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March 31, 2005
FUR FUR FUR
Speaking of bloggers who don't get enough readers, I had to post this shoutout to Michelle of Loops, who posted this open letter to Lion Brand and affiliates that still makes me giggle.
Speaking of, has anyone noticed there's a Fun Fur capelet in the Summer Interweave preview? Puh-lease! And no, I don't care that it's used triple throughout.
Posted by Betsy at 06:26 PM | Comments (2)
Kyoto hole
Here we go, photos of the infamous hole. I tugged on a weirdly thick row of a stitches, I think that I might have doubled the yarn over when adding a new skien for more than my usual two stitches.
Posted by Betsy at 12:18 AM | Comments (3)
March 30, 2005
Wall hanging
My knitting group put together a wall hanging for the cafe where we meet. Last weekend we had a seaming party/potluck.
Right to left: Erin, Julie, Kathy, Betsy, "Omar" ;)
Julie, Erin, Kathy
squares made by:
Top row: Betsy, Ariel, Erin, Martha
2nd row: Omar, Ariel, Alisdair, Katie
3rd row: Alisdair, Martha, Julie, Kristina
4th row: Martha, Betsy, Laura, Kathy
read on for more pictures...
Erin, our lovely hostess.
The last stitch!
My favorite moment from the night: Kristina boggles over the Pink Chibi ebay scandal.
Posted by Betsy at 11:35 PM | Comments (5)
oversensitivity
This is petty, but I do not understand why we continue to loose bloglines subscribers. I expected there to be a drop when I left the RAOK ring, but what gives now?
I think maybe we need more naked ladies. Or more naked sheep.
Please promote us to all your friends! ;)
I just did some cleaning up of our sidebar, which I'm sure will make everyone love us more. I got rid of old FO Sheep, and added our buttons. We're working on a FO gallery, and some way to more explicitly graphically track our progress on the Psychedelic Squares Afghan.
Posted by Betsy at 07:35 AM | Comments (6)
March 29, 2005
words cannot express...
how Kyoto has tried me, again and again. I was a young, idealistic knitter of just one year when I started it.
The latest: While weaving in ends, I notice a lump of yarn. I start tugging. Voila! Hole! I don't have the cord for my camera right now or I would you show you. I think I must've overlapped the yarn for a ton of stitches and that was the issue, usually now I just do 1-3 stitches, but what do I know? It's been so long since I knit the fronts I couldn't possibly remember.
I must finally defer to the experts on this one, I am going to one of the LYSes sometime this week to get some bigtime help. Ugh.
Spring/Summer knits: Will I delay the start of the AV deep V in favor of one of these?
I love the new Glampyre pattern, Orangina. It just so happens I have some orange Classic Elite Flash mercerized cotton that would make a lovely one of these. Of course, there are several issues.
- This is written for fingering weight yarn on size 3s, my cotton is worsted.
- The largest size is 44", and I need 50" (Lesson: you better be comfortable with your knitting group, as they will all eventually know your bust size).
- Resizing: ugh
- If done on bigger needles, this would probably be so open that I would have to wonder what the point was.
This next garmet is from the newest Vogue Knitting. I have had lukewarm feelings about boleros in the past, but I like this one. I'd have to buy yarn of some sort, but maybe not that much? I don't know, I'm justifying.Of course, the largest size is 46 or 48 open, and I'd need 50 open. Note that she hasn't touched her cake.
Just typing this has made me tired, perhaps I will stick to the nice Adrienne Vitadini pattern that doesn't need resizing. They had her spring book at Fabric Place and I was dismayed to realize that for some reason the sizes are much smaller. (44 as largest size instead of 52"!) Hopefully this is a glitch and in the future they will continue to have larger sizes.
Posted by Betsy at 02:51 PM | Comments (8)
March 26, 2005
Dateline: Heartbreak Hotel, Kyoto
Okay, this is not permanent heartbreak, but less than one inch away from completing Kyoto, my first adult-sized sweater which I have been working on for over a year...
I ran out of yarn.
