Lesson Learned

Ah, crap. My computer quit working. Lost everything on it. All I wanted to do was edit photos of some yarn and such...but then it just stopped working and wouldn't boot up again. Oh well, it's still under warranty so repairs and hardware replacements aren't going to cost anything this time.

Anyhow, I went to Michaels the other day and found some yarn on clearance :) I got some Patons Merino Wool, Patons Brilliant, and Sugar 'n Cream Stripes- 12 skeins total for about $11. Very nice. I even have patterns picked out for them already. I have just begun working on Asherton Reversible Scarf with the merino wool. I love love LOVE the pattern. Each side has a combination of garter, seed, stockinette, and reverse stockinette and it's freaking fabulous. I'm trying to save it for my upcoming plane ride to Arkansas, though. I'll need something to pass the time. Pictures won't be posted until my own computer gets back from the repair shop.

Happy Anniversary To Me!

Needles Galore!! My husband's gift(s) to me for our first anniversary were these bamboo knitting needles and crochet hooks :) I've never used bamboo needles before, but I can't wait to get started. I don't care for aluminum, which is what I learned on, so mostly I have used Denise Interchangables. Anyhow, the sets in the picture above include 5 crochet hooks, 14 pairs of 7" dpns (sets of 5), and 13 pairs of 13" single points. Very nice.

In wip news, I've been working on Evangeline fingerless gloves for my sister. It's good practice for knitting with dpns and picking up stitches for the thumbs (which took me more than one try to do satisfactorily.) Hopefully a hat will accompany these gloves by the time Christmas gets here.


Next I want to knit a small felted bag for my notions. The bag I have now kinda sucks. Anyway, I think it will probably be Cleo Clutch. Seems like it would be about the right size.

Lovely Felted Bag

Finally went to the yarn store in San Marcos. Not as great as I expected, but my husband bought me $40 worth of wool yarn. With it, I quickly turned out Marsupial Tote from the Stitch 'n Bitch book. It was my first felting project. It actually turned out pretty well. The pattern was so easy and the bag knitted up super fast. I ended up adding a flower. The marsupial part came last (at first I didn't even want to bother, but I changed my mind.) I decided to give this bag as a birthday gift to Alison. Next I think will come another hand bag.

I Love This Hat!

Mod cables hat is done! I love how it turned out and I am amazed that I didn't make very many mistakes at all. The cables are pretty damn cool. The yarn is acrylic, but the colors are nice. Looking at the FO reminds me of the Food Network commercial for Tyler's Ultimate, when Tyler screams "I LOVE THIS MEATLOAF!" I don't know about meatloaf, but I looove this hat.

And I got an account on Ravelry :) Very nice. Hubbs and I have an anniversary coming up very soon and I am hoping that means I'll get the many sets of bamboo needles I asked for.

I made cables!

The Immovable

I spend more than a little bit too much time on the couch. At least I've been knitting. It's actually the only thing I want to do. Last night I started on Mod Cables Hat.

It will make a pretty nice gift when Christmas comes around.

In a week Cameron's family will be in town. We're both looking forward to getting out of the apartment for a change. We'll have to see how well I can get through a whole week without knitting anything.

Third time really is a charm

Yay for this baby bootie! Yeah, I had to try about three times before I got it right. But thanks to emmy274 on youtube, I was able to understand how to pick up the stitches along the instep (although from the picture below is it easy to see that I should have made those particular stitches a little tighter.) The seam-sewing is a little sloppy, as per usual.

So What's Next?

Well, the scarf is done. It turned out better than I expected. The pattern I used is here.



I used a heavier weight yarn than the pattern called for because I was itching to try something new and didn't have a chance to go to the yarn store. I like it, although it could be a little longer.

This has been my first successful project since I made Cameron's hat a few months ago. Lucky for me, he loved that thing. Now it's just a little to warm for him to wear it, though.

So what's next? Maybe I can make some baby items to use up some of my Caron yarn.

Oh lace, how you challenge my faculties..

What's currently in the works? A lacy scarf. It's June, and I have been fumbling with the idea of knitting all of our Christmas gifts this year. But this scarf may have to remain with me. I have messed up and unraveled more times than I care to admit. But it the end it will serve to remind me of the hard work and attention to detail that I haven't really given to previous projects.

I learned to knit by going to the library and checking out Stitch 'n Bitch after I saw Debbie Stoller on CNN. At the time, I didn't know anybody else who liked to knit, so what I was doing was pretty unique. Oh, the poor people who received my first scarves and head kerchiefs probably wondered why I would give them such misshapen and poorly-crafted pieces of crap. My first attempt at a purse went horribly awry, but my grandmother asked to have it for its sentimental value (not its worthiness for carrying ladies' necessities.) My first hat was a very cute butter yellow, but too big for my head. In small-town Arkansas, the yarn selection doesn't go far beyond the acrylic cheap stuff, so the pieces I knitted just weren't all that great. Oh, and there is also the fact that I LOATHE sewing. Anything that involved joining seams turned out to be uneven and awkward.

All these failures aside, knitting still excites and relaxes me. Now that I'm living in San Diego, the selection of yarns available to me has increased exponentially. I want to learn new things about knitting and try new challenges. I want to move out of the newbie stage. I want to make socks, purses, table runners, shawls, hats, sarongs... that's why the lacy scarf is kind of like a stepping stone for me. The combination of trying a lace pattern for the first time and actually having the patience to correct the mistakes I've made is turning me into a better knitter. By Christmas time, perhaps I'll have even made some other pieces so lovely that other people will enjoy wearing them.