The tapping in the title is my fingers (not really) as I wait for a librarian to get online. See, I was going to give you a long entry today, but I've been busy with assembling an artificial Christmas tree and I'm now trying to get on an Ask a Librarian service to see if they can help me with information for the two reports I'm going to have to do this weekend. Not much knitting has been going on. I've mostly gotten over my cold and have gotten back to school. I have been knitting behind my head and behind my back during lunch period, which interests people. I even did a cable behind my head yersterday. Unfortunately, I wait here for a librarian to get online so that she/he can give me information about the company Google. You should see my cover page for my report-I did a really neat drawing of the Google homepage. I was also going to put up a long list of WTMs, but all you get is a nice bit of writing and a single hyperlink to a rather unexciting place.
I did attend a knitting group on Monday, and unfortunately, I did not know about the gift exchange or the food everyone else seemed to have brought. The other day, I joined the Monthly Dishcloth KAL as featured on Mason Dixon Knitting, but I haven't done any dishcloth knitting because 1) I don't have solid Sugar n' Cream on hand at the moment. 2) My size 7s are in Wheelie (I am too lazy to put up any of the links except for Google and Mason Dixon Knitting.) and 3) I was not near a computer connected to the internet to get my email for the pattern when this month's KAL started.
So:
Sorry, but Goodbye and here's hoping I get to chat with a librarian soon!
~Arachnera
Happy Knittin'!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
...and Nalbinding
Unfortunately I seem to have a cold or some such thing. I have a headache, my throat is scratchy and I don't feel very good at all. But you shall hear about my adventures anyway!
I told you that I frogged Wheelie, but I also restarted it and knit maybe 3 1/4 repeats of the 24 row pattern.
I found my size 0 dpn from the gray sock in a most unlikely place this morning. (And I almost typed "most unlickly place" That would be very odd....)
I also did some nalbinding this weekend. I had, as I mentioned back a while ago, tried it with Wool Ease, but it didn't work out. But over this last Thanksgiving weekend, I had the idea-Everyone seems to think you ought to use wool singles, so why not use this Mauch Chunky you bought for fulling/felting back in May when you went to KnitWits? It's the color Kiwi and I made up a pattern as I went along. (Oh and I know it's off-topic, but aren't the little watermelon and sunflower dresses cute?) If you're interested and you don't know how to nalbind, you might go to Phiala's String Page (link on the sidebar or just click on the name, which leads you to the exact page.)-I learned from the tutorial there. Actually, you need to look at the tutorial so that you'll know what I'm talking about in several places.
An Interesting Nalbound Potholder
A beginner's pattern, but a bit of prior practice is recommended (not much, just practice what is shown in the tutorial once or twice.)
(Notes: This looks rather like a mitten/glove thumb or finger and is used for holding pot handles. I cannot vouch for the use of a nalbinding needle in this pattern. I used what I had on hand, which was a large yarn needle. This pattern is based on my experience with crochet and what I learned in the above tutorial. I am sort of making up my own way of writing instructions. Please email me or leave a comment if you need help. Also, I am a beginner at this and cannot say that this is at all proper nalbinding, but anyway... By the way, when you need to join in a new length of yarn since nalbinding is done with fairly short lengths of yarn, I would recommend using moisture, warm hands, and a rolling action to felt the lengths of yarn together.)
You will need:
Some Mauch Chunky or comparable other yarn (such as handspun or the Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride that KnitWits says it it just like without the mohair) MUST NOT BE SUPERWASH! MUST BE FELT-ABLE!
A needle, the large type, or possibly a nalbinding needle
For felting:
A large bowl or other container in which to work
Hot and cold water
A bit of gentle soap if you like.
First, work a circular beginning as shown in the tutorial, working somewhere between 5-10 O/UO stitches into the ring, whatever you feel is right. Pull the starting end to tighten the ring. Leave it fairly long so that you can weave it in later. Once you have worked enough stitches and are ready to do another round, make a loop into the upper loop of your first stitch. Work two of the O/UO sts into each of the loops until you have reached the beginning of the round. Now, start a new round with a loop into the first loop of the previous round. This time, though, work *1 O/UO into loop, 2 O/UO into next loop repeat from * to end of round. Here, you can do one of two things:
1) You can continue increasing to make a larger potholder or something else.
(For this pattern, I followed this system:
1: stitch into ring
2: 2 sts in every stitch
3: *1 st in 1st st, 2 sts in next st*
4: *1 st in each of next 2 sts, 2 sts in next st*
5: * 1 st in each of next 3 sts, 2 sts in next st*
Et cetera...
