and knitting

One World, One Knitting Dream

The Opening Ceremonies started just a few minutes ago (photo above is from a dress rehearsal) and around the world, knitters are casting on for this year's Knitting Olympics, hosted by Ravelry.

I really enjoyed participating in the 2006 Knitting Olympics, but as with the real games, I'll be watching from the sidelines this year. We won't talk about my miserable last place finish on Team First Sweater. It will be so fun to sit back and watch people compete. There had better be some exciting montage sequences with stirring scores!

Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight

It's been too long since you've seen actual knitting on this supposed knitting blog. The truth is, life has been rough and I gave up both knitting and blogging for awhile. That changed recently when my sister let me tag along with her to Crafty Planet, and I fell in love with this giant hank of pink yarn. It's practically identical in color to the yarn I used for my very first knitting project four years ago.

I never bothered to knit a pattern with cables and thought this yarn might be good to use for my first attempt. The simplicity of the Irish Hiking Scarf appealed to me, so I'm giving it a go. Who knew cabling was so easy peasy (probably every knitter but me)? Now that I'm less intimidated, I can move on to Olga's Cabled Cowl, or the DNA Scarf that's been on my wish list since I first saw it.

Pictured with my knitting, is my favorite new gadget that has been distracting me from my projects. I just love my iphone! The wee image you see on the screen is the stage for Little House on the Prairie at the Guthrie Theater. I'm sure I've posted in the past about my love for Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. It was bizarre, but fun, to see a variation of her stories acted out on the stage. What made it even wackier is that Melissa Gilbert, the Laura from the TV show, is portraying Ma.

Hopefully I can put the iphone down and get back to knitting this scarf soon!

The Project: Irish Hiking Scarf
The Yarn: Cascade Eco + purchased from Crafty Planet
The Needles: 4mm Crystal Palace Bamboo (my favorite needles)
Started: July 2008

Knitting News: Alien knitting patterns undo Dr Who fan

More than a wee bit late on this one, but I thought it was interesting...

Alien knitting patterns undo Dr Who fan The Times - May 14 2008

A Doctor Who fan who created knitting patterns for the programme’s monsters and gave them away online has been told by the BBC to stop or face the threat of court action. The action against the licence fee-payer who had produced patterns of the squid-faced Ood and the short, fat, white Adipose for members of her knitting circle has rapidly become a cause célèbre on the internet. The 26-year-old woman, who uses the name Mazzmatazz because she does not want to be identified, said that she was “just an ordinary person who likes knitting” who had been caught up in “a bit of whirlwind”. Lawyers argue that her case shows that trademark and copyright law should be changed.

Wishing and hoping and thinking and praying

Well, at least I've been thinking of knitting. I even picked up some fancy new stitch markers in the hope that I'll pick up the needles again someday. More soon.

Cheers!

Now with even more cosy! New Project #45: Yet Another Mock Brioche Neck Cosy

No, it's not a big knitting project gone horribly awry. I was just knitting another neck cosy and realized that I was wussing out on the width and needed to make it bigger. Three strands of this pixie dusted yarn held together are doing the trick. Triple stranding it means I'll easily finish the cosy in a sitting or two. I love finer gauge projects, but right now chunky, fast knitting is working best for me. I'm sure there will be a finished project post soon.

My recent aptitude for chunky knitting is why I ordered Wenlan Chia's newest book, Twinkle's Weekend Knits. I've been a Twinkle fangirl for quite some time, and this latest collection of patterns didn't disappoint. If you are familiar with Big City Knits, then you know the sort of patterns to expect. The photos and styling are wonderful. My favorite is the meridian tunic. It's probably a bit ill-advised for my figure, but the stripes are calling my name. The lilac mist throw and sand dune hanger covers are also lovely. [thanks to the Ravelry Twinkle Knitters member, lingy, who was kind enough to post those photos]

As its title suggests, all of the projects in Weekend Knits are meant to knit up quickly. That means there are quite a few wraps and scarves. These sorts of project appeal to me, though I know some look on them as filler. If you want a preview, you can get a free pattern for one them, the Riverbed Shawl, in this PDF on the publisher's website.

