K3tog: ILx Knitting 3

WOE IS ME.

I finished my first sock and it's a bit of a disaster. Dropped stitches, I didn't check my gauge (bad Molly!), but whatevs, as the kiddies say. I totally knit a sock.

I've just started the Class Sock from Sensational Socks, so I can properly learn what I'm doing. The "easy socks" instructions weren't too informative.

No functional sock, but a sock nonetheless!

Congratulations, Molly. The first one is the hardest...

I am halfway through my kimono trousers. Started last week (monday, I think). As always there are already a mistake or two but none that you can notice (unless you're an expert, I guess). I think it looks alright. Now I'm doing the front (or back, same thing). I am only VERY MUCH afraid of doing the seaming and *assembling* as I'll need to put an ELASTIC in the band. I'll ask one of the employees, she's a wiz with that shit. :-)

Tonight I'll be going to class but not doing any exercises, instead ask help with seaming and picking up sts. HURRAH. I need to seam THREE PIECES. SHEEIT. I'll also start a new project.

I picked up the socks again yesterday during the repeat of Whoctor Doo - only have a couple more plain rows left and then a couple of inches of ribbing. Then I *really* have to research a decent stretchy bind off for the top of the cuffs. Fingers crossed this isn't where it all goes wrong.

You could do an elastic bind off. VERY HARD but very nice!

(It's with a sewing needle which you sort of use as a knitting needle.)

Anything like this?
http://www.socknitters.com/toe-up/lessonsix.htm

As confusing as our explanation. So definitely same one. :-) Actually I looked at finished piece (last pic) and it looks exactly the same. It's a bit hard, well for me anyway, but the finished result (IF done right) is fantastic.

I might practice on a test bit first if it's that bad!

Sarah, I am a buffoon when it comes to these things. So you might be luckier in doing it. I strongly recommend it tho!

I've printed that page off but I think I'll have to read through it a couple of times!!

Do y'all prefer toe-up or toe-down socks?

My kitchener stitch grafting yesterday started off fine, and then OH NOES, dropped stitches, which resulted in my toe poking through.

The new Interweave Knit has an article and pattern (for any size foot and weight of yarn!) on toe-up socks.

I am mainly used to toe-down, but I think toe-up is good for when you only have a certain amount of yarn.

Also, I love Kitchener stitch. Am I insane?

also not knitting related: Molly, are you going to the library conference in DC that's coming up? (I don't read librarian threads)

The Kitchener stitch seemed awesome and beautiful until I dropped a bunch of my stitches, turning it into a disaster.

Unfortunately, I had to cancel this year's ALA in DC, as B-diddy and I are moving to a new place July 1st. Are you going? I'll be going to both of next year's, however!

I have documented my love for toe-up socks here plenty of times! The ones I'm about to finish have been a revelation - I've actually enjoyed every single bit of the process doing them - the only parts where you really need to concentrate at the start (and then it's only increasing, I find decreasing to knit v small tubes INCREDIBLY annoying), and make sure you're wrapping your heel properly and so on...

Kitchener stitch IS quite satisfying!! My problem is I generally do it when exhausted and you really need to be alert :)

I hear Knit 1 is now out!!!

molly, no, but my knitting, library school-attending best friend is going.

I went to get the new Knit1, and found the new IK, too!!! I had to get them at Michael's though, and not the yarn store, though.

OMG CRAZY PET FUR YARN

http://vipfibers.com/store/images/Cat-domestic-mix.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/510011007_8419289110.jpg%3Fv%3D0

LE FRIGGING SIGH.

Almost finished.

Am I happy?

Uh... sort of. *frowns*

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/510011007_8ba0e481bd_o.jpg

Yes, I know it's short. :-( But hopefully not too short (for my mom). Need to *erase* some mistakes. It's half past midnight. LE SIGH

nath, it's LOVELY! Be proud! It's gorgeous!

Yeah, but I picked up some sts that I shouldn't have and I didn't pull tight enough. I can sort of fix that. Also, it's a bit short (for me). But I can block it, right? Right? I should be proud, I know. My husband's reaction: "It's nice, but is it meant to go up in the back?" Freakout, run to the mirror... It didn't. :-)

Blocking is your friend!

I finished my sock, sucessfully, this time! Mind you, it's small enough to fit a midget (as per the "Class Sock" instructions), but I rocked the Kitchener stitch like nobody's bidness. I'm starting a pair of socks for B-diddy, but I'm taking my time and making a swatch which I shall wash and air dry. The first sock debacle was so traumatic, that I'm ready to take all the necessary steps to avoid crushing heartbreak.

I love you, Sensational Knitted Socks!

I bought a cheap second hand sewing machine. It's relevant to knitting as I'll mainly use it to sew BABY TROUSERS. :-)

Gutenborg project has this online!

I, erm, finished the socks....

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/220/511187881_6c09538422_m.jpg

THINGS FOR NEXT TIME
1. Remember where you place the heel
2. Place the heel in the same place on each sock
3. Remember what type of ribbing you finish with
4. The stretchy cast-off should be done loosey-goosey, and then it is perfect
5. Do the M1s *properly* (as hopefully documented above cos I HAVE ALREADY FORGOTTEN WHAT MY PROBLEM WAS)
6. And back to heel again, make a note of the length of the foot before you turn the heel so the feet are the same length - it worked this time but next time you may not be so careful!!

Not sure if I can face undoing one and making them even. I think I might cope with odd socks. I don't know.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/228/511164740_8d67771d97_m.jpg

Another view

And yesterday I started a scarf using the below stitch pattern - sorry for the murky picture, took it at night and the yarn is just like a very cloudy day so it's a bit unclear.

P4tog = super pain. Super easy to remember pattern though!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/229/511339543_8e332fdf22_m.jpg

Yarn is Sirdar Blur. I wanted to make a shawl but didn't know if I'd have enough (lots of yardage though) so scarf it is. It would also work nicely on some gloves so I'll see how much is used up on scarf. I could either make a set for me or set for someone else. Or try this 'etsy' thing of wot I ave 'eard speke.

5. Do the M1s *properly*

Did you forget to twist the picked up stitch? Most do.

I bought a really nice Marie Clair/Phildar baby pattern book. Noticed some cute shorts in'em. Now I want to do'em as well.

Still on the needles: TROUSERS. I'll probably starts the kimono after that.

No - in the first sock I'd misunderstood what they were asking me to do - in the second sock I figured it out. I've forgotten again now tho. Am sure it's upthread.

So, I finished my first wearable sock (the 1st was a disaster and the 2nd was a mini practice sock). I feel an overwhelming sense of pride. Also, sock knitting is TEH BEST and I think I'm addicted.

Oh wow congrats!!!

Showed the cardigan to my mum. She tried it on and she LOVES it. ONly need to *tuck* in some threads. :-)

Thank you thank you thank you!

Oh, hurray that she loved it!

Nath, I think I am ready to knit a sweater. Mind you, I've never knit a HUGE garment like that before, but I think it's time I do. Are cardigans (what I really want to knit) significantly harder than pullovers? Should I just suck it up and knit this:

http://www.zephyrstyle.com/catalog/item.cfm/2367447/3289215#image_1

lolz @ yarn named Blur

I am making some toe-up socks with this:

http://www.threadbearfiberarts.com/images2/yarn/col-jtb-146.jpg

cardigans seem to be harder, but fuck if i know as i have trouble with both. ;-)

my next pair of socks is some lorna's lace:

http://www.lornaslaces.net/images/color/113_Tuscany_SMALL.jpg

I think I'm going to attempt that Rusted Root top, as it will be warm here until November, and hopefully I'l get some use out of it. That being said, I probably *should* start a sweater, as I'll probably be done with it by the time cold weather rolls around.

There's some kind of trick for the K3tog and P3tog (or larger numbers too)--you knit/purl the first stitch and then move the remaining stitches to the right hand needle and use the first stitch to cast them all off at once. Easier than fighting with 4 pieces of yarn!

Sorry if this isn't clear! I'm at work and using pens to figure out how to describe it.

I think I'm becoming an Elizabeth Zimmerman disciple.

Also, I'd like to make and adult version of this.

Ladies, the new knitty is up!

I am lusting after this skirt.

So I made half of the back panel of a jacket for the new baby. HURRAH!

I skipped my knitting class when I returned due to jetlag and migraine. Harumph!

But BUT I did return with some YARN and loads of BOOKS (one on crochet) from Tokyo. HURRAH times TWO a million! Two other pattern books but also one on technique. As it contained the stretchy bind off and lots of other GREBT techniques in very clearn drawings, I figured I *had* to have it. I also bought some bits and bobs (needles, a needle tube, more cable needles,...) Very <S>takai</S> expensive but ah hell it's just <S>okane</S> money, rite? RIGHT? :-)

I'm not in the mood to go to my (last) class next week but my husband said I had to. He's right. I'll also enroll in next year's. Hopefully I can get all my tuition back. They claimed I could so hurrah for that as well.

I am in a knitting mood but there's so much I wanna do and so little I *can* do. hah!

