Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Where'd that camera go?

I'm really sorry i can't find the camera, i know a lot of people just look at pictures on blogs...

i've been working on a few things for the job (which never calls and i never get money for...) and i've got more ideas. i think i almost have the beginner projects done for awhile, and maybe a few advanced beginner projects. so far for beginners i've got a swatch, a simple garter stitch wash cloth, a ribbed scarf, and i'm going to design a hat. for the stockinette stitch project i decided on a hat. they can handle simple shaping and seaming. i believe in them. i think for the advanced beginners i'm going to start them with shaping and stockinette for those not familiar with it with either a ribbed hat or a simple stockinette hat. and then mittens, maybe some pattern reading. i think with my group i'll have to assign homework (nothing like do 35 inches in garter stitch... in one color. unless they want to make a short simple scarf) i have no clue what to do for intermediate. the line between intermediate and advanced is a very fine one. my idea is that if you can read a pattern you can do anything. i'd also really like the advanced group to be more of a KAL. i hope the ladies at the store want to go along with my ideas. they're more focused on the business aspect, i'm really focusing on the projects now, and getting the sample patterns knit up, considering i have to knit everything twice, maybe even three times...

in other news: projects!!! the cabled mittens turned out BEAUTIFULLY... that is until i reached the grafting. i hate it when designers use grafting in a pattern because everything turns out square. i do not have square hands. i think when i make these mittens again i'll use my own shaping. grafting is for socks that are going to be heavily blocked and worn...

progress on the thrummed mittens is... slow. but then again i won't need them for quite awhile.

the second ribbed scarf has come to a screeeeeching halt. i cannot find the other needle. any one seen a pink plastic size 13 needle?

i got some cream colored yarn that i hope to use to design a simple hat. part of me wants to whip out the circs but the other part knows that it's for beginners... i'm planning on using knitting in the round for intermediates... maybe advanced beginners

i also need to design another pair of mittens and maybe some fair isle wrist warmers? i already have a pattern for that, i just need to knit a pair with the fair isle i designed (i'm going to design everything for my 'class' because i don't want to deal with copyright laws and all that junk...)

well now i'm just rambling...

i'm off to look for my camera

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Alas, still no camera

My camera is still MIA so you'll have to do with out for awhile... sorry. Well, i've been doing a lot for the job lately, i'm working on the beginner stuff. Right now i've got a swatch, a garter stitch washcloth and a ribbed scarf. What else should i do? I still need a stockinette stitch project and i thought "coaster" but what teenager wants a coaster? I can't do anything in the round because it's a beginner course thing... can't do a hat because it's got shaping... i'll just have to reference my books. In other news, i've gotten farther on my thrummed mittens. They're looking very good, and i'm past the thumb! my one problem: they look huge. so huge they're almost yuge... But i suppose that's for the thrums. Another thing: i think i've got startitis.... i just want to start a new pair of mittens!!!! what's a girl to do... start a crochet project???

it's also hard to find out what to do with all my little balls of scrap yarn. i'm thinking striped hat? striped mittens? the ribbed scarf used up a whole ball of yarn i didn't really like. i like the finished product, though. i think i might use the other ball i have to make a pair of mittens to match for the intermediate group.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

New projects!

I'm a good chunk into the first thrummed mitten. I think i'm going to take my liberties with the pattern. almost 5 inches until the thumb?! nuh uh. i would take a picture... but alas, no camera. I was also thinking about my classes and what to have them knit. i think i've got it down. But what to do for the beginner stockinette project? not a hat, too soon for increases and decreases... i'll find something

back to the thrummed mittens: they look interesting... very interesting...

I have some vacation coming up followed by a very big vacation with a boyfriend who has a full time job...

bring on the knitting

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Fin ( a two for one kind of a day)

Yes, two for one. I finished the butterfly discloth in time for mother's day with time to spare. and i started and finished a crocheted hat yesterday

zee butterfly, shee eez fineeshed!

Butterfly Dish Cloth
Free pattern from the knitlist http://www.knitlist.com
Materials: Lily's Sugar and cream
Modifications: needles (it called for 7's. i preferre 8's)
Inteded recipient: my mom
uh oh, another quick crochet project that snuck up on me...
"boy beanie" from stitch and bitch 'happy hooker'
Materials: All red heart (i'm trying to get rid of all the plastic stuff...)
Modifications: I only loosely followed the pattern.
Start date: May 11 around 3-ish
Finish: May 11 around 6-ish
i'm in love with the flower. I'm also done with all my project spectrum projects for this part of the CAL (craft along!!!)
To go along with the hat i'm thinking of knitting some mittens and then giving this as a christmas present. one can never start too early. I thought i had a jump on it last year. i was wrong. so wrong.
Today was also the Shepherd's Harvest on the fair grounds and i went with my mom. It was pretty cool, i saw parts of a sheep shearing demonstration but left because people kept standing in front of me. The food smelled pretty good but i didn't eat any because it was really expensive.
I did buy yarn. I got one skein of a very soft wool with the color name of 'sour apple' it's a very, very, very bright green, but you've probably noticed already that i like bright colors.
The other yarn i bought was a very pretty pink from a new line called 'shepherd's wool' http://www.stonehedgