Knitting Goddess #9

EVERYTHING HURTS!

Stupid desk job with its stupid keyboard and heavy lifting!

posted by Christina @ 9:49 PM |

Oops.

Wendy asked for the mice to be wool or wool-acrylic.

I have cotton and acrylic.

Oops. Serves me right for not reading the pattern. Le sigh.

posted by Christina @ 11:04 AM |

I had two of the longest train rides EVER yesterday and I LEFT MY KNITTING AT WORK!

Not to mention I couldn't knit through the movie I took two of the longest train rides ever to go see!

It's an all caps kinda morning. I got abotu 6 hours of sleep.

posted by Christina @ 8:04 AM |

Have stuffed six meese and cast on for the front of Mom's forsythia shirt.

The cotton meese are kind of porous. Hopefully they won't spill out large quantities of nip and get the kitties high.

Before I can do anything else, I have to:
stuff the remaining three meese and ship
finish Molly's thing (at least to the point of sewing shoulder seams- alas, Molly, twill not be finished before Christmas)
Finish Mom's forsythia shirt
redo icylove shoulder shaping so it doesn't look like complete ass and resew that.

Then I can start my crown and kittenlid's oprah hat. (I swear, it makes sense. Oprah is her cat) Then I can swatch for Mountain Vines and try to find a good green to match the heather blue I have. (No, I can't post a link to the yarn. It's handspun blue wool from Turkey. Yum!)

posted by Christina @ 12:19 AM |

You just got a box full of yarn, wool and drop spindle in the mail. What do you do?

Go out and spent $40 on yarn at Michaels!

It's for my Crown. That's really the only reason why I bought it.

Also, my Knitty hat has been shipped. I'm very happy.

posted by Christina @ 5:05 PM |

HUZZAH!

My giant box of yarn arrived...

Along with my bathrobe, my tigger pilow, my book of patterns, and some pantyhose, cuz my mom sent them.

Now I just have to the hour of work I have left on Molly's thing, and do the little finishing up things I have with my other WIPs, and we're good!

Also, another good way to knit and read is to get your writer friends to send you their novels. That way, you can knit, read it on the computer, and correct their spellilng.

posted by Christina @ 10:43 PM |

Kitten in handknit cat sweater

I don't know whether to go 'awwwww!,' laugh my head off, or scream in terror.

posted by Christina @ 8:18 PM |

When I knit a lot, I feel guilty because I don't read.

I have solved this problem.

Knitting while listening to books on tape.

Next problem. Surgically removing my earphones.

posted by Christina @ 12:47 AM |

Everything outside this page is now purple.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. So, click, one of my links, any links, then come back and tell me how you feel, here...

posted by Christina @ 10:24 PM |

Meese & Continental Knitting

Compare the catnip meese below.


I know, I know, they look like sting rays. The blue was knit with acryllic continental. The orange/pink crap was American knit with cotton. Perhaps there was a difference in yarn gauge, but I blame it all on learning how to knit continental.

In case you don't believe me:


There's only one problem...

I'M OUT OF PROJECTS AND HAVE NO MONEY!

WHAT will I knit?!

posted by Christina @ 9:34 PM |

Site Problems: Christina Goes Nuts

So, here's what happened.

Last night, I futzed. I futzed with a lot of stuff, and decided to archive monthly instead of weekly. It just made more sense.

I accidentally told blogger I had a directory for my archives. And all hell broke loose.

Problem fixed, but only after about four hours of griping when I should of been working, researching buying a domain name and webhosting (too much $$$), and an email to blogger.

Of course, now my banner isn't showing up... Argh.

posted by Christina @ 8:47 PM |

OK, if blogger doesn't give me a good answer, I'm about five minutes away from moving to an actual domain that doesn't blow giant monkey chunks.

Edit: I fixed it. I'm a moron.

posted by Christina @ 1:29 PM |

The site didn't work when I checked it at 8. It does now.

