Archive for October, 2004
You are “turbo” charged.
Fast moving and classy, you get things done with
power and grace. Your expensive tastes can be
deceiving, since what you really value is
quality and efficiency. As you’re careening
around those corners in life, finishing a dozen
knitted objects each month, stop and smell the
roses. Don’t miss the beauty of process!
What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Obviously, I’m procrastinating today.
I figured out that if I want to actually get my knitting projects done I have to actually knit (duh!). So I brought my Zimmerman sweater with me to work today. I finished the body tube. Looky here:
Again I know this is a cruddy picture. Blame it on the cheap camera that comes with the Palm Zire.
I’ll start on the sleeve tonight. And I will be figuring out the bell sleeve math. I’ll let ya’all know what I come up with on that.
Okay, time to get back to work.
Update: ooh! ooh! I just got home from work and looky what was waiting for me:
It’s even prettier than the ebay photo! There’s some black, orange, blue in there. I can’t wait to knit it up and watch the pretty colors reveal themselves from within the skien. 
October 20th, 2004
I went to my LYS on Sunday to see if they have the required Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton Book in order to make Klaralund. They didn’t. I guess that one is really popular right now. They are going to call me when it comes in. While I was there, and because one cannot leave a yarn store without buying *something*, I bought a skien of Silk Garden in colorway 86. At first, I tried to teach myself how to crochet using the instructions in Rowan 35. I was trying to make this cute little credit card holder. I spent all fricken weekend trying to figure out how to crochet in a circle! Why was this so darn hard? I finally found this pattern, and actually accomplised making a circle. But I didn’t like the finished product. It looked too much like a doily, and not at all like the cute purse. Humph! I kind of decided, too, that I don’t really like crochet. Not as much as knitting. I don’t really like the way it looks. But that’s just me.
So I decided to go back to knitting and made these:
Note: sorry about the crappy photo.
I used the pattern for the VooDoo wrist warmers from Knitty. I think I am going to make a matching hat or scarf and give them away as Christmas Gifts. In fact, they were so quick and easy I may make a couple more pairs and a couple more hats for gifts!
Spinning didn’t go super well. I tried to teach myself and couldn’t quite get it. There’s something I’m missing. However, I met a professor her that teaches vairious classes in the fiber arts around the country (as well as English here at SCU), who is going to teach me how to do it! She says she has some silk and yak wool that she is going to give me, too! that will be interesting. I think I need someone to teach me in person. I think it will make all the difference.
October 19th, 2004
I won my e-bay bid on the Noro Silk Garden! Woo-hoo! I am paying $75.00 (including shipping) for ten skiens. That averages out to $7.50 a skien! Wow! What a steal! Buy the way, there is lots of Noro Silk Garden to be had for a bargain on E-bay. My seller was knittingstyle. Here is the e-bay pic (Color #211):
Click here to see it knitted up. Pretty! I’m excited! I’m going to go to my LYS today to see if they sell the book that the Klaralund pattern is in.
In other e-bay news….I’m expecting my spindle to come in the mail today. I can’t wait! Here is the e-bay pic of that:
Maybe this will save me some money on yarn? We’ll see. I’m looking forward to learning the art of spinning.
Here are some knitty books that I’ve been reading:
I found Better Homes and Garden’s Quick-n-Easy Knitting at the local Safeway while standing in line. It’s got a lot of scarf patterns and lots of crochet. Notice that the other two books, Chunky Knits and Vogue Knitting are from the library? Ahem. Chunky knits is just okay. I don’t think I will buy it. The Vogue Knitting is a must have though. I am asking for this for Christmas, and I may break down and buy it sooner. Heather, it has instructions for knitting v-necks in there! It’s a fantastic knitting reference book.
Okay…On to current WIFs. Here is my Zimmerman-esque sweater knitted with my Karabella Softig:
I really *love* this color! This, to me, is a true rose color, unlike the Goa rose. It seems to be knitting up pretty fast. Like I mentioned in another post, It’s hard to knit with because it’s so thick and the needles I’m using are huge. My hands get a little tired after awhile.
