Tag: WIP

The Yarn Harlot Does LA

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September 16, 2007

6:08 pm

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Yarn

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Yesterday was my first Saturday off in a few weeks, and I was busybusybusy. Little Miss and I got a late start on going to our church’s Yard Sale, then walked by another yard sale (with a not so much accurate sign that said “Estate Sale”) where I bought a bunch of buttons. After picking up a cinnamon roll for K, we headed home, and Little Miss went down for a nap.

Then, it was out the door again, this time all by myself, to drive downtown for the Yarn Harlot. It was odd being in the Central Library in a non-work-related situation. I had to borrow K’s library card in order to get my parking validated, since I can’t find my card. (I memorized the number some time ago. The sad thing is that this is the second card I’ve lost. I’d be more concerned about it if I weren’t checking my own account activity on a very regular basis, so I know no one else is using it.) Stephanie was highly entertaining, even while being (unknowingly) threatened by the Giant DPNs of Doom:

 

harlot

She’s not nearly so blurry in real life, but I was three rows from the back of the auditorium. “Get there 10 minutes early,” said K. Yeah. Sure. I was in line 20 minutes before the start time, and I was still nearly in the back row. In fact, I was in just about the same seat I usually occupy during the monthly Book Order meetings. And, yes, that’s a sock she’s knitting during the Q&A time.  My knitting is not so blurry in real life, either, but it’s a test project, so I won’t be putting up a real picture of that until the pattern goes live.

I found out about the test knitting gig through (where else?) Ravelry, where I also found out that the Yarn Pirate Booty Club is open for enrollment. With all of these new opportunities to spend money, I am in search of new financial planning software. I am not loving the Quicken 2004 I’ve been using. Any recommendations for a Mac-OS-X-Tiger-friendly program?

WiP Wednesday, At Long Last

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September 12, 2007

6:33 pm

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Yarn

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This WiP Wednesday thing is working out really well, eh? While I haven’t been posting, I have been busily stitching away on Checking His List.

 

santa070906

I’m nearly done with the top half of the chart, if you don’t count the backstitch detailing. Or the lines where Little Miss’ real name goes, which I’m saving for last.

Sunday night, I got together with some lovely ladies from church to do some knitting. I cast on for a Snicket sock, modeled here by the metal piece that sits on the top of our Lava Lamp.

 

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I’m using Catania cotton yarn, which might not have been the best idea ever. For the little cables that make up the lattice pattern, something with a bit more spring to it would probably work better. Especially since I cable without a cable needle. I quite like the way the colors swirl in the ribbing, but they seem to be breaking up differently as I start the lattice part.

I also pulled out Amish Shadows and took a look at it, but I haven’t done any work on it in a while.

 

amishshadows

 

I don’t know what to take to see the Yarn Harlot on Saturday. I have a copy of Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles slowly but surely working its way over to my library, so maybe I’ll be able to cast on a simple sock before Saturday. Although I’d need to pick up a couple of small size cable needles first.

I Am Such A Joiner

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August 30, 2007

9:29 pm

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Yarn

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Spending all of my free time on Ravelry wasn’t enough, clearly, even with the 20 groups within the site I’ve joined. One of those groups is the one for Secret of the Stole, a mystery lace project. What can I say? All of those MS3 posts got to me.  And I did just buy that Lisa Souza Lace.  Tomorrow I go in search of beads, having discovered that my five packets of Mill Hill seed beads are size 11, which is too small.

It’s not even like I needed a new project. I’ve already reached QBLE – Queue Beyond Life Expectancy – and I keep adding more.  And, yes, several of those projects could have used that yarn.

And LM’s stocking is ticking along. I took a few days of rest and cast on some Debbie Bliss Merino DK for Branching Out from Knitty, but I’m back to it. The background trees are done, along with a large chunk of the scroll, Santa’s face and beard, and most of his hat. I’m fascinated by the way cross-stitch is like an impressionist painting. I get so used to looking at it close up, examining each stitch, but it looks so pretty from a few feet away, when each little X or / blends together with its neighbors.

