subscribeHere's their logo:
Can't you just imagine that at the ends of a nice, long yellow and black double-knit scarf? I really think it would look good. I just need to learn to double-knit and write a pattern!
Call Me Crazy...
Call me crazy, but I really want to make a double-knit scarf with my employer's logo on it. I think it would make a fabulous scarf and it could be something they use for advertising - maybe hanging in the store in summer and actually using it in chilly months.
Here's their logo:
Can't you just imagine that at the ends of a nice, long yellow and black double-knit scarf? I really think it would look good. I just need to learn to double-knit and write a pattern!
Here's their logo:
Can't you just imagine that at the ends of a nice, long yellow and black double-knit scarf? I really think it would look good. I just need to learn to double-knit and write a pattern!
Ambition
I've been going over my Ravelry queue almost daily, trying to decide what to work on next. I have an entire summer ahead of me, limited funds (unless I use the credit card which probably isn't wise), and great ambition. I have no doubt these things are a bad combination.
One of the things I find most difficult to judge is my skill level. I am a brand new knitter. I started in February of this year. Sure, I've been flying through projects and learning a ton on my own, but there are definitely issues with my knitting and I usually end up ripping a significant portion of every project at least once before I get it. I know I can figure out how to do things, but I don't want to over-reach myself and ruin my enjoyment of this craft.
My Ravelry queue could definitely be categorized as ambitious. It's full of complex cardigans and lacy shawls. I deeply desire to knit that well and I'm anxious to push myself - to see what I'm capable of so that I can begin knitting gorgeous lace and complex cables. I have dreams of a closet full of sweaters and shawls I've knit by hand and drawers full of hand-knit socks. I dream big!
I'm at the point now where I can tackle basic projects like simple lace, simple cables, and a few techniques with very little trouble. The trouble is, most of the projects in my queue are quite difficult. I don't want to jump from basic to advanced. You must learn to walk before you run, right?
I've got some socks and the Whisper Cardigan planned, as well as a baby cardigan and that lace cap. I will admit to stalling on starting the lace cap over again, but I'll probably pick it up tomorrow. Well, today, seeing as how I'm staying up late. The baby cardigan is on hold until the proper needles arrive in the mail. The Whisper Cardigan and socks are also on hold until the yarn arrives.
I'd very much like to knit the Coachella and the Central Park Hoodie, but I'm stumped on yarn. The recommended yarn for the Coachella might be a bit much for this inexperienced knitter, even if I can handle the pattern alright. The recommended yarn for the Central Park Hoodie is super expensive! I haven't decided what to do about that yet, but I definitely want to knit it in time for fall.
I'm also considering another shawl. I picked up a couple of really nice little shawl pins from Etsy.com and I need some shawls to show them off! Or vice versa.
I'll have to sit down and think about what I want to knit, examine some patterns to make sure I can handle them, and maybe get to work on some intermediate and inexpensive projects, just so I have something to do. Either that or go load up on Sugar n' Cream and make a million dishcloths!
One of the things I find most difficult to judge is my skill level. I am a brand new knitter. I started in February of this year. Sure, I've been flying through projects and learning a ton on my own, but there are definitely issues with my knitting and I usually end up ripping a significant portion of every project at least once before I get it. I know I can figure out how to do things, but I don't want to over-reach myself and ruin my enjoyment of this craft.
My Ravelry queue could definitely be categorized as ambitious. It's full of complex cardigans and lacy shawls. I deeply desire to knit that well and I'm anxious to push myself - to see what I'm capable of so that I can begin knitting gorgeous lace and complex cables. I have dreams of a closet full of sweaters and shawls I've knit by hand and drawers full of hand-knit socks. I dream big!
I'm at the point now where I can tackle basic projects like simple lace, simple cables, and a few techniques with very little trouble. The trouble is, most of the projects in my queue are quite difficult. I don't want to jump from basic to advanced. You must learn to walk before you run, right?
I've got some socks and the Whisper Cardigan planned, as well as a baby cardigan and that lace cap. I will admit to stalling on starting the lace cap over again, but I'll probably pick it up tomorrow. Well, today, seeing as how I'm staying up late. The baby cardigan is on hold until the proper needles arrive in the mail. The Whisper Cardigan and socks are also on hold until the yarn arrives.
I'd very much like to knit the Coachella and the Central Park Hoodie, but I'm stumped on yarn. The recommended yarn for the Coachella might be a bit much for this inexperienced knitter, even if I can handle the pattern alright. The recommended yarn for the Central Park Hoodie is super expensive! I haven't decided what to do about that yet, but I definitely want to knit it in time for fall.