I don't know why.

Edit: After 45 minutes of futzing with FTP instead of working, I'm still getting publishing errors. But it looks okay. I'm so confused. Damn you, Blogger!

posted by Christina @ 10:16 AM |

Stupid cafepress and its stupid only zip up hoodie is jr sized and wouldn't fit a goat, much less a big fat me curvy woman.

Stupid stupid stupid.

stupid.

posted by Christina @ 11:49 PM |

You know, I think half of the hits on this site are just me checking to see if someone left a comment.

I swear, that wasn't the 'nobody loves me! Tell me you love me!' thing I did earlier. Hell, the thing I did earlier wasn't (intentionally) that thing either.

I just thought it was funny.

Continental knitting is wacky. I hate being a novice. The lady at Knit-Out told me that this would be very loose. This is quite possibly the tightest I've ever knit anything!

posted by Christina @ 11:18 PM |

In case you can't tell, I'm having tons of fun with the layout.

Approve?

Also, should I get the Knitty Hat?

I really do like baseball caps and it's cute...

Or maybe the baseball tee...

I may kvetch about knitty, but I feel it's an idea worth supporting.

posted by Christina @ 10:38 PM |

Things to say:

After three days of throwing stuff out of the fridge and desperately trying to find ice, I have power again.

Knit out. Fantastic. Nice lady from Pagan Pride Day showed me how to knit continental and my friend Court (who has a livejournal but prolly doesn't want me linking) learned how to knit. We both played with a drop spindle the nice pagan boys had at PPD, and I learnd more about the weirdness that is the nice pagan boys.

They just learned how to spin a year ago. They are both couriers. They have a farm, where they raise alpacas and cannibus. They spin silk, wool, cannibus (into hemp garments, I'm sure) and they dye it themselves, naturally. (I mean, with black walnuts, etc...) They weave. They are gorgeous, and I'm pretty sure gay. Ah well. Girl can dream.

So, I have improved my knowledge of knitting trivia, learned some crochet stitches, and met a 9 year old who knitted herself a mohair sweater she entered in the show. Seriously.

It's SUCH a shame you can't buy or sell things on the mall. I would have gone to town. There was some great ribbon yarn. I have a feeling I'll be making my bucket hat out of lionbrand fun fur and cotton ease, simply to be easier on the pocket book. Providing I can find matching greens, that is.

I've decided that when (if) I make myself that rosedale, my decoration will be flame lace (which could be leaves, too) up the front and possibly sleeves. Yes, that's the same idea as the Ocean Vines sweater. Your point? I like the look of it. It's simple, yet elegant. Like me.

Wait, I'm neither simple nor elegant.

Yesterday, I bought my first Vogue. Granted it was Vogue Knitting, and I only bought it because I was dying to read the Daryl Hannah 'I don't actually know how to purl' interview, but still. And the nice lady at the store is ordering Interweave Knits for me, so I can make the stupid bucket hat already.

If my shipment of yarn doesn't get here soon, I'll have nothing to knit. Molly's thing has a few more hours in it, I'm going to run out of yarn for Mom's forsythia, and I'm out of yarn for catnip mice for the Mouse a long. What will I do!

Well, I can always knit some of the (free!) acryllic into more mices, or crochet a chemo cap...

posted by Christina @ 7:57 PM |

No Offense to the Inhabitants of Hogwarts...

I am tired of hearing about your Harry Potter scarves.

Now, I understand the joy that is Hogwarts. I, too, wish I was there, wearing wizard cloaks and speaking Latin to feathers in the hopes that they'll float.

However, in terms of knitting accomplishments, your Hufflepuff or Slytherin colored scarves ain't magic.

Yes, they're cute and it's a sweet idea and ooh, Harry Potter! It's so cute! The scarf is so cute! And I knit it all by myself and added fringe and everything!

Excuse me while I'm over in the corner with two cavaties in a diabetic coma.

