Thursday, January 24, 2008
Obscenity and degradation - felting without a top-loading washer *
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The unknown knitter *
In my 'jammies doin' the freakin' I-cord thing. It was great to finish the purse body for Alex (niece) but then there were the 9 feet of I-cord to make. Yeah boy - I am the world's slowest I-cord maker. The niece may get the purse by the time she is 20 (she's 14 now).
"This is the cord that never ends, it just goes on and on, my friends. I once started knitting it, not knowing what it was, now I'll be knitting it forever - that's because it is the cord that never ends, it just goes on and on, my friends. I once started knitting it, not knowing what it was, now I'll be knitting it forever - that's because it is the cord that never ends....." Ad infinitum.
* This is a reference to the Unknown Comic from the gong show - if you are too young to remember that, just let it go. You'll never "get" a lot of my comments in this blog.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery - I am developing a backlog of gifts requested. Besides that, I need time to learn how to do them.
Thanks,
Your Loving Aunt
Does anyone else remember when everything you ordered took either 4-6 weeks or 6-8 weeks to arrive?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Charming Husband In Watchcap Again
Extra-yummy Blue Sky Royal Alpaca with husband filling. Marsan Watchcap pattern at Redlipstick.com
Rita in a pup bowl
This is my furry friend Rita - she is a rescutie (rescued cutie) who belongs to my neighbor. I borrow her for fur love sometimes, plus she helps me knit.
Validation means more work?
My 'twenty-something' niece called this morning. She is a peach - I love her dearly (despite her dreadful and sarcastic ways - perhaps because of them). Apparently she has absconded with the beanie I made for her dad (out of delicious yak yarn). Truth be told, he didn't like it that much anyway - claims to be an old guy who wants a turned up rim sort of hat. Beanies are just too mod and cool for him. His new hat has been made and is one of the items on the table being blocked, so don't feel too sorry for him - his head will be re-clad soon enough.
At any rate, Valerie wanted to tell me how much she "LOVED, not LIKED" the hat and wanted to "order up" some more. YIPPEE! Somebody is truly enjoying the string gifts I'm churning out madly.
Off to the LYS for blue, black and white-ish yarn. Yep, she wants three of the little guys to wear with (apparently) everything she owns. No problem - I'll do it as soon as I finish the obnoxiously hot pink felted purse for my 14-year-old niece. She loves anything pink and girly, so this should be a perfect gift.
To be completely honest, my mother got a steely blue shawl/blanket made of Debbie Bliss chunky cashmerino that she would use all the time if she could retrieve it from her cat. So validation is not that scarce a commodity. Good thing, because neither are my knitted gifts.
Now go out there and annoy someone by being friendly today - you know you want to.
Peace
At any rate, Valerie wanted to tell me how much she "LOVED, not LIKED" the hat and wanted to "order up" some more. YIPPEE! Somebody is truly enjoying the string gifts I'm churning out madly.
Off to the LYS for blue, black and white-ish yarn. Yep, she wants three of the little guys to wear with (apparently) everything she owns. No problem - I'll do it as soon as I finish the obnoxiously hot pink felted purse for my 14-year-old niece. She loves anything pink and girly, so this should be a perfect gift.
To be completely honest, my mother got a steely blue shawl/blanket made of Debbie Bliss chunky cashmerino that she would use all the time if she could retrieve it from her cat. So validation is not that scarce a commodity. Good thing, because neither are my knitted gifts.
Now go out there and annoy someone by being friendly today - you know you want to.
Peace
Block(ing) Party
Finally got my mind around the small pile of items that needed to be blocked. Bought some citrus scented SOAK and pulled out an old stockpot. Did the job and now everything is on blocking "pads" on the dining room table.
What comes next? Of course - invite some friends for dinner. D'oh, the table has been completely overrun with wet things trying to become dry things. Damn! Idiot! Planning is clearly not my strong suit this week.
What comes next? Of course - invite some friends for dinner. D'oh, the table has been completely overrun with wet things trying to become dry things. Damn! Idiot! Planning is clearly not my strong suit this week.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Abrupt turnabout - yarn and needles
I finished the lovely Hella Cable scarf and have enjoyed a couple of days of wearing it before I block it. It does look great (will post a photo soon) in Brown Sheep Burly Spun Sable.
From large to small, however, is a bizarre transition. I am making a small wrist bag for holding yarn while I knit. I won't use it too much, but when I am at our "knit-one-one" knit-out night (website: http://www.knitoneone.com/ ), it is hard to put my yarn anywhere. The floor is out. The table is clean when we start, but as you can imagine does not stay that way (sweet potato fries are flavor filled, but grease-laden and we have the occasional knitting needle drinking glass disturbance).