I'm also considering another shawl. I picked up a couple of really nice little shawl pins from Etsy.com and I need some shawls to show them off! Or vice versa.
I'll have to sit down and think about what I want to knit, examine some patterns to make sure I can handle them, and maybe get to work on some intermediate and inexpensive projects, just so I have something to do. Either that or go load up on Sugar n' Cream and make a million dishcloths!
Busy Busy!
I've been really busy lately! My new job is incredibly fun but I'm not used to so much activity. It's wearing me out!
In my free time, I've been knitting a lot. Several dishcloths, finished the shawl and made a pair of wristwarmers. I also frogged my lace cap and plan on starting it over. The lace cap was too short. The pattern called for 5.75 inches of lace before beginning the decreases, but it really should be 7 inches of lace.
The shawl turned out quite nicely, I think. It's deliciously soft and has the perfect weight and drape. I did cast on too tightly, so it's a bit constricted on that end. Despite that error, it turned out well. I'm not sure I want to make another though. I have more of that yarn in a rust color, but I think that blue or green might be better.
Currently, I need to redo my lace hat and start a baby cardigan for my friend Amy. I have a whole bunch of extra yarn already, so I need to decide what to make with all of it. Should spend some quality time on Ravelry!
In my free time, I've been knitting a lot. Several dishcloths, finished the shawl and made a pair of wristwarmers. I also frogged my lace cap and plan on starting it over. The lace cap was too short. The pattern called for 5.75 inches of lace before beginning the decreases, but it really should be 7 inches of lace.
The shawl turned out quite nicely, I think. It's deliciously soft and has the perfect weight and drape. I did cast on too tightly, so it's a bit constricted on that end. Despite that error, it turned out well. I'm not sure I want to make another though. I have more of that yarn in a rust color, but I think that blue or green might be better.
Currently, I need to redo my lace hat and start a baby cardigan for my friend Amy. I have a whole bunch of extra yarn already, so I need to decide what to make with all of it. Should spend some quality time on Ravelry!
Someday, there will be fewer bummers
I finished my shawl today. I also found a mistake. This mistake will be responsible for me frogging the thing and starting over. Someday, I will make a project without mistakes! Someday...
Despite the prospect of knitting the entire thing over again, I don't mind too much. My cast-on was much too tight, so this will give the chance to fix it. I may also go down a needle size because the shawl is much larger once it's all unraveled. I'll take another look at it later today before I frog it, just to make sure I want to go down a needle size.
It did turn out very, very well though, despite the error. It's wonderfully heavy and drapey, while still being very good for summer. Using three skeins was definitely a wise choice as well, because it is just long enough to wrap around myself. I could even stand for it to be a bit longer, though if I get too much extra length, it won't be a good wrap.
Bit of a bummer though, because I wanted to wear it to work on Saturday. Guess it will have to wait for next week sometime.
Despite the prospect of knitting the entire thing over again, I don't mind too much. My cast-on was much too tight, so this will give the chance to fix it. I may also go down a needle size because the shawl is much larger once it's all unraveled. I'll take another look at it later today before I frog it, just to make sure I want to go down a needle size.
It did turn out very, very well though, despite the error. It's wonderfully heavy and drapey, while still being very good for summer. Using three skeins was definitely a wise choice as well, because it is just long enough to wrap around myself. I could even stand for it to be a bit longer, though if I get too much extra length, it won't be a good wrap.
Bit of a bummer though, because I wanted to wear it to work on Saturday. Guess it will have to wait for next week sometime.
Shawls and Segways
Big news: I got a job! I'm a tour guide for a company that does history tours on a Segway. The tours are really fun and I'm very excited to spend my summer outside!
I'm nearly finished with the Sunday Market Shawl. I've used two skeins and it's not quite long enough, even with stretching, so I'm knitting in about half of the third skein today. Then I'll do the ladders and block it. Maybe I'll have pictures by this weekend!
I am completely in love with the yarn. It's so soft and smooth. I ended up buying three more skeins in a light rust color (sort of orange, sort of brown). I'll either make another shawl, provided this one turns out okay, or I'll find another pattern.
I've been looking around for summery knitted apparel lately. The Coachella immediately comes to mind and I would like to knit it. After reading some of the comments on the recommended yarn (Berroro Suede), I've determined that I need to find another yarn if I'm going to make the sweater. My gauge isn't even enough yet, not to mention that I have a terrible tendency to twist my yarn while I'm knitting. Using a flat yarn seems like asking for disaster.
