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Posts Tagged ‘Craft’

4KCBWDAY7- Stuffing Every Nook And Cranny with Fiber

Posted in Clothing and Accessories, Competition, Knitting, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 28, 2013 | 19 Comments »

Today is the last day of Knit Crochet Blog Week, hosted by Eskimimimakes blog.  The topic of the day is Looking Forward–where do I hope my crafting will take me in the next year?

houses1

Overall goal: I want to find ways to stuff fiber into every nook and cranny of my life. Almost nothing makes me happier.

Specific goals:

1) I’d like to tackle color work, preferably with a  Fair Isle pattern.

I just love this Fair Isle sleeveless hoody on the cover of Fearless Fair Isle Knitting. It seems irreverent somehow, as if Fair Isle is “supposed” to be used a certain way, and this pattern is thumbing its nose at those notions. I’m a sucker for irreverent patterns. 

The cover of Fearless Fair Isle Knitting.

2) I’d like to knit something with this lovely red Blackwater Abbey yarn my mother gave me. It’s gorgeous, crunchy wool that screams to be knit into something with intricate cables.

I keep returning to a few  patterns over and over.

Plaits and Links Cardigan by Kathy Zimmerman as seen on Ravelry

134-55 “Chocolate Passion” – Jacket with cables in Alaska by DROPS design as seen on Ravelry

Hawthorne Vest by Marilyn King as seen on Raverly

3) I’d like to knit more projects with my hand spun.  I keep a special drawer in my yarn storage area just for the products of my hand spinning. If I don’t do something in the next few months, that drawer is going to erupt like Mount Vesuvius. If my obituary says something about death by smothering, you’ll know why.

Side note: I was working on this post yesterday and very nearly posted something extremely grouchy. Don’t blog while grouchy. It’s like drunk goggles, if the goggles were  lined with scratchy, itchy wool. Nothing good can come of it. Plus, everyone will know you’re grouchy and that will make you even grouchier. 

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4KCBWDAY6: Wheel of Yarnfinity, Turn, Turn Turn

Posted in Clothing and Accessories, Competition, Knitting, Spinning, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2013 | 36 Comments »

I’m participating in the fourth annual Knit and Crochet Blog Week hosted by Eskimimimakes blog. 

Today is day six and the theme of the day is: A Tool To Covet. The task is to write about my favorite crafting tool.

I have a lot of crafting tools I really love. I love my Addi-clicks interchangeables. I love my light-as feather place markers, perfect for delicate lace knitting. And I love the cute little black embroidery scissors my mother gave me when I was teenager: somehow, after all these years, I’ve managed not to lose them (it’s a miracle).

These things are all wonderful, but the true apple of my eye these days is a magical wheely-bopper.

It’s a truly special tool that enables me to spin as much as I want on my trusty Lendrum, and then free up my bobbins for more spinning without having to make troublesome decisions about what to ply with what. I’m talking, of course, about my splendiforous Schacht bobbin winder.

winder2

The wheel of yarnfinity, which enables me to spin almost without ceasing.

Just yesterday, I finished spinning 8 oz of this lovely variegated green BFL/silk from Sweet Georgia. Yummy.

Green wheel2

But I wasn’t quite ready to commit to the next step. I had two bobbins full. Do I want to just ply them together off the bobbins? Do I want to split the yarn up into four equal amounts and make a four ply? Do I want to hold onto these until I feel brave enough to try chain plying? Agh! Who can decide?

Bobbin winder to the rescue!

white bobbins

I grabbed a few of the plain plastic storage bobbins (They come in large packs of about 20!).  I just realized I’m almost out. Already. Gack!

winding2

Then I set the bobbin winder up on the desk, impaled a plastic bobbin on the winder, and commenced a-windin’.

green on bobbins2

In no time at all I had spun two very full plastic bobbins. Oooh, they’re so pretty. And my wooden bobbins were stripped and ready for wheel spinning again. Joy!

By the way, I have a runner-up favorite that I just can’t resist sharing. I took some glamour shots this morning and now I can’t get this sexy little thing off my mind.

I’m proud to present: Purple Heartwood Golding Spindle. She spins like a dream.

golding 1

Golding 2

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4KCBWDAY5: You’re Invited to Participate in a Craft Blogger Survey

Posted in Clothing and Accessories, Competition, Knitting, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 26, 2013 | 25 Comments »

I’m participating in the fourth annual Knit Crochet Blog Week, hosted by Eskimimimakes blog.

houses

Today is day five and the topic we’ve been assigned to blog about is: Something Different. The idea is to blog in a way that is different from how I normally blog.

I ordinarily blog in a very memoir-ish, sharing-my-projects style, so today I’m going to branch out and try something very different: blogariffic research.  