Sigh. I am just going to have to get another dyelot and hope that it doesn't matter since it's just 7/8ths of an inch of garter stitch on the edge of the sleeve.
SO CLOSE! Why aren't there 24 hour yarn stores?
Maybe I will be finishing at Erin's tomorrow during our yarn swap/pot-luck/square sew-up.
I hate waiting.
Posted by Betsy at 12:41 AM | Comments (2)
March 25, 2005
first squares
Okay, so now that we completed 4 afghan squares I decided it was time to take a picture. The bee-stripe and the two orange/teal looking ones are mine, the purple and turquoise is Omar's. I swear, I didn't actually buy two shades of orange for this project, in fact the darker one is supposed to be "strawberry" but is way brighter than any strawberry found in nature.
I am in LOVE with Bryspun straights. I think they are the perfect straight needles for me. I am one of those people who cannot use bamboo for more than one day without them turning into boomerangs. I love my denises and addis (+ knockoffs) for circs, but boy howdy can I fly on these Bryspuns. I love the tips, the smoothness, and the flexiblity. Plus, they are cheap!
Omar and I seem to be knitting at different gauges (5.5 vs. 5 spi) and yet our squares are the same size, as far as we can tell. Huh?
Enough yammering:
p.s. We are sort of photographic idiots, and our camera is way smarter than we are. Plus our apartment has basically 0 natural light (ask our ill plants). I often have overexposed photos because I can't make the camera take nice pictures without the flash. However, this was an exception due to something I read in Real Simple: try a coffee filter over the flash. Yay!
I am really starting to get nervous about having enough yarn to finish the last Kyoto sleeve. I am about 3-4" away.
Posted by Betsy at 12:27 AM | Comments (2)
March 24, 2005
Interview meme
Questions for Stariel:
1. Who taught you to knit? Did you ever think you would be so into it?
2. What's the softest yarn you've ever felt? Do you own any of it?
3. What's your favorite thing to knit as a gift?
4. You crochet as well as knit. How do you feel about each craft? Is one "better" than the other?
5. What's the next big knitting challenge you will tackle? A certain technique? A big project? Using up your stash?
I'm still open to interviewing and being interviewed!
Posted by Betsy at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)
afghaning pyschedelically
I have no voice at all. It sucks.
I have finished two sqaures, one in orange and dark teal, the other in bee stripe. Omar is still fiddling with his first, as he didn't have the practice that I got from the wallhanging square. His first is turquoise and purple.
After the Knitpicks Merino Style color "Mint" was eliminated for looking entirely too much like acrylic green, we are left with 9 colors. If we want 48 distinct squares with no inverse color repeats (a la red/blue, blue/red stripe pattern), we would need 11 colors instead of 9. 9 colors gives us 36 distinct square options.
I can't decide if we should add two more colors or go for having inverse squares. I think that would be complicated, although i guess when we got to 24 squares we could just start only doing inverse squares. I'm not sure which would look better. Thoughts?
I am sorry, I am too sick to take pictures of anything. Omar finished his wavy scarf! Bother him to take pictures.
Posted by Betsy at 04:59 PM | Comments (0)
what?
I have never owned a Chibi, let alone a pink one. But seriously!??
Posted by Betsy at 04:18 AM | Comments (3)
March 22, 2005
...but were afraid to ask
This is an interview from my knitting group buddy Grumperina.
1. I know there’s some roving and a drop-spindle hiding between your rabbits’ hay, but how come we don’t read much about it on your blog?
There's actually some roving, a drop spindle and a spinning wheel that Omar got me last year for my birthday hiding in the rabbit barn that is our apartment. I have some completely gorgeous roving, including my Arizona purchases, and handpainted stuff from Hello Yarn and Delicious Yarn. I simply just have not had the time and inclination to spin while working on my Master of Teaching degree. I hope to set up a good spinning space in our next apartment.
2. Talk to me about color. We agree, and we disagree. There is orange, there’s green, there’s rhubarb. Have you always liked orange? Is green one of your favorites, too? What colors make your knitting happy?