You made it yourself for your lesbian lover / mom / brother / husband / friend Hermione (she's so SWEET and so SMART too!) / secret agent lover man. Whatever. Great. Very cute. Have a lollypop.

posted by Christina @ 3:25 PM |

And by the way, there will be no 'I knitted during the black out caused by Hurricane Isabel' post.

For while I did knit during the day, I most certainly did not knit by candlelight. I didn't want to set anything on fire.

posted by Christina @ 1:18 PM |

I just did a google of my site title to see if it exists in google-land.

Not only does it exist, but a few blogs I've never heard of (but will blogroll when I get home) have linked to me.

You guys ROCK!

posted by Christina @ 1:17 PM |

Hrm... Since I never actually do a pattern as written, what little touch should I add to Rosedale to make me enjoy it more (or to make it more challenging).

To keep in Christina tradition, it would be to have some kind of lace/cable running up the front and down the back (2 rows, one on each side of the jacket and 2 on the back).

Matching wool colors I have are black, white/neutral, green, very dark blue and light blue. I'm leaning towards the white, but is that too Christmasy?

posted by Christina @ 10:21 AM |

Tis Fated!

Ok, I'm definitely making a Rosedale. Eventually.

It's sized 38"-42"-46". I'm a 42". This is BEAUTIFUL.

But definitely not with variagated autopatterning yarn. Horizontal stripes on a big girl like me? Umm... no. Like I said, maybe that wheel of red wool....

And definitely no zipper.

posted by Christina @ 10:53 AM |

Can knowledge of all brands of yarn and what type is which please be dropped into my head? Thanks!

posted by Christina @ 11:18 PM |

KNITTY!

Knitty has made up for the crappiness of the summer issue splendidly with the fall issue.

I want a Rosedale!. With a different color scheme. Maybe that wheel of red wool I have... that could work...

OK, nothing beats The Curmudgeon's weirdest knitting location of maximum security psych ward, but I think listening to Chuck Palahniuk read a story (unpublished) called "guts" about masturbation makes at least 3rd or 4th.

posted by Christina @ 10:39 PM |

4 blind mice!

Also lacking tails, and catnip.

Oh yeah, I need to buy some of that, huh.

But I need to finish Molly's thing a whole lot more.

Knit Out! a week from today!

posted by Christina @ 4:45 PM |

Nobody Loves Me!

Has anybody else noticed the lack of commenting? =(

I know when I read other people's blogs and I don't know them (like Kate or Wendy) I don't want to comment. I don't really know them. It'd be weird.

Not so here. Please, please talk to me people! Anything you want to say! No worries about 'and who are you strange person? How DARE you talk to me!' I love meeting new people, even if they're only names on a screen.

posted by Christina @ 8:42 PM |

Hrm...

Mayb I should shell out the $5 for the Bucket-o-Chic pattern as well as the $30-$45 I'll spend on ribbon yarn. But would that really work for a formal occasion?

I'll probably be wearing a black, full length short sleeve dress if that helps (yes, Molly, the prom dress, which I actually hate now. But everything else is expensive)

posted by Christina @ 1:33 PM |

Hat Pattern!

So, the theater where I work is putting on Crowns, a show about women and their hats.

So yes, now I need to find a hat for the opening night (in December). I'm planning on knitting one and making a matching (decorative) scarf. I'm thinking skull cap out of ribbon yarn. But I don't know if that'd work...

posted by Christina @ 9:57 AM |

1.5 mice knit so far!

I'll have 10 done by the end of the week.

Edit: Except the end of the week is in two days. Oops.

posted by Christina @ 10:42 PM |

I am the happiest knitting monkey ever...

I am calm, relaxed and blissful. Why?

I have metro knitting!

After the debacle last night where I took 2 hours to get home from what is normally a half hour commute, I decided it was time for the metro knitting. So, I stopped being lazy, pulled out the salmon colored cotton yarn from 1972 that Nina has, cut off the end and grabbed a set of needles, and I am in Mouse a thon land!