I’m calling all you bees, manatees, monkeys and peacocks to participate. Mixed breeds (such as the bee-cocks and monkatees) are welcome too. Also, that one lady who self-identified with house of mule–I especially want you to participate. 

Image from kmonadollaraday.wordpress.com

Join me in a bit of fun, informal research.

This 4KCBW event has been wonderful opportunity to stretch and try new things.

This week, I tried blogging techniques outside my comfort zone that I was uncomfortable with, and the results have mostly been very positive. Before this week, I’d never made an infographic —but and look at me now!  No fear!

Sometimes it takes a drastic move, or the arrival of a magical blue box, to get you out of a rut. Image from http://www.moodychick.co.uk

I’ve created a 4KCBW- themed survey.

The purpose of the survey is to evaluate your experiences as a craft blogger and your specific experience participating in Knit Crochet Blog Week.

  • How confident do you feel in the various skills required of a craft blogger?
  • What do you feel you’ve gained from participating in blog week?

Take the survey  (only 10 questions) and see your results, along with the results of other participants.

survey

Take the survey

At the end, I’ll do a little statistical analysis with the results, which I’ll post here

Thanks in advance for taking part. I look forward to playing with numbers and telling you all about it.

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4KCBWDAY4: Color Review – A Statistical Moment of Truth

Posted in Clothing and Accessories, Competition, Knitting, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 25, 2013 | 10 Comments »

I’m participating in the fourth annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, hosted by Eskimimimakes blog.

houses

Today is day four and the assigned topic is Color Review. The task is to discuss my favorite colors used in my crafting. What do I have in my stash? What do I actually knit with? Is there any significant relationship between these two sets of data?

Here’s a peak into my stash (partial, I assure you):

my yarn 1

And here’s a  look at some of the projects I’ve made:

projects 1

A quick glance tells you there’s a pop of yellow in each collection, some red, a bit of pink, and a healthy dose of green. But it’s hard to tell if there’s any significant relationship between the two collections.

Statistics to the rescue.

Here’s a bar graph showing the distribution of colors in my yarn stash:

yarnAnd here’s a bar graph showing the distribution of colors in my projects on Ravelry:

my projectsDo these graphs look similar? Hardly. There are a few colors that seem well represented in both groups: red, green and gray. But the rest looks like a muddle, doesn’t it?

Now, this is where I could get all weasley and say: “There’s a little overlap, isn’t there? I mean, green here, green there; yellow here, yellow there. And look at how gorgeous those yarns colors are. Surely there’s some justification for the differences based on beauty alone!”

“I’m not here to talk about beauty or to justify your wild spending habits,” growls statistics, menacingly. “I’m here to answer a simple question: Is there any relationship between the yarn colors you buy and the projects you knit?”

Comparing the distributions: A comparison of the distributions of  these two variables (yarn colors and project colors) shows the distributions are significantly different  (significance 0.020, p = 0.05). What this means is that the pattern of colors amongst my yarn collection and the pattern of colors amongst my projects is not the same.

Conclusion: Color Review FAIL

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4KCBWDAY3 – Monkeys, They’re Just Like Knitters (Infographic)

Posted in Clothing and Accessories, Competition, Knitting, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 24, 2013 | 31 Comments »

This week, I’m participating in the fourth annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, hosted by EskimimiMakes blog.

Today is day 3 and the topic we’ve been assigned is: Infographic. The task is to create my own infographic to convey “any element of my craft(s).”

I chose “Monkey” as my “house” in the Monday post. Today, I’m still stuck on the topic of monkeys. Monkeys and knitting. So I cobbled together the attached infographic.  Enjoy!

infographic

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4KCBWDAY1 – I’ve been bitten by an exotic fiber-eating bug, and it’s sitting on a monkey

Posted in Clothing and Accessories, Knitting, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 22, 2013 | 25 Comments »

I’m participating in the fourth annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, hosted by Eskimimi of Eskimimimakes blog.

Day 1: The first blog topic of the week is The House Cup, a la Harry Potter. The task: choose a “house” from the list provided and blog about the way in which that house represents your crafting outlook/style.

It didn’t take me long to pick my house. Monkey all the way. I love a challenging project. I get antsy if I don’t have at something on my needles that is teaching me something new.

I haven’t always been a Monkey. The first twenty years of my knitting life were spent squarely in the House of Manatee. I enjoyed knitting comfort projects above all else and did not feel adventure was necessary to my knitting life. The things I already knew were more than sufficient. Knitting was about safety and warmth and homey-gifting. I remember learning to knit simple stockinette hats on straight needles when I was about 20. I knitted one, then two, then dozens. I gave them to everybody I knew. I gave them to people I barely knew. Before I knew it, all the hat-wearers in my life were hatted and I had run out of “victims.”

