Further proof that I am a dork...
I have been called (derisively) indy and cool. Despite the fact that I am a total dork (I mean, I have a KNITTING BLOG, for pete's sake!), I try to pride myself that I only watch quality television and only read quality books
and only knit with quality yarn.
This is patently false. I love bad reality television.
He's a Lady? You bet!
Manhunt? Priceless! I've also been reading an alarming amount of chick lit lately, including an obsession with
The Elm Creek Quilts series. Which really makes me want to quilt, until I remember that I really don't like to sew.
Anyway, terrifying amounts of estrogen in these novels, romance and fabric! Excellent reading for all of you crafters out there. Enjoy!
There are no pictures in this post...
But I managed to complete my first menja sleeve drunk on the metro at 2 am on Saturday morning. Error free, no less.
Saturday afternoon, I went to the local library booksale where there were TWO CRATES of ONLY KNITTING PATTERNS. I cleaned house, baby. Passing over the Dale of Norway fair isle patterns that I'd never make, I got some Patons yoked sweater patterns, a shawl collar pullover, a lacy cardigan and the
Vogue Map of the World sweater pattern. Total cost for this patterny goodness? $5, baby!
Though there really were some horrendous patterns. The 80's was not a good time for knitwear design. ::shudder::
Gauge Swatch
So I started a first sleeve for the pullover, did the fair isle (LOOKS SO PRETTY) and started the increases, then checked my gauge.
It's too tight. My gauge is never too tight. When it's in the round, my gauge is a zillion times too large. And yet.
This begs the question... where am I gonna find size 9 DPN and circs? Well, obviously a yarn store and I have the Denise kit (but it's nice to have two for two sleeves, two circs), but... I never use 9s! This is a strange new thing for me. Oooh!
Fate, Why Art Thou So Cruel?
"Where's the fourth DPN?" you may ask. I have absolutely no idea. This vexes me. I'm terribly vexed.
So, I'm in kind of a knitting rut. Well, actually, I'm just kind of bored with knitting. I'm halfway through the first menja sleeve and bored, halfway through the front (back completed) of Juliet and I'm bored. I just cast on for the Moorish Patterned Pullover last night (which is how I discovered the missing needle) and will work on that for a while and see how that goes...
I've already frogged the Old Navy sweater (and have a pattern idea for it), I'm not in the mood to frog
icylove or the butt ugly sweater, I don't really want to spin, I don't want to update all of the pages here (and the poor site has been needing an update since August), I don't want to sew the lining into that bag I made (that you haven't seen yet), or mend the various things that need mending or take the shoulderpads out of that suit jacket, or block the Bella tank to (hopefully) make it longer, I don't really want to take pictures of the Bella tank and the Candy bag and put them up...
I don't know what's going on with me, but I might go cold turkey with knitting for a few days to see if that restarts the craving. It'd also give my wrists a break... But after I work on the moorish sleeves a little.
By the way, am I the only person in the world who sometimes like to work on sleeves first? They're a great way to gauge check and there's less to rip if you're obscenely off!
You may want to have some acid handy...
To throw on your eyes. Because I am about to show you some fugly sweaters.
First, the storebought fugly. Bought at Old Navy, it was too big for me when I was 25 pounds heavier... I kept meaning to frog this thing, but instead I threw it into the winter storage bin.
Pulling out winter clothes tonight, I decided to start frogging and have already pulled out two sleeves! It's much fun, but because of the yarn quality and wear, it's fuzzy and linty. The yarn is 40% wool, 37% polyester and 23% nylon... so it's not great, but considering I got it for $12 3 years ago, I think it's a good bargain. I forsee a sweater coat out of this.
And then... the first sweater that I've ever made. Three times. And it's still really, really ugly. This is the last incarnation, a pattern from a Leisure Arts book at Michael's. Back before I learned about waist shaping and proper fit. I ignored the fact that I hate high necklines. I just wanted to make a sweater. I did. And it's ugly. I've been considering frogging this and making it into a zippered cardi or something, but I'm not sure.
Enjoy the acid burns!
Menja progress!
Can I tell you how much I love the feel of silky wool? I love it!
I'm in the midst of the first sleeve.
I started out with a sleeve, because that way I can gauge my gauge. Pun not intended. This way, there's not that much to rip back if I end up making the thing twenty bajillion times larger that it should be.
