Monday, March 30, 2009
Tax Weekend
In spite of all good intentions, I did not finish the cardigan over the weekend. Taxes interfered: I spent all day Saturday doing taxes, and therefore I am still missing half a cardigan sleeve. However, I finally dared to look the sock heel in the eye, and I wrestled it down! Here it is: the first heel is completed. (And it wasn't all that difficult. Of course, I have a huge gaping hole at the gusset, so there's obviously room for improvement.)
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Retirement Plans
I must be crazy.
I received a little something in the mail. A book. A knitting book. About the history of knitting, sort of. With background stories of different knitting and design traditions.
That's why I wanted it. For the history. The background. To educate myself. Do a bit of reading. You know, background reading.
The book came with pictures. Gorgeous pictures. And patterns. Incredible patterns. And little tags, such as "master knitter." A warning?
It didn't keep me from getting out my stack of sticky notes. Then I started sticking sticky notes to patterns I liked.
I liked many.
Not only did I stick sticky notes to patterns I liked, I also added those pattern to my queue on Ravelry. For people to see what I intend to knit.
I figure if I knitted consistently for the next thirty years I may have a chance of becoming a "master knitter." Then I'd be able to knit a few of those patterns.
This would coincide with retirement.
In the meantime, I'm keeping to my lonely first sock and my almost completed knit & purl cardigan.
(PS: It's Nicky Epstein's Knitting on Top of the World.)
I received a little something in the mail. A book. A knitting book. About the history of knitting, sort of. With background stories of different knitting and design traditions.
That's why I wanted it. For the history. The background. To educate myself. Do a bit of reading. You know, background reading.
The book came with pictures. Gorgeous pictures. And patterns. Incredible patterns. And little tags, such as "master knitter." A warning?
It didn't keep me from getting out my stack of sticky notes. Then I started sticking sticky notes to patterns I liked.
I liked many.
Not only did I stick sticky notes to patterns I liked, I also added those pattern to my queue on Ravelry. For people to see what I intend to knit.
I figure if I knitted consistently for the next thirty years I may have a chance of becoming a "master knitter." Then I'd be able to knit a few of those patterns.
This would coincide with retirement.
In the meantime, I'm keeping to my lonely first sock and my almost completed knit & purl cardigan.
(PS: It's Nicky Epstein's Knitting on Top of the World.)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Cardigan Angst
Yesterday I received my Ravelry invitation. While playing with the My Notebook features was quite fun, the discovery that people are disappointed by the Diminishing Rib Cardigan was not. I'm currently working on the DRC and was *so* excited to see the finished result, and now I fear I'll hate it. :( The main problem seems to be with the large armholes. I noticed that they're quite big but didn't dare mess with the design. I'm at the ribbed middle part and don't want to rip... It's rookie-excitement-over-finishing combined with rookie-fear-of-ripping that's keeping me going. I hope it's worth it?! Maybe my anatomy is different and I actually need arm holes that go down to the waist? I'm optimistic.
(Yes, I still have the waste yarn in there that helped with the tubular CO. I'm afraid of removing it--what if the CO will magically undo itself?)
Except for cardigan angst, things are great: my hubby loves his scarf and, now that he is taking this knitting business seriously, offered to read to me out loud last night while I was knitting, as an alternative to watching telly (which, pre-knitting, I hardly ever did).
Oh--and I got a compliment for the Sculptured Lace Scarf on Ravelry: by the designer himself! That made me as happy as Clara's comment on my Diamonds and Pearls Shawl. Quite the confidence boost. :) (Here's another one: my father-in-law, who lives in the Deep South and has no need for a woolen scarf, likes the SLS so much he wants one too!)
(Yes, I still have the waste yarn in there that helped with the tubular CO. I'm afraid of removing it--what if the CO will magically undo itself?)
Except for cardigan angst, things are great: my hubby loves his scarf and, now that he is taking this knitting business seriously, offered to read to me out loud last night while I was knitting, as an alternative to watching telly (which, pre-knitting, I hardly ever did).
