now knitting in
where are you?
other places of my doing
on the needles
on the big safety pins
on the horizon
finished projects
see here!knitalongs
archives
- 11/01/2003 - 11/30/2003
- 12/01/2003 - 12/31/2003
- 01/01/2004 - 01/31/2004
- 02/01/2004 - 02/29/2004
- 03/01/2004 - 03/31/2004
- 04/01/2004 - 04/30/2004
- 05/01/2004 - 05/31/2004
- 06/01/2004 - 06/30/2004
- 07/01/2004 - 07/31/2004
blogs
Previous | Next
jock box
My knitting projects
7.24.2004
ice sixteen *
It was so hot today, freakishly hot for Portland. We broke a heat record with 103 degrees at 2:47 this afternoon. I made an icy blue square. My 16th one. Not much to be learned about knitting from these squares, just fun. Sorry for the lack of educational value, but my brain is a pool of molten stuff today.
* Ice sixteen refers to ice nine, a fictional and incredibly powerful form of crystalline water from this wonderful book.
It was so hot today, freakishly hot for Portland. We broke a heat record with 103 degrees at 2:47 this afternoon. I made an icy blue square. My 16th one. Not much to be learned about knitting from these squares, just fun. Sorry for the lack of educational value, but my brain is a pool of molten stuff today.
* Ice sixteen refers to ice nine, a fictional and incredibly powerful form of crystalline water from this wonderful book.
7.21.2004
circling their wagons, eating their young
1. The lacealong. Here's my gibson girl sleeve in koigu. The pattern is from the Summer IK.
The whitish line at the top is not a mistake (though that's easily possible; this is my first lace). That's my life line. Yay.
2. Cotton Socks.
Following the pattern for basic socks from the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook gave me a loose, frilly cuff that looked like a creamsicle, which I instantly hated. But I knitted on anyway, in blind denial/determination. Then I made my first hourglass heel, which yielded holes lace.
It got better. I frogged and started over with a regular cast-on and 2x2 rib, and with a very tightly knit heel. By the time Captain Janeway had retaken the ship, I had new sock beginnings. Aaah.
3. The scrapalong.
My (s)crappy sweater is going to be frogged like Exy's. I have a new idea for a better shape, but I just can't face the math in this heat. On the bright side, little bits of my yarn will live on in Erica's amazing scrap cardi.
4. Yard.
Not knitting, but knitting-related in that it's my new place to knit. Only 4 years in the making! The concrete table is one heavy mama. The two big Russian guys who delivered it used the handtruck.
(Next up on the household front, getting our sad little car back. It's going to take 20 more days and $5,400.)
5. Angel.
Even though I'm down on designing, I ordered some Lorna's Laces Angel for another idea I have. Amidst the throes of moving, Threadbear sent these in 2 days, and the shipping was 60 cents. Wow.
6. Finally, lest you think I'm not knitting or blogging enough (ha).
Cozy of the Week
1. The lacealong. Here's my gibson girl sleeve in koigu. The pattern is from the Summer IK.
The whitish line at the top is not a mistake (though that's easily possible; this is my first lace). That's my life line. Yay.
2. Cotton Socks.
Following the pattern for basic socks from the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook gave me a loose, frilly cuff that looked like a creamsicle, which I instantly hated. But I knitted on anyway, in blind denial/determination. Then I made my first hourglass heel, which yielded holes lace.
It got better. I frogged and started over with a regular cast-on and 2x2 rib, and with a very tightly knit heel. By the time Captain Janeway had retaken the ship, I had new sock beginnings. Aaah.
3. The scrapalong.
My (s)crappy sweater is going to be frogged like Exy's. I have a new idea for a better shape, but I just can't face the math in this heat. On the bright side, little bits of my yarn will live on in Erica's amazing scrap cardi.
4. Yard.
Not knitting, but knitting-related in that it's my new place to knit. Only 4 years in the making! The concrete table is one heavy mama. The two big Russian guys who delivered it used the handtruck.
(Next up on the household front, getting our sad little car back. It's going to take 20 more days and $5,400.)
5. Angel.
Even though I'm down on designing, I ordered some Lorna's Laces Angel for another idea I have. Amidst the throes of moving, Threadbear sent these in 2 days, and the shipping was 60 cents. Wow.
6. Finally, lest you think I'm not knitting or blogging enough (ha).
Cozy of the Week
7.20.2004
angel tart
free pattern, please distribute!
My friend Kim & I designed this little seed-shaped bag to try out two beautiful, luxurious yarns. It's reversible, it's fun, and it's free! Download it as a pdf file (using Adobe Acrobat Reader) by clicking the name or photo:
angel tart pattern
free pattern, please distribute!