Oh yes, where's that needle thread (hah!) I wanna know how to start working on my second hand sewing machine. I really don't know how to start. :-( I'm extremely utterly devastatingly CLUELESS. I don't even know how to put the fabric in nor the thread or needles! Yes, I'm a MORON! :-)

Hellow:

I want to make all of these:
http://getknitted.com/acatalog/The_New_Spring_Summer_2007_Collection.html

New Noni bags. £6 each for just a pattern though!! I mean it's hardly like the yarn is cheap itself :(

am i the only person who's not enamoured with felted things? :-(

Sarah, that's uber cute!

Nath, I've never felted before because the mood hasn't struck me. I've never found something I've wanted to make. However, that pattern Sarah found is SUPER.

I've decided to give away the socks to my friend in SanFran. She knit be a BEEYOUTIFUL scarf, and well, she needs these socks. It's the right thing to do. Also, we have the same size feet.

I've been looking through that Japanese technique book I bought. I think I'll do some of the excercises in the summer. They have some grebt cast on techniques (with double thread, with crochet hook,...) and bind off techniques.

My EZ books came in the mail. I'm reading Knitting Workshop at the moment, and I like how she just throws you right into Fair Isle (which is something that's intimidated me for a while now). "Here, knit this hat. Try out some Isle. Okay, now knit this Nordic Ski sweater."

OH my GOD! I don't think I'll ever venture into Isle territory. No way! It seems far too hard!

I bought some knitting kit (some plasticky thing that lets you knit). YAY

It's actually quite fun! I enjoyed working the few samples I've done - and you're only ever using two colours at one time. It gets quite absorbing but you really can't do anything else whilst you're doing it! I go pretty super slow as well but I think you'd definitely get into a riddim quite easily.

incidetally, I found the new Knit 1 in Borders - for £5.75! Erm, perhaps NOT. They're stocking it at celticove, but their website is down! Getknitted doesn't appear to have it, or I can't find it anyway. Sorry dudes, I pay £3.50 for Knit 1 and that's the end of.

(unless eg David Tennants starts modelling knitting patterns in there and then I wd pay eg my immortal soul)

I am making this dressing gown for the new baby. Again I managed to f#ck it up. It's about 5 cm longer (50 instead of 46 cm or something). ARGH! I knew this was gonna happen as the pattern doesn't specify any lenght, instead Debbie Stoller only gives the amount of rows you need to do. My husband of course had the *best* remark: you should have calculated beforehand every time so you knew if you were doing it right. I could of course frog a bit underneath but I don't think I will. It's longer, but as she tends to make wide clothes, it'll be for when the baby's older. I hope.

I have the trousers I need to seam (and put elastic in) and also a sort of knitted sleeveless shirt I need to finish (collar and sleeve bands and seam). Also still waiting is a blanket. I'm beginning to think finishing isn't my forte either. ;-)

How do I shot learn knitting?

stick needle in eye

srsly i have a big ph34 r of doing just that. thank god i wear glasses

I just joined a knitting group on the facebook site. :-D

I finished (well almost) this debbie bliss sleeveless sweater.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1013/671591048_59936df49a_o.jpg

Some minor faults (which are probably only visible to critical me): collar drops a bit. Apart from that I am relatively pleased with it. :-)

I need to enroll in the knitting course before it's filled up. Secondly I need (hah!) new Phildar yarn. Yes, yes, need. I still have lots of Bliss yarn. But hey I am "gauging" for a new cardigan. :-)

I'm really getting the hang of *blind* knitting. That said, a few times I missed an important scene in The Wire. I think I'll also start dowbloading audiobooks and/or listen to my ipod again. :-)

Don't tell me everyone has stopped knitting?!? I am going to start a new baby blanket tonight (as Ophelia uses the one I made for the new baby). It's going to be in purple. I dunno if I should do moss-stitch or just plain st.stitch. Hm.

Also started a garter stitch cardigan that's advancing quite lovely. It's in one piece.

I haven't stopped knitting, Nath! I've been moving house, and now I'm back at work with internets connexion. I'm working on a lacey-sort of curtain for my kitchen, and am still plodding away on socks.

Also, I've been in contact with a SPINNING teacher. That's right. I shall spin my own wool!

I have about six different socks going.

My knitting is mostly buried in a box post move, but I got a gift certificate to the LYS and they're having an additional sale today. So tempting!

Yay! :-)

I need multiple needles: I just realized that my garter st cardigan has the 10 bamboo needles which are needed to finish the sleeves on the robe. BOO! :-)

I don't feel like knitting because it's summer (even though the thermometer hasn't hit 20 for a fortnight).

I'm still confused - even after reading the facebook knitting group post - what the right side on a garter stitch is. Is the cast on tail on the right or left when beginning a new row? HELP.

Madchen, try small things, in cotton! I'm knitting the bubbly curtain from Mason-Dixon right now, and it's out of linen yarn. It doesn't get too hot, having it on my lap, which is a plus, seeing as how it's 93F out.

Nath, I'm under the impression that garter stich has no RS or WS (I'm pretty sure I read this in an Elizabeth Zimmermann book). I usuallly go with where the cast-on tail is though, as if it were stockinette. I could be completely wrong, though.

Spinning lesson set up for next weekend. I'm taking this whole thing to entirely geeky new level, I'm afraid. Bye bye social life.

(obv., once a pattern is started, and you've committed to a RS in garter stitch, then it exists, but when you're just starting out, i am pretty sure it doesn't matter when you begin)

I have not come on this thread in so long as I've not knit in weeks. I'm a bad knitter. (but more sewing/writing)

Nath, I believe the left unless my knitting skills have left me altogether.

Well, I posted on the Addicted to KNitting board (on FB) and they said it was the left but is that after you knitted a row or not? I guess so, no? I don't think it's very strict but I WANT TO KNOW. :-)

I put all my finished (but unseamed) projects on the table. Oops! I have

baby trousers
sleeveless sweater
lacy shawl
almost finished bath gown

that hello kitty embroidery thing I made last year (needs to be framed)

I'm pretty sure I forgot something but I can't recall it at all. :-(

Hmm, I'll have to wait till autumn for this thread to revive (without my help), AMIRITE? Anyway I went and ordered some more Debbie Bliss books. And some yarn. But I do need to seam my 'finished' pieces so IC an show'em off. I'm currently also making a lacy dress. In purple. I'm also going to try (and fail, I just know) making a Phildar cap in a DIFFERENT yarn. I really have to make the plunge and substitute yarns. I'm a little scared as my prev attempts have failed and I'm crap at measuring gauge. Hmmmmm Wish me luck!

Good luck, Nath!

Gauge is such a bitch, sometimes!

Anyone have any good ideas for a knit shawl that would look good with a wedding dress?

Nope, but I did see a pattern for a wedding dress somewhere?!? Sorry.

I'm thinking Elizabeth Zimmermann's shawl, from "A Knitter's Almanac", but that might be HUEG and not great for summertime.

Okay it's not knitting but embroidery. Still I thought you ladies would appreciate.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1010/872637736_95ad9b1498.jpg

Also, Vicki Howell from Knitty Gritty was checking the shirt out when I was wearing it in line for the movie. rar.

I saw taht on your flickrpage! VERY VERY pretty!!!

I'm trying to be more (ahem) ladylike and this means LONGER nails. Anyone have any tips. Just practice? It's a bit weird knitting with longer nails.

I started a BAG!!!! I'm so excited even though I know I won't have enough yarn. EEEP! :-) But it looked GREBT in the mag and it's more fun than another lace blanket.

http://www.simplyknitting.co.uk//resources/simplyknitting/magazine.jpg

You can see the off-white bag on the cover. But I'll be doing it in purple (and no felting probably).

YAY!

Hmm, I couldn't see the image.

I would say felting is good for bags as it gives them some stiffness. If not, be sure you use a nice lining. Bags are awesome.

My nails are getting quite long but I've only been sewing/stitching for the past few weeks. They've made typing interesting.

Ugh, I still haven't done a thing since the move. This pattern for knit grass is strangely inspiring though!

I'm freeforming a baby cardigan to try and use up some of my acrylics - I am forbidding myself to buy any more yarn until the stash is seriously reduced. I get cross each time I look at it!

Lots of amigurumi planned too :)

Boo! I seamed that sleeveless sweater and noticed that the "armholes" are different in tension. I must have cast off harder on one side. It's really noticeable (if you're a knitter). :-(((( I feel like I'm back at square ZERO or something. Bah bah bah. I will never get it right, will I? :-(((
Even the dress I'm knitting will be "interesting" because the armsleeves have to be adapted (don't correspond enough to the pattern). Might do a "sleeveless" dress as well and just make a border.
HARUMPH. :-(

I did finish that lacey shawl (and sleeveless sweater).

Also realized I can't felt the bag I am knitting which means I will have to use another finish.

Bah double bah.

I am going to order a few knitting related books (two on soxors). I just have to persevere and just DO IT. :-)

http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/completelist.htm

-> Might be some interesting books there. All in PDF format!