Oh--and I got a compliment for the Sculptured Lace Scarf on Ravelry: by the designer himself! That made me as happy as Clara's comment on my Diamonds and Pearls Shawl. Quite the confidence boost. :) (Here's another one: my father-in-law, who lives in the Deep South and has no need for a woolen scarf, likes the SLS so much he wants one too!)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Shawl's Out for a Walk
I took the shawl outside today. I was not stopped by random people admiring it, but I felt very special regardless. :)
Friday, March 20, 2009
Diamonds and Pearls Shawl, or: Adventures in Lace
Voilà! I did it! I finished Shelia January’s Diamonds and Pearls Shawl, the pattern of which I fell in love with the second I saw it in Clara’s book. I used the same yarn as in the book: Art Yarns Silk Rhapsody--such a gorgeous yarn! I had to hunt it down in my LYS; the lovely lady working there was “sort of sure” she had a couple of skeins left but couldn’t find them, and we both searched every shelf and even the large sales bin (no luck there), and just as I settled on a substitute silk yarn, she presented me with four or five skein, in beautiful pinks and in the elegant brown/silver/black that I ended up walking out with. I was skeptical that one skein’s enough, but enough it was! (I actually added six rows, praying to the knitting gods that I wouldn’t run out of yarn for the BO.)
Knitting the pattern was easy. I didn’t have very good needles but cheap metal ones that felt like they had been treated with sandpaper: the mohair didn’t like it one bit, and neither did I. (In the meantime, a shipment from Germany is on its way: my mom is sending me Addi needles for Easter!) I was entirely confused by the stitch markers: the pattern calls for four, one of which is in the middle, leaving two on the right side and just one on the left. It didn’t make any sense to me, and it surely wasn’t helpful in counting stitches; since markers ended up between those two stitches calling for “k2tog” or “ssk,” I had to move them around all the time anyway. I finally gave up and just took them out.
I’m so glad I checked the errata site at KR for the two mistakes in the pattern that Clara detected in the book, although I wonder if in the BO row the very first “K1” isn’t a boo-boo as well: I had to take it out, otherwise the BO didn’t work for me. (I was actually freaking out quite a bit at that point: I started to BO, it looked weird, I ripped, the mohair didn’t appreciate it, I ended up with a knot, I was contemplating scissors, etc. etc.) Blocking was a new experience for me; I didn’t have a blocking board but relied on carpet and several large towels: not the greatest solution, but it worked. I had only a limited number of t-pins and used plenty of regular seamstress needles that left me with bloody finger tips. Funny how on the same day Clara reviewed dressing wires and the art of blocking! In case I knit more lace, I’ll certainly invest in a board and more t-pins, if not dressing wires.
The shawl’s off the floor and ready to be taken for a walk; I’m really, really pleased with it. One month ago I didn’t knit (or blog, for that matter), and now I finished a lace shawl (and am blogging about it). I love my new hobby. :)
Knitting the pattern was easy. I didn’t have very good needles but cheap metal ones that felt like they had been treated with sandpaper: the mohair didn’t like it one bit, and neither did I. (In the meantime, a shipment from Germany is on its way: my mom is sending me Addi needles for Easter!) I was entirely confused by the stitch markers: the pattern calls for four, one of which is in the middle, leaving two on the right side and just one on the left. It didn’t make any sense to me, and it surely wasn’t helpful in counting stitches; since markers ended up between those two stitches calling for “k2tog” or “ssk,” I had to move them around all the time anyway. I finally gave up and just took them out.
I’m so glad I checked the errata site at KR for the two mistakes in the pattern that Clara detected in the book, although I wonder if in the BO row the very first “K1” isn’t a boo-boo as well: I had to take it out, otherwise the BO didn’t work for me. (I was actually freaking out quite a bit at that point: I started to BO, it looked weird, I ripped, the mohair didn’t appreciate it, I ended up with a knot, I was contemplating scissors, etc. etc.) Blocking was a new experience for me; I didn’t have a blocking board but relied on carpet and several large towels: not the greatest solution, but it worked. I had only a limited number of t-pins and used plenty of regular seamstress needles that left me with bloody finger tips. Funny how on the same day Clara reviewed dressing wires and the art of blocking! In case I knit more lace, I’ll certainly invest in a board and more t-pins, if not dressing wires.
The shawl’s off the floor and ready to be taken for a walk; I’m really, really pleased with it. One month ago I didn’t knit (or blog, for that matter), and now I finished a lace shawl (and am blogging about it). I love my new hobby. :)
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sculptured Lace Scarf
I really liked knitting the scarf, and I was almost sad when I did the last row--how weird is that?! The designer called for a bamboo/wool mix; instead I used 100% merino wool (Cascade Yarns, The Heathers 220), which is what I had at hand. This yarn was recommended to me on my first yarn shopping trip when I was looking for something simple and easy to knit.