If you need help, again, email me.)
If you choose to take this path, you're going to be pretty much on your own. You can email me but I can't guarantee I'll be able to help.
2) You can do as I did and start the round upon round without any more increases.
In the latter case, work until you feel that your potholder is just slightly longer than it needs to be. It will look like a mitten/glove thumb or finger. Then end it. (I wasn't sure what to do, so I just made a little stitch into the start of the round and then ran the end through the stitches. You might note that after a while, I just started doing continuous rounds as you might do when crocheting in the round. ) Weave the beginning end in and felt lightly by agitation in hot water(will be in large bowl-add the soap here if you want.), dips in cold water, and running water on your piece.
Do you think a Knitter's/Fiber Addict's Twelve Days of Christmas would be interesting?
I told you that I frogged Wheelie, but I also restarted it and knit maybe 3 1/4 repeats of the 24 row pattern.
I found my size 0 dpn from the gray sock in a most unlikely place this morning. (And I almost typed "most unlickly place" That would be very odd....)
I also did some nalbinding this weekend. I had, as I mentioned back a while ago, tried it with Wool Ease, but it didn't work out. But over this last Thanksgiving weekend, I had the idea-Everyone seems to think you ought to use wool singles, so why not use this Mauch Chunky you bought for fulling/felting back in May when you went to KnitWits? It's the color Kiwi and I made up a pattern as I went along. (Oh and I know it's off-topic, but aren't the little watermelon and sunflower dresses cute?) If you're interested and you don't know how to nalbind, you might go to Phiala's String Page (link on the sidebar or just click on the name, which leads you to the exact page.)-I learned from the tutorial there. Actually, you need to look at the tutorial so that you'll know what I'm talking about in several places.
An Interesting Nalbound Potholder
A beginner's pattern, but a bit of prior practice is recommended (not much, just practice what is shown in the tutorial once or twice.)
(Notes: This looks rather like a mitten/glove thumb or finger and is used for holding pot handles. I cannot vouch for the use of a nalbinding needle in this pattern. I used what I had on hand, which was a large yarn needle. This pattern is based on my experience with crochet and what I learned in the above tutorial. I am sort of making up my own way of writing instructions. Please email me or leave a comment if you need help. Also, I am a beginner at this and cannot say that this is at all proper nalbinding, but anyway... By the way, when you need to join in a new length of yarn since nalbinding is done with fairly short lengths of yarn, I would recommend using moisture, warm hands, and a rolling action to felt the lengths of yarn together.)
You will need:
Some Mauch Chunky or comparable other yarn (such as handspun or the Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride that KnitWits says it it just like without the mohair) MUST NOT BE SUPERWASH! MUST BE FELT-ABLE!
A needle, the large type, or possibly a nalbinding needle
For felting:
A large bowl or other container in which to work
Hot and cold water
A bit of gentle soap if you like.
First, work a circular beginning as shown in the tutorial, working somewhere between 5-10 O/UO stitches into the ring, whatever you feel is right. Pull the starting end to tighten the ring. Leave it fairly long so that you can weave it in later. Once you have worked enough stitches and are ready to do another round, make a loop into the upper loop of your first stitch. Work two of the O/UO sts into each of the loops until you have reached the beginning of the round. Now, start a new round with a loop into the first loop of the previous round. This time, though, work *1 O/UO into loop, 2 O/UO into next loop repeat from * to end of round. Here, you can do one of two things:
1) You can continue increasing to make a larger potholder or something else.
(For this pattern, I followed this system:
1: stitch into ring
2: 2 sts in every stitch
3: *1 st in 1st st, 2 sts in next st*
4: *1 st in each of next 2 sts, 2 sts in next st*
5: * 1 st in each of next 3 sts, 2 sts in next st*
Et cetera...
If you need help, again, email me.)
If you choose to take this path, you're going to be pretty much on your own. You can email me but I can't guarantee I'll be able to help.
2) You can do as I did and start the round upon round without any more increases.
In the latter case, work until you feel that your potholder is just slightly longer than it needs to be. It will look like a mitten/glove thumb or finger. Then end it. (I wasn't sure what to do, so I just made a little stitch into the start of the round and then ran the end through the stitches. You might note that after a while, I just started doing continuous rounds as you might do when crocheting in the round. ) Weave the beginning end in and felt lightly by agitation in hot water(will be in large bowl-add the soap here if you want.), dips in cold water, and running water on your piece.