The 25th Anniversary edition of Vogue Knitting as a pattern for a kimono jacket and pants made from FIFTY-FIVE skein of Koigu.

WHY???????????

Who designed the pattern?

Maie Landra.

This is not the first time I have seen Koigu pants, either.

I calculated the price. Would be about 650 euros or something?!? WTFreakingF.

My husband says it's time to do something else than plain stockinette/garter stitch.
This is after I saw this on Crafster:

http://nashira.ca/Members/drooly_ooly/photos/craftster-images/blanket-01.jpg/image

Eek. Looks very hard. :-( But I will attempt to make it. :-)

Also, how should I make a bag have a 'floor' (oh god, so tired I can't use the proper word, I want something which... uh straightens the bottom of the bag...).

Nath, when sewing bags I use plastic mesh canvas (for plastic cross stitch crap) in between the bag and the lining for strength and shape. You could do this if you lined your bag. Also, blocking is your friend, Put the bag over a box of some kind and spritz with water. This should help define a bottom though not as well as felting or reinforcement/lining would.

Have y'all signed up for Ravelry.com? It's pretty great! I got my invitation (it's still in the beta-testing phase) a few weeks back. It's pretty addictive, yet really wonderful. You can catalog your stash!

Today, I hope to finish the Mason Dixon Bubbly curtain which will go in my kitchen. Once I find my digital camera, I'll have photos of it soon.

also, re: ravelry:

If you're looking up a pattern, to see other people's finished items, there are LINKS to ERRATA on the pattern page. GENIUS.

Ok, this is fucked up. Last night I figured I better make a new gauge because, even though I had used the same yarn, it'll be in a different colour. it seems that the row count is completely fucked up!!!! How can that be if the amount of stitches sort of matched the gauge?!? (I'm using a replacement yarn that is similar to the one recommended.)

Also I made some booties for the new baby. I hope she won't fit into'em when she's born cause they are massive. hahahah Well, looks that way but I haven't seamed'em (what else is new!).

I need to finish seaming a stackload of projects. The first andmost important one is a HANDBAG. I knitted it in about ten days. It's quite cute. :-)

"sort of" helps to explain why the row gauge was off.

I just got "Charmed Knits" a book of Harry Potter patterns *squee*. There are about three things I want to make including two sweaters but I must not start too much at once or I won't finish. Also, I'm trying to use what's in my stash instead of buying some new stuff. Which right now means trying to swatch a bulky yarn for a cable sweater that calls for worsted weight. Hmm, I predict this will not work.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1360/1204744987_7ab33b0777.jpg

Wee! My first knitted handbag (not counting the totally crap one I made).

I'm ph34ring the rest I have to seam. :-(

That looks awesome! I love the cable pattern.

I picked up the needles to do a simple kitchen towel for a bit. Mostly I just want to get my chops back so I can tackle some of the larger projects in my stash.

A couple of my UFOs have reached the stage of "uh, where was I?" Especially the fingerless gloves that have cable going up the gusseted thumb, where you're adding stitches in the middle of cabling. There was math involved, and it made my brain hurt!

maybe back up a bit and restart?

Yeah my Malcolm X bag probably needs to be frogged as I've totally lost my place on the chart. I blame 1. the dogs for chewing my original chart up 2. myself for letting the shards get wet to the point where I couldn't transfer my progress to a new one. :(

nath, the bag looks great!

I have a spinning lesson on Saturday. I've been perusing the internets for wheels.

Bye-bye social life.

I ordered some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock online ($8.65/skein!!) and am patiently waiting for it, so I can start the Monkey socks for my sister.

I started knitting a handtowel with my leftover Euroflax linen, and it's coming out really nicely!

Why is yarn so high? I haven't bought any for awhile b/c I just can stomach the expense. (esp. considering how long it takes for me to finish projects compared with sewing.)

That's extremely cheap for LL, actually. In my LYS it goes for about $14/skein. It's totally worth it, though, as it's beautiful, hand-dyed wool.

I spent, uh, $22/skein on the Euroflax linen. But, it was totally worth it once again as I have a bitchin' bubbly lace curtain in my kitchen now.

I now have UFOs that I have to look up where I stopped exactly. Also, almost finished a dress but I am so much in fear that the collar is too small. I actually measured the circumference to check if my baby's head will go through it. :-( Hopefully once I will get it all right. :-(((((

Nath, when are you due?

End of October

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1389/1224468433_25004d8cf8_o.jpg

I'm sorta happy with the end result.

Trust me, I don't knit a cardigan in 24 hrs, I just have a ton of things I need to seam. Next up? Two baby pants. :-)

Such a sweet little cardi! what kind of buttons will you use, nath?

I'm probably going for those brown buttons they use on duffel coats, *if* I find them, but my husband said it would maybe be a bit too boyish... Not sure yet.

here is a picture of my semi-finished monkey sock (from knitty). i was watching a re-run of knitty gritty last night, and cookie a was on (the designer). i was having a bitch of a time with the heel flap (totally the easiest part). after i cursed her existence loudly, everything came together perfectly. yay, catharsis!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1249/1263113167_dea97f10e2.jpg

*must do sock*

What yarn is that? I finally started the second sock in Colinetter Jitterbug.

I need to find a Mr. Sparkle crochet pattern.

that is lorna's laces "purple iris".

i just bought my first jitterbug last night in this amazing deep purple/fuschia (sp?) last night. SO SQUISHY AND LOVELY.

i'm thinking i shall use it for this pattern:

http://magknits.com/Sept06/patterns/snicket.htm

what type of sock are you doing?

also, i've decided it's time to take on cables. i read the cabling article in interweave, and i was fascinated.

are cables tricky?

I'm doing toe-up frpm the article by Ann Budd in the Summer 07 IK. But not the pattern.

My yarn is green with yellow and magenta.

Cables are only has hard as you let them be.

Cables aren't very tricky, they are actually easier than you think they should be. You just need to pay attention to whether you hold the stitches on the needle in front of or behind the knitting.

I haven't used a cable needle to hold stitches, just an extra dpn.

this is my color, "velvet plum"

http://www.colinette.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=1546d6df4384a16/shopdata/0020_yarns/0007_wools/0005_jitterbug/images/jitt_vplum_lrg_697x234.jpg

NB it's actually much more vivid than that.

is jitterbug a delight to work with?

LL is pretty great, but sometimes i find it can shred a bit too easily when frogging.

Yay! Cables! Thanks, ladies! I psych myself out and think, "that's too difficult!", but knitting socks have helped me get over that mental block. Bring on the cables. I'm ready for them.

I have a sock started in LL that needs to be worked on. I like the texture of LL Sport more than Sock.

I use Clover cable needles because I am a sucker for anything they make.

Like this:

http://www.createforless.com/InterchangeData/images/2/2007/0412/2007051708330092007-0412-1694.jpg

I freakin' love cables. And I also use an extra dpn instead of cable needles. (In a pinch I've been known to use a bobby pin.)

Right I've unraveled the sweater I didn't give my mom two birthdays ago and decided to do an easy drop-sleeve sweater from the Harry Potter book for her. Problem is I did the original in pink/purple striped Lana Grossa du Chine. I only want to do purple now as it's her favorite color and the other stupid sweater looked like a pink and purple bumblebee. Alas that yarn is discontinued and I can' find it anywhere! I'm flummoxed.

Is that a cable needle?! It looks like a shoulder pad!

I have the Clover yarn cutter necklace pendant. It's my BFF.

Sam, eBay? Perhaps the knitty message board. They have a discussion area for just this problem.

I scoured ebay. I have found none of this yarn much less the color I need. I think my chance of finding ten balls of it are zilch.

I have no idea what that gator thing is.

I'm going to experiment putting in random rows of novelty yarn. Not stripes, just extra.

It's the Craft Crocodile!!

It;s a case for craft stuff.

OMG CRAFT CROCODILE!!

WANT

It holds dpns and such? I so need that. I'm going on a plane tomorrow, and bought a back up set of size 2 dpns in case one gets lost en route. Must finish monkeys!

"I have the Clover yarn cutter necklace pendant."

Must resist temptation to ask my 'rents to get this in Japan. I can't because, well, they'd have to travel a whole day (IN THEIR OWN CITY WHICH IS TOKYO MAD NO?) to purchase this.

You girls know how to get 'something' which holds a book while you knit? I need this. I now only knit&watch telly, but I wanna get teh hang of knitting while reading.

I still have a few bits to seam/finish but already thinking about other projects. I fear that bathing gown, dress and booties will end up gathering dust. Actually NO they won't. :-) But I do need to take the trousers with me to my knitting course (starts on monday!!!) so my teacher can teach me to put an elastic in.

Next up dress and jacket.

I do have a bit of a problem: I'm at this point that I don't consider my items worthy of wearing so I don't really put them on (on O nor me). :-( Did/do you girls have that same experience? Does it go away? Or will I end up giving it all away? I don't really mind, I'm more of a *project knitter* (doing it instead of going for the finished product itself).

