it both ways a few times (no true top or bottom). I now have discovered the back of it right between the armholes needs to be sewn in smaller due to the yarn stretching (bamboo yarn - known for its stretching. *sigh*). I'll use bonded nylon thread due to it's stability. Luckily the rest of the vest will be cute even if it stretches a bit more overall.
I think that's all.
I'm generally feeling better. I should be back to "normal" health within the next week.
Later.
28 May 2011
Been busy . . .
Another month where time passed quite a bit quicker than I sensed.
Between the exercise classes, choir and taking time out to relax, it wasn't until the last three days, where I've forced myself to take it easy, I've discovered it's almost been a month since my last post.
Nevermind.
I'm doing mon-wed exercise (Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi) then thursday is choir, and I spend the next three days shopping, catching up on paying bills, laundry (I go out to a laundrette, since I've no space for either a washer/dryer), cleaning and knitting. If I'm lucky, I get a day to relax.
Due to a minor amount of stress, a cold sore started this last wed. night, and a chest-cold/cough/sore throat started on the following night. So, I've forced myself to take a couple days of rest and do nothing but be a (moderate) couch potato and do my standard cold-busting routine:
(hot as possible showers, hot/spicy soup to make me sweat, hot herbal teas, daily echinacea/goldenseal/zinc/1g vit-c tablets and honey and vinegar gargles (I swallow them, as I think they'll kill the virus in my gut) once-a-day. really, it's all a bit of a pain, but I think it works to busting the cold a day quicker. It worked on the last one I had.
So, within the last couple weeks I've been knitting on a couple new projects - a kindle cozy (I now have a kindle, all ready with stuff downloaded from among stuff pre-found and downloaded to my netbook) and a new shawl I'm knitting along to WendyKnits' (user name on Ravelry) spring/summer shawlette Ravelry knitalong.
The two shawls I mentioned in the last post are two copies of Lankakomero's "Growing Leaves" shawl. One is in a softened camo-coloured sock yarn, and I then started another one in a solid medium green sock yarn. I'm trying to work on both equally, but I'm finding myself working more on the solid green one. If I'm honest, it's prettier to me.
I've still not found a pattern that jumps out to use the Manos silk blend on, and I've taken a break from the Mermaid Jacket for a month.
I still love it, but the miles of garter stitch were finally getting a bit boring. I want to be happy to work on it, so I thought a rest was needed. It's working well so far. I've had two weeks of rest, I see it and I want to work on it. Two more weeks to go and then it's back to it.
I've started planning winter knitting:
Besides starting work on the Muir Wrap in october, sometime before winter snows strike (I'm thinking I'll start in September), I'll knit a hooded scarf for the winter snows. as the last two we had had days of blizzard-like conditions, and I want a combined scarf-hood item I can roll up the scarf over the bottom of the hood (if you can visualize what I mean) and use it to cover my nose and mouth without worrying about it falling down in the wind. I hope that the design I've picked from the available ravelry pattern choices will work - the final choice won't be revealed until I'm more than half-way through.
I now have a couple new knitting books I've been hoping for the last three years:
The quartet of Barbara Walker pattern books,
Elisabeth Zimmermann's "Knitting Workshop" and
Alison Jeppson Hyde's "Wrapped in Comfort".
The last book is the one I'm a bit happier than usual to receive, since it went out of print a while ago. It was bought for me via a phone call to the Purlessence store. I wouldn't have received it otherwise.
Anyway, I'm off to rest a bit and . . .
*sigh*
. . . cough up things out of my lungs.
yum.....
Between the exercise classes, choir and taking time out to relax, it wasn't until the last three days, where I've forced myself to take it easy, I've discovered it's almost been a month since my last post.
Nevermind.
I'm doing mon-wed exercise (Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi) then thursday is choir, and I spend the next three days shopping, catching up on paying bills, laundry (I go out to a laundrette, since I've no space for either a washer/dryer), cleaning and knitting. If I'm lucky, I get a day to relax.
Due to a minor amount of stress, a cold sore started this last wed. night, and a chest-cold/cough/sore throat started on the following night. So, I've forced myself to take a couple days of rest and do nothing but be a (moderate) couch potato and do my standard cold-busting routine:
(hot as possible showers, hot/spicy soup to make me sweat, hot herbal teas, daily echinacea/goldenseal/zinc/1g vit-c tablets and honey and vinegar gargles (I swallow them, as I think they'll kill the virus in my gut) once-a-day. really, it's all a bit of a pain, but I think it works to busting the cold a day quicker. It worked on the last one I had.
So, within the last couple weeks I've been knitting on a couple new projects - a kindle cozy (I now have a kindle, all ready with stuff downloaded from among stuff pre-found and downloaded to my netbook) and a new shawl I'm knitting along to WendyKnits' (user name on Ravelry) spring/summer shawlette Ravelry knitalong.
The two shawls I mentioned in the last post are two copies of Lankakomero's "Growing Leaves" shawl. One is in a softened camo-coloured sock yarn, and I then started another one in a solid medium green sock yarn. I'm trying to work on both equally, but I'm finding myself working more on the solid green one. If I'm honest, it's prettier to me.