The lucky recipient of the scarf--my husband--seems to like it: he wrapped it around his neck, cozied up in a chair, started reading a book, and fell asleep in no time. He's currently cuddling the scarf and gently snoring. :)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Charles River
It’s spring in Boston! I was counting to go on a bike ride with my husband, but he had to rush to the office, so I biked to the Charles by myself and, for the first time, knitted in public. This may not seem like such a big deal, but I’m quite self-concious, so for me, this was huge. I knitted on the sculptured lace scarf, which meant I had to pile 50 inches in my lap and balance the chart on my knees (I have memorized the chart, but I keep it around to double-check). I finally decided I prefer circular needles: I’m using straight needles with this project, and the ends kept getting caught in the sleeves of my coat. At home I don’t wear a coat, and this has never been a problem before.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Maine Morning Mitts
Here they are, those mitts, drying in the sunshine after their first bath! For the second one I read Clara's instructions more carefully and bound off loosely, which makes the mitt more comfortable to wear (although a bit less attractive). Lesson learned from this project: read and follow instructions! And in case of a problems, check the KR forum.
Did I mention that I have a skein of Artyarns Silk Rhapsody and could start the Pearls and Diamonds Shawl in Clara's book any day now? I'll try to finish the Sculptured Lace Scarf first... just 15 more inches to go.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Clara's Maine Morning Mitts
Soooooooo... I asked for it: for a one-skein project for beginners like me. And you recommended Clara’s MMM. I just so happened to go by my LYS (to buy DPNs in size #2 for the socks), and the store just so happened to have Noro Kureyon in a very fabulous color pattern. You know what I bought besides the #2s.
And then I knitted one mitt (after teaching myself how to use DPNs). The result looks fine, but the photo doesn’t tell the whole story. Here are my troubles:
***Don’t you say you told me so. I know. I didn’t test the gauge. Had I knitted a swatch, I would have realized I needed to use larger needles. The mitt is almost too small (as in: my thumb isn’t enjoying herself).
***Apart from the mitt being too small, which by itself wouldn’t be a problem since I’d love to give the pair to a friend of mine who has tiny hands, the thumb is UGLY. There are big wide holes between the thumb and the rest of the mitt. I hope I can fix it somehow. (Weave? Sew? Pull the stitches hard together?)
***I think I’m running out of yarn! The pattern asks for one skein. I look at what’s left over, and it doesn’t look like much.
What to do? Buy more yarn? Consider this a failed project?
On the bright side, I fixed a mis-knitted cable in my sculptured lace scarf, and I felt like I was doing surgery! (House was doing TV surgery at the same time.) I think with this mitt I’ve just been too impatient and hurried myself too much. I didn’t take the care I use with the scarf or the sock (both projects are growing slowly but steadily). Today I won’t knit at all--I need to catch up on work!--and maybe a short break will teach me patience.
PS: Now that it's many hours later, I just discovered the KR discussion about the thumb. There seems to be some sort of agreement on 13 stitches for the thumb, not 9. The pattern says 9. Where do the extra 4 come from? And how come you found out about the extra 4? I assume with 13 stitches the thumb would fit much better. Time to undo the thumb!
PPS: Now that it's many, many hours later (the next day, in fact, but I'm tagging this post-post-scriptum on to Wednesday's entry): Last night I looked at the pattern again; its says: pick up 4 stitches. I didn't read it, or read it but ignored it. Something went wrong. Awfully embarrassing, but also a big relief. I was able to fix it quickly and easily: I undid the thumb, picked up 4 stitches at the base, redid the thumb. The thumb now looks great. The mitt looks great. I'll post another picture once the other mitt is done, for comparison. I'm so glad that I'm just too stupid to read, but not actually too stupid to knit!
And then I knitted one mitt (after teaching myself how to use DPNs). The result looks fine, but the photo doesn’t tell the whole story. Here are my troubles:
***Don’t you say you told me so. I know. I didn’t test the gauge. Had I knitted a swatch, I would have realized I needed to use larger needles. The mitt is almost too small (as in: my thumb isn’t enjoying herself).
***Apart from the mitt being too small, which by itself wouldn’t be a problem since I’d love to give the pair to a friend of mine who has tiny hands, the thumb is UGLY. There are big wide holes between the thumb and the rest of the mitt. I hope I can fix it somehow. (Weave? Sew? Pull the stitches hard together?)
***I think I’m running out of yarn! The pattern asks for one skein. I look at what’s left over, and it doesn’t look like much.
What to do? Buy more yarn? Consider this a failed project?
