I needed a quick project and
I decided to make a hat. The pattern came from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and the yarn is from
Purl Soho. It's the
Lobster Pot yarn that I got when I went to New York this month. According to the label, Lobster Pot yarn is hand-dyed in a lobster pot and then hung to dry in the "salt air of cape cod" (I kid you not). Here are my results:
If you click the picture, you can see a different shot of the hat
I followed the pattern to the letter except I added the purl rows in the middle and towards the top. I love how the colors are so bold and bright.
I am going to make a pair of mittens to match from an
ann norling pattern that I have.
Are These Guys West Side or East Side?
Gangsta Knitter!
A music video! Click it to download!
Also, how do you like my blog's makeover? Is it easy to read? Does it take a long time to load up? Whaddya think?
Anybody know what this "
Ipod Sock" is made of? Just wondering if anyone heard anything about this yet. As far as I know it's not on the apple website.
There are 2 knitting stores in Scottsdale, Arizona...
the cool one and the OK one.
The cool one is Jessica Knits which opened 3 weeks ago, and the Ok one is called Knitting in Scottsdale (I promise this is going somewhere). So yesterday the mail comes and I got a little postcard from knitting in Scottsdale.
SALE. 30-50% off some yarns and 10% off ALL yarns.
Now open on Sundays.
How interesting business can be! Could it be that Jessica (who is the sweetest thing EVER) is taking away business from knitting in Scottsdale? Probably...
I don't know why this struck me so funny. It is just SUCH an obvious attempt by Roberta to get her customers back. I never got anything from her before. I have been on her mailing list for a while now. She wasn't particularly nice to me when I was in her store... I guess she will have to be now.
I wonder if the stores around here will start to step up? Will Jessica have "set the standard?" Honestly, someone had to.
Lime Sweater
This is the weirdness under the arm. Don't worry. It's normal and all. It's just like that because I have to graft it together later. Thanks to all the people who commented on yesterday's post. I decided not to rip it out. I am chalking the whole thing up to experience. The sweater is coming along and it shouldn't be too much longer now.
Really Bad Annoying Thing
There is something really weird about this picture. Look closely at the chest of the shirt. Yep, it's a different shade of green! Just so you know, that is ONLY showing up when I take pictures. When you look at the actual sweater, YOU CAN'T SEE THAT AT ALL! What's up with that?
Also, if you look close, it's only that one skein of yarn. It's not something weird about the picture because across the sleeves is the same as the rest of the sweater. I checked the tags of the yarn and SURE ENOUGH, one of the skeins had a different dyelot. The whole sweater comes from the "J" dyelot and that one skein must have come from the "I" dyelot because that's what's on the tag.
This is making me very angry. Knitters, we drive ourselves crazy, using the last bit of money we have on that extra skein, just so that we don't run out of the dyelot in the middle. I guess I just expected that a yarn store doesn't stock different dyelots together on the same shelf. Next time I know to check before I buy...
MORE ABOUT THE SWEATER
(I actually wrote this before I took the pictures...notice my optimism)
Well I am back on track with my sweater. I am actually back to the same point I was at when I had to rip it back. I am so glad that I was able to figure out the directions that Joelle from Purl gave me on the phone.The problem was that I needed to have a stitch marker on either side of the sleeves. So a total of four stitch markers. Then, the sweater would be symmetrical with decorative decreases along the sleeves. So far it looks pretty cool. It is a little bit loose looking, but I have a feeling that once I do the kitchener under the sleeves it will all tighten up.
I mentioned yesterday that I found out that I have been knitting twisted without realizing it. After I found that out, I looked at my sweater and actually thought "should i start over from the beginning and do it right?" I mean, it looks fine, but something about knowing that it's just a little wrong throughout the whole thing makes me feel dumb. I spent a buttload of money on the cotton silk blend yarn, and i would hate to finish it and realize that it makes me feel stupid to have screwed up EVERY SINGLE STITCH in the whole garment.
Does anyone have a story like this? Does anyone think I should/shouldn't rip it out?
Problem Fixed?
Well I called up Joelle from Purl today (she wrote Last Minute Knitted Gifts) and she was SO sweet and
helpful! She walked me through my problem and told me exactly what to do. She said she felt bad that the pattern was confusing and to call her back if i have ANY other questions!
How Sweet!
