Just a quickie...

Doing a bit of destashing and hoping to acquire yarns I will use instead of yarns that just sit here looking pretty.

Details are here.

That's what I get...

Blah. So not quite 6 months ago I realized something. I knit wrong.

And I decided to just continue with the projects I was working on and when I finished them I'd fix it. I still haven't finished those prior projects, but when I started the felted bag I just started knitting correctly without even thinking about it. And all was right in the world again.

Or so I thought. Yesterday afternoon I was slammed into a brick wall of reality. And now I know that I purl wrong. Instead of purling into the front of the stitch I go into the back, which pretty much twists my purl stitches.

Apparently, my original knitting wrong, while it was in theory wrong, was in result right. And now it's wrong all over again. *headdesk*

I was about 2/3 of the way done with the first of Harley's Voodoo wristwarmers when this realization hit me, and I was contemplating starting several other things as well. I am now done with the first Voodoo for her and have an inch or so done on the second one. And I am not starting anything new until I finish these, at which time I will them, once again, correct my knitting ineptitude.

I am just glad I figured this out before starting Rogue, though I am still not 100% sure I want to use my current yarn choice (KnitPick's Main Line in Ink). Black. Cables. What's the point, I am beginning to wonder. I am wishing it came in an olive green, because I'd have gotten that instead of the black. Damn KnitPicks and their limited colors!

Wow. This is my first post here without a single photo. I promise the next will have something pretty to look at.

the power of voodoo...

My Voodoo wristwarmers are done. I used most of one skein of Rowan's Cashsoft DK in Opulence (originally purchased for a pair of Mrs. Beeton's, but the KidSilk Haze became a scarf instead). Sage loves them and can't wait for a pair of her own. She got upset when she saw me wearing them, and I had to remind her that hers are going to be deep purple. I finished her washcloth as well since I picked up a pair of size 6 Susan Bates needles (oh god I hate aluminum needles), and since I don't feel like using the same needles for working on a black Clapotis (I've determined that the Katia Diana I got for my Picovoli that didn't want to be a Picovoli instead wants to be a clappy), I started Harley's Voodoo wristwarmers yesterday evening.



I finally took some photos of my handspun yarn...





4 ounces of wool, purchased from the same people my felted bag's handspun came from. One Ashford bottom whorl drop spindle. One misplaced spinning book, and many views of the video clips at ICanSpin.com. And two trys to spin wool. The first time I ended up with a very overspun skein, and I very painstakingly unspun it and then more loosely spun it again. It's just a hair over 26 yards with an approx. 6wpi (some areas are much thinner than that), and I have absolutely no clue what to do with it. But it's mine and I love it. And I really, really, REALLY want a spinning wheel. And an alpaca or two.

Dye, dye my darling...

When I finished my first Voodoo wrist warmer both girls decided they wanted some of their own. Sage, being the dedicated 3-year-old that she is, wanted deep purple. Harley, at 10, didn't know what she wanted. She settled on blue, but the yarn they had available at the store we went to only came in a rather blah light blue. So I suggested Kool-Aid (of which I had several packages of two different blues) and ivory yarn as they had no white. And here's the top of Harley's head and her right arm, diligently working away, and the end result...







She loves it, which is good, and she was very happy to have a hand in the creation of her Voodoos. She's been wanting to learn how to knit since oh... about two days after I started, and I wasn't up to teaching her before. I still don't know if I am. But maybe I'll show her a little bit sometime this week, if ever I finish my second Voodoo and have something else to work on that may be a little less of a challenge than K2 P2 ribbing in the round. Don't want to fluster her too soon. ;)

Oh snap.

OMG. I cannot believe I even thought of using that expression up there. *ack*

But I am thinking of snapping, as in what happens to Boye Balene II's when faced with Sugar & Cream yarn. The tips do not like it. At all. I've now had tips on two different pair of needles snap off in mid-row.

This was with repeated use, so they were weakened a bit, but I haven't used my 6's or 7's for much else. The 7's got replaced with bamboo after they broke while I was making a headband the other week.

And yesterday, on the ride to Philly for a BPAL meet and sniff (gathering of women and occasionally a man or two to hang out and smell a fuckton of perfume oils), one of my 6's broke while working on a washcloth for Sage - she decided the other day she wanted a purple washcloth, and who am I to argue with a 3 year old? So it is now about 75% done, and I want to finish it, but cannot until I replace the needles, unless I just want to try using my Brittany Birch dpns instead. And I'd rather not.

