Selective Update

Well. I had a shock today. I went to measure that prayer shawl/wrap I'm working on and discovered that I'm 8" away from being finished. So instead of being on the final ball like I thought I was, I'm on the penultimate ball. Which IS true - I can't have anymore than one more ball after this, because that's all I've got in stock - and I'm not buying anymore of the particular wool I'm using on this.

On the bad side, it means I'm about a week further away from starting a new project on the needles I'm now using. *sigh*.

Oh well.

But I've resumed work on a cross stitch project - "Goddess of Mercy" from Myth and Magic patterns book on 14 count blue-gray aida - I've completed over 1/3rd and it's good to be working on it again. Oddly enough, I've really missed working on it. The plan is for it to be hung over the door into the living room (once it's been framed, of course).

The amber crocheted rope necklace is about 1/2 finished - I think - because I've forgotten exactly how much amber beads I'd strung to begin with (no, it's not a truly incorrect usage of the word "much" - I just strung beads until I ran out and they were bought by weight, not length.) *shrug*. I don't mind really - I can see an end in sight, and I just like the fact it can't get any futher away like the shawl project ending happened to do.

And before I totally forget, I've cast off the blue eyelash scarf. It only took 9 months to knit.*sigh*. Just got all the ends to sew in now. . .

Until the next entry - with photos.

And the project I'm concentrating on this month is. . .

Well, for August, I think it'll be two projects - a blue eyelash yarn scarf I should have finished 6 months ago and a prayer shawl that likewise should have been finished 6 months ago.

Of the blanket squares - well, as of the 31st of July, there are 270 squares completed and washed. There are another 2 pre-washed and blocked, and I'll continue to work on them very erratically until I decide to have another month dedicated to that project.

Until later.

A hit, a veritable hit!!!

Well, I'm happy.

A minor milestone in the quest for completing the blanket squares has been reached - I've done over a 1/4 of the 884 squares needed.

As of today, I've knitted (and washed) 245 squares.
*whew*.

I think I'm going to take a break from knitting the squares for a few days.
Then I'll see if I can get another 20 done before the end of the month. Well, since I've already got 5 started on needles, I MIGHT be able to do it.
*grin*.

I do realise I haven't posted a picture of a bunch of the squares all mixed together, but I'll do it next month. I'm a bit busy with coursework (and really shouldn't have done this post.).

Bye for now.

p.s. I forgot to add some info on the post below (previously posted)- that bracelet isn't particularly chunky, it's small, so it looks VERY chunky - I made it for myself and my wrist is 5-1/2 inches around - the bracelet is about 6-1/2 inches on the inner circumferance.

A Finished Bracelet

I like this.
It didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to, but it wasn't for lack of trying. I started and ripped this bracelet at least 6 times. I strung and re-strung the beads and chips 4 times and finally came up with a result that wasn't ugly.

Here it is, after 6 months of work:


A gem chip and clear glass size 11 bead crocheted bracelet. The gem chips are grey moonstone and "white" labradorite. The blue flashes don't show up very well in the picture.

There are also "white" labradorite cubes and small frosted clear glass cubes in the bracelet.

And yes, if you're thinking it, that white paper is exactly what it looks like. But it created the right background for the colours in the stones to photograph correctly.

Bye for now.

Stripy stockinette knitted squares

This is a kind of a tutorial on how to do stripes on double-pointed knitting needles using stockinette stitch.

I'm sure that this is not a new technique. I'm also sure that someone out there will read this and go: "I know how to do that or "Someone I know" knows how to do that and they taught me."

n.b. about this technique - my regular knit stitch is tbl knitting, so doing "regular" front loop knitting is weird for me.

But, I think that this is a very nifty way of getting neat stripes with an equally neat back so here it is:
1. Start with a simple cast on in colour A (A) and purl the first row.
2. "Casting in" colour B (B), knit into the back of the loop (tbl) one row.
3. Slide the knitting over and knit a regular row (front of the loop) with (A).
4. Change to (B) and purl a row.
5. Slide the knitting over to the ther side and change to (A) and purl a row, BUT, into the back of the loop.
6. (repeating the cycle) Using (B), knit (tbl) a row.

repeat rows 3. - 6. until you either run out of materials or you get the length you want.

Last row: Cast off using the opposite colour you started with - I use stretchy cast off as I'm a tight knitter. I tend to end up on a knit row when casting off.