Knituition's blog has the pattern - really cute - it can be found at: http://knituition.blogspot.com/2007/04/wrist-yarn-holder.html
Cute, yes, but switching from #17 pointy baseball bats with yarn that could be used to tie up a boat to #3 double points with 8 tiny stitches on them is enough to make me head for the red wine. In fact, I think I'll do that right now.
Peace
From large to small, however, is a bizarre transition. I am making a small wrist bag for holding yarn while I knit. I won't use it too much, but when I am at our "knit-one-one" knit-out night (website: http://www.knitoneone.com/ ), it is hard to put my yarn anywhere. The floor is out. The table is clean when we start, but as you can imagine does not stay that way (sweet potato fries are flavor filled, but grease-laden and we have the occasional knitting needle drinking glass disturbance).
Knituition's blog has the pattern - really cute - it can be found at: http://knituition.blogspot.com/2007/04/wrist-yarn-holder.html
Cute, yes, but switching from #17 pointy baseball bats with yarn that could be used to tie up a boat to #3 double points with 8 tiny stitches on them is enough to make me head for the red wine. In fact, I think I'll do that right now.
Peace
Friday, January 4, 2008
Another day, another tangle
OK - I had no intention of writing every day, but have had such adventures/misadventures that I had to make a note.
To begin with, it has been raining buckets and blowing near-hurricane force winds here in Oakland. And my charming husband stayed home to snuffle with his new friend the cold.
I got a little cabin fever (imagine that!), so I started knitting. And un-knitting. Got tired of the feel of Cascade 220 on 16" circular needles, so went after a new pattern from a great knitter in our group. It is called the Hella Cable Scarf written by Speedyneedles (Kate F). This crazy scarf uses Brown Sheep Burly Spun yarn or a combo of other yarns put together.
I didn't have anything to use, so swam out to the yarn store (Article Pract) in the middle of the deluge. Took forever to pick a yarn so I got several. (Another surprise - I'm really a big ol' yarn slut for stuff that feels good) Got the yarn - holy crap is it big! Tried to wind it in the store and didn't hold tension, so the ball outgrew the ball winder about halfway through. (Idiot) Had to pull it and run the large, unfinished center pull ball through again. It fits on one spindle if done properly. Thanks to the nice yarnmaiden at the store. Oh - and I left my umbrella at the store because the rain slowed to a light pour while I was shopping. Grrr.
Brought home my groovy new burly and looked for a yarn to carry along with it for an accent. What a disaster - I tried and frogged several options and may yet just use the burly without an accent color. I really am discovering that I need to consult with Punk Rawk Purl (Tammy G) or the yarnwomen du jour when choosing colors or yarns in general - I suck at this! Things always turn out much better when I get help. And yes, I did tangle up the yarn as I frogged.
The final observation of today - knitting with number 19 needles is a bit like knitting with a pair of sharpened baseball bats.
To begin with, it has been raining buckets and blowing near-hurricane force winds here in Oakland. And my charming husband stayed home to snuffle with his new friend the cold.
I got a little cabin fever (imagine that!), so I started knitting. And un-knitting. Got tired of the feel of Cascade 220 on 16" circular needles, so went after a new pattern from a great knitter in our group. It is called the Hella Cable Scarf written by Speedyneedles (Kate F). This crazy scarf uses Brown Sheep Burly Spun yarn or a combo of other yarns put together.
I didn't have anything to use, so swam out to the yarn store (Article Pract) in the middle of the deluge. Took forever to pick a yarn so I got several. (Another surprise - I'm really a big ol' yarn slut for stuff that feels good) Got the yarn - holy crap is it big! Tried to wind it in the store and didn't hold tension, so the ball outgrew the ball winder about halfway through. (Idiot) Had to pull it and run the large, unfinished center pull ball through again. It fits on one spindle if done properly. Thanks to the nice yarnmaiden at the store. Oh - and I left my umbrella at the store because the rain slowed to a light pour while I was shopping. Grrr.
Brought home my groovy new burly and looked for a yarn to carry along with it for an accent. What a disaster - I tried and frogged several options and may yet just use the burly without an accent color. I really am discovering that I need to consult with Punk Rawk Purl (Tammy G) or the yarnwomen du jour when choosing colors or yarns in general - I suck at this! Things always turn out much better when I get help. And yes, I did tangle up the yarn as I frogged.
The final observation of today - knitting with number 19 needles is a bit like knitting with a pair of sharpened baseball bats.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Untangling this blog thing
I was never much interested in blogs, but now that I've been reading about a few things that really interest me (knitting, cooking, gardening) it seems like fun to share. I have gotten a world of good advice from bloggers recently, so thought I would join in.
This may start out really poorly done (sorry in advance), but once I get the hang of it better blogging may happen.
I hope.
This may start out really poorly done (sorry in advance), but once I get the hang of it better blogging may happen.
I hope.
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