It was the combined influence of Ravelry and my Mother’s gentle urging that convinced me to poke my nose outside by comfort zone. Mom helped me choose my first lace pattern. It was a simple Jared Flood autumn leaf pattern, but to me it was a taste of the exotic. And exotic started to be a craving.

My Autumn Leaves shawl.

Less than two years later, I’m knitting complicated Romi Hill lace patterns and I’m as happy as can be. I finished Fiori Di Sole one week ago. Just one week. The shawl had barely left my needles when my fingers began to itch for a new challenge. 24 hours later, I had cast on another Romi Hill lace shawl.

Finished just in time for my wedding.

Next up. I’m a glutton for punishment. Heavenly, by Romi Hill, as seen on Ravelry.

It’s a sickness, it must be. An addiction. To the adventure, to the thrill.

One thing I love about this whole things is that I can pick my own patterns and challenge myself as much or as little as I want and there’s no one to judge me. In what other part of my life do the results of my efforts truly matter to no one but me? And how many of those are as fulfilling as knitting? I can’t think of any.

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At Times Like This, Everything I Knit is a Prayer Shawl

Posted in Clothing and Accessories, Knitting, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2013 | 7 Comments »

photo (23)

You see that last lace repeat there? That’s the bit of this shawl I knitted last night while meditating on what happened in Boston yesterday.

The stitches seem mournful, somehow.

But I then I remind myself that dank and dreary thoughts can’t drive out the dark. This is Rowan Kidsilk Haze I’m knitting with, after all. It’s like knitting with bits of angel’s wings. Light as air and radiant with hope.

And that pattern. It reminds me of the Estonian Haga pattern, which means twig or small branch. Bits of a growing tree. Life that grows and goes on.

I’m no pundit and I don’t aspire to be one or to make political statements. I can only think of my fellow human beings who are suffering today. And the streets of a place I have visited, that seem stained now. What can we do to erase what has happened?

I don’t think there’s anything we can do to erase it. We can only go on and make new and better things. It’s such a miracle that we can do that.

My simple bit of knitting can be my prayer for the better world I hope we can create. I can never hope for my prayer to change others, or change God (if you believe in one). I can only hope for it to change me.

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19 Reasons I Wish I Had My Knitting With Me Right Now

Posted in Clothing and Accessories, Humor, Knitting, Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 28, 2013 | 23 Comments »

1) I’m at a work dinner surrounded by people who are talking shop, only on a plane of knowledge and experience that makes me feel like a paramecium. If only I had a suitable conversation piece to redirect the discussion to more familiar territory.

2) I’m attending an hour-long meeting, only five minutes of which actually applies to me.

3) I don’t know how to sit at a restaurant waiting for food without something to do. Knitting has ruined me for fine dining.

4) Christmas with the in-laws. Lots and lots of time spent with people who are nice, but unfamiliar. I want to impress them. Knitting is ladylike and productive.

5) I’m trying to stay awake during a finance presentation. Spreadsheets do it to me every time.

6) I had no idea one short errand would turn into five errands.

7) Leaving my cat at the vet for treatment is almost as stressful for me as it is for him.

8) That lady two rows away on the bus is knitting and I’m jealous.

9) I wish there was some way to knit while running on a treadmill. I would be in such good shape.

10) Someone just gave me an end-of-day deadline at 4:12 pm. I need something to prevent me chucking my computer out the window.

11) My SO is addicted to a really terrible  super heroes cartoon. I need something to do while I pretend to watch it.

12) I can’t sit in the dark with nothing to do, even at a concert.

13) All the good celebrity magazines are next to the other pedicure chair.

14) My SO has disappeared into the Lego store. He may never come out again.

15) I’m trying to cut calories so I need something to distract myself from the appetizer tray.

16) I’m at a New Years party, which these days is half kiddie play date. Lots of sitting around watching munchkins suck on wooden blocks.

17) I just discovered I’m lactose intolerant and I’m a little pissed that I can no longer order the cheese plate. But at least I can still have this awesome yarn.

18) I’m watching a dance movie where the dancing is the only point. I need to fill in the empty spaces between awesome dance numbers.

19) I might discover a new Ravelry friend. When I whip out my knitting they pop out of the woodwork.

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February Finds – On My Struggles to Stay Triogamous

Posted in Books, Clothing and Accessories, Knitting, Weddings, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 13, 2013 | 19 Comments »

There’s nothing like a yarn diet combined with an important long-term project to make the eyes wander.

I am only allowed three open projects right now:

  • The wedding shawl
  • The not-a-boyfriend-sweater cardigan (which I was supposed to finish before Christmas)
  •  A pair of socks

But I can’t seem to stay triogamous. I don’t think I’ve ever favorited so many new patterns on Ravelry as I have during the last few weeks.