My friend Kim & I designed this little seed-shaped bag to try out two beautiful, luxurious yarns. It's reversible, it's fun, and it's free! Download it as a pdf file (using Adobe Acrobat Reader) by clicking the name or photo:
angel tart pattern
7.19.2004
approaching more
For a brief time I thought I'd stick with my 2 major projects. But then I rewarded myself like a little puppy. I did a very hard 180-degree turn on my bike, going down a ramp at the park. It's hard to describe how utterly impossible this would have been for me just a month ago. So to celebrate my incredible improvement, I went here and bought some of this in #803.
I'm using a basic sock pattern from the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook, and I just learned how to do an hourglass heel. I really like this heel. First of all, it's actually heel-shaped. Secondly, it eradicates the need to pick up sttiches, one of the most dreaded acts in knitting, IMHO.
I'm feeling kind of blue about designing knitted objects. My friend Kim & I designed a tiny seed-shaped, reversible bag to submit for the summer knitty, and after deliberating about it as a summer surprise Amy finally turned it down. Also, I knit a prototype of a really wonderful project (I mean, this is a seriously good design, even I think so) to Deb Stoller. I knit it as per her request, and on a deadline she provided me, and now she doesn't write back to me anymore. I have worked with editors in other fields (I have a business book on the market) and I've never had this happen before, where an editor was engaged with you and then just disappears from your life. I think I am going to just self-publish any patterns from now on. I'll start with the one that was for knitty, and I'll post it here when I get home.
As for the prototype for SnBII, I'm not sure yet how to proceed. Maybe I'll offer it for sale as a downloadable .pdf. I'll give you a sneak peek and reveal that it is felted. Mmmm, felt-y.
For a brief time I thought I'd stick with my 2 major projects. But then I rewarded myself like a little puppy. I did a very hard 180-degree turn on my bike, going down a ramp at the park. It's hard to describe how utterly impossible this would have been for me just a month ago. So to celebrate my incredible improvement, I went here and bought some of this in #803.
I'm using a basic sock pattern from the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook, and I just learned how to do an hourglass heel. I really like this heel. First of all, it's actually heel-shaped. Secondly, it eradicates the need to pick up sttiches, one of the most dreaded acts in knitting, IMHO.
I'm feeling kind of blue about designing knitted objects. My friend Kim & I designed a tiny seed-shaped, reversible bag to submit for the summer knitty, and after deliberating about it as a summer surprise Amy finally turned it down. Also, I knit a prototype of a really wonderful project (I mean, this is a seriously good design, even I think so) to Deb Stoller. I knit it as per her request, and on a deadline she provided me, and now she doesn't write back to me anymore. I have worked with editors in other fields (I have a business book on the market) and I've never had this happen before, where an editor was engaged with you and then just disappears from your life. I think I am going to just self-publish any patterns from now on. I'll start with the one that was for knitty, and I'll post it here when I get home.
As for the prototype for SnBII, I'm not sure yet how to proceed. Maybe I'll offer it for sale as a downloadable .pdf. I'll give you a sneak peek and reveal that it is felted. Mmmm, felt-y.
7.15.2004
life lessons
Yesterday's square got to ride on the Tri-Met bus and then wait around at Enterprise and drive home in a Dodge Neon.
Yesterday's square learned some important lessons:
1. The bus has become a rolling social-service-substitute. Every person, regardless of how normal they look, will begin muttering and cursing and talking to themselves within 2 minutes of the bus pulling away from the curb. This may or may not include the bus driver.
2. People don't respect the bus. They leave half-eaten pop tarts right on the seat.
3. The credit card never actually covers the insurance on a rental vehicle.
Yesterday's square got to ride on the Tri-Met bus and then wait around at Enterprise and drive home in a Dodge Neon.
Yesterday's square learned some important lessons:
1. The bus has become a rolling social-service-substitute. Every person, regardless of how normal they look, will begin muttering and cursing and talking to themselves within 2 minutes of the bus pulling away from the curb. This may or may not include the bus driver.
2. People don't respect the bus. They leave half-eaten pop tarts right on the seat.
3. The credit card never actually covers the insurance on a rental vehicle.
7.14.2004
don't you wish?
Don't you wish your knitting could do your work for you?
Here are my squares trying to write a grant. It's sweet of them, but they have no idea what they're doing.
Don't you wish your knitting could do your work for you?
Here are my squares trying to write a grant. It's sweet of them, but they have no idea what they're doing.
7.13.2004
like strange flowers
Another beautiful psychedelic squares afghan, and a hauntingly lovely thought about the apocalypse & acrylic yarn.
Another beautiful psychedelic squares afghan, and a hauntingly lovely thought about the apocalypse & acrylic yarn.