I don't make anything for myself really and rarely make clothing (except for hats/mittens)

book holders: http://www.bindependent.com/hompg/bi/bindep/store/aisles/s-needs/read/read.htm

OMG! Must have! YAY! I def need some of those. :-D

Sigh, just realized I am knitting a cardigan and forgot to write down a few rows I did. Back to measuring (and fuxering up the front/side measurements?).

Tonight: knit class starts again! HOORAH! Going to ask if she can adapt a dress pattern for me. I want to make a cute brown dress. Also have to take a few trousers and ask how I put in the elastic band.

Has anyone used knitpicks yarn before? I'm thinking about making the Seamless Hybrid a la Elizabeth Zimmermann out of the Wool of the Andes.

I use them a lot. Wool of the Andes is pretty basic wool. Worsted weight, feltable. What is this project? If it's a clothing item it might be a little scratchy. But then I generally think all 100% wool is. I have made mittens from it though and it was fine. A scarf probably would be okay too.

My favorite yarn of their's is Andean Silk. It's lovely to work with and reminds me a lot of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. (forgive me if my names are slightly off. Too lazy to double check)

It's a sweater that will hopefully end up looking like this:

http://static.flickr.com/73/228482825_e413384d88.jpg

I'm thinking about using their Fern, which is a sort of drab green.

Ideally, I'd like to do it in Rowan Yorkshire Tweed, but, uh, yeah, it's too expensive for my first adult sweater endeavor.

This might be nice:
http://www.knitpicks.com/Swish+Superwash_YD5420153.html

It's merino (softer) and washable!

ooh! That's an excellent suggestion.

I've been reading that with the wool that may seem scratchy, it's much softer after blocking.

new knitty up!

http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATTcherieamour.html
I am totally in love with this and plan to order the yarn today. for once, I am using the proper yarn for a pattern!

also, after seeing a clapotis in Brooklyn (and having been cold at night there), I must succumb and make my own.

Ah that is lovely. and lace! I need to knit again. :(

I met Louisa harding last night. She signed my pattern books (although my water leaked all over one) and I bought $100 worth of yarn and patterns to make a sweater.

http://www.woodlandyarns.co.uk/books/louisa_harding/winter_muse_portraits/LH-Portraits-low-16.jpg
http://www.woodlandyarns.co.uk/books/louisa_harding/winter_muse_portraits/LH-Portraits-low-13.jpg

I haven't decided which one.

oops I mean

http://www.woodlandyarns.co.uk/books/louisa_harding/winter_muse_portraits/LH-Portraits-low-16.jpg
http://www.woodlandyarns.co.uk/books/louisa_harding/winter_muse_portraits/LH-Portraits-low-13.jpg

Argh! We tried the lacey knitting - although I hate to label it lace as it's NOT - and failed miserabley (of course!).

I'm on autocruise, really. I'm knitting a few things but fear it won't work out: One is the cardigan taht I forgot to jot down the number of rows and the other is a dress which I fear I have decreased enough. ARGH!

Also, even though I enrolled in the class, I'm so effing tired and doubt I'll be able to attend this year. I hope to join the knitty gritty gang next year with full energy tho. :-)

sup, ladies?

i am working on my elizabeth zimmermann seamless hybrid:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1381/1480494590_6961671d28.jpg?v=0

i also may be buying this in a few weeks:

http://www.woolery.com/images/kromskiart/kromskisax2.jpg

spinning is TEH BEST. i've joined my local spinning guild too.

/end nerdiness

oh, also: i've ordered some blue-faced leicester fleece and a dye kit. hopefully, it will arrive tomorrow, so i can practice with it before the Dye Day i'll be attending next week.

I do love to knit but I can't bring myself to do it. :-( Have plenty of things I want to make but don't get around to. Guess I'll have to wait a few months, right?

I gave the knitted bag to my mum who's so excited. She wears the frilly scarf and also the cardie I made her. :-)))) It makes me extremely happy though I think I could've done the cardie better. :-)

Hello, handspun!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2231/1624032694_aa3adebd32.jpg?v=0

I was browsing in a Cath Kidston shop over the weekend, and they had decorated the store with the most gorgeous knitted paper chains. I've no idea if they were for sale or not (they'd probably be quite expensive anyway) but I thought it was such a brilliant idea that it inspired me to rush home and dig out my knitting needles and some scraps of wool to start making some of my own. I reckon if I knit 3 or 4 links a day, I might have enough for this year!

I tried to google up a picture to show you the sort of thing I mean, and came up with only one hit - a blog where someone has already made some (plus there are directions for making them):

http://www.simplyknitting.co.uk/reso...ogpattern2.pdf

I'm using 4.5mm needles, and churning them out at a rate of knots in lovely glittery dark greens and reds (the links are v quick to make, even for me who's not a very proficient knitter!). I've already made a dozen links since yesterday :)

Did that url not work?

Try again :

http://www.simplyknitting.co.uk/resources/simplyknitting/blogpattern2.pdf

My Second Hat:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/2202822369_215cde7542.jpg

Has anyone got a good baby hat pattern? I have some friends about to give birth and I think I can probably knit one in time.

Last Minute Gifts has a cute one I have made twice.

That looks like some very warm wool!

It is a lovely sheep/alapaca blend, nice and scratchy. From Hopyard Spinnery.

Ed, it's great! This reminds me that I have some gorgeous silver alpaca roving I need to spin up.

If you want to try cables (they're so much fun, and easy to boot), here's one:

http://www.adorabubbleknits.com/pages/cablebabyhat.php

Here's another:

http://hitherandyarn.wordpress.com/free-knitting-patterns/grow-with-me-baby-hat/

And another:

http://20hatsproject.blogspot.com/2007/12/simple-hat-with-eyelets.html

I like the first one. My current project, fingerless gloves, has a cable up the back, doing it in cheap yarn at first as there is a lot to learn whilst doing it.

I love your yarns by the way. My GF and I really want to learn to spin and dye at some point.

Yes yes yes! (and thanks!)

Spinning is ultimately awesome. Dyeing is great as well. There's something completely satisfying in the whole something-from-nothing process. I love to dye with Jacquard dyes, as they're insanely bright and colorful. This spring, I'm going to be planting a bunch of marigolds, so I can dye from them in the fall. I did that this past fall at my spinning guild's Dye Day, and the color was so yellow and lovely. I don't think it could be replicated by man-made dyes.

Kool-aid dyeing is a fun and stain-free way of learning how to dye. I've gotten some really interesting colors with generic kool-aid found at my local ghetto-mart. Here's a link from knitty.com:

http://www.knitty.com/issuefall02/FEATdyedwool.html

Re: spinning - I started off on a spindle, which was fun, but not as grand as a wheel. Wheels aren't cheap, but they're totally worth it. Spindles are incredibly inexpensive and a good way to learn. If you and your GF can try out as many wheels as you can before getting one, that is ideal. I met this local sheep farmer at the Tennessee state Fair, and she invited me down to her farm to try out her many wheels. I fell in love with the giant Kromski Symphony, and managed to get one not too much later.

i just volunteered to knit 40 dishcloths for wedding shower favors at the end of april.

1 dishcloth takes between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. it's the easy peasy CO 4, k2, yo, k2, etc. pattern my grandmother taught me.

i should be ok, right? right?

:/

carpal tunnel, here i come!

I'm not on ILX much anymore, but I am on Ravelry. PLEASE PLEASE add me if you're on there. (Molly; Tokyo Rosemary and Sarah already are. Hurrah!) I am known as stevienixed on Ravelry.

I guess I need to start using ravelry if I want to talk knitting however I did just finish this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/2459006308_e03b4eae4b_b.jpg

I finished the panels about a month ago but have dawdled over the finishing , I hope the recipient hasn't grown too big.

Who all is on ravelry? Also - can anyone recommend a good first-time cardigan? I think I want to finally tackle a sweater of some kind & a cardigan would be better for summer.

I really like these!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19375026

Also, I am beginning a new knitting project this year: yarmulkes.

i'm 60% done with these (meaning i have completely finished one mitten and am doing the second very slowly) http://madebymyself.blogspot.com/2007/10/chevalier-lapaset.html

look how long they are though!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/3146504788_1d0c8b2a1e.jpg
i repeated part of the pattern (it says you can for sizing) because i have huge hands but i didn't actually need to, they're big enough

obv that was before i put the thumb on!

Has anyone ever knitted for a rat or hamster or other rodent? Lol.

also

http://smartbykrae.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/bunny-sweaters.jpg

omg

their little butts!!!!!