There have been a few less than sparkling reviews of the book. In part that's due to the scarf issue and also because the Twinkle style is now such familiar territory. Wenlan Chia has a third book on the way this fall, Twinkle's Town & Country Knits: 30 Designs for Sumptuous Living. From the name I am guessing that the book will focus on something new -- knits for the home. Blankets and pillows aren't my thing, but I'm sure it will be fun to look at. The word in the twinkle knitters group on ravelry is that Wenlan Chia also has a mohair-only booklet coming out soon. Hopefully somewhere in there, she'll publish patterns for some of the pieces from her fall 2008 show. Stylepoints' Sara Glassman has posted a few photos from the show on her blog, and you can find more on the Fashion Week site.

The Project:Yet Another Mock Brioche Neck Cosy
The Yarn: Nashua Handknits Ivy purchased at Clickety Sticks' liquidation sale - triple stranded
The Needles: 5.0mm
Started: February 2008

New Project / Finished Project #44: Mock Brioche Neck Cosy

My bigger projects weren't been going so well, so I turned to something quick and easy. This sparkly pink handspun by Aisha Celia Designs has been in my stash for a couple of years. A neck cosy seemed like the perfect project for the amount of yarn. The soft and squishy mock brioche stitch showed off the yarn to its best advantage.

The buttons were purchased at my new favorite local yarn store, bella lana. It's a gorgeous, little shop lit with dozens of white paper lanterns. With its white painted walls, fixtures and floors, this gives everything a lovely glow.

It was a fun project, and knit up in a sitting or two, so I'll probably make another one soon.

The Project: Mock Brioche Neck Cosy
The Yarn: sparkly pink Aisha Celia Designs Handspun purchased at No Coast Craft-O-Rama
The Needles: 4.5mm
Started and Finished: December 2007

Various and Sundry Links - January 26 2008

- I've spent many a church service admiring the crafty worship banners. Here's an especially inspiring example made from a cheap Mona Lisa blanket.

- Hand made "bare skin rug" found in dumpster.

- It's Mickey Mouse's 80th birthday this year and, to celebrate it, his consort Minnie is finally getting a few new outfits. I'm partial to the grey knit ensembles.

- This thoroughly and completely grossed me out and now I'm going to share it with you!

Listen to the flowers, they will tell you sweet secrets. Project #43: ill fated Juliet

Happy New Year!

I obviously haven't been posting about it here, but I started and finished Juliet quite some time back. This is one of those cases where I really should have been paying more attention to the nagging voice in the back of my head that told me this pattern wasn't going to work for me. It also would have been smart to sit back for a bit and see how the pattern worked for other people. More than a few have mentioned that they had trouble with the sizing. I suffered the same, and that, along with the unflattering empire silhouette, made for a gigantic disaster of a knit. As you can see from the photo below, it's so large that I could use it as a tree skirt if I wanted to (I didn't).

Despite the bad finish, I did enjoy knitting Juliet. It reminded how much I really do enjoy knitting. Hopefully 2008 will bring more success knitting-wise!

p.s. I also want to apologize for neglecting my blog comments. I shuffled things around in my gmail and somehow lost track of the messages that were being forwarded to me.

The Project: Juliet from Zephyr Style
The Yarn: Laines Du Nord Korall purchased from pureknits
The Needles: 4.50mm Knit Picks Harmony Options (I'll have to review these in a separate post)
Started: October 2007
Finished and Rejected: November 2007

everybody's happy nowadays

Ok, I ripped it out and feel much better. There's a sense of relief knowing I don't have to face all of that annoying raglan shaping. Top down is the only way to go, people!

Honestly though, my main issue with the grey cardigan was ennui. It's much more appealing to cast on for a new project than finish an old one. As mentioned in the previous post, Zephyr Style's Juliet caught my eye. Yahaira's shop had an amazing sale on some yarn that I think will make a gorgeous Juliet, so hopefully I'll be able to get a start on it next week.