On the bright side, I fixed a mis-knitted cable in my sculptured lace scarf, and I felt like I was doing surgery! (House was doing TV surgery at the same time.) I think with this mitt I’ve just been too impatient and hurried myself too much. I didn’t take the care I use with the scarf or the sock (both projects are growing slowly but steadily). Today I won’t knit at all--I need to catch up on work!--and maybe a short break will teach me patience.
PS: Now that it's many hours later, I just discovered the KR discussion about the thumb. There seems to be some sort of agreement on 13 stitches for the thumb, not 9. The pattern says 9. Where do the extra 4 come from? And how come you found out about the extra 4? I assume with 13 stitches the thumb would fit much better. Time to undo the thumb!
PPS: Now that it's many, many hours later (the next day, in fact, but I'm tagging this post-post-scriptum on to Wednesday's entry): Last night I looked at the pattern again; its says: pick up 4 stitches. I didn't read it, or read it but ignored it. Something went wrong. Awfully embarrassing, but also a big relief. I was able to fix it quickly and easily: I undid the thumb, picked up 4 stitches at the base, redid the thumb. The thumb now looks great. The mitt looks great. I'll post another picture once the other mitt is done, for comparison. I'm so glad that I'm just too stupid to read, but not actually too stupid to knit!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
My First Pair of Socks
Here's proof: I'm knitting my very first sock. I'm having difficulties using the "magic loop"--maybe I should try four needles instead? I wonder if I should have also started with a bulkier yarn; this one (Shibui Sock) is fairly fine and I'm using #2 needles.
As you can see, I added a couple of links to wonderful yarn places I read about in Clara's book. I don't have a solid collection of links yet, but I'm sure that will change.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Hello Knitters!
I accidentally deleted my Knitter’s Review introduction, so I’m trying again, this time with a brand-spanking-new blog!
My mom taught me knitting when I was young, but I didn’t enjoy it as a teenager or young adult, and I never made it past that scarf that’s too short to deserve the name. However, in the last three or four years, whenever I’d visit my parents’ house, I’d end up with needles and yarn in my hands… Because I usually stay at my mom’s for two weeks at a time (she lives in Europe), I’d start real projects–not just little scarves! But then: as soon as I’d return to the U.S., I’d abandon those poor projects. This has left me with an unfinished sweater, an unfinished shawl, and an unfinished bed jacket.
I have a very passionate knitter friend, who produces gorgeous, GORGEOUS knitting, and she was so kind to give me Clara Parkes’ Book of Yarn for my birthday, three weeks ago. Now I’m hooked! Seriously. Since my first, very shy trip to my LYS I’ve knitted a (rather long) “sample scarf” to try out different stitch combinations and lace stitches. I *love* knitting lace stitches! The scarf is ugly, but my brave husband offered to wear it anyway. I wouldn’t let him; instead I started Kenny Chua’s Sculptured Lace Scarf (in Knits, Spring 2009). It’s beautiful! I’m terribly proud of myself and daydream of all the things I will knit next… My friend gave me sock yarn a couple of nights ago to try out socks, and here we go, I’m knitting socks!
Woohoo!!! My inner knitter is out!
My mom taught me knitting when I was young, but I didn’t enjoy it as a teenager or young adult, and I never made it past that scarf that’s too short to deserve the name. However, in the last three or four years, whenever I’d visit my parents’ house, I’d end up with needles and yarn in my hands… Because I usually stay at my mom’s for two weeks at a time (she lives in Europe), I’d start real projects–not just little scarves! But then: as soon as I’d return to the U.S., I’d abandon those poor projects. This has left me with an unfinished sweater, an unfinished shawl, and an unfinished bed jacket.
I have a very passionate knitter friend, who produces gorgeous, GORGEOUS knitting, and she was so kind to give me Clara Parkes’ Book of Yarn for my birthday, three weeks ago. Now I’m hooked! Seriously. Since my first, very shy trip to my LYS I’ve knitted a (rather long) “sample scarf” to try out different stitch combinations and lace stitches. I *love* knitting lace stitches! The scarf is ugly, but my brave husband offered to wear it anyway. I wouldn’t let him; instead I started Kenny Chua’s Sculptured Lace Scarf (in Knits, Spring 2009). It’s beautiful! I’m terribly proud of myself and daydream of all the things I will knit next… My friend gave me sock yarn a couple of nights ago to try out socks, and here we go, I’m knitting socks!
Woohoo!!! My inner knitter is out!
(This is the Sculptured Lace Scarf, which doesn't look very lacy here; I'll take a better picture when I finish it!)
(This is the GIANT unfinished blue shawl... UFO for the past two years.)
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