The thought occured to me that this lovely Noro Cash Iroha I've been using might make a good substitute yarn, except that it's not a consistent width. So I'm taking suggestions!
The lace hat is sort of finished. It's too short, but rather than rip out a bunch of it (even though I probably should - I knit too tight), I'm just going to add some rows to the edge. By add some rows, I mean add an inch or so. I probably should frog the thing and start over.
Busy Bunny
April has been a pleasantly busy month! I've interviewed twice at the same company and am going back for a third interview soon. I'm hoping they hire me because the job is a really good fit!
I'm being deliberately vague about the opportunity online because I don't want to jinx anything! I'll post more about it when the interview process is over.
I haven't had a whole lot of time for knitting with all the driving around, but I did finally restart the Easy Lace Cap pattern from Borealis Yarns. I'm actually making progress on it now! I'm not entirely happy with it as there are inconsistencies in my knitting that make the lacy look a little weird. Not to mention the fact that I'm still having problems with dpns. My stitches are terribly loose wherever the needles join, no matter how tight I pull the stitches around the seam. So frustrating!
I got a set of sock needles from Knitpicks in the mail, so I'm looking forward to learning sock knitting. That may be my project when I head back to Borealis for my knitting group in a couple weeks. I don't have any appropriate yarn at the moment.
Speaking of yarn, I got some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in denim and charcoal and some Noro Cash Iroha in chocolate with a few patterns in mind. I have plans to use the Cashmerino for Knitty's Fetching wristwarmers, and possibly a Calorimetry. The Cash Iroha is for this Sunday Market Shawl. I only got two skeins of it, so I'll have to be very careful about how tight I'm knitting! Should be good practice, because I'm still knitting much too tightly.
This was my first experience purchasing yarn online. My local yarn store didn't have the Cash Iroha and I really wanted to make the shawl, so I decided to find a place online. I ended up getting it from Main Street Yarns and Fibers. Nothing but positives to report! They even sent me a little hand-written thank you with a couple fancy stitch markers. I'll definitely order from them again!
I'm being deliberately vague about the opportunity online because I don't want to jinx anything! I'll post more about it when the interview process is over.
I haven't had a whole lot of time for knitting with all the driving around, but I did finally restart the Easy Lace Cap pattern from Borealis Yarns. I'm actually making progress on it now! I'm not entirely happy with it as there are inconsistencies in my knitting that make the lacy look a little weird. Not to mention the fact that I'm still having problems with dpns. My stitches are terribly loose wherever the needles join, no matter how tight I pull the stitches around the seam. So frustrating!
I got a set of sock needles from Knitpicks in the mail, so I'm looking forward to learning sock knitting. That may be my project when I head back to Borealis for my knitting group in a couple weeks. I don't have any appropriate yarn at the moment.
Speaking of yarn, I got some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in denim and charcoal and some Noro Cash Iroha in chocolate with a few patterns in mind. I have plans to use the Cashmerino for Knitty's Fetching wristwarmers, and possibly a Calorimetry. The Cash Iroha is for this Sunday Market Shawl. I only got two skeins of it, so I'll have to be very careful about how tight I'm knitting! Should be good practice, because I'm still knitting much too tightly.
This was my first experience purchasing yarn online. My local yarn store didn't have the Cash Iroha and I really wanted to make the shawl, so I decided to find a place online. I ended up getting it from Main Street Yarns and Fibers. Nothing but positives to report! They even sent me a little hand-written thank you with a couple fancy stitch markers. I'll definitely order from them again!
Wristwarmers Make Me Sad
I'll be honest. I did a stupid thing. I cut the umbilical cord before it was time and essentially wasted a half-skein or more of Noro.
I finished off the first wrist warmer and was preparing to stitch it together and weave in the ends so I could try it on. I failed to use the mass of grey goo between my ears though and stupidly freed the project from the remaining skein. This, of course, means that I have one wristwarmer that I won't ever wear and no way to frog it so I can start over. DISASTER.
The pattern I used was great. So easy to knit once I figured out the cables. I made it about half as long as suggested, but followed everything else. The problem? The hole for my thumb. The way the pattern was written, it is impossible to join the top of the wristwarmers and still get them around your hand. If I were a smarter person, I would have realized this before cutting the yarn and maybe tinked the last few rows so I could do some increases.
Unfortunately, I was not experienced enough to notice the problem until I had it cut and then there was nothing I could do.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my remaining skein and a third of Noro. Such a pretty colorway, too. Maybe I can go back to Borealis and get some more; maybe try a pattern that's better suited to the yarn than a pair of wristwarmers.