Sao... in conclusion, when working with Sugar & Cream, don't use Boye Balene II's. They won't be happy. And knitting with a broken tip sucks.

felted bag...

The above two photos are pre-felting, with Rob Zombie for size comparison. Mmmmmmm... Rob. *lick*



Post-felting, same location, same crappy flash, same sexy singer.



Outside, closed on the left, open on the right.



Gratuitious knitting in nature shot. (all photos are clickable, with the full size opening in a new window)

yarns: flap - handpainted handspun thick and thin purchased in May at the Pa Fairie Festival, 56 yards, used all but maybe 20 inches
strap, body - Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride bulky in Jack's Plum
body contrast - Ironstone Yarns Harmony bulky single ply 100% wool, color # 12326

pattern: made it up as I went along... on size 13's, CO 15 for flap, K all rows, increasing at beginning and end of every other row for 5 rows (25 stitches total), then K until out of yarn; switch to main body color, K onto size 13 circulars, CO an additional 35 stitches for sides and front, join in round, K all stitches. The stripes were... 12MC, 6CC, 2MC, 4CC, 2MC, 6CC, 2MC, 4CC, 2MC, 6CC, 9MC. When I finished the first of the MC section, I picked up 5 stitched on the one side right next to the flap and did a huge insanely long strap (it hung to around my knees) in garter stitch with a 3-needle bind off with 5 picked up stitches on the other side of the flap. I didn't want to run out of the MC, so I did the strap before continuing with the body since I initially wasn't going to stripe it. The stripes are done with a jogless join and thus the start of each color bumped over by one stitch so they didn't follow a straight line down for me. Anyway... decreasing at the bottom... on the last CC section, K one row and place markers so there are 25 stitches at the back and front and 5 stitches at each side. 2nd CC row, K to 2 before 1st marker (should be back right side, if looking at the back head-on), K2TOG, K5 to next marker, SSK after marker, K to 2 before next marker, K2TOG, K5 to next marker, SSK after marker. Repeat decreases every other row for 5 rows, staying in stripe pattern. After last decrease row, K one full row, then K to first marker, SSK after marker, K1, K2TOG (3 stitches between markers now), K to third marker, SSK after marker, K1, K2TOG, K to one stitch before first marker, remove marker, K2TOG, K to 3rd marker, remove 4th marker, SSK (stitch between markers and one after 4th marker that was just removed). You *should* have 30 stitches total left. Kitchener the bottom, weave in ends, felt the hell out of it, call it a bag.

So um... yeah. That's pretty much from memory, not having written anything down save for which direction the decreases go. Not that you can see them post-felting.

things I learned: stockinette shrinks more than garter stitch when felting. Had I known this, the strap and flap would have been stockinette, but I love it anyway, even though the strap is still a bit longer than I wanted (well, ok, not really, but once it has stuff in it and it starts to sag a bit it will be).

I don't know how much use it'll get, I am not really a purse/bag person, but the handspun begged me to make it, so I did.

One Skein August FO

So I finished my August One Skein gift ages ago, and finally got a chance to photograph him/her (I am leaning towards him, but you never know with knitted animals) the other day.





I will be mailing it tomorrow (finally), I hope she likes it!

I've yet to take photos of what I received for my August FO, but it is wonderful. It's a little burgundy diagonal striped (via knits and purls) drawstring bag. And Lynn, who happened to be my One Skein pal, sent along wonderful goodies too. All told from her, I received one skein of black Cascade Pastaza and some beautiful beaded stitch markers in June, a lovely olive green (Elm by their color names, but egad is the color off on my monitor) Jo Sharp Silkroad Ultra and some size 13 14" needles in a gorgeous oriental print case for July, and for August, the lovely bag, as well as a skein of Rowan's Cotton Glace in Dijon (which is also more of an olive green) and some row counters (Heh... my one went missing, so these were a pleasant bonus... and now the missing one has resurfaced. Of course.) and a nifty set of circular magnets. She spoiled me mercilessly.

I have a bunch of other previously finished FOs, but I'll save them for another post.

Whee! First post!

La la la...

I totally needed another place to not update things. Totally.