Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Still chugging along on the Moderne Blanket


I'm kinda an idiot when it comes to knitting. I got so excited to start this project, I just picked the same sized needles that I would normally use for this yarn, and started the pattern. Because the pattern calls for size 6 and I used size 9, you can imagine how big it is turning out. I'm only on block #7 out of #10 (and the last few blocks are huge), so my baby blanket it going to probably be a toddler or a young child blanket. Oops. It's still fun to make, so I won't cry over it too long. Posted by Picasa

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Cartoon of a Moderne Baby Blanket

In my fit of insomnia, I decided that I couldn't wait to "see" what my finished version of the Modern Baby Blanket was going to look like, so I drew a quick schematic so that I had a rough idea. I'm lovin' it already! I just started the first purple block (4th one total), and I'm hoping to at least knit through half of the 5th one before the weekend is out. I'm a little over booked, so that might be an ambitious goal. A girl can dream, right?

The colors from the photo that I posted the other day really don't do it justice. They are very much brighter and more vibrant in real life. Oh well, I guess that's the best you can expect from a camera phone!

I think my camera (and maybe my television remote) are the two things that I miss most after the robbery. But I did learn an interesting trick by accident the other day - my remote for the small TV/VCR combo works (sorta) for my living room TV. You can't do anything fancy, but you can scroll through the channels and adjust the volume. It tends to get a little annoying when you want to go from ABC Family (Channel 78) to The WB (Way down at channel 5), but it's definitely better than playing the "who's closer" game. Posted by Picasa

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Moderne Baby Blanket

Somehow, I was lucky enough to win a copy of the Mason-Dixon Knitting book. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have bought it myself, because of the name. Even though I'm originally from the South, I'm not into the whole country theme, and I really thought that was what this book was about. Boy was I wrong! I want to knit everything - in seven variations. The patterns are all really simple and things that you've probably seen a million times. However, they are hip and updated with lots of suggestions on how to get your creative juices flowing and truly make it "your own".

Using some leftover Caron Simply Soft, I cast on for the Moderne Baby Blanket a few days ago. It's just a variation of the Log Cabin Patterns, but a little larger. At first I thought all the garter stitch would bore me, but it really doesn't. I get so excited for the color change that I just keep knitting and knitting.. What did you say? These colors look familiar? They should!

When I finish the blue rectangle, I'm adding a dark purple and then the colors start to repeat. If I'm feeling feisty, I might add a yellow border in the end.

They have a great knit-a-long going, and when I actually get a camera other than the one from my Treo, I'm going to join. There are lots of really beautiful projects being created in this! Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Pea Green Scarf - Done!


So, I slipped up. My "home" project needed new yarn, and I was too lazy to drive across town and actually pick some up last night. I had a whole evening to myself, and I knew that I wanted to spend every minute of it knitting, so I worked on my "lunch" scarf. I finished up the rest of it during lunch today and I have to say that I just love this yarn!

For some reason, I had serious trouble with the bind off today. I was two stitches shy of the end when I ran out of yarn, so I had to frog a few rows.. then it kept slipping off the needle. Argh! It took a good half hour just to do that last row. Does this happen to other people, or is it just my bad karma lately?

Christmas Present #3: Check. (and it is only mid June!)

Price: $6.20
Time: About 5 hours Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Progress Report on Ribbed Scarf


Today, every bench within a 200 foot radius of my building was taken during lunch.. it was like everyone had the same idea of having lunch outside for the day. I finally found a nice, quiet bench in an area that I really didn't know existed.

It might be my new lunchtime home because I didn't get interrupted a single time. Generally, at least once a day someone sits down next to me to tell me about how they used to knit, or how their great aunt twice removed knits. That's nice and all.. and normally I wouldn't mind being social, but this is my time to be alone and enjoy my 45 minutes of peace before heading back to read more boring journal articles for the afternoon.

I made quite a bit of progress today.. I thought that I would share. I think I can finish it up by the end of the week by only working on it during lunch. That's my goal anyway. Posted by Picasa

Monday, June 12, 2006

I finished the Yarn Bee Luscious scarf this weekend. I feel pretty impressed that I managed to finish it in a week with working two jobs, 16 hours a day and going out of town for the weekend. I know it is just a scarf, but it does make completed Christmas Present #2! I'm on a roll.


Total cost: $5.88 (Hobby Lobby 50% off sale)
Total Time: one week of knitting lunches and a couple of Saturday afternoon movies


I cast on for another scarf today and accomplished a little during lunch. I know that I've already made a Ribbed for Her Pleasure scarf, but this is the same yarn and I know from multiple froggings that this is the only stitch that I like with this yarn. Other people might have better luck, but all those fancy stitches just disappointed me. I'm using size 13 needles with Joann's Sensation Angel Hair yarn in Light Green. I'm really making some progress on the de-stashing.

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Friday, June 09, 2006

Knitting Conspiracy

There is definitely a knitting conspiracy going on around the Bend.