<3<3

little orange sweater dude on the left is killing me

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2378/2430442879_5f16a54729.jpg

HOW DO I DO THAT!!!! HOW DO I DO THAT!!!!!!!!

http://icecreamtreats.googlepages.com/rathampstersnuggly

no idea what that loom thing is but it's prob easy to do the floor without that

<3<3<3!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2540/3879133906_2e457cdeda.jpg

Nice!

that's great! love the colorway.

i'm on my first sock evar and knitted past where i was supposed to turn the heel. doing toe-up. fuckfuckfuck.

so now it's sitting in its knitting bag til i can stand to rip out a half inch of tiny stitches.

i ripped out about *four* inches of that sock (top down) after i started because it was too small. it was surprisingly fast to get back there again. i just started sock 2.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2623/3878371201_1a731579cd.jpg

Finally finished my first seamless sweater: ZEE OWLET. Still had to weave in loads of threads but god damn this was a fun knit! The grafting was only possible due to youtube. hah! It's not that hard to do IF you really follow the instructions closely. The grafting was the hardest part. Weirdest thing:I dropped two sts and only noticed it WAY too late. I never drop sts. Well, up until now. :-) I am tempted to make this for me as well. This one's for a two year old.My youngest kid. :-)

The collar looks a bit too big right? Christ, can't I ever be happy? Answer: nope.

Did you notice the knit thing Sookie was grabbing in True Blood's last ep? These scenes were never in the books.Quite sure Paquin asked this to be added. She's apparently a knitter herself. I am so curious on how proficient she is. :-)

Ravelry let me down. I asked about the short row shaping in the Owlet on the Owlet subforum and nobody fucking answered! Maybe because I was right and the question was a bit simple. :-(

my socks are gonna have two different cast-ons because i could not relearn german twisted again no matter how many youtube videos i watched. so the second one is long tail. oh well!

I envy you people who can rip back x" of sock and then pick up all those goddamn tiny stitches. If I can't unknit back to the problem, I have to rip back the entire thing and start over.

Nath, that owl sweater is sweet!

I'm all over felting these days. Here is my test hat: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3872275265_f5cefa86e2.jpg

It is ridiculously small, but I knitted it specifically to sort out the gauge. What I love about felting: 1) you can knit fast and loose and messy and that's okay 2) no weaving in ends 3) magicalness

i did start over! but i do sometimes pick up all the stitches. the tiny hat is hilarious. you need a pet monkey for it

Owlet is soooo much fun to make. I think seamless is the way now for me. Well, for now. The other month it was socks but I never got past that one sock. hahaha

I'm trying to stick to projects which are patts from my books. Ravelry is a great help that way. Keep on queueing patts from books. Not buying any new books either. I did get the awesome Treasure books (A MUST A MUST A MUST). All four of'em. I will attempt to "design" a seamless yoke sweater (from the book of sweater patterns) and incorporate the Gingerbreak castle (from the Treasury book). WISH ME LUCK. hahaha

i got barbara walker's "knitting from the top" which supposedly tells you all about seamless sweaters and making your own patterns but i left it in my sublet apartment and now the girl who lives there has swine flu! so maybe i can get it next week. i want to do a yoke sweater too, i've only ever done raglan.

Ooooh I am tempted to get that book even though they claim it's out of print. *slaps self* no more book buying, Nath. This Owlet wasn't top down though. don't know how easy/hard it is to do top down. But seamless knitting is so much fun!

Is anyone thinking of doing NaKniSweMo? I believe it starts in November. I'm about 2/3rds through the torso of my first top-down raglan (the Laverne pattern I got from Ravelry) and if I get it finished I'm thinking of going for a second one.

maybe! i have trouble getting projects done so it would probably be a good idea

You mean knit a sweater together? It's national so not for me, Eurotrashy outsider. But I would be up for it!

I have about eight projects going but two of'em are unseamed sweaters. Now do you understand why I prefer seamless knitting? :-) I also frogged a dishcloth - too boring - and am about to frog that one sock I have lying around. I am going to knit another pair with the yarn later on in the year. :-)

It's like the write a novel in a month challenge - you attempt to knit (and finish I think) a sweater in the 30 days of November.

Oh fuck yeah, let's bring it ON.

Also, I am, this evening, trying to uh "design" the gingerbread castle sweater. See how well I'm doing: I'm on ILX. Hmmm. It's hellahard but I am doing it anyway. I'll let my teacher correct the mistakes of course. :-)

ok I LOVE RAVELRY!!

Thanks, nath, for inadvertently turning me on to it. <3!

yay! ravelry is pretty awesome. nowadays what i like most is the ability to search patts in your books (you put in the library). i am trying to make projects from the books i bght.

is anyone gonna knit this butt
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/PATTtushy.php

shant we

i'm thinkin about it

lolz at the warnings.

knitters be stupid.

only one person on ravelry has made it and the notes say

I saw this in Knitty and for some reason just had to knit it. I think it is the original picture that did it. I was a little surprised as to how much it represents a butt. Kind of took me by surprise. But it is comfy and the yarn knit up BEAUTIFULLY!!

lolling, sorry

Nath I have bought yarn for adult-sized owls sweater & I am fully stoked to do it in...years from now.

btw haters of ends-weaving have you tried the Russian join? it is pretty much the awesome. I was taught it actually w/out using the tapestry needle at all, just holding old yarn + new yarn in loops like that & it holds together better than any ends I've ever woven in .

I've been doing the same thing - it works great! Even with lace weight.

Works great w/fatty bulky yarn too fwiw. <3

Sisters + a sister-in-law all have bdays in October so September is Scarforama month. Plus I have to finish Dr. Who scarf by Halloween. I'm over 70% done but that still means HOURS and HOURS of knitting ahead nonetheless.

Nath I have bought yarn for adult-sized owls sweater & I am fully stoked to do it in...years from now.

No no no no! Let's do it together!!!! Come on, baby! It's so easy to make (coming from a person who is RUB at making sweaters). So much fun. Lots of mindless stockinette in the round. The owls are also deadeasy. COME ON ABBOTT LETS GET THIS PARTY STARTED. In my knitting class you're allowed to do a sweater, so I can do that one as a "project". PRETTY PLEASE ABBOTT. We can do this knitalong. :-))))) <3 (I haven't got the yarn, but if you say GO, I am gonna!)

My knitting class will be fun (when it comes to the knitting part): Scarves, SOXORS and other accessories. :-)) I have tons of sock yarn so am in that dep already prepared. hahTeacher hates toe-up though. :-( We're also doing mittens. Yikes.

Oh yeah, if you're on Ravelry, check out MariannAn. She's such an amazing knitter!!! Truly amazing. Does that colourwork like a fullfledged pro. Most beautiful socks you can imagine.

second sock is more than half done but i've made mistakes this time! the first one is close to perfect (for me anyway), though i might redo the toe because i should have made them smaller to allow for stretch. on the second sock my heel gusset is sloppy. i didn't pick up the stitches right. i don't want to go back though, no one but me will notice. i really really like turning heels! all i really care about with knitting is how it's like building something.

also, even though i shouldn't have, i just bought some lace weight yarn to make this: http://knitbot.com/2009/04/13/featherweight-cardigan-now-available/
it's gonna be sooooooo boring to make

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2440/3689330371_a7de08027a.jpg

We're gonna make this destined to be horrible scarf. It's in Katia Big Snow. My *yarn* is reddish and orange.

I also bought yarn for OWLS. Abbott, I am tapping my foot. R U REDDY. :-) If not, I can wait. Or if you wanna do it solo, that's fine too. :-)

I had my first little FAP FAP FAP. Well, it's just one lady, who knew I lived in the same town. So she dropped by in the shop and we had a nice talk. Apparently we know the same people. Such a tiny city. And working in retail (and she running a snackbar) means you know lots of people.

that scarf is pleasantly ugly!

I know! Beats those fuzzy scarves from a few years ago but still....

In my knitting class you're allowed to do a sweater

Hahahaha "allowed"! And they say there aren't any knitting police.

Nath I am so down with an OWLS knitalong! I have to finish the last b-day gift out of my scarf-making marathon for Libras. Got taught how to do cables at stitch & botch last night & (like everyone says) they aren't hard at all. My yarn is a dusty grey-purple. Yours?

omg best typo ever there

hahahaha! so true, every time I go to one, I fuck most of it up and have to rip it out.

i guess i'm doing owls too except i plan to make some modifications. only really using this pattern because everyone says it fits so great and i don't know much about how to design my own waist shaping. it's so fast! sz 10.5 needles. i only just started and i'm already almost 6 inches in. i would like to either: change the cable pattern and otherwise leave it the same, or do ribbing at the neck and an asymmetrical button-up thing at the top and buttons on the sleeve cuff. i love things that button.

My bright idea to felt seat pads for our wood dining chairs is turning into a giant woolly chore.

That does sound pretty freaking epic.

What yarn are you using?

so this weekend I dug around my huge knitting bag for the first time and forever and got some things organized. Need to finish fingerless gloves (must learn how to pick up stiches to do the thumb part), a baby sweater intended for a baby who is now far too big for it (must learn how to make a buttonhole), and seaming together two halves of a sweater vest that I made years ago but never did the finishing on (must learn how to, er, seam).

Should make a hat for myself after that, but could also be convinced to ILKnitalong on OWL. Where do I find the pattern again>

join ravelry! it seems to only be available there.

What yarn are you using?