Various and Sundry Links - September 13 2007

- Newlin may have been on to something with the bacon stuff fries idea he posted in the comments yesterday. In Korea, they're already mastered the art of combining the french fry and extruded pork products into a magical treat. [via newley purnell]

- “it was the food”

- I probably missed this because I'm not a rabid sock knitter, and when I do knit them I stubbornly use DPNS, but sock knitting visionary Cat Bordhi has been posted instructional videos on youtube. [via hizKNITS]

- sock exchange at San Francisco laundromat

- "...have you ever noticed how communiqués from superiors, on the other hand, especially presidents and senior vice-presidents, show no sign of proofing? Like typos don’t matter when the memo is being sent down from above? What’s with that? Why the double-standards?"

Project #35: Rejected

The Project: Embroidered Jacket from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2006
The Yarn: Schachenmayr Nomotta Grande purchased from NU Yarn Outlet
The Needles: 3.75mm bamboo cheapies
Started: May 27 2006
Rejected: September 10 2007

I removed this project from the cryochamber last week and finished the back. While in the midst of starting one of the front pieces I realized that I really didn't want to knit it this way. It just seemed tedious to knit a raglan cardigan in pieces. Why didn't I just make the decision to knit it top-down in the beginning? Well, I thought I was in a top-down rut and wanted the challenged of knitting something flat. That may still be the case, but a raglan cardigan isn't the project for that. I'll save it for something with a fitted sleeve. Also, I wasn't even going to do the embroidery and frippery that make this project special. So, the embroidered jacket is officially off the needles. It's not you, embroidered jacket, it's me. I still hope we can be friends.

So, what to knit next? I really should just buckle down and finish the poor nameless slob cardigan, but I'm also thinking about Zephyr Style's Juliet. I think it's uncommonly cute. Rather like a grown-up version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Baby Sweater. Of course I don't have any suitable yarn in my stash, so I just have to shop for something appropriate. What a pity...

Various and Sundry Links - September 11 2007

- Who wants to chip in £649,999 to buy this 18th century silk mill with me?

- Surprisingly, this quote is not about the knitting world: “There is always drama and somebody always hates you.”

- David Sarasohn's column Wednesday referred to President Bush, on a visit to Iraq, hoisting "a turkey that wasn't exactly a turkey." The turkey was designed for display and not consumption, but it was a turkey.

- Announcing The UnConvention

The heavens are right! Project #42: Diamond Scarf is finished

Look away, knitting purists, if you don't want to despoil your eyes with super bulky knitting...

It's been way too long, but thanks to some Ravelry-induced productivity, I finally have a finished knitting project. It feels a bit like you're knitting with broom handles, but size 35US needles and dangerously chunky yarn do make for a fast knit. You could finish this scarf in a sitting or two if you really wanted to. Me, I didn't enjoy the big ass needles that much, so it took me a couple of weeks.

This is the first, and perhaps only, project I'll knit from twinkle's big city knits. I really like the look of many of the patterns, but I know the super chunky look just isn't very wearable for me. The scarf will be a cozy addition to my winter wardrobe, once I give it a little steam blocking.

The Project: diamond scarf from twinkle's big city knits - also posted *free* on LA Times
The Yarn: twinkle handknits soft chunky in pink - purchased from Needlework Unlimited - two skeins
The Needles: 35US - 19mm
Started: July 2007
Finished: August 2007

Various and Sundry Links - August 25 2007

- It's Minnesota State Fair time again. This Great Minnesota Get Together has long been a favorite of mine, but it's been losing some of the interesting things that made it especially fun for me. Last year marked the closing of the Penny Arcade, and this year's crop art exhibition just won't be the same now that Lillian Colton has passed away. At least Ye Old Mill is still there, providing a dark haven for giggling kids and smooching lovers, as it has for almost 100 years.

- You likely remember the fake Disneyland in China (which happens to be the location where they shot one of my favorite youtube clips). However, did you know that Nara, Japan is also the home of a knock off of the Happiest Place on Earth? [via neatorama]

- Future Newspapers Written by Advertisers (1912) - "It will be written by advertisers, and it will contain nothing calculated to bring a blush to the cheek of the young person except cosmetics."

- I'm not a douche bag.

- Beer in space? - "One of the chief obstacles to consuming carbonated beverages in space, however, is the wet burp"

- The horror of blimps [via weapons of mass distraction]

- the butt biting bug song