So I had to rip out about 6 rows of the yoke. This was no small task! I have 258 stitches on that needle! I would show what it looks like, but my camera doesn't take good closeups.
I found out yesterday that I have been knitting twisted since I learned how to knit! Maybe that's why my knitting looks kind of weird. Anyway, I found out how to do it right, and now I have to change the way I knit. I just started knitting really fast too.
The Yoke's on me...
Ok sorry for the dumb pun. I hate bad yokes....
So I finished the sleeves to the hourglass sweater (a while ago) and now I attached them to the large circular needle and I have been working the yoke (which is the top part of a sweater above the sleeves). I thought it seemed like something was a little wrong, but now i KNOW that there is something VERY wrong with the pattern.
The problem is with symmetry. The pattern says to put in 2 stitch markers in specific spots so that you know where to decrease. Here's the thing: one marker is on the left side of the front and one marker is on the right side of the back. So the problem is that the raglan part of the sleeves will not match on either side.
To top it all off, I know that the problem is with the pattern because after the first decrease row, it says "8 stitches decreased" when really there are only 4 decreased (2 for one of the markers and 2 for the other marker). So obviously there were supposed to be 4 markers that the pattern kept a secret for some reason. I went to the
book corrections at
Purl and there was nothing about it there, but there were 6 other corrections for this sweater that I didn't even notice!
Now, I got this book as a gift. But if I paid for it, i would have paid about $24. That is A LOT to pay for a book with LOTS of mistakes. I LOVE this book, but what good is it with patterns that are incorrect? It's like buying a newspaper with spelling errors (such as the Arizona Republic)! Ugh. So annoying...
So i did a google search to find out if anyone else had this problem- I was hoping someone else was making this sweater and maybe posted it in their blog. But Noooooooooo. Nobody is making this sweater. I am the only one. It's a beautiful sweater! Can't SOMEBODY make it so i can learn from your mistakes? Oh man...
There is not even anything I could do now. I can't even go to
Jessica tomorrow because she's closed til Wednesday. Purl doesn't open til
tomorrow. What am I going to knit now?
What is all this?
Just making some stitch markers... I got a bunch of charms for pretty cheap on Ebay and now I am using my wire to make some stitch markers. Off to the right you can see some that I already finished.
Hot Cocoa and Pappas Squares
Tonight has been a good knitting night. I knit a square for a charity blanket that our SnB'ers are making. I think the blanket is going to go to kids in Phoenix. It's pretty cool looking, I guess... nothing to brag about. I used a pattern for a 9 x 9 washcloth. I used the basketweave pattern and that was fun to knit. The best part is that I finished it in one evening and it's already blocking. I knew that if I stopped I might not go back to it.
I am drinking some delicious hot cocoa right now. I have a yummy recipe:
1 mug of milk
1 packet hot chocolate mix
1 shot of vanilla vodka
3/4 shot of amaretto
- heat the milk in the microwave in the mug for 2 minutes
- add the hot cocoa and stir
- add the alcohol and stir
- drink while you post on blogger
I think it comes out pretty delicious. Sorry Brooke, you'll have to wait a couple months to try it...
Wasn't the Knitty surprise supposed to come out on October 18th? What's going on? On Amy Singer's blog she said that she has SOOOO many submissions... so where are the patterns? I want my surprise and I want it NOW (imagine Veruca Salt's voice from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
On that note, I took a look at Amy Singer's book, Knit Wit, at Borders. That book kinda sucks. I give it a couple-a-thumbs down. How can you sell a book that has patterns in it that are free online? It's not a cheap book either, especially considering that 25% of the patterns in there are sitting in my pattern-printout binder at home! No good. Muy Mal.
Last night I had a LOT of fun at Stitch n Bitch. Mama Java's is always a good time. I got to sit next to Kiki (sp) and she had red cashmere from China! And she was knitting a lace shawl. And I thought I was SO cool with my noro but then she comes out from nowhere with (pow!) a bunch of laceweight AMAZING cashmere... That's why I love knitting with people. I get to see stuff that I would have never seen anyplace else.
Tonight it's Jessica Knits time. I am so excited about knitting there. The knit-in starts at 6:30 but I think I'll head over early. My sorority has a football game tonight so I might have to leave the knit-in earlier than I would like to.