I've still not found a pattern that jumps out to use the Manos silk blend on, and I've taken a break from the Mermaid Jacket for a month.
I still love it, but the miles of garter stitch were finally getting a bit boring. I want to be happy to work on it, so I thought a rest was needed. It's working well so far. I've had two weeks of rest, I see it and I want to work on it. Two more weeks to go and then it's back to it.
I've started planning winter knitting:
Besides starting work on the Muir Wrap in october, sometime before winter snows strike (I'm thinking I'll start in September), I'll knit a hooded scarf for the winter snows. as the last two we had had days of blizzard-like conditions, and I want a combined scarf-hood item I can roll up the scarf over the bottom of the hood (if you can visualize what I mean) and use it to cover my nose and mouth without worrying about it falling down in the wind. I hope that the design I've picked from the available ravelry pattern choices will work - the final choice won't be revealed until I'm more than half-way through.
I now have a couple new knitting books I've been hoping for the last three years:
The quartet of Barbara Walker pattern books,
Elisabeth Zimmermann's "Knitting Workshop" and
Alison Jeppson Hyde's "Wrapped in Comfort".
The last book is the one I'm a bit happier than usual to receive, since it went out of print a while ago. It was bought for me via a phone call to the Purlessence store. I wouldn't have received it otherwise.
Anyway, I'm off to rest a bit and . . .
*sigh*
. . . cough up things out of my lungs.
yum.....
28 April 2011
Lovely yarn, shame about the pattern . . .
or lack of them, anyway.
Ok, that sentence is, on the surface, a bit misleading. Out there online, there's obviously hundreds, if not thousands of patterns I could use with roughly 600 metres of heavy fingering yarn.
I think the problem is that the yarn is Manos silk blend, and it's a wildly variegated, short colour run pattern. I'm not seeing (so far) any patterns that grab me enough to use with the yarn.
I know it's me. I don't want something with long runs of stocking stitch or garter stitch. I don't want lots of lace - the colour is just vibrant and variegated enough that the lace will be a distraction to the colour, or the other way around.
I want just the right amount of the right lace pattern and just the right amount of mixed purl and knit stitches along with the right amount of stocking and/or garter stitch.
I want to do a stole or a shawl and, to add one more spanner to tthe mix, I only have 200g of the yarn.
I know that I've put myself into a bit of a cul-de-sac with the yarn + limitations of pattern, but I know, somehow, I'll find just the right combination eventually. . . . .
I just hope it's sooner than later. *sigh*
In good news, though, I got the circular needles necessary to start the Mermaid Jacket. At this time, amazingly for me, I've completed 55% of the jacket.
I've not yet started the shawl mentioned in the Simply Knitting magazine, but, I've started work on 2 other shawls; they're both being knit with stash yarn *whee*. I'll give more details about them in the next entry. The reason is that while I'm really happy with the progress in all details of one shawl and I love the pattern of the second, I'm not sure about the choice of yarn for it, and if this particular shawl needs to be restarted in the other colour (same company and name), I'm not sure that I'll get to the same place I'm at quite as quickly or with the same amount of joy.
Though on the other hand I might be even happier with the results of the other colour of yarn.
Fun.
*snicker*
Later.
Ok, that sentence is, on the surface, a bit misleading. Out there online, there's obviously hundreds, if not thousands of patterns I could use with roughly 600 metres of heavy fingering yarn.
I think the problem is that the yarn is Manos silk blend, and it's a wildly variegated, short colour run pattern. I'm not seeing (so far) any patterns that grab me enough to use with the yarn.
I know it's me. I don't want something with long runs of stocking stitch or garter stitch. I don't want lots of lace - the colour is just vibrant and variegated enough that the lace will be a distraction to the colour, or the other way around.
I want just the right amount of the right lace pattern and just the right amount of mixed purl and knit stitches along with the right amount of stocking and/or garter stitch.
I want to do a stole or a shawl and, to add one more spanner to tthe mix, I only have 200g of the yarn.
I know that I've put myself into a bit of a cul-de-sac with the yarn + limitations of pattern, but I know, somehow, I'll find just the right combination eventually. . . . .
I just hope it's sooner than later. *sigh*
In good news, though, I got the circular needles necessary to start the Mermaid Jacket. At this time, amazingly for me, I've completed 55% of the jacket.
I've not yet started the shawl mentioned in the Simply Knitting magazine, but, I've started work on 2 other shawls; they're both being knit with stash yarn *whee*. I'll give more details about them in the next entry. The reason is that while I'm really happy with the progress in all details of one shawl and I love the pattern of the second, I'm not sure about the choice of yarn for it, and if this particular shawl needs to be restarted in the other colour (same company and name), I'm not sure that I'll get to the same place I'm at quite as quickly or with the same amount of joy.
Though on the other hand I might be even happier with the results of the other colour of yarn.
Fun.
*snicker*
Later.