Lion Brand Fishermans Wool that I got for pretty cheap - it felts up really well, and is a bit heavier than standard worsted. Knitting it up on a size 10 circ. It's the same stuff I'm using for hats.

hey dudes, i finished one of the owls' sleeves and i have a thought about them. i did it according to pattern (it says co 28, knit the cuff, then knit for 2 inches before increasing by 2 sts, etc.). well, it's pretty tight around the forearm and i'm not a bodybuilder or anything. i'm not going back because i'll mess around with it in blocking and it's not *that* bad, but if i had it to do again i'd cast on 4 more stitches and not start increasing until 6 inches in, so you end up with the same number of stitches at the end. the upper arm is about right, and at that point you can try it on anyway to see if you want to add another increase and just bind off the 2 extras at the top.

or, just consider your gauge and measurements before you cast on the sleeve!

i am making the whisper cardigan and it's really boring and slow and i'm knitting unevenly because the yarn is so tiny.
modified not-owls is pretty much done but i'm lazy about fixing the neck (it was bigger than i wanted the first time around so i went back)
i want to make this though http://knitbot.com/2009/09/17/introducing-lightweight-pullover/

I went to the Sheep and Wool Festival today and got yarn made from puppy fur!!

my knitting club has started back as it is now fall. <3

It's a bit ironic: I am obsessed with knitting but I am not that interested in the finished object (see owl sweater: haven't put it on elisabeth once).
That said, I finalled caved and am knitting soxors for Thom (he's VERY critical). It's going pretty well/quickly (cause it's DK yarn):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/4011363562_b3e07d3923_m.jpg

These are the cuffs. Started this week and am nearly at the toe. Thom is so excited. Supposed to be house soxors.

I finally met up with a woman I met through Ravelry. She does this Stitch 'n' Bitch like club in my town but haven't been able to attend. I also met another Raveler a few weeks ago. Both are so niiiiiiiiice! :-) <3

i need to learn to knit continental. any time i've tried i can't keep tension or feed the yarn properly. i should take a class. english is wayyyy too slow and uneven

I know what you mean but I am almost sure my teacher hasn't even heard of continental. hah. She also didn'"t want to teach us toe-up sock knitting. :-(

Oh yeah due to excessive knitting of hubby soxors, my middle finger has a red swollen bit near my knuckle. Urgh. It was that or laddering in the socks. hah

Oh Harbl, did you hear about "mixed" knitting? Or do they call it combined? It's a mix of continental and English.

I ordered a shitload of Clover short circs. Would have preferred Addis but my mum lives in Japan and I could order some knitty things from a Japanese site. so there you go. For my hat knitting. :-) I wonder if I'll ever have a complete collection of needles. Damn, I always need more. :-) I also ordered some thicker DPNs (for finishing my bulky hats) from an English shop, Loop.

maybe you guys don't call it continental because you're on the continent? i want to make some house socks too. i can probably deal with making one pair of sock-yarn socks per year but they're a pain in the ass how long they take. thicker socks would be manageable.

oh yeah i was looking at that last week too, combined knitting. i wouldn't mind learning that instead.

Oh my teacher probably doesn't know. It's never been brought up and I have never noticed anyone knitting anything but English style.

I started some socks for my dad Gentleman's Half Hose ones (link) but it's been put on hold for the basic house socks in DK yarn. :-) Also doing some chevron lace baby socks. Damn hard: so tiny and the needles as well. hah

that's funny, i thought it was continental only in europe! it seems like such a better way. socks do go faster than i anticipated so baby socks should be alright but having to knit them for size 11 feet is not fun. i def couldn't knit them for my dad's 13 or brother's size 15. unless i learned to knit a lot faster.

I knit continental, except I don't normally hold the yarn right and pick it up with the needle. I grab it with my left hand and wrap it around the needle instead. While I've been knitting these hats for felting, since it doesn't matter if the tension is uneven and since it's so much knitting, I've been practicing holding the yarn correctly and all that. It does go much faster, and I'm almost able to keep the tension even - not 100% though. and I always revert to my old ways if I stop focusing on it.

another thing i plan to figure out (that would help with tension because i purl a lot looser than i knit) is knitting a cardigan in the round and steeking it. would also be a lot more mindless and make knitting while watching movies easier. the featherweight cardigan (i said whisper before but they're very similar) is going ok but a lot of rowing out i hope will clear up after blocking.

Oh no! Most are throwers. I wish I cld do Continental too. Seems much more efficient

If yr tension is different for purling, I think some knitters use a different needle.

i think i knit continental \(o_O)/

I knit English (I think it's hilarious it's called "throwing," like I'm Andy Capp's enraged wife or something). My tension is fine & even but I wld like to learn continental to do two-fisted fair isle. That shit is hardcore! I haven't done any fair isle yet but the Mason-Dixon book I have is doing a v good job of convincing me it is essential & awesome.

Pah! Essential my ASS. I'm not doing any coloured work THIS century. I did learn it in my course but FUCK that shit.

Okay, off to my course. Way late. Work 'n' ILX 'n' eating dinner.

I finished my first sock for my husband. he tried it on about 15 minutes ago and was soooo excited. YAY!

Awesome! Cast on the second one ASAP!

they are on my lap. heh. off i go :-)

Ripped some soxors. Fuck that shit. But I am finishing stockinette soxors for Thom. :-)))))

Next week we're doing MITTENS in class! EEEEEEK

Mittens are awesome! Easier than socks imo.

i did colorwork once but i was making it up while i went along. it turned out really pretty! but i couldn't imagine doing that from a pattern. i kind of suck at following patterns.

i knit portuguese. i used to do english but it was starting to really hurt my hands. so i learned continental, which took a lot of practice before i could get even tension. and i still didn't quite like it.

i looove portuguese, though having a hook pinned to me is a pain. it was really easy to learn, too--much more so than continental.

I've never met anyone who knit Portugese, that's awesome!

my tension is a little looser with portuguese, but i'm too tight of a knitter anyway, so it works out. it's wonderful--highly recommended if you feel like learning a difft method. the most annoying thing is having your knitting physically attached to you, and then getting up to do something else and realizing that you have yarn trailing from your lapel.

this is what i'm working on right now--a simple hat. the recipient depends on how it blocks. i hate gauge.

(cabling w/o a cable needle is so easy with tiny cables! i know there's some sort of psso way to simulate them, but i didn't feel like looking it up)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/4029291789_ea4fe01693.jpg

Oh man, I really like that.

i r seaming sweatah. uuuuuuurgh. but hey it's time: it has been waiting for YONKS

Yeah that's why I've only tried top-down ones so far: worries that I couldn't get motivated to piece the bits together at the end.

it takes an entire evening. cld have finished cuffs on my husband's socks. :-(

http://images4-cache.ravelry.com/uploads/pomochic/2452613/crochet-cheeseburger_medium.jpg

this makes me hungry and makes me want to make it and put my cat inside it

Is there an ILX group on Ravelry?

Yeah, actually there is. Not very active though. But it's there. :-)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/4044007310_5531b62971.jpg

My second pair of socks. I'll probably make the exact same pair for my father. I wanna start some Noro socks but afraid to break thread cause I pull very hard (switching needles)

We are making mitts this evening!

Also, speedknitting those above socks: painful hands. :-( What to do since I promised same socks for father (and the Noro ones for mum).

KnitPicks is giving away up to $150 worth of stuff if you try their new wishlist feature: Details. They are my go-to for yarn basics and I love their harmony circs.

Oh man yeah, totally hoping Santa's gonna bring me that interchangeable Harmony set.

I have a Denise & I love it but the tips are so blunt they're a PITA for lace-type stuff. Tried out a friend's Harmonies & they kick ass!

i have the knitpicks interchangeable nickel-plated and i looooooove them

This is baffling me...hemp/cotton/cashmere blend? Who the fuck thought of that?

Maybe it is awesome IRL but the thought of it is computing like 'anchovy ice cream' in my mind.

I love the wood harmony set - so sharp and pointy! Also, those uber-flexible cables - I can do magic loop so easily. The only drawback - knitting dark yarn on those dark wood needles makes it really hard to see if you are okay or screwing up. I'm tempted by the new lucite tips, just to try them out.

I have KnitPicks (that's KnitPro in Europe right?). I like'em already. Lately I have been going back to metal needles. I don't like knitting with Clover so much. Actually only for DPNs and sock knitting. I did order a shitload of short circs from Clover for hatmaking. Christ, one needs to many needles! It never seems to fucking end! Like even if you have circs for hat making you still need the DPNs for finishing'em.

That Knitpicks bag is so beautiful btw.

I really need to get the Kindle because I always end up watching really crappy telly while knitting in stockinette.

We ended up not making the mitts, just some sad ass reversable cable you can use for scarves. YEEE-AWN. After holidays it's MITTS. Can't wait! Really. So much so I'm tempted to cast on the EZ mitered mitts. Anyone here made'em? They look awesome despite the Ravelry comments that they feel awkwards. (I don't care, I never knit for myself. HAHAHAHA)

I ordered the nickel plated DPNS and the wood Harmony ones. What do I prefer? Yep, nickel ones. The wooden ones do look like but I'm such a tight knitter I am afraid to break'em.