I've always been a lover of color, but not always of the same colors. When I was a wee lass, I liked wee-lassy colors like the color of my first room, Pom-pom pink. Ugh. I've always liked bright colors, especially bright reds and magenta, jewel tones, etc. I like purple a lot, but not so much blue. I am still not fond of yellow. My love affair with orange began in college, but I have a feeling it will be life-long. Our living room is painted "Mango Madness." I also love variegated yarns, a sentiment that I know is not universal. I have been growing increasingly fond of green, in citron, olive, lime, and uh..asparagus, but there are certain shades of green that I don't like, like forest and whatever horrid shade that Knitpicks mint is.
3. What is the one knitting pattern you absolutely love, but know you will never, ever make? Why? Have you bookmarked or purchased this pattern to admire it lovingly?
I am going to give a cynical answer here: as a fat girl knitter who is not that great at math, there are a lot of patterns that are "off limits" to me, as is. Kyoto is my first big attempt to upsize a pattern. Mostly when going through my knitting bookmarks I feel like I will eventually attempt everything that I am really dying to make. I do feel like any garmet knit on size 5 or smaller needles is really a huge commitment, because to make a bigger size with that small of gauge means a lot more work than for someone smaller. So, for example, when I saw the VPC that you are making, I loved it immediately, but ruled it out because of the needle size. Well, I love it, but not that much. ;)
4. Is there anything unusual about the way you knit? Do you cable without a cable needle, or knit backwards, or hold your yarn differently, etc.?
I think I am a plain ol' English-style knitter. I tension my yarn across my index finger (which is interesting because I don't use that finger to hold my pencil or pen). I am searching for the perfect purl method.
5. Other than yarn, do you have any particular shopping obsession? Shoes, coats, jewelry, etc.?
As I mentioned to you at knitting group, I am a huge devotee of Zappos Online Shoe Store. Omar knows to settle in if I'm browsing there, because I can do it forever. I am also a consummate bargain hunter, I like TJMaxx and AJWright for clothes and home goods. I also love to browse and sometimes purchase antique jewelry on Ebay. More about that later, though.
Thus endeth the interview portion of our program. If anyone would like me to come up with questions for you, comment and I'll do it! Also, if anyone else wants to ask me questions or force Omar into participating, that can be arranged.
This evening we went to Wild and Woolly Studio in Lexington for our first visit. We'd heard some controversial things about the friendliness level of the staff, so we were a bit aprehensive. We went in search of a couple of pair of Bryspun straights, US5, to be our offical Psychedelic Squares needles.
We had a great experience. The staff was very laudatory of my Clapotis and chatted us up. They helped us find yarn in the back room (it's one of those stores). They asked us to join the mailing list (snail and digital). They have a gorgeous selection, we will definitely go back.
No Kyoto progress is being made. I've been sick forever! I just need to do about 4 more inches of the sleeve, and I am to that "I hope I have enough yarn" stage. I just have some little oddballs resulting from knots left. Keep your fingers crossed!
Posted by Betsy at 06:12 PM | Comments (32)
March 15, 2005
I am incredibly boring
I have three inches of square done and about thirty rows of scarf left.
That is all.
But I make for the pretty buttons, which you've been missing!
Posted by omar at 12:39 AM | Comments (3)
March 14, 2005
Kyoto Knitalong Closing
I've received a few comments/emails asking whether it's too late to join the KyotoKnit2 KAL that I started last year. I have decided I am going to close the knitalong. I am almost done with my Kyoto (!) and another informal knitalong for Kyoto exists on the Knitty boards. Good luck Kyoto knitters, past, present, and future!
Knit Alongers
Posted by Betsy at 09:31 PM | Comments (2)
real commitment
There comes a time in every relationship where you need to define the future and commit to each other. Omar and I have decided we have reached that point in our relationship. That's right, we've decided to make an afghan.