Here's a much photoshopped closeup of the cable pattern. Unfortunately, dark cables don't show up very well. Alas, alack.
But it's SO pretty! And it feels so good! And I love it! YAY!
In other news, I just submitted my first design to winter knitty. Keep yer fingers crossed for me!
Silly quiz results
You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting
and do it all the time. While finishing a piece
is the plan, you still love the process, and
can't imagine a day going by without giving
some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation
involves leaving ample space for the stash and
supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn
ends and you begin.
What Kind of Knitter Are You? brought to you by Quizilla
Hopefully, this comes as a shock to no one.
Blame
Emma and
Gail for finding this one for me!
I BOUGHT YARN!
I BOUGHT THE SILKY WOOL! I WILL BE MAKING MENJA SOON!
Yes, I've splurged and bought my expensive, expensive yarn. Half was paid for by my craft fair earnings. I've already started swatching with it, and it has the most lovely texture - nubbly and soft and almost like chenille.
My concerns now are with the pattern. My gauge grows with every pattern, and I usually end up making a size smaller than my bust. In this case, that's 6" instead of 4... but I should end up with about 39", which is a tad too small for me. I could resize, but then I have the problem of yokes not fitting, etc... I will be making this this ASAP, since I always use too little yarn and I'd like to return it!
But my biggest concern? Yarn thieves!
Findings Tutorial!
So, you've made yourself a wire choker.
Now, you can't actually wear this choker until you do something more to it.
The easiest way you can wear a choker would be to simply attach 6" length of ribbon to either side and simply tie a bow in the back. If you want something more professional, you need pliers!
You need needlenose pliers and wire cutters. Pictured are bent ones - the equivalent of a right angle drill, for when you're doing work without a lot of breathing room. (There's a technical term for all of these. I'll remember when it's inconvenient). You also need a couple of small jump rings (5 mm is good), some big link chain and a lobster claw.
For the catch part of your jewelry:
Use the pliers to open your jump rings.
Slide the lobster claw onto the jump ring.
Slide the jump ring through your wire jewelry.
Close the jump ring.
For the adjustable chain side:
Take your second, unused open jump ring and slide it through one end of your chain.
Slide the jumpring through the other end of your choker and close your jumpring.
Your choker should look like this:
Now, you need to cut the chain! Use your wire cutters and cut the chain at what you feel is a reasonable length for you or your intended recipient. Measure the choker on them, figure out how much slack they need, and stay consistent with that. My chain was $7 a foot, so every link counted!
Cut a link using your wire cutters and pull the now open link out of the chain and into the garbage.
Weave your wire ends into your choker to make sure they won't unravel under pressure, then cut.
Voila! The choker, she is done! Enjoy, tell your friends, but please don't hotlink my images!
Craft fair pictures!
First, here are my ladies in our lovely tent.
And it was a good thing they made the 6 am trip to Target to get the tent, because the skies opened up for about 20 minutes towards the end of the day. People huddled under the tent to stay dry and got to peruse our wares as well!
Speaking of perusing, I have pictures of two of my favorite vendors at the fair. Like I said, gorgeous, but expensive, so I went home
sans fun stuff.
Fred remains unimpressed.
Or maybe he just knew that he was going into the vet's today for some minor surgery. Poor puppy.
Finding tutorials coming soon. I
swear.
Just a quick update...
I'm exhausted and would much rather go to bed than give you the full update that you richly deserve. Suffice it to say that the craft fair went exceptionally well. Not only did I break even, I made a small profit!
My
woolarina cohorts of
k8,
Paula and the knitting professor did better than I did, but they also had more stuff. A lot more stuff. And they were utterly, utterly fabulous.
Due to... ahem... unforseen circumstances, I didn't show up with my supplies until quarter to 10, but they had put together a beautiful tent and had fabulous things ready to go, accommodated all my neuroses and didn't care when I ran out to ooh and aah at everything or forget to write down how much things cost on receipt pads or kept my money separate from theirs (it was just easier that way- they had a whole system set out).
I had a fabulous time and I didn't even spend my profits! (We had the cheapest stuff at the fair - there was some fabulous stuff, but it was all $30 and over and I had a budget of $20) So my profits will go towards Menja. Which I will buy the yarn for. Probably this week.
Pictures of the booth, some of my favorites from the craft fair and a shot of Fred tomorrow. Hopefully, the findings tutorial in the next few days.