Here is what I’ve been mostly working on the past week:
Ugh! It’s the side panel for my Bertie Bag. I still have about 8 freaking more inches to go. This has been so boring to knit. And I am having a hard time not screwing up the pattern. It’s basically a modifed seed stitch, except you slip every other stitch. I guess that’s the best way to describe it. I’m getting a better grasp on it now, but It has been slow going. My goal is to try to finish this piece this weekend.
I was reading Claudia’s blog and read that she visited Artifibers in San Francisco. So I visited thier site. oh. my. God. I have GOT to go there. Check out thier yarn, Chai. I’m dying! It is so gorgeous. According to thier website (and Claudia) they will custom make a pattern for you when you by enough yarn for the pattern. SF’s just a nice scenic drive away for me (up the Pacific Coast Highway), so the hubby and I will have to make a day of it. We’ve been wanting to go to China Town and I’ve always wanted to visit City Lights Books, too. I love San Francisco and it’s been forever since I’ve been there. Fun!
Well, that’s about it for now! I’ll probably post pics of my Spinning adventures in the next few days…Stay tuned 
October 16th, 2004
I’ve been procrastinating my work duties today and instead have been looking at all of the gorgeous Klaralunds in the world of knitting blogs. They are really pretty. I’ve even gone as far as pricing some silk garden on ebay. It’s an expensive project, but buying the yarn on ebay, I might be able to get 10 skiens for about 7 is dollars a skein. If I’m lucky. I’m very very tempted…My question to those out there who have knitted Klara or who have used Silk Garden otherwise: What does this yarn feel like? Is it soft and snuggly? Or is it kind of scratchy? Is it itchy? I’m slightly sensitive to wool..
Thanx for the input. 
Oh, and Heather, I’m not sure about the v-neck. Although I’m sure it can be done. I don’t remember seeing instructons for a v-neck in Knitting without tears. But sometimes her instructions for things are hidden in her exposition. I have a couple other zimmerman books. I’ll see if she has any v-necks in the other books. As for me, I think I am going to try doing a boat neck. I’ve never done one before so we shall see how it goes!
Finally, remember me blogging about my friend from work, Judy? I showed her how to knit a few months ago? Well, turns out, she’s taken a quite a liking to knitting! She’s been knitting her fingers off and has already finished two scarfs! Here’s her latest creation. I’m so proud of her
UPDATE: Damn! I gave into temptation! I bid on some Noro Silk Garden at E-bay. Colorway 211. If I win the price will be right. 10 skeins for 69.99. It ends in 24 hours. Wish me luck. I’m sorry I’m such a damn copy cat. It’s just that this pattern looks so easy and relaxing. And the finished product is so cute and cozy looking! It will probably be awhile before I get to it, though.
October 14th, 2004
I thought I’d post a little something just for kicks. Nothing new to say in the FO department. I started my zimmerman sweater and am about six inches on the body tube. The Softig is knitting up pretty quick but feels hella heavy when working it in the round. My hand tire easily when knitting this sweater. I am really loving the rose color! I’ll try and get some pics up of what I’ve done so far.
My e-bay bid ends tonight for my drop-spindle. I’m so excited! I keep remembering that I am getting a spindle and then I get all stoked when I remember! I discovered that on e-bay you can by roving. You can find some really nice fibers, including silk. This is going to sound kind of weird, but I think I am going to spin some yarn out of my friend’s dog hair. She has these two gorgeous dogs and they have the softest fur. My friend never had children so these dogs are her kids. She and her husband take them to dog shows and one of them is an award winner. Her husband has been collecting their fur for years because at a dog show he saw a spinner show examples of yarn spun from dog hair. I think that when I get the technique down I am going to offer to spin thier dog’s yarn and then maybe knit up something with it . So stay tuned for THAT experiment…
I think a Zimmerman along is a great idea (see Heather’s comment). I’m working on my Bertie bag in conjunction with my sweater so I can put my sweater on hold. What do you think? Anyone interested?
Katherine, thanks for the link to glampyre’s website! I am going to print up her instructions and study them! Very helpful.
Robin, I love this poncho from fuzzy galore. I imagine you could substitute another yarn…maybe something just as thick as the Crystal Palace Labrador and Iceland that they suggest? both of those yarns are really thick. You would just need one solid and one varigated so you can do the little knit pattern. (oh wow, I just looked at their site and they have a better pic of it up). It’s really cute!
October 12th, 2004
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