If the above sound difficult (or strange), what you are essentialy doing is knitting two rows and then purling two rows, but in order to keep the stitches from twisting (as it would if you just knit (or purled) regularly for both rows), you knit (or purl) one side of the loop for the first row, then the other side for the next row. You need the double pointed needles in order to change colours smoothly and cleanly (no stranding of colours across the back of the knitting) - and to do that, you need to be able to slide the knitting back and forth between the points.
Try it using your own method of casting on and what you start the first row with - purl or knit. If you use cotton floss, the twisting will become apparent very quickly.
When you've gotten to the end, do a cast off using the opposite colour than you cast on with.



Knitted square (stockinette stitch), using yellow varigated and regular blue cotton floss

The square shown is pre-washed and blocked, so it is quite "curly". If you look though, you can see the end of a yellow row peeking out from underneath the cast-off row.

I hope this creates the urge to attempt one. They're not that hard once you get the hang of it.
Kind of rhythmic, really.

Bye for now.

I shouldn't be here

I really shouldn't. I should be in bed, asleep, dreaming and ready to wake early in the morning.

But I'm awake, so I thought I'd just update this pleasant journal with my latest crafting news.

I've had to increase the amount of squares to 884. I'm very slowly knitting them - so slowly in fact, that I've only knitted 27 in 4 weeks. I guess after the exams in October I'll speed up again.

I've crocheted more bead braclets - 6 (though they haven't all been closed - only 2 have), and I've got 2 green ones waiting to be started right in front of me.
There are also 3 necklaces on the go as well and I have plans for another bracelet as a present - though I cannot give specific details until it is finished - though there will be photos of some of them soon (and photos of the present after it has been given - since I really don't want to spoil the surprise of what it will look like).

I've been slowly working on a blue eyelash scarf for a friend, with stripy fishtail ends - and I'll take photos of it when it is finished.

I think that's it for now.
Ah! I'm still working on the stripy knitted square technique I "discovered". I'll get to that in the future.

Bye for now.

Yet more squares

Well, I'd post a significant entry, but I've no real time.
So suffice it to say I'm working on a knitting entry (with a couple pictures) for this.
I'll try to get it posted within the next couple weeks. *cross fingers*

Until then

Oh, yes, I've finally gotten a new camera. I'm happy. *grin*

An update on the squares

Well, at this point, I've knitted over 120 squares.

I've also done a rough estimate of how many squares I'll need given that I want a blanket measuring 125cm x 200cm.

580.

Five Hundred and Eighty Squares.

Well. I'm not sure I'll do them all. I'm not sure I won't, but from my track record about projects, the future looks set to see me get within sight of finishing them all and they end up getting put in a bag to end up slowly rotting in the pit/box of Unfinished Projects.
Not because I get fed up of knitting, but because I can't face finishing off the project - the thought of sewing or crocheting all those squares together will make me blanch.

But I don't know - there's this small determined lizard in the back of my brain gritting it's teeth and willing me on to complete all the squares and finish the project.

I hope it wins.

Until the next entry.

New Knitting

Not in the sense I have started a new project, but that the blanket project (small square knitting)is getting a little dull.

So I decided to try out some textured knitting.
I've done small squares of alternate stocking stitch and reverse stocking stitch (5 stitches for each small square) on a square - lovely. I've done a couple of those so far.
Then I did seed (moss) stitch - it required that I drop the cast on to 18 stitches, but it turned out fine. I've done a couple of those as well.

I then tried doing seed stitch rib (I don't have the pattern as the book is downstairs) - that was nice, as the pattern is reverseable. Only one of those so far, but I'll be doing more.

I have tried doing a "easy" cable pattern (indented diamonds), but it occasionally required twisted cabling and regular cabling on the same row, and with frustration and dropped stitches, that got frogged. I will try it again later in the month, even if only to conquer it.

I also did a alternate to the diagonal half colour intarsia square and for that, I cast on 20 stitches, and purled the first row. (square was done using st. stitch)
(note - colours are single skeins of embroidery floss doubled in half, casting on with the loose ends - the loop will be used in case of the floss running short)

On the next (knit) row, I knitted the first stitch using the alternate colour (AC) and knit the rest of the row using the first colour (FC).
The next row (purl), after slipping the first stitch, I purled with the FC until one stitch before the AC, then purled the remaining stitches.
The rows after that, I slipped the first stitch, and knitted or purled the row increasing the AC until I was left with one remaining stitch of the FC (this would be the 20th row).
On the last row, instead of slipping the first stitch, I purled the whole row in the AC, and then cast off knitwise with it.

