“Knit On

Posted by ann

With Confidence and Hope through all Crisis” We all know who said those words. I was thinking about them this morning and wondering – is she talking about life crisis or knitting crisis?

It has occurred to me that I am a knitting hysteric – I have some kind of knitting anxiety syndrome. No matter how easy going I am in life, with knitting projects I am always worried about something and ripping back over something else. Am I going to have enough yarn? Is this going to fit? Do I even like this pattern? Can I even see this pattern? Am I going to have enough yarn (that’s a big one and deserves a double mention)

I am less Elizabeth Zimmerman’s model of the tranquil yet intrepid knitter and more along the lines of Roseanne Roseannadana. “You know it’s always something. If it isn’t one thing it’s another”.

So let’s get right to it, shall we – today’s knitting drama. This is the % sweater – which has already been ripped twice over measurement issues and a lousy yarn join. Last night, by the glow of my Ott light (I sense a poem in there somewhere) I noticed a color issue. There is a slight, yet noticeable color difference between the two skeins of yarns. Do you see it? Think of the color changes in Trekking XXL – can you see where the new ball of yarn comes into play ?? If that rolled edge were unfurled, it would be at about the halfway point. I checked the dye lots and it is all the same – but it is there nonetheless.

“I thought I was gonna die!”

I thought I had made the conscious decision to ignore this situation, but now Cara is informing me that I am an idiot and should have been alternating skeins this whole time. Will I look like a giant ringed something-or-other if I simply continue on, or do I rip this out?

swatches!

Posted by ann

Not only have I knit a swatch, I knit three! This is really saying something since I hate to knit these things and usually skip this step. ~which could have a lot to do with why I am always surprised at the size of my finished projects, ya think?~ I also took the wild step of measuring my gauge before and after washing. And as if this incredible turn of events isn’t enough, one of the swatches was knit in the round! good grief – I hardly recognize myself!

here is a little tip for knitting gauges in the round. I got this from Susan, the wildly talented knitting mother of the wildly talented Kathleen – it is genetic! I was most likely belly aching about knitting a swatch in the round, saying that you would need to cast on loads of stitches and at that point it wasn’t a swatch anymore. She told me to cast on the normal amount of swatch stitches, but instead of doing a purl back row, simply slide the work to the other end of the needles (just like i-cord knitting) and knit the next row. I suppose I should mention that you need to do this on circulars or dpns. The swatch with the side fringes is the circular swatch – I snipped the traveling yarn in order to get an accurate measurement.

I don’t know if this picture is clear enough, but if it is please voice your opinion on your favorite swatch. I am holding fast to my favorite but am beginning to suspect I may be in the minority.

Posted by ann

wampum

I put in a few hours at Granny’s this week. She is having her yearly sale and asked me to cover some hours over two days. Whenever I work for Granny, my goal is to owe her money at the end of the day. Pictured above is part of my earnings, the rest of it is intended for gift giving and wasn’t included in the photo shoot. The yarn is Fino, an alpaca/silk blend – I am on the hunt for another shawl pattern – Knitting Nature and some steel crochet hooks. Funny, even though I do not crochet, I have some strong opinions about plastic crochet hooks!

We are having a snow storm this morning. Here is a shot of my Bridget being turned into a dalmation. And now for a slide show I like to call “Dogs are Idiots, Scratch my Belly” …..

shayna punim

Posted by ann

check out my new swimming headgear! a big thanks to Mary for the bday prezzie! I will certainly be the talk of the temple and will be leaving them in my wake (literally!).

You will be happy to hear that I have ordered some yarn for my upcoming sweater project. I decided on Araucania Nature Wool from Webs. The price was so fantastic that I did what I swore I wasn’t going to do – order yarn without a project in mind. I ordered a sweater’s worth of both color #8 and color #41. Can I just say that $4.69/ball beats yarn store employee discount? I felt it would be fiscally irresponsible not to order more yarn.

If you also read Cara’s site (and who amongst us doesn’t?), you will have read the hilarious story of Janice & Marge. What she may not have mentioned is all the bitching she is doing about being Marge. I don’t know what she has against the Marges of the world, but man oh man there is some deep sh*t there. Knowing that such Marge hostility exists in this world makes me even happier to be Janice.

Here is some Marge in poetry – when Cara sees that Marge is not just some blue-haired cartoon, maybe she will have a change of heart.

“Still the world is wondrous large, — seven seas from marge to marge”
In the Neolithic Age by Rudyard Kipling

“Lines I write the first time and the last time.
He who works in fresco, steals a hairbrush,
Curbs the liberal hand, subservient proudly,
Cramps his spirit, crowds its all in little,
Makes a strange art of an art familiar,
Fills his lady`s missal – marge with flowerets.”
One Word More XIII by Robert Browning

can I just say that the whole lady’s missal thing is weirding me out a little? I’m not sure what a missal is, but I don’t want to go anywhere near it, let alone cram it full with flowers.

hold the phone – I just looked it up. whew, I feel better.