Been feeling exceptionally crap lately, so in my class I was nearly fucking crying thinking I was even a failure at knitting. How sad is that? Told my friend who said:"ARE YOU AN IDIOT? Your socks are just PERFECT!" Instead I just keep seeing the mistakes, y'know, like not having picked up the sts perfectly in the second socks. lol. Sort of.

But y'know I fucking love knitting. :-D I even made friends thanks to'em. How fucking cool is that? Meeting up with one tomorrow. I'll even bring my SOXOR. Secretly I wanna teach her sock knitting. :-)

ven if you have circs for hat making you still need the DPNs for finishing'em.

I am still knitting my socks on short Clover dpns, but magic loop works great for finishing hats. I'll never go back to my Clover circs though.

Have Addies (Addys?) fallen out of fashion?

no i have a couple of their circs and really like them but i wanted an interchangeable set and the knitpicks are way cheaper but seem pretty similar

I wish I could spend on the Addies. But I gotta restrain myself. Says the chixor who just ordered a Kindle. hah

addis are still plenty in fashion...ppl just don't want to spend that much. and depending on your body chemistry, they smell weird. supposedly. i have one addi circ and they seem fine to me.

i looove my knit picks nickel-plated circs for magic loop, and don't see that much of a diff. i really need to get more kp circs in other sizes. for some sizes, all i have is awkward boyes with crappy cables.

finally finished second sock of first pair ever. for some reason this one had way more mistakes while the first one was almost perfect. bad picking up stitches after i turned the heel and the grafting at the end looks a little sloppy. oh well!

I am still pavloved out with nausea from the one sock I'm working on. ;_;

yeah. i've become disillusioned with magic loop too. i need to get sock-sized dpns for the next pair because i'm tired of knitting half a row and reconfiguring over and over.

haha the second sock is significantly smaller too. i think they're the same number of rows i just seem to have knitted way tighter on this one. maybe out of frustration with socks. it'll stretch out though.

finally finished second sock of first pair ever. for some reason this one had way more mistakes while the first one was almost perfect. bad picking up stitches after i turned the heel and the grafting at the end looks a little sloppy. oh well!

My second one had a mistake as well. Didn't pick up in the corner too well. But y'know, my husband is happy. Also, shouldn't have promised exact same pair for my dad: boring the fuck outa me. I really need to finish this pair.

Also doing this plain blanket in garter st. URGH. Thank god for films.

Abbott, what do you dislike about sock knitting? I'm doing it on DPNs though. I used to hate DPNs (or rather they scared the fuck out of me) but now I don't think twice about it. In my class I'm the only one who uses short/sock DPNs. They all knit on long ass DPNs. Weirdos.

I put a shitload of projects in my Rav proj page. It looks like I have 50 WIPs going on. hahah I just want to do a LOT (duh!). I'll do the booties first, so it seems like I can, y'know, finish sth. hah. Anyone do booties? They are mega-fun.

I am scared of fancy st soxors. I know it's not that hard, but they still scare me.

oh hai ilx knitting--vote for me in this contest plz? i want to win snazzy french yarn! i'm, non-shockingly, JuliaA. number 17. voting ends dec 20th at midnight.

http://melusinetricote.canalblog.com/archives/2009/12/14/16139893.html

(i'm a bit embarrassed at how little thought went into my entry, but it was last-minute. whatev.)

voted!

me, too!

thanks! i would so love to win a bunch of french yarn. i have become a ridiculous yarn addict.

i got a little teapot as a gift today! i have tea cozy knitting to do, hurrah! the last one i did was improv colorwork. (omg). that was before i knew that colorwork was scary. i might try that again.

Voted! Also, I love your stitch markers and just bought a pile of them :)

Voted!!! :-)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2651/4197189491_4f33c18e5c.jpg

made during three eps of Southland with some extra time. So roughly four hrs or even less. lol
my dad requested this.

I finished my first sock today! It is insane how much more foot-shaped it is, just laying around, than a store-bought sock is.

Tip: wash it first before wearing, wash it inside out, of course you should block it.

I do none of these things of course.

Oh yeah, I'm knitting tube socks for my mom.

I am also doing that Vine & Leaf beret for my mom (if she wants it). You can see it in Vogue knitting the patt not my UFO lol).

Bought a shitload of books (mainly sock related ones), got some 12 inch cics (for hats) and also ordered 8 inch ones for sock ,knitting.

got a shitload of yarn. There goes my resolution to stop buying. lolololol

am i the only one who's not that knitty mad?

I like knitty bcz the patterns are always well-edited & clear + of course free. A lot of free patterns can be pretty shit. I just made a monkey & it turned out rly cute but I was kind of flipping out at the end bcz it had zero details abt finishing, just 'attach everything to everything else, look at the picture if you're confused.'

I'm not rly crazy abt any patterns from the newest issue, tho. Does anyone actually wear shawls? I can't not associate them with the extremely elderly, or maybe hip lady reverends.

Shawls are just ponchos that haven't been seamed!

I have to finish one worsted weight sock, and a fingerless mitt (made from yak and bison!) and my Christmas presents will be DONE.

I never block socks.

Me either. I've been thinking of shawls as 1/2 round tablecloths and an excuse for a giant lace knitting project :)

How is the yak and bison to work with? I made socks with some NZ possum fur yarn that was so soft, but a bit splitty. I'm trying to finish off a double-layer hat by the 23rd - just casting off layer 1 this morning - and then I'll be done with present knitting. I really want to learn how to double-knit; maybe next year.

I decided no knitting gifts this year bcz I have to take the GRE Monday. Can't study & knit at the same time.

Tomorrow!!?? OMG, good luck on it!!!

Ha thanks! I got my panic attack over with yesterday.

how did it go?

Jaq, the yak/bison (and milk and merino!!) was fine to work with. It was a light weight, so sometimes I felt if I was too tight, it might break (similar to 2 ply cashmere). I stayed up waaaaay too late Christmas Eve finishing stuff.

Oooh, my coworker is having a baby this summer, so I am going to knit her stuff. Everyone at work knows except our boss, who is being told tomorrow. Hoo boy.

thick and quick saved xmas iirc

still working on xmas knitting, i don't believe in this arbitrary 12/25 deadline though it's ok

Hi! I got some knitting gear for Christmas from my in-laws. I thought I'd be able to pick it up quickly because I got a book and I can crochet and because JuliaA has showed me how to knit once, but I couldn't even figure out this casting on business. Anyway, I decided to take a class in late January so hopefully that will do the trick.

i should have done that. it took me 5-6 years of my friend showing me stuff to learn it for real. i can't learn anything from videos or diagrams! i learned long-tail cast on by accident. a couple days ago i was trying to finish a sweater i've been working on for a few months by doing tubular bind-off and i don't get it. everyone loves techknitting blog and i think the instructions are bad. i should probably quit knitting.

I want some vicuna. Lol

jenny--i did not show you how to knit! i just showed you the russian join, which is magical and wonderful imo. i can help you with the learnin if you like. rather predictably, i also have a lot of yarn and needles around.

a friend of mine posted on fb about how she's had a hard time learning to knit, but she wishes she could. i think i'm going to bully her into letting me teach her. my local knitting friend had the gall to move away, so i have to convert another friend.

Well, see? I know so little about knitting, I thought this "Russian join" was knitting. Or maybe I thought you said "Russian joint" and then caught a psychosomatic contact buzz.

here's a russian join.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_c7567uOec

i hate weaving in ends. this is soooooo much better than felting ends together or having to weave them in.

Holy shit that russian join is great! Although I dunno I don't really mind weaving in ends.

I am almost finished knitting myself a hat! Started it on Saturday, pretty pleased with my progress. Of course I haven't yet gotten to the part that involves DPNs.

i made my sister the starcrossed cables beret for xmas. i just use magic loop for the whole thing but you have to have a longer cable for that. also making my mom a pair of mittens but i HATE picking up the thumb. could have been done by now.

I have a pair of fingerless mitts that I knit I dunno three years ago but have not finished due to inability to pick up stitches for the thumb.

I'm all registered for my knitting class, and it starts next Wednesday! I made a ravelry profile and joined the ILX group, too, so if anybody wants to be my friend, that is A-OK with me.

Jenny, that's awesome!

nath you may be interested to know I finally started on the owls sweater...just finished the body. First time I ever did short rows!

yeeeha!!! a, i love you even more now. well, hate too cause you are progressing much too rapidly for this slow chixor. ;-)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4223059674_e16e09f1a5_o.jpg

crap fuzzy pic. discovered too late (from the chart) that i had to do ssks too not only k2togs. lololol. first time reading blind from a chart was not a wise thing to do. lolol
it's the vine 'n' leaf beret from vogue knitting. very easy actually.

doing THREE pairs of soxors. hah.

i have a bad case of startitis. also, ophelia is obsessed with my knitting. she desperately wants all my projects to be for her. hah

I wish ssks looked as slick as k2togs.