There occasionally were problems with the FC being short on the very last stitch, but that was solved by wrapping the end of the floss loop (doubled skein) around the inserted needle and then purling that into the last stitch, I then knit into the loop with the first stitch of the next row with the AC, thereby locking it into place. It does look a little odd, but it works.


Bye for now.

Camera gone

My Father has gone on a trip, taking the only Digital Camera with him.
This unfortunatly means that there will be no photos until he returns.

So be it.

A Tiny Change of Plans

Well, knitting the squares is going well. I've done 40 of them so far and once the two that are on the needles are finished, I'm going to wash them. I figured that if I wash them in batches of 40, then I won't have too much to do.

The next batch of 40 will be knitted half-and-half colour squares. Cast on a colour, purl a row and on the next row introduce a colour on the last stitch (intarsia knitting technique). After that, increase the new colour by knitting one extra stitch of the second colour and decreasing the first colour by a stitch. Eventually, the square will be finished by casting off in the second colour.

Colours will be moderatly randomly picked. There are colour combinations I cannot abide, like red and green (any shades) or bright yellow and royal blue.
Other than that, if it looks ok, it gets knitted.

Wish me luck.

Ok.

I'm proving not so frequent at updating for this month.

So what's new.

I don't spend a lot of time on the internet because I'm crafting.
And in the case of this particular journal, if I'm crafting, I'm not doing this, and if I'm doing this, I'm not crafting.
A hell of a catch 22.

Then add to this I'm doing two university courses, both with enormous reading lists.
(Philosophy and Neurobiology teamed with psychology)
and there's another problem for the majority of this year.

I'll update when I can.
And when I don't, please imagine me sweating over large textbooks or trying to complete mountains of knitting.
Because I'll probably be doing just that.

The knitting projects have increased by two - I've started a new knitting project consisting of small squares of doubled skeins of embroidery floss (2 skeins make one square). They work out very nice knitted on 3.25mm needles, casting on 20 stitches and knitting stocking stitch for 21 rows (slipping the first stitch of every row after the first row), then casting off using stretchy cast-off. It works out that a square takes 30 minutes to do and I can knit them while I'm watching TV.
I'll keep knitting squares until I've used up my large-ish stash of cheap embroidery floss and then I'll update on this when I'm at another stage.

Then there's the baby sweater adapted from a pattern (Baby's First Tattoo) in the "Stitch and Bitch Nation" Book.
I'm knitting it in 4-ply blue King Cole. I've also dropped it down 2 sizes. It's still pretty big for a NeoNatal unit, but I'm hoping it'll work. I've finished the back, and started on the left front.

Bye for now.

Not much happening here

I've gone into limbo, crafting-wise. I just can't do any work on anything. Not that I'm in a funk, or that I have no energy. There's a LOT of work that needs to be finished, or started, or just worked on.

I do not want to do anything enough to actually do it.

I'll pick things up and look at them, then put them down.

A few days ago, I was working on the scarf for the hat-and-scarf set (hat was completed a while ago) and I had to frog it due to a dropped stitch. I've cast the stitches back on, but that's all.

*sigh*.

I think spring fever is slowly building and it's affecting me by creating this feeling of "not now, there's something important coming".

I hope it's bloody important.

Later.

It's been too long since I've done this. Sorry.

Well, I just looked at this journal and I'm surprised that it's been so long
since I've updated. I really had thought that only two or three weeks had
passed, not a month and a half.

Well, In that time, I have:

Finished the second front of the kimono sweater/cardigan,

completed all of the crocheted bracelets that needed to be stitched closed,

finished the rainbow hat and scarf (no pictures will be forthcoming because I'd
forgotten that they were on the project list),

finished the red eyelash scarf,

and

I have:

started the back of the kimono sweater/cardigan (just today)

and a eyelash hat and scarf set (just the hat so far)

I'll be doing a little more updating later - I just don't exactly know when.

Bye for now.