I finished off the first wrist warmer and was preparing to stitch it together and weave in the ends so I could try it on. I failed to use the mass of grey goo between my ears though and stupidly freed the project from the remaining skein. This, of course, means that I have one wristwarmer that I won't ever wear and no way to frog it so I can start over. DISASTER.
The pattern I used was great. So easy to knit once I figured out the cables. I made it about half as long as suggested, but followed everything else. The problem? The hole for my thumb. The way the pattern was written, it is impossible to join the top of the wristwarmers and still get them around your hand. If I were a smarter person, I would have realized this before cutting the yarn and maybe tinked the last few rows so I could do some increases.
Unfortunately, I was not experienced enough to notice the problem until I had it cut and then there was nothing I could do.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my remaining skein and a third of Noro. Such a pretty colorway, too. Maybe I can go back to Borealis and get some more; maybe try a pattern that's better suited to the yarn than a pair of wristwarmers.
My First Noro
Once upon a time, I used to stay up really, really late playing computer games. These days, I'm up really late knitting. No one is ever allowed to accuse me of being addicted to computer games unless they say I'm addicted to knitting too. All that time I used to play World of Warcraft is now taken up by yarn and needles. I'm still wearing my wrist brace though.
It is 3 am my time and yes, I have been up all night playing with my new yarn and new patterns. I went to my knitting group today and visited the yarn store. I went in there with two projects in mind and came out with yarn for one of those projects and an entirely different project. I need a job so I can spend my money on yarn. I mean, I need a job so I can pay for food and other important things. And also yarn. Lots and lots of yarn.
I left Borealis with 2 skeins of Noro Kureyon for Earthtone Wristwarmers for me and one skein of Atacama by Araucania for a lace hat. As soon as I got home, I started casting on both projects. I, uh, don't cast on in public. My friends would likely be mortified and I would be embarrassed. Anyway, I adore the Atacama, but the lace pattern kicked my ass. I will give it another go tomorrow when I'm more awake.
I also adore the Noro, but I'm doubting the wisdom of using it for something that's meant to be tight up against my skin. It's lovely yarn but I'm afraid it's a bit itchy for wrist warmers. I haven't decided if I should just knit it up anyway and see how it is, or if I should just find another pattern. At the moment, I'm leaning towards knitting and making a decision when I can actually try a wrist warmer on. Yes, it's a lot of work wasted if I decide to frog it, but hey, I'm a process knitter. I can get away with stuff like that while maintaining my sanity.
Two more things before I try to get some sleep...
1) I love my knitting group. I count the days until the next meeting. Maybe this says something about how sad my social life is, or how obsessive I've become about knitting, but it makes me happy so it can't be all bad. Three days until our next Stitch n' Bitch!
2) It's April 5th and there's a fresh inch of snow on the ground. Go Minnesota weather.
It is 3 am my time and yes, I have been up all night playing with my new yarn and new patterns. I went to my knitting group today and visited the yarn store. I went in there with two projects in mind and came out with yarn for one of those projects and an entirely different project. I need a job so I can spend my money on yarn. I mean, I need a job so I can pay for food and other important things. And also yarn. Lots and lots of yarn.
I left Borealis with 2 skeins of Noro Kureyon for Earthtone Wristwarmers for me and one skein of Atacama by Araucania for a lace hat. As soon as I got home, I started casting on both projects. I, uh, don't cast on in public. My friends would likely be mortified and I would be embarrassed. Anyway, I adore the Atacama, but the lace pattern kicked my ass. I will give it another go tomorrow when I'm more awake.
I also adore the Noro, but I'm doubting the wisdom of using it for something that's meant to be tight up against my skin. It's lovely yarn but I'm afraid it's a bit itchy for wrist warmers. I haven't decided if I should just knit it up anyway and see how it is, or if I should just find another pattern. At the moment, I'm leaning towards knitting and making a decision when I can actually try a wrist warmer on. Yes, it's a lot of work wasted if I decide to frog it, but hey, I'm a process knitter. I can get away with stuff like that while maintaining my sanity.
Two more things before I try to get some sleep...
1) I love my knitting group. I count the days until the next meeting. Maybe this says something about how sad my social life is, or how obsessive I've become about knitting, but it makes me happy so it can't be all bad. Three days until our next Stitch n' Bitch!
2) It's April 5th and there's a fresh inch of snow on the ground. Go Minnesota weather.
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