29 March 2011
I've a distinct lack of photos
I know that for a while, I've needed to take photographs of my projects.
I know that I have both in-progress and finished projects in Ravelry and that there's nothing to show what's happening with them or what my projects look like. I'm, in fact, sitting next to 2 mostly-finished cardigan (a lace wrap cardigan and "Patchwork Jacket") that need ends sewing in (which I hate to do) and then (minus the requisite blocking) they'll be all done, pretty and soft.
There's also a lace circular vest waiting to be washed and blocked in the bathroom. Again, it will be lovely once that's complete.
But they still need photos taking. I don't want to.
This is strange for me. I like photography. I like holding a camera and seeing the images that result between the juxstaposition of my eyes, brain, fingers and a small piece of computer-controlled mechanics. It's fun. But I'm just not interested in setting up a shot, photgraphing it, and re-setting it repeatly and taking more photos.
I'm sure it's a temporary thing and eventually I'll be chomping at the bit to collect digital images of my knitting.
In the other knitting news, I'm waiting for a few circular needles (80cm and 100cm lengths and two sizes - 2.5mm and 2.75mm) to arrive in the mail so I'm able to work on another cardigan (Hanne Falkenberg's "Mermaid").
I've also finally found a patten to use up the 2 skeins of Malabrigo sock yarn I bought in London. It's a lovely little shawl pattern in the latest issue of Simply Knitting Magazine (spring 2011). All I have to do now is find another pattern for the two skeins of Manos silk blend - that's going to be a bit more difficult as I thought there was twice as much in the skein as there is (there's only 300 yds per skein, and I thought there was about 450. Oops).
Ok, I've projects to work on and swatches to knit. I do hope my photography bug bites soon - those blank spaces in my ravelry project page look bad. Later.
I know that I have both in-progress and finished projects in Ravelry and that there's nothing to show what's happening with them or what my projects look like. I'm, in fact, sitting next to 2 mostly-finished cardigan (a lace wrap cardigan and "Patchwork Jacket") that need ends sewing in (which I hate to do) and then (minus the requisite blocking) they'll be all done, pretty and soft.
There's also a lace circular vest waiting to be washed and blocked in the bathroom. Again, it will be lovely once that's complete.
But they still need photos taking. I don't want to.
This is strange for me. I like photography. I like holding a camera and seeing the images that result between the juxstaposition of my eyes, brain, fingers and a small piece of computer-controlled mechanics. It's fun. But I'm just not interested in setting up a shot, photgraphing it, and re-setting it repeatly and taking more photos.
I'm sure it's a temporary thing and eventually I'll be chomping at the bit to collect digital images of my knitting.
In the other knitting news, I'm waiting for a few circular needles (80cm and 100cm lengths and two sizes - 2.5mm and 2.75mm) to arrive in the mail so I'm able to work on another cardigan (Hanne Falkenberg's "Mermaid").
I've also finally found a patten to use up the 2 skeins of Malabrigo sock yarn I bought in London. It's a lovely little shawl pattern in the latest issue of Simply Knitting Magazine (spring 2011). All I have to do now is find another pattern for the two skeins of Manos silk blend - that's going to be a bit more difficult as I thought there was twice as much in the skein as there is (there's only 300 yds per skein, and I thought there was about 450. Oops).
Ok, I've projects to work on and swatches to knit. I do hope my photography bug bites soon - those blank spaces in my ravelry project page look bad. Later.
05 March 2011
Time flies. . .again.
Ok, a humbled update on my crafting resolutions - I'm not getting on with any of them.
I'm wondering if it's more to do with bad planning than with a lack of will.
You see, I knew there was a set of spinning classes at a LYS (local yarn store), and I really had planned to get enrolled, but I forgot until the last minute (by which time I was busy doing something else). BAD me.
I did learn to hand-felt, though, so something got accomplished (not to mention a pair of slippers got made). I do have to re-felt one of the slippers, though, because when it dried, the stitches still showed a bit. Not the effect I had on the first slipper. It's because I was impatient.
It's early, early in the morning and I've got a yoga class to get to in a few hours, so I'm off.
Hopefully I'll be able to say that I've accomplished something on the resolutions next time I post.
We'll see.
Later
I'm wondering if it's more to do with bad planning than with a lack of will.
You see, I knew there was a set of spinning classes at a LYS (local yarn store), and I really had planned to get enrolled, but I forgot until the last minute (by which time I was busy doing something else). BAD me.
I did learn to hand-felt, though, so something got accomplished (not to mention a pair of slippers got made). I do have to re-felt one of the slippers, though, because when it dried, the stitches still showed a bit. Not the effect I had on the first slipper. It's because I was impatient.
It's early, early in the morning and I've got a yoga class to get to in a few hours, so I'm off.
Hopefully I'll be able to say that I've accomplished something on the resolutions next time I post.
We'll see.
Later
06 January 2011
A forgotten technique
I remembered today knitting on a project, that I'd also learned another knitting technique in 2010:
Domino/Modular Knitting (Patchwork jacket).
Domino/Modular Knitting (Patchwork jacket).
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