WiP Wednesday: Christmas in July

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July 18, 2007

9:40 pm

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Everything Else

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For months, I’ve been saying that I wanted to cross-stitch new Christmas stockings for the family. K has a stocking her mom made for her when she was little, but my stocking is plain red fake fur (although my dad did recently send me my childhood stocking), and Little Miss doesn’t have one yet. So, when JoAnn Fabrics sent me an email about their “Christmas in July” sale, I went for it. I ordered three stocking kits, all featuring Santa. I’ve started on the one for Little Miss. It’s a Dimensions pattern, called “Checking His List”.

So far, I’ve finished Santa’s belt and a bit of the jacket. I have a long way to go.

Checking His List

WiP Wednesday

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July 11, 2007

9:30 pm

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Inspired by something I read on (where else?) Ravelry, I’ve decided to start doing WiP Wednesdays. So, of course, I’ve been having technical difficulties with this here blog all evening. But I’m here now, with three hours to spare.

Allow me to present the Baby Shrug, from Debbie Bliss’ Simply Baby.

The yarn is Cashmerino Aran in lilac, purchased from SuperCrafty a few months back. It’s very cute and oh-so-soft, but even though I made the 12-18 month size for Little Miss, who is now only 5 months old, I think she may outgrow it before it gets cold enough to wear it.

The pattern is fairly clear, although I didn’t see any need to switch from straights to circulars – I just used my Denises the entire time. And I ran into an issue in the sleeve shaping after the right front. If one starts with a right side row (as one does) and then works an odd number of rows, then when one reaches the instructions for the front shaping, one is on a wrong side row when the directions say one should be on a right side row. I think I solved this by knitting an extra row (or maybe one row short – I don’t remember), but I’m wondering if I missed something. Missing something would explain why the chest and sleeve measurements are right on, but I seem to have come up a couple of inches short in the length to the shoulder. Well, missing something and the fact that my row gauge is off.

Deadline Knitting

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October 5, 2006

12:46 pm

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Work continues on the Seekrit Gift Project. Last night’s festivities including weaving in about 56 yarn tails and sewing seams. It was Part II of the sewing, actually, since I did about half of the weaving and seaming Tuesday night.

At least last night’s fun also included the season premiere of Lost.

Tonight, I attempt to crochet an edging. And buttonholes. Wish me luck.

Knit a Little

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September 11, 2006

3:29 pm

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Hey, yeah, remember knitting?

I remember it, too!  I’ve even been doing some of it.  I started working on a sweater for the baby while we were in Alaska, which then got pushed aside when I started working on a Secret Gift-Type Project.  And those Retro Rib Socks are still in my bag, waiting for me to work on them now that I have a second set of the needles.

Maybe for my next entry, I’ll even have pictures.

In the meantime, let’s go look at some pretty pictures in the new Knitty, shall we?

Let us start with Sherwood, which is so darn cute.  And then let us contemplate Serrano, which is lovely.  And, really, lacy cardigans might just be one of the few practical knitting items here in sunny Southern California.  And Diamante intrigues me with its promise of a heel turn that doesn’t result in a hole in the knitting.

There we go, three new projects to ponder until I manage to get some actual pictures of actual knitting progress up here.

Needle, Needle, Who’s Got the Needle?

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May 23, 2006

5:51 pm

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Last Friday, we had tickets to see The Da Vinci Code. Despite the fact that I was sick, I headed over to theater extra early to get us some good seats, since K would be cutting it close getting there.

I brought the Retro Rib sock, tucked in my small knitting bag, tucked in my Kitchensink bag.

I found great seats. Up high, right in the center. I pulled out the sock.

Why, exactly, must they keep the lights so low before the previews even start? And have you ever tried knitting a navy blue sock in the dark?

I did one round, then stashed the sock in the bag.

Can you see where this is going?

I did not manage to stash it in the knitting bag. I stashed it in the Kitchensink bag, which is an expandable mesh pattern.

A couple of nights ago, I pulled out the sock to work on during the Desperate Housewives finale, and I discovered my fifth needle is missing.

Grrr.