I have been doing some sample 4" squares from the Psychedelic Squares Afghan pattern for our wall hanging out of Knitpicks Merino style, which is just lovely. Everyone who felt up my squares oooohed and ahhhed, and then gasped when I told them it was only 2.29/skein. These are fun and quick to knit. Omar seemed mildly fascinated...My head started scheming...Despite how much I hate seaming and ends, wouldn't it be lovely to have a PS afghan of our very own? Aren't the squares lovely, portable, colorful knits? Since we are going to be together forever, with the force of two knitters, in a few years couldn't we have a beautiful heirloom afghan? Hell yeah!
After meeting with our freelance knitting consultants ("That's a lot of ends... She's going to drag you into this!" said Kathy) We decided we could try to twist and carry the ends up the sides of the 8" squares (Thanks Erin and Kathy).
At home that night I ordered seven additional colors of Merino Style, plus 13 balls of Asparagus for my Adrienne Vittadini deep V sweater.
We now have 10 colors of Merino Style slated for this afghan, long may it wave. Maybe by the time it is finished we will actually have a house.
top, left to right: crocus, mint, iris, frost, strawberry
bottom, left to right: rhubarb, storm, butternut, asparagus, coal
Work continues on the last sleeve of Kyoto!
Posted by Betsy at 06:42 PM | Comments (5)
March 12, 2005
home stretch?
It's true-
I might actually finish Kyoto.
I picked up stitches for the final sleeve last night. I recall the last one taking a few weeks to complete, as it is 19" around.
There are all sorts of little errors in this sweater that make me bristle.
1. the shoulder seams. This was my first stair step seaming and I hate the way it looks. I remember being proud when I did it, and now it makes me bristle.
2. I picked up the stitches for the collar, and around the shoulder seams there are several loose, yucky looking stitches. I wonder if I could just duplicate stitch over it?
3. I'm questioning my choice to edge the sash (which I did in stockinette) and sleeves in garter. I lost track of the beginning of the round when I was knitting the last sleeve and now there is some wonkiness.
It would be next to impossible to redo the shoulder seams because I've picked up stitches for the collar and the sleeves. I could easily redo the sleeve edges in seed stitch or something, but changing the garter around the sash would require reknitting the whole thing. It would be extremely cumbersome, but I have heard of people picking up stitches for the sash when the rest of the sweater was complete.
It's hard to know whether to ignore these things (because a few months ago I never thought I would finish this sweater)--or to fix them since I've put so much work into it already.
Posted by Betsy at 02:21 PM | Comments (2)
March 05, 2005
Out with the new, in with the old
Remember the Kyoto bust issue? Well, thanks to the unending fount of inspiration encouragement that comes from our knitting group, I once again tackled it. I just bound off the 2x2 ribbed collar. This is what we have now:
I think it's going to work. It's not going to be perfect, but I do think it might actually win the title of my first adult sweater. The ribbed collar lays much nicer. Here's a closeup:
Next Kyoto issue: how on earth do I seam the bottom edge of stockinette to the cast on or bound off edge of garter stitch? Yikes. This month marks my one year anniversary of working on Kyoto. Uh, touching.
I finished Clapotis at knitting group last week to applause from the cafe. Every knitting project should have it so good! It's been blocked, but unfortunately I have been sick for about ten days running (what the hell?) and I am not a fit model. I tried taking one picture and it was scary. So I present Clapotis, on her own, in Noro Kujaku Colorway 18. It used 8 balls of 90 yards each, and blocked to be about 7' long! The shawl-wrap-scarf thing has much nicer drape after wet blocking.
Finally, I got my knitpicks order. Pictured are the three contendors for colors of merino style in which to make the Adrienne Vittadini Deep V sweater, and the yumbly orange posh (mmm cashmere and silk!) that will probably eventually become a lace scarf for me. The green is the current front-runner, but I will take opinions!
Posted by Betsy at 11:28 PM | Comments (8)
March 02, 2005
gosh
Okay, Clapotis is finished, blocked, and...
about 7 feet long. It grew over a foot during blocking. Are others this big?
It is nice, though.
I am sick now, will post pictures when I'm well enough to model.
Posted by Betsy at 07:01 AM | Comments (2)