First, my apartment was broken into this week. They took a lot of stuff, including my digital camera for taking progress pictures of my knitting! They even let my cat run away in the process of stealing all my stuff. As if that wasn't bad enough, they destroyed several projects that were in progress, and threw unused yarn all around my apartment. The couch cushions were in the kitchen floor! The police officer's first question was "Does it normally look like this?" Are you kidding me? Who naps on the kitchen floor!?

Anyway, Jasmine returned minutes after sending up a little prayer for her safety. She was gone abot 12 hours, but came home in good shape. I was worried about her safety because she's always been an indoor cat and doesn't even have her front claws any longer. (Please don't spam me with comments about how this is inhumane. I tried the alternatives, and they didn't work.) Anyway, my baby girl is home now and I'm so excited.

Back to the knitting conspiracy. I think they are trying to ruin my lunches too. The bench that I park myself on every afternoon became a haven for lawn work today. I'd been sitting there, minding my own business when three lawn mowers and the hedge trimmer guy decided that my bench was the only area in the whole campus that needed attention. I lasted about 20 minutes and then I just had to pack it in early. It looks like the Yarn Harlot was having similar problems the other day.

Anyway, here are some fun pictures of the hedge trimmer guy and my scarf project. I had forgotten that my Treo can actually take pictures (and video if the mood strikes)!

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Monday, June 05, 2006

Knitting in public can get you in trouble

During lunch today, I went outside by the Dome to knit awhile before heading back to my lab to read more boring papers. I was listening to my iPod and working on the scarf that I started the night before, when two ladies walked up to me to inquire about what I was making. They were so excited that "young people" were knitting these days. Somehow at 26 I don't really feel like a young person anymore, but I digress.

It turns out that one of the ladies worked at the amazing new yarn shop that has opened up downtown within the last year. This is the yarn shop that I have grounded myself from after going in and realizing that I literally wanted to purchase every yarn in the store. I can eat Ramen noodles for a month, right? She was telling me about all the great yarns they have in now.

I want more yarn.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

The Beginnings of a Luscious Scarf



What? Two updates in one day? Shocker.

So, I started another project today and I thought I would share. I think this makes project #4 on the needles, but who's counting?

Anyway, this scarf is going to be a Christmas present for one of my girlfriends. The colors completely remind me of her, so there is no way that anyone else could ever wear it. Isn't it funny that some things remind you so strongly of a person or a place? I can't quite pinpoint it, but once I got about 4 inches into this project, I knew exactly who this scarf needed to belong to. I didn't buy the yarn with any intentions whatsoever, but it is nice to know that it is going to find a good home.

The yarn is Yarn Bee Luscious in Blueberry Twist. It's 100% nylon and very soft - and purchased on sale for $2.94 a skein. There's a small string that runs through the middle and lots of little wispy fibers that make it fuzzy. At first I thought I was going to throw it against the wall and just let it collect dust for awhile until my anger at it subsided. It was so difficult to get used to using. I am not an especially tight knitter - although I can cast on so tightly sometimes that it makes breaking out of Alcatraz look simple in comparison.

There is absolutely no stitch definition, so I'm just using plain ole garter stitch to make it simple on myself. I like how it is working out.. it almost looks like a watercolor or something.

To be honest, I'm trying to make all these easy, breazy projects to use up a lot of the yarn that I've collected since I first started knitting in February. I have to move at the end of the summer, and if the boyfriend sees how much yarn I really do have, I'm afraid it won't be pretty. Unfortunately, I like to make a little too much fun of his watch and shoe collection and this will just give him too much ammunition! No joke, he has more shoes than can fit on the top and the bottom of an extra long closet - and all the shoes are stacked and in individual boxes. My yarn collection definitely rivals that. Posted by Picasa

Christmas Gift #1 - Done!

 
 

Of all the many, many scarves that I have made since learning to knit - this one was by far my favorite. I used Sensations Angel Hair and there is a big possibility that it might become one of my new favorite yarns. It's so soft with just a little bit of fuzz - perfect for the midwest winter! It is a 22%wool/50%acrylic/28%nylon blend. I purchased this on sale (of course!) for $3.10 for a skein of 120 yards. I used almost all of both. There's just a tad more left.

The pattern was the "Ribbed for Her Pleasure Scarf" from Stitch n' Bitch. I actually had tried probably four or five types of stitches with this before I decided on the simple 2 x 2 ribbing with size 13 needles. I love the way this turned out. Funny thing is that it almost looks like a stripe running through the middle of the ribbing. I like the unintentional effect!

This scarf is probably going to be gifted to a friend or a family member for Christmas this year. I have two people in mind, and I guess it will just depend on what else I can come up with before December. Both of the girls are pink fanatics and would look awesome in this color.

Total cost: $6.20
Time: a few evenings of watching TV and one lunch hour Posted by Picasa