7.12.2004
inspected by 47
That's my friend Kim's cat, Rimsky, who is huge, like 22 pounds, but not at all fat. Just a great big gorgeous cat. He loves knitted things. What a wonderful guy.
It's nice to have something nice in your life, like Rimsky, when there's so much crappiness out there. Yesterday some vandals bashed in our entire car - all windows and lights broken, mirrors torn off, soft top dented, bootmarks all over the whole body where they walked on it, and the lock on the trunk busted. They did not steal the car blanket I made though. That's nice, I guess. Blah.
p.s. KIM, put your cursor on the picture and right click, then click Save Image As. :-)
That's my friend Kim's cat, Rimsky, who is huge, like 22 pounds, but not at all fat. Just a great big gorgeous cat. He loves knitted things. What a wonderful guy.
It's nice to have something nice in your life, like Rimsky, when there's so much crappiness out there. Yesterday some vandals bashed in our entire car - all windows and lights broken, mirrors torn off, soft top dented, bootmarks all over the whole body where they walked on it, and the lock on the trunk busted. They did not steal the car blanket I made though. That's nice, I guess. Blah.
p.s. KIM, put your cursor on the picture and right click, then click Save Image As. :-)
7.10.2004
lum
When I was in college, and living in London, my friends and I would play this game called fictionary, using just a dictionary and pencils & paper. We'd choose a word that none of us knew, and then each write fake definitions that sounded real. You got points for fooling people into thinking your definition was the real one.
Lum was one of our favorite words. The real definition is a chimney. My friend Laura's definition - that lots of people actually voted for - was "a pack of lemmings, while traveling."
The fact that I'm knitting a summery poncho somehow reminds me of this word. We're lum. We're all lum. And if you all jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, yes, I suppose I would too.
When I was in college, and living in London, my friends and I would play this game called fictionary, using just a dictionary and pencils & paper. We'd choose a word that none of us knew, and then each write fake definitions that sounded real. You got points for fooling people into thinking your definition was the real one.
Lum was one of our favorite words. The real definition is a chimney. My friend Laura's definition - that lots of people actually voted for - was "a pack of lemmings, while traveling."
The fact that I'm knitting a summery poncho somehow reminds me of this word. We're lum. We're all lum. And if you all jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, yes, I suppose I would too.
7.7.2004
big daddy square
Believe me when I tell you this is a really big square.
How big? Here it is with one of my normal 8" squares.
Why and how? In a fit of inspiration and generosity, which as usual came too late and while I have too much going on, I've decided to make an additional psychedelic squares afghan so I can give one to my friend who's moving into a new home in Seattle on September 1st. So it has to be fast. The squares have to be huge so that the whole blanket will take only 12 or 16 of them. Lion Wool-Ease Thick & Quick and size 19 needles do the trick!
Scrapalong news: Jessica has a gorgeous finished raglan pullover. It looks highly organized and color coordinated compared to my scrap raglan. And Christine has some great progress (hers looks a LOT like mine). I think you've both inspired me to work on my scrappy tonight instead of these crazy squares. Nice job!
Believe me when I tell you this is a really big square.
How big? Here it is with one of my normal 8" squares.
Why and how? In a fit of inspiration and generosity, which as usual came too late and while I have too much going on, I've decided to make an additional psychedelic squares afghan so I can give one to my friend who's moving into a new home in Seattle on September 1st. So it has to be fast. The squares have to be huge so that the whole blanket will take only 12 or 16 of them. Lion Wool-Ease Thick & Quick and size 19 needles do the trick!
Scrapalong news: Jessica has a gorgeous finished raglan pullover. It looks highly organized and color coordinated compared to my scrap raglan. And Christine has some great progress (hers looks a LOT like mine). I think you've both inspired me to work on my scrappy tonight instead of these crazy squares. Nice job!
7.6.2004
how many ways are there to photograph a square?
Soon I'll have to start taking the squares out, to cafes, the symphony, maybe even theme parks (see July 2nd post).
In other news, Cozy of the Week is up (given a day off for our bank holiday, related to the national holiday in which we celebrate "independence" by blowing shit up and scaring the wits out of poor little dogs and cats).
Soon I'll have to start taking the squares out, to cafes, the symphony, maybe even theme parks (see July 2nd post).
In other news, Cozy of the Week is up (given a day off for our bank holiday, related to the national holiday in which we celebrate "independence" by blowing shit up and scaring the wits out of poor little dogs and cats).