<<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>>

There will be no justice as long as man will stand
with a knife or with a gun and destroy those
who are weaker than he is.
-Isaac Bashevis Singer

Christmas bracelet photo 1

Christmas bracelet 1

This bracelet isn't perfect, but it's growing on me every time I look at it. I did the majority of the work on it when I was about 20 pounds (1 stone 6 pounds) heavier, so it's a teeny bit loose on me, but I can live with it.
The reason the bit of red cotton (peeking from around the "corner") is on the first charm (unseen partridge) is because when I had them loose in a baggie I had to find a way to distinguish between the partridge and the turtledove. I had meant to remove the cotton, but that's grown on me as well.
I'm going to make another bracelet like this one as a gift, but in gold instead of silver. I have to find the right chain for it though. That's being a bit of a pain to find, since it's got to match the charms - which are in a specific antique gold finish.
But I'm sure I'll find it when I least expect it.
Oops, got to go.
Bye for now.

Christmas bracelet photo 2

Christmas bracelet 2

Notes for bracelet photos are in the next/latest post (depending upon when this is read).

I would feel bady that I haven't updated in over a week, but last week was a bit fraught. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and do what needed to be done. All my journals (all 4 of them) suffered. So be it.
But, I managed to take pictures yesterday of the things that I promised to last week. . .
The three pictures are divided into three entries (this one and the two after it), but I just can't get the picasa/hello thingy to send all pictures at the same time even though I'm following the instructions. Never mind. This entry has the sweater bits that I've done so far, and the ones after have the Christmas charm bracelet photos.



kimono sweater knitting


The reason the two knitted bits are different shades is because the finished front (on a straight needle) is in a specially finished mulberry silk yarn (Texere Arctic), and the started one (on the circular needle) is in a Chinese silk bourette yarn (Chinese Number 2) - yes, I am knitting that one from three cones - the yarn is a different thickness as well and it's the only way to make it work.
I am thinking about space dying the sweater when it's finished to try and make it a bit more cohesive. But I'll have to see WHEN it's finished - I JUST might unravel everything and start again.

Some projects on hold - reasons at the end of the entry. . .

Project work as it stands:

Another crochet bead bracelet completed (Bracelet of silver-lined transparent
purple size 9 beads).

Knitting started on surprise gift. Details cannot be given yet as I don't know
if this journal is being read by recipient of gift.

Knitting continuing on sweater and shawl, although the sweater was recently
ripped back 15 rows because of an unnoticed mistake. Sweater knitting was
continued after calming therapy of chocolate eating.

Photographs of sweater-in-progress will be taken at the same time as the
christmas charm bracelet.

Knitting (small amount) done on sock (toe up Socks (first one started) in Regia
nation "Rainbow" sock wool on size 2.5mm DP needles.

Fillgap braiding continuing by increments.

All other projects on hold as I'm trying to remember WHY I started most of
them - especially the old fillgap ones.

Once I remember, I'll start work on the ones most urgently needed to be
completed in the list. *snicker* Urgently needed . . . yeah.

Bought two balls of acrylic baby wool today - one pink and one pale yellow. Work
on baby stuff (for hospital) begins after Christmas.

Bye for now.

Weekend Work

I've completed the Christmas charm bracelet. It's not really to my satisfaction,
but it's the best I can get with the chain I've used. I wanted a big link chain,
so I have to accept the limitations that come with certain things like that.
Photos later in the week when I've used up the cone of silk yarn I'm halfway
through (I want to use it as a "stand" for the bracelet).

Done lots of knitting on:

1) Kimono sweater and done about a third of one front - this is really due to
the fact I'm not a big fan of knitting stockinette because of the dullness of
the repetition. I love the fabric produced, so I'll put up with the boredom.

2) Prayer shawl and I have finally knitted over half of it *cheers*. The fabric
produced with the elongated moss/seed stitch is lovely, but it too, with my
dislike of repetition, is knitting hell.

The things I do to produce things I like. *grin*

Worked on raven fillgap braid and got frustrated due to being too damn tired to
realize that I only jump three threads. Had to back track 4 times in two days.
Will not work on braid when tired again. But I'm over halfway done.

Bye for now.

And just because I don't have enough knitting projects . . .

I have started yet another:

A kimono sweater in DK weight mulberry silk yarn (bleached).

The pattern came from the Crystal Palace yarns website (www.straw.com), off
their free patterns section.

Luckily, it's a simple design, with no real fitting required.

I guess my fidget gene was too bored.

Bye for now.