I finished my first sock & am putting off the second of the pair until I can wind the rest of the yarn (big thing of Opal) into a ball. My friend just got a swift & ball winder for xmas & I'm dying to play with it. I have keys to her house from when I took care of her fish but it wld be pretty weird to break into someone's house to use their ball winder while they're away.

but it wld be pretty weird to break into someone's house to use their ball winder while they're away.

I bet it's been done by somebody.

i am pretty much done with owls but i redid the neck, eliminating the second set of short rows and decreasing more stitches. it was bunchy in back and i didn't like the boatneck effect. i just have to bind off and sew up the armpits.

when you guys do ssk do you slip purlwise? i was doing it that way until a pattern said to do it knitwise. it looked neater to me but i could be imagining it. i didn't really compare the two.

er wait that was the first set of short rows

No, I don't. I slip.

But if you dislike SSK, Abbott, you can just do skpo (slip knit pass slipped stitch over knitted stitch). It can have a slicker result (than ssk). If you hate SSK, wait till you have to purl two through back loop. lolol

Shows you what an addict I am: Thom's been lamenting I knit all the time. On top of that I have two ballwinders. lol. One was in a trunk of my mom's antique lace stuff. Also some old cotton.

I have way too many books. Actually, no, I don't. But compared to other Ravelers I have way more. hah.

My husband counted & the topic taking up the biggest amount of bookshelf space is "knitting" with 22 books. (Not the most space in area, but in quantity.)

A bunch of my (crochet) books are either stitch dictionaries or hilarious vintage books (with some patterns that I use a lot, actually!), so I couldn't add them to my Ravelry shelf, alas.

I signed up for a private lesson with a finishing expert so that I can learn:

Seaming
Buttonholes
Picking up stitches

Just knit ANOTHER hat! Time to move on to something else.

Hey harbl you should totally come with me to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year. Mr. Que went with me once but he is afraid of sheep and goats so.

I want to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool!!!

Mr. Que went with me once but he is afraid of sheep and goats so.

Not a good place to go with that mindset.

Buttonholes are a pain, because you really have to plan them out.

Goats are pretty creepy, tbh. Their pupils are all weird.

My husband counted & the topic taking up the biggest amount of bookshelf space is "knitting" with 22 books.

I'm "blaming" your mad progression on THIS.
Off to buy some more books. lol

Will 2010 be the year when I finally get the hang of gauge?

i got gauge in 2009. it was hard for me because i'm impatient, but i realized it's not so bad.
q we should def go to ms&w

I'm beginning to get it, but DAMN i don't wanna get why it's not the same when i start my project. lol my socks for ophelia are slightly larger eg but good since she had zeppelin sized feet

also with my short rows (on socks) i have tiny holes when i do p2tog :-(

i also want stitch markers. like with tiny metal loops

Goats are pretty creepy, tbh. Their pupils are all weird.

OTM. It's pretty clear why they are the devil's ruminant.

xpost do you do them in the round for round projects? i haven't been gauging for socks though because i can't make myself do tiny knitting that's not part of the project :(

i can't imagine why mr. que would be afraid of sheep and goats! they're like the nicest in the animal kingdom. except the head-butting ^_^

Apparently as a toddler he was knocked down by a goat at a petting zoo? Though for the record he has now declared that he is "no longer afraid of goats." He does not, however, like to be around llamas and/or alpacas b/c he is afraid of teh spit.

IMPORTANT INFO: The 37th Annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival will be held on May 1 & 2, 2010, at the Howard County Fairgrounds

xpost do you do them in the round for round projects?

I do but it's kinda pointless to do a flat knitted swatch as my purls are much tighter and hence it skews the tension. I also tried on my 9inch circs and DAMN it was impossible. But I need to figure it out since, apparently, it's VERY different (as in tighter) than DPNs or longer circs.

tonight is my knitting class. i'll prob only take my current projects and do that (instead of feat exercise)

no that's what i mean! you are supposed to do round ones for round projects. i don't though.

i, too, hate gauge.

i am making up the decreases for the hat i'm knitting and ...they can't be completely symmetrical because of the st count. i didn't bother to plan this stuff before casting on, of course. i hope it turns out ok.

I can't speak for knitting yet (Wednesday night is my first class I AM SO FUCKING EXCITED) but I'm kind of a gauge fanatic w/r/t crochet because I have been burned hard too many times. Even still, after carefully crocheting a nice gauge swatch, about 60% of the time, the finished product is still not the size it was supposed to be.

One of the 4-H llama clubs at Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool was called the Spitters Club.

I also saw one sheep stick his face into the business of a lady sheep in the next pen.

I am really thinking of using the Maryland Sheep and Wool as an excuse/reason to visit my family in MD & VA.

Holy cow, I love knitting. The class was great. We only learned the knit stitch (will learn purl next week), but it is so much fun. I feel like a traitor, but I like this much better than crochet, and it's easier on my hands, as I tend to hold a crochet hook like somebody is trying to take it away from me and stab me with it. I'm trying to train myself to hold my knitting a little more gently.

This sounds ridic, but my main problem so far is that during class, I was too good. I only made one mistake, so I didn't really learn how to fix mistakes. Now that I'm on my own with a ball of yarn and a work in progress (a scarf!), I am fucking up left and right and I have no idea how to fix things. I did learn how to "unknit" so I'm basically stopping after every row to inspect so I can go back and unknit to the point that I screwed up.

I am also not entirely sure about the anatomy of a stitch. Like, with crochet, I can look at the work and see exactly where something is off and decide what, if anything, to do to correct it. With knitting, I'm not sure what everything is supposed to look like, so that makes it harder to tell if I'm doing something right.

Our classes come with free drop ins between classes, so I could go back for help, but I'm going out of town this weekend so I'm kind of on my own with my pretty blue yarn.

Anyway: color me converted. Knitting is the best.

Awesome! Glad you are digging it.

The lady who taught me knitting said "the best thing you can learn in a knitting class is how to fix your mistakes."

When I first learned to knit I counted the stitches on my needle at the end of each row & I'd only have the right number like half the time.

Three times last night, I knit three rows and then pulled them out and started all over again because I saw something I'd fucked up. Then on the bus this morning, I thought I had it going on and I just showed what I'd done to my coworker who was like, "Oooo dropped stitch right here at the beginning. You should just pull it out and start over."

I totally blame my Lisa Simpson complex. In a classroom setting, I get so eager to please a teacher that I overachieve and in this case, end up not learning what I really need to learn.

I am taking that class with Jenny (her idea) and it's so much fun! I especially loved being able to "shop" for my yarn before we started our scarves. :-D

i have way too many projects :-( frog? helllluuuuup

you can fix a dropped stitch with a crochet hook. it's kind of awesome. if you're feeling desperate about it between knitting classes, you're welcome to stop by and i'll show you, jenny. (or sarah!)

recently i have tragically lost my reasonably-sized crochet hook, and i've discovered that you can do a kind of picking up stitches-psso kind of thing with dropped stitches that does the same thing. but it's a PITA. i really need some fucking crochet hooks. i have some coming in the mail at some point, tho.

i've even figured out how to pick up dropped stitches with CABLES. omg. one-stitch cables, but still. (i have no patience for thick cables--my sanity will not abide that shit)

Jules, I have a shit ton of doubles of crochet hooks. I obsessively cataloged them on Ravelry, so if you look and see that I have doubles of a size that you want, let me know and it's yours.

Yeah, I was about to say that ("RONG!") but then I noticed she said she dropped the st from the start. I think. Anyway I don't mind dropped sts in stockinette. :-)
I would love to know how do to granny squares but beyond that I am so not interested in crochet. Apart from maybe finishing dresses or whatnot with a crochet border.

I can't believe my knitting course is now in its third year. That said, I didn't really do much opf it since I was too pregnant or Elisabeth was keeping me busy. I do think I'll re-enroll after next year. Next year is the last year. I'm not sure what we'll do then. *shrug*

Girls, what are your fave needles?

metal. knitpicks are best for circs, but they don't make fixed-cable circs in size, say, SIX. which annoys me greatly. not everyone is a sock knitter!

i have some addis in 3 that seem ok but i honestly don't see what the big deal is about them. a friend gifted them to me used.

i kind of hate bamboo, tho i have a bunch of bamboo needles.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2631/4230397701_4945681645.jpg

I think I have Second Mitts Syndrome. lol. These are the Bella Mitts. I renamed'em Dexter Mitts cause Twilights sucks ass.

I really like Lantern Moon straight needles. I want. More. Lots more. Clover? Meh. Not anymore. Metal's great (again, used to dislike).
For DPNs/soxor knitting I prefer metal cause I'm such a tight knitter.

My teacher said to NOT swatch for sock knitting. I mean, I can, but she says it's not necessary. WAH?

uhhh, how is that not necessary? socks are the only thing i've ever swatched for in the round. i've had socks knitted for me several times and none of them fit quite right, so i'm kind of afraid of gauge with socks. and the one i started is languishing in my knitting bag.