Do you think a Knitter's/Fiber Addict's Twelve Days of Christmas would be interesting?
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Knitting, Frogging, and...
So there was a bit of bad news for me last Wednesday that I'm not willing to share. Then:
Knitted one repeat on Wheelie. I got the Cascade Fixation at KnitWits Contemporary Yarn Shop. It's varigated dark and light denimy color which I don't know the number of for sure but it might be 9045. Frogged because I did not think it was stretching correctly.
I had previously frogged the beginning of the Nutmeg socks I'm making for a Christmas present. Too big on 80 sts-frogged. Started for DKing on 72 sts, frogged because I didn't feel like DKing them(there was only one row so it was painless.). I kind-of like DKing, but not rushing to complete a DKed item. Then I knitted about 5 or 6 inches on them on 72 sts. They are too big. I probably have to frog them, but haven't yet.
No progress on the Storm socks and very little on the Ash Braid and Garter Bead. I seem to have lost the fourth dpn of the ABGB socks on Monday and so couldn't progress.
I intended to post about nalbinding, but that and the rest of my knitting updates will have to wait since I am almost out of time!
Knitted one repeat on Wheelie. I got the Cascade Fixation at KnitWits Contemporary Yarn Shop. It's varigated dark and light denimy color which I don't know the number of for sure but it might be 9045. Frogged because I did not think it was stretching correctly.
I had previously frogged the beginning of the Nutmeg socks I'm making for a Christmas present. Too big on 80 sts-frogged. Started for DKing on 72 sts, frogged because I didn't feel like DKing them(there was only one row so it was painless.). I kind-of like DKing, but not rushing to complete a DKed item. Then I knitted about 5 or 6 inches on them on 72 sts. They are too big. I probably have to frog them, but haven't yet.
No progress on the Storm socks and very little on the Ash Braid and Garter Bead. I seem to have lost the fourth dpn of the ABGB socks on Monday and so couldn't progress.
I intended to post about nalbinding, but that and the rest of my knitting updates will have to wait since I am almost out of time!
Monday, November 27, 2006
Dilated Eyes
I have dilated eyes at the moment. I went to see the eye doctor. So not much entry today. Eyes do not feel good. Are eye medications supposed to make you not be able to write good sentences? Anyhow, I have nalbinding and knitting adventures from the weekend to put up soon.
Monday, November 20, 2006
One Complete Sock!
I completed one of the socks in Moda Dea Sassy Stripes "Storm." It looks rather cobbled together, but that is due to my design choices, not the yarn. (Er, by the way, in the review, it seems I confused the name of a KnitPicks yarn with the Moda Dea yarn. I was reviewing the Sassy Stripes. Also, I meant to say that this "almost-squeakyness" is possibly inherent due to the fiber content of the yarn. )
Sock info:
Yarn: Moda Dea Sassy Stripes, colorway "Storm"
Needles: U.S. Size 3 dpns, set of 4
Heel: Dutch heel from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks
Toe: Short Row toe adapted from the 5 st. sock pattern in Sensational Knitted Socks
Number of Stitches: 48
Pair finished: No, only one sock.
I read this review of The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning and had to note: I immensely enjoyed this book, and I don't even actually spin on a spinning wheel. I've done some spindle spinning as you might already know, and I even tried a spinning wheel at the Wool Gathering and liked it, but I don't *really* spin on a spinning wheel. And don't ask me how I came across it; I don't really know!
Today it seems that my keyboard and me are not cooperating particuarly well, so this'll be the end.
Happy Knitting,
~Arachnera
Sock info:
Yarn: Moda Dea Sassy Stripes, colorway "Storm"
Needles: U.S. Size 3 dpns, set of 4
Heel: Dutch heel from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks
Toe: Short Row toe adapted from the 5 st. sock pattern in Sensational Knitted Socks
Number of Stitches: 48
Pair finished: No, only one sock.
I read this review of The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning and had to note: I immensely enjoyed this book, and I don't even actually spin on a spinning wheel. I've done some spindle spinning as you might already know, and I even tried a spinning wheel at the Wool Gathering and liked it, but I don't *really* spin on a spinning wheel. And don't ask me how I came across it; I don't really know!
Today it seems that my keyboard and me are not cooperating particuarly well, so this'll be the end.
Happy Knitting,
~Arachnera
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