SWEATER UPDATE
A lot of people were asking me last night about how to get the sleeve on the sweater without sewing. I did it last night and it worked out pretty cool. Basically I knit the stitches from the sleeve onto the longer needles that the body was on. I left 10 stitches from the body on a stitch holder and 10 stitches from the sleeve on a stitch holder. Than at the end I just have to Kitchener them together and that's the underarm. Lucky for me that Kitchener is the only finishing technique I know! Obviously that description makes no sense, so maybe I'll take some close ups later to show it.
So now I have cast on for the second sleeve and the first sleeve is already attached to the body. I really want to finish the second sleeve today because I have a feeling that next week will be sweater weather already here in Sunny Arizona.
Well this has nothing to do with knitting, but I just posted 3 knitting pics so I think it's ok. This years Red Sox are like a miracle team. I don't care if anyone is a Yankee's fan- how can you hate a team that NEVER wins and starts winning out of nowhere? Seriously, rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for gravity... It always comes out on top. But Red Sox? You gotta have heart to love the Red Sox. Trust me... I'm a Mets fan...
It kind of pisses me off when someone hears I am from NY and then they say something about the Yanks and I say i'm not a fan and the person gives me a dirty look or a dirty grunt or something. I think Yankees fans are bandwagon fans because anyone can love a team who wins year after year.
Now, I'm not one of those "Yankees Suck" kind of people, because obviously they don't suck. They win all the time. However, I do think that the Yankees bought their success and did not earn it. At all. Ever.
There. I've said it. Now look at my sweater.
This is the update on my Hourglass Sweater. It looks almost done but it really isn't. The sleeve is only half done and there is still another sleeve to do. It's definitely coming along though.
I made a bunch of these a while ago. I made some of them from toggle clasps and some from just wire. I definitely like the wire ones better because they are thinner and they don't affect gauge at ALL. The beads came from BC Beads in Tempe. They are semi-precious stones. At Purl in NY some people noticed them on my needles and they said that I should sell them. I don't really know if I have time for all that. I bought some charms on Ebay and I am going to make more. Maybe I will sell them over the winter break when I'm not in school. I just feel like I don't have the time to be responsible for a business while I am in school right now.
I bought this at Borders with a gift card that I got for my birthday. I also got Hollywood Knits Style. Hollywood Knits Style disappointed me a little. The construction of most of the projects, especially the garments, is very awkward. After working from Last Minute Gifts I think I am spoiled. Nothing in Last Minute Gifts has seams to sew and I think the garments come out stronger that way. Actually I think I am just not good at finishing. Maybe instead of Hollywood Knits Style I should have bought a book on finishing techniques...
Yummmy Lobster Pot Yarn... I got this with my gift certificate at Purl in NY. I am going to make a hat and a scarf with it. It's a mohair wool blend. The tag says that it is dyed by hand in a lobster pot and then dried in the salty air of Cape Cod. It is beautiful.
Ho-o-o-omeward Bound
Well I am going to New York today until Saturday. My classes are cancelled because of the debate and since I only have Monday and Wednesday classes, I have a week off (yay). I am excited about working on my sweater on the plane. I love knitting on the plane. It just feels right.
While I am in NY I am going to go to
Purl to use my gift certificate. I am just going to buy needles though, because for yarn I would rather bring my business to
Jessica. I need to buy the needles to make the sleeves for my sweater and also to make
Cape Mod from SnB. Since Jessica has Big Wool I can finally make it! I wonder if she has technohair?
Newsflash
My sweater's row gauge is off. Thankfully, the sweater pattern in Last Minute Gifts is so great that it adds in the measurements. For example, it says knit so and so rows, or 5 inches. I'm glad it said that because after all my problems with the gauge swatch the other day, I never checked the row gauge. At least my stitch gauge has stayed consistent. I kind of like longer sweaters anyway. They hide the tatoo on my back.
I am excited about this sweater. I can't imagine what it will be like to wear it. I don't think i actually made any garments yet. Just a lot of purses, i guess.
By the way, I found this link to
Justine Bateman's business on the
livejournal knitting community. Justine Bateman is famous for her pivotal role as malorie in Family Ties. She knits apparantly. I like her coats. I want one (to make... not to buy). I think it would be pretty easy. I could use
this coat pattern as a basis.
Time to take a picture of my sweater progress.
The picture on the left is what my sweater WILL look like when it's done, and on the right, what it looks like right now. No, it will not magically change colors.
This is the sweater I have been talking about. This book is "Last Minute Knitted Gifts" by Joelle Hoverson of Purl Soho. It looks all twisted up because the cord is twisted on the circulars (they're too new).
Some random things I found at work
So, I was looking online for a felted bag that I saw a long time ago. It was really cool and it was made from roving (see
Becky's comment in the last post). Unfortunately, I couldn't find it. But, I found other stuff.
There is a company in the UK called
kurlykate that makes awesome felted
bags. I think I want to make one. I think they use roving but I would probably knit it. Check them out:
I just thought this stuff is so cute and inspiring. I think I want to make the Daisy tote first. I like the shape of it (except i'll probably lose stuff in such a deep bag) I can use the poppies from Magknits on the edges.
I also found this blog entry of an amazing booga bag. I think the yarn must have been hand dyed. This is a must see.
That's all for now. I am still working on the preemie hat and the sweater and other stuff. I also started a *secret project* that I will post when I finish it (hint- its not the scarf).
I found
this cool scarf pattern online that I am going to make. I love the X's and O's in the cable. I have a bunch of purple wool left over from felting Hanukkah gifts. Maybe I'll cast on tonight.
Cheryll said that she never cabled until she made an
Irish Hiking Scarf, so i should be ok.
I think I want to make the
skull socks too. I better stop before I start ordering things.
This yarn came from
Jessica Knits. I went there and stayed all day. I even saw
Brooke there from Stitch n Bitch. The yarn I bought is Noro Lily for the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Gifts. It is 70% Cotton and 30% Silk. I love working with it and it comes out sooooo soft. Jessica even figured out the yarn substitution for me and measured my gauge swatch for me. Her store is the best i've been to so far.
This is my gauge swatch that took me all day to make. I tried my yarn on every size needles from 5-9 in bamboo and metal. Finally the gauge worked on size 9 metal needles. The holes are a trick that Jessica taught me. She said that when you are making a gauge swatch, you should make eyelets in the first row of the new needles to equal the size needle you used so that you can keep track (if that makes sense). So when i tried the size 7 needles, I made 7 eyelets. She also taught me to do all my gauge swatches without taking it off the needles because then you can see which one matches up, and compare them, and you don't have to worry about the edges.
P.S. My boyfriend bought me that polka dotted scarf for my birthday!
This and the bag below come from Interweave Knits Fall 04. This sweater looks so slimming and beautiful. I want to make it so bad. Nevermind that I never did cables OR a sweater for that matter. I still want it. I'll do whatever it takes to make it!
This is it. The beautiful Floral Felted Bag. I really want to make it on the plane next week. I hope I can find the yarn someplace.
I got this online. These are the colors of Jamieson's Shetland DK I need to make the Felted Floral Tote from Interweave Knits Fall 04. Nobody carries it out here in AZ, and I have barely even seen it in online stores.
More Birthday Presents!
Last night I went out for dinner with Max's family. They are so sweet to me. They treat me like I am a part of their family. We had some great mexican food and margaritas. It was also Max's sister's birthday, and the waiters sang a double birthday song for us. I felt a little bad to celebrate together- I didn't want to take away Lily's spotlight.
Max's family got me a SUPER cool birthday present. I'll post pictures in a little bit. It was as if they knew exactly what I needed. For example, when i got the set of needle cases from my mom, the store was out of stock for the double pointed needle cases in the color I wanted. But then, Max's family got me a needle case, so now I have a place for every one of my needles! I'll post the pictures in a bit, but seriously, I got great gifts this year. I am so thankful. Thank you cards are going out tomorrow.
I got a 50 dollar gift certificate to
purl and now I have to decide what to get. Their yarns are great quality, but too expensive. I think I will either get:
- The needles I need to make the poncho from stitch n bitch (most useful)
- the yarn to make the chevron scarf from "last minute knitted gifts"
- the yarn to make the stuffed animals from "last minute knitted gifts"
- something else
I am having a tough time deciding. Luckily, I am visiting new york again this month, so I can actually visit the store. And I will.
Here are some pictures of my present that came today. My mom went out of her way to make me feel special this year (and every day). Look how cute this stuff is wrapped. I couldn't wait to tear it open.