I don’t think woman was ever meant to limit herself to just three knitting projects. It’s against nature…or at least it’s against my nature.

Pain shared is pain halved right? So I’m going to share some of the delightful patterns that have me in agonies right now.

I’m Living in Sweater Dresses Right Now

I have a trio of gorgeous sweater dresses I’ve been pairing with leggings and wearing to work the last couple of months. I would love to have a few more in my wardrobe to provide variety. These gorgeous designs by Kristina McGowan are just the ticket.

Jill’s Dress by Kristina McGowan, as seen on Ravelry. I love the tweedy fabric and the crocheted “seams.” Plus, this is a neckline that would really work for me. Go small-bust club!

Soho Smocked Dress by Kristina McGowan, as seen on Ravelry. I love the detailing at the waist. This would either look really good on me or absolutely wrong, depending on how the waist falls. Although I suppose that’s the virtue of knitting. You can move things around if you want. Hah!

Museum Tunic by Kristina McGowan as seen on Ravelry. This stunner is designed in a chunky yarn so the knitting would just FLY!

Promenade Dress by Kristina McGowan as seen on Raverly. Here’s a cute dress that actually has sleeves, which I might need if I want to wear this to the office. I would have to pair the other dresses with shawls, cardigans or jackets to avoid goose bump arms.

Bright, Graphic Shawls That are Definitely NOT Lace

I love my Romi Hill lace wedding shawl, I truly do. All the same, my next shawl project is sooooo not going to be lace.  I’m going for something fierce and bold and colorful. Perhaps one of these showstoppers:

Dreambird KAL by Nadita Swings, as seen on Ravelry. My first thought when I saw this shawl was “They did WHAT now? That’s not allowed. That’s so loud. That’s so bright. That’s so in-your-face… That would look great peeking out of my tan jacket.”


Eden Prairie by Nancy Whitman, as seen on Raverly. I grew up in southern Wisconsin where we have a special reverence for all things Frank Lloyd Wright. This shawl reminds me of the Unitarian Society building in Madison.

Indian Summer by Ann Kingstone, as seen on Raverly. When I first saw this photo, I thought, “That can’t be right. Knitting? Must be mislabeled. That looks woven for sure.” Nope, I was wrong.   Love it. Want it.

This One’s for Grandpa

Betsy’s Goose by Sara Elizabeth Kellner, as seen on Ravelry. When my grandfather retired, he spend a goodly portion of his free time carving wooden birds, mostly ducks and geese. This little project would be something lovely to do in his memory. Maybe I could start sending them to my cousins’ children so that they can have a piece of him.

When I come to the end of this yarn and project diet I’m going to let loose. I’m going to be as unruly and pleasure-seeking as a parochial school girl on her first day at a public university. Watch out, world. Here I come, needles a-clacking.

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Wedding Shawl: Off to the Races

Posted in Clothing and Accessories, Knitting, Wedding, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 21, 2013 | 24 Comments »

Last week I started knitting what I hope will be my glorious lace wedding shawl. 

By popular demand (and also because I liked this pattern a whole heck of a lot) I am knitting Fiori Di Sole, by Romi Hill.

Fiori Di Sole, by Romi Hill, as seen on Ravelry.

I wasn’t totally sold on this shawl, until one of by blog commenters suggested using gold silk. I had a sudden vision of myself wrapped in warmth and light. A golden glow. I knew that was IT.

I went to Webs to search for the right yarn, and darn if it wasn’t almost impossible to find the right color and fiber content in the right weight. There were lots of wonderful options in worsted or fingering weight, but not very many options in lace weight. Usually my problem when shopping on Webs is that I’m spoiled for choice, not that I come up dry.

Much Googling ensued and eventually I stumbled upon the Loopy Ewe’s Web site, where I found a cashmere/silk blend  by Sweet Georgia that was just the ticket.

Cashsilk Lace by Sweet Georgia, as seen at http://www.loopyewe.com

And what ticket it was, at $35 per skein. I had to remind myself:

It’s OK. This is for your wedding. You’re buying this yarn instead of a fancy dress. For the price of the 4 skeins you need you wouldn’t even be able to buy a veil at Kleinfeld’s. 

Breathe. 

Say No to the Dress. Say Yes to the Shawl. 

So I ordered the yarn and began working with it almost as soon as it arrived.

Charts A -D flew by. Now I’m working on five repeats of Chart E. Many many rows of cute little leaves.

Fiori in progress

I’ve only made a few mistakes so far, but they’re not obvious and I’m not telling you where they are.

This shawl is so much fun to knit, so long as I remember to use lots of markers. I love lace. It keeps me entertained for hours. Joy to the lace…la la la la.

Just watch. My next post will be about how much I hate lace and how I want it to curl up and die.

To be continued…

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