Sometimes, you hit the right note with someone and you get a busted hornent's nest in return. Although I can't say getting stung is enjoyable, at least I know I've begun to figure out a very sticky family trauma. I feel vindicated. I'm not crazy, there is more to the story. Well.
Sorry to be mysterious and dramatic just then, but hub is asleep and I'm coming off a bit of adrenaline and needed to digress.
More knitting content to come.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Yarn Is My Weakness
I know, join the club. (Gladly)
As I near the final ridges of the Pie Are Square shawl, the quest has begun to find a good border that won't take absolutely too long. EZ's laceweight version has a sawtooth border that doesn't look too hard, but I wanted to check with a few other sources first. I've flipped through all three of Nicky Epstein's edging books, as well as the Barbara Walker quartet. Honestly, the sawtooth might just be the easiest for someone with utterly minimal lace experience. It isn't the prospect of complicated knitting that deters me so much as getting to the end of knitting the border to find I've chosen something really mismatched or inappropriate. I'm on a schedule here, people.
Speaking of knitting deadlines, here's what I've unrealisitically planned for myself:
Mid-November: birthday socks for Mom. (currently doing gusset decreases on #1)
Christmas:
1. Pie Are Square for Mom.
2. Log Cabin in Patches for In-laws.
3. Socks for Hub.
4. Alpaca Lace for BF.
5. BBDR's fo my little sis.
6. Slipper socks for BF's mom.
There are also projects in the queue for February (new baby and her big bro), April (BF & my little Bro's wedding), May (Mother's Day & Hub's b-day). I'm not nuts. It's called ambition.
Meanwhile, I've been knitting vanilla socks for myself and surfing great yarn sales to avoid doing homework. This is driving me crazy, because for the low, low price of $95 I could do a very small sweater. I might just have to buy three skeins to get a small fix.
As I near the final ridges of the Pie Are Square shawl, the quest has begun to find a good border that won't take absolutely too long. EZ's laceweight version has a sawtooth border that doesn't look too hard, but I wanted to check with a few other sources first. I've flipped through all three of Nicky Epstein's edging books, as well as the Barbara Walker quartet. Honestly, the sawtooth might just be the easiest for someone with utterly minimal lace experience. It isn't the prospect of complicated knitting that deters me so much as getting to the end of knitting the border to find I've chosen something really mismatched or inappropriate. I'm on a schedule here, people.
Speaking of knitting deadlines, here's what I've unrealisitically planned for myself:
Mid-November: birthday socks for Mom. (currently doing gusset decreases on #1)
Christmas:
1. Pie Are Square for Mom.
2. Log Cabin in Patches for In-laws.
3. Socks for Hub.
4. Alpaca Lace for BF.
5. BBDR's fo my little sis.
6. Slipper socks for BF's mom.
There are also projects in the queue for February (new baby and her big bro), April (BF & my little Bro's wedding), May (Mother's Day & Hub's b-day). I'm not nuts. It's called ambition.
Meanwhile, I've been knitting vanilla socks for myself and surfing great yarn sales to avoid doing homework. This is driving me crazy, because for the low, low price of $95 I could do a very small sweater. I might just have to buy three skeins to get a small fix.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Lots To Do, Little To Discuss
One might think that after a full month without posting, I might have thought of something interesting to say. Sorry, no.
I took a little break in the first place because my wool order showed up to start a Log Cabin blanket for my in-laws' Christmas present. Since I'm also still working on the lace-weight Pie Are Square shawl, which is up to 600 stitches per row (!), I've had to try and concentrate my energy on those projects and not much else. Which means I joined Ravelry and put Millie and Duncan on Etsy, and promptly did nothing more with internet-related items.
The second I'm "not allowed" to knit anything else, I feel rebelious. Various socks seem to find their way into my project bag rather than blanket squares. By the way, Jaywalkers are really great little knit, but if you're a tight knitter the gauge is really vital. (It seems my Lorna's Laces in the Lakeview colorway is cursed.)
Of course, nothing could stop me from increasing my stash. In the last few weeks I've acquired more Dream In Color Smooshy, Jojoland Melody, Fly Designs Lacewing, Trekking XXL, something in the custom colorway for Twisted, some handspun sportweight, Schaefer Anne, and...I'm sure I've missed something. I could go on a yarn diet any time.
By all means, keep the patterns and design ideas coming as well. Have you seen Burridge yet? I finally came to the realization that I can't keep buying and bookmarking and downloading patterns because I can't possibly knit them all. So I got smart and started a schedule in Outlook in the Journal feature. That way, I won't get down to the two weeks before Mother's Day and realize I wanted to knit up a couple gifts but haven't given myself time or bought the materials. Hopefully, this little exercise will also prevent me from lining up too many big projects like Lizard Ridge and Burridge Lake Aran Afghan all at once.
As you might expect, the days leading up to Christmas will be very busy for retail folks, and where I work it's the rule and not the exception. I'll be working a ton, travelling a little and knitting during every spare second. Therefore, things are going to be sparse around here. I'm hoping to dedicate some internet time to our Etsy site before Xmas to get in a little retail action ourselves. Ravelry will have to wait until '08.
I took a little break in the first place because my wool order showed up to start a Log Cabin blanket for my in-laws' Christmas present. Since I'm also still working on the lace-weight Pie Are Square shawl, which is up to 600 stitches per row (!), I've had to try and concentrate my energy on those projects and not much else. Which means I joined Ravelry and put Millie and Duncan on Etsy, and promptly did nothing more with internet-related items.
The second I'm "not allowed" to knit anything else, I feel rebelious. Various socks seem to find their way into my project bag rather than blanket squares. By the way, Jaywalkers are really great little knit, but if you're a tight knitter the gauge is really vital. (It seems my Lorna's Laces in the Lakeview colorway is cursed.)
Of course, nothing could stop me from increasing my stash. In the last few weeks I've acquired more Dream In Color Smooshy, Jojoland Melody, Fly Designs Lacewing, Trekking XXL, something in the custom colorway for Twisted, some handspun sportweight, Schaefer Anne, and...I'm sure I've missed something. I could go on a yarn diet any time.
By all means, keep the patterns and design ideas coming as well. Have you seen Burridge yet? I finally came to the realization that I can't keep buying and bookmarking and downloading patterns because I can't possibly knit them all. So I got smart and started a schedule in Outlook in the Journal feature. That way, I won't get down to the two weeks before Mother's Day and realize I wanted to knit up a couple gifts but haven't given myself time or bought the materials. Hopefully, this little exercise will also prevent me from lining up too many big projects like Lizard Ridge and Burridge Lake Aran Afghan all at once.
As you might expect, the days leading up to Christmas will be very busy for retail folks, and where I work it's the rule and not the exception. I'll be working a ton, travelling a little and knitting during every spare second. Therefore, things are going to be sparse around here. I'm hoping to dedicate some internet time to our Etsy site before Xmas to get in a little retail action ourselves. Ravelry will have to wait until '08.
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