7.4.2004
the weight of a square
There was a question in the comments about whether this blanket is going to weigh alot. Hmmm. I hadn't thought about it at all, I just really liked the cotton classic - the stitches, as seen above in today's square, look really, well, nice. So I weighed some squares (which are, it turns out, a bit less than 1 oz. each), and I did a calculation based on a 100-square afghan. My calculations yield a blanket of exactly 5 pounds, or nearly 2.5 kilograms. I could sleep soundly under such a blanket. If I were to wash it, though, it would be a different story. When wet, I might not be able to lift it over my head.
These calculations also indicate I'm going to need 80 oz. - or something like 47 skeins - of cotton classic (at 50 grams per skein, which is equal to 1.7 oz.). At an average of $5 per skein this is not something I'm going to dwell on, or discuss with my husband.
There was a question in the comments about whether this blanket is going to weigh alot. Hmmm. I hadn't thought about it at all, I just really liked the cotton classic - the stitches, as seen above in today's square, look really, well, nice. So I weighed some squares (which are, it turns out, a bit less than 1 oz. each), and I did a calculation based on a 100-square afghan. My calculations yield a blanket of exactly 5 pounds, or nearly 2.5 kilograms. I could sleep soundly under such a blanket. If I were to wash it, though, it would be a different story. When wet, I might not be able to lift it over my head.
These calculations also indicate I'm going to need 80 oz. - or something like 47 skeins - of cotton classic (at 50 grams per skein, which is equal to 1.7 oz.). At an average of $5 per skein this is not something I'm going to dwell on, or discuss with my husband.
7.3.2004
blackjack
This
reminds me of this
I guess this qualifies yesterday's square for the psychedelic afghan as one of my candy along projects. Only about 96 more squares to go!
Speaking of knitalongs, the scrapalong is moving ahead with a delicious striped "technicolor dream bag" by Carrie (June 29) and progress on gorgeous sweaters by Erica,and Jessica. Marie finished two scrap projects already. Must. Knit. Scraps.
This
reminds me of this
I guess this qualifies yesterday's square for the psychedelic afghan as one of my candy along projects. Only about 96 more squares to go!
Speaking of knitalongs, the scrapalong is moving ahead with a delicious striped "technicolor dream bag" by Carrie (June 29) and progress on gorgeous sweaters by Erica,and Jessica. Marie finished two scrap projects already. Must. Knit. Scraps.
7.2.2004
old problems, new beginnings
OK, so here is morticia so close to being finished.
And here is the damn neckline. I've ripped it once and am reticent to work on it again as it stretches every time I touch it. I have 4 different types/sections of bound off stitches (front and back) and decrease areas (over both shoulders). My ideas - bad and maybe okay - have ranged from knitting a separate collar to attach over this mess, to folding it down inside and stitching in place, to just wearing it like it is as a sort of matrix-y thing. I have no idea how to finish this. Any and all suggestions, pointers, links are welcome!
I've also decided that I want, and need, to focus on fewer projects at a time. I have to enjoy my knitting more and not make it such a race to the finish line. And I have to devote significant time to art over the next several months. SO, I've chosen just TWO projects that I'm going to concentrate on for the rest of the year (after I've finished up the lingering ones, of course).
One is really complicated and luxurious, and I can only work on it alone and in quiet moods. That one is the Gibson Girl pullover from IK, which is my entry in the Lacealong. The second I can do at parties, on buses, etc, and it's fun and offers a lot of color work. That one is the psychedelic squares afghan, which I'm making in tons of colors that match my house - namely greens, grays, and reds.
Here's a bit of both:
This is the koigu KPPPM for Gibson Girl.
And here are my first squares!
OK, so here is morticia so close to being finished.
And here is the damn neckline. I've ripped it once and am reticent to work on it again as it stretches every time I touch it. I have 4 different types/sections of bound off stitches (front and back) and decrease areas (over both shoulders). My ideas - bad and maybe okay - have ranged from knitting a separate collar to attach over this mess, to folding it down inside and stitching in place, to just wearing it like it is as a sort of matrix-y thing. I have no idea how to finish this. Any and all suggestions, pointers, links are welcome!
I've also decided that I want, and need, to focus on fewer projects at a time. I have to enjoy my knitting more and not make it such a race to the finish line. And I have to devote significant time to art over the next several months. SO, I've chosen just TWO projects that I'm going to concentrate on for the rest of the year (after I've finished up the lingering ones, of course).
One is really complicated and luxurious, and I can only work on it alone and in quiet moods. That one is the Gibson Girl pullover from IK, which is my entry in the Lacealong. The second I can do at parties, on buses, etc, and it's fun and offers a lot of color work. That one is the psychedelic squares afghan, which I'm making in tons of colors that match my house - namely greens, grays, and reds.
Here's a bit of both:
This is the koigu KPPPM for Gibson Girl.
And here are my first squares!