The nice thing is, since Wendy is also in DC, I won't have to spend much to send them. If I get enough finished by the Knit Out, I'll see if I can drop them off then, too.

posted by Christina @ 11:46 AM |

Yippee!

2000+ hits! YAY!

Yes guys, I am going to do this until we hit 10k+. And then I'll go by every ten thousand instead of thousand. So clearly, you should come here a whole lot so we get there very quickly and you won't get so many of these annoying posts.

posted by Christina @ 5:11 PM |

There's a Reason It Was on Clearance...

The steal of a bag is really crappily made. No wonder it was $12. I've already lost beads after wearing it for ONE DAY!

Doesn't matter. Still pretty without the beads. Still FRICKIN' HUGE MAN!

Have found 3 knitters at work already. Yay! Must start metro projects. That means printing out the mouse patterns at work.

posted by Christina @ 9:28 PM |

What a Difference Scissors Make!

Are you Hot or Not?

Before:

After:

It's amazing what you can find on clearance at Marshalls. A cheap purse that's fairly cute that holds everything you could need- book, CD player, cell phone, lunch, wallet & keys. The only catch? The ugly ribbons some stupid head sewed on the thing. No wonder it's on clearance. 20 minues and a pair of scissors, and look at my new stylishness!

posted by Christina @ 11:14 PM |

The Horror part II

OK, I feel the need to explain. I saw the image of the sweater, and I went 'You know... it isn't that bad... it's something Mom would wear... it's 80's, but that's kinda in right now, and the patterns are really really cool...'

But it's still ugly. And the colors are absolutely terrifying and the flowers are waaay too big. But look at this:


Look what they did with stockinette, reverse stockinette and seed stitch. That is very, very spiffy. I may use it in something. Possibly that cable strap tank that I've been tantalizing you all with the idea of. **evil evil cackling**

posted by Christina @ 11:50 PM |

As you can tell, I've moved a little. Think about it like switching rooms in your house.

So, let me sit back, get comfortable and knit. I'm going to go do that now.

posted by Christina @ 9:21 PM |

The horror... the horror...

So, I opened the drawer of my new dresser in my aunt's new house, and found a table cloth, an answering machine from 1986, an LP and this:


Where do I start? You know the worst part? It's hand knit! Someone spent a lot of time and love to make that thing.

I mean, the Fair Isle stuff is actually pretty damn cool, as is the use of seed stitch for the leaves. But the color scheme makes my soul hurt.

Makes me wonder what I'll think of stuff I knit in 20 years. Look at the neckline! Why did I always wear blue! (etc...)

Also, dead dog!


No, not really.

posted by Christina @ 9:14 PM |

Sweet, Sweet Design Projects!

I've decided I really like the idea of design my own cable tank (with cables as straps), and some design around where I always have my Fair Isle designs.

But have you noticed how long my project list is? And icy love really isn't finished because the sleeve caps are all wrong. So, patience. Patience. Must finish Molly's thing.

posted by Christina @ 10:45 AM |

Ah, Sweet, Sweet Bounty!

LOOK what I have inherited!

See, Auntie/Roommate Nina was knitting a sweater for my grandmother. My grandmother died (about 6 years ago) and whether it was before or after that, she never used the yarn again. So now it is mine, all mine.

By the way, I realize how morbid that sounds. I do. But VoVo died a long time ago. And I had no control over Nina's yarn buying. So, I don't feel bad at all.

Alas, it is DK weight. I thought I'd sworn of DK weight. It's Jewel DK/sport weight for most of it, and a sugar 'n' cream worsted weight which I'll prolly make into Mouse-a-thon micies.

Now, here's the new question for you. What on earth do I make with this? Cleo? A DK weight cardigan I have in a book? Design my own cable tank top?

Oh, the possibilities are endless.

posted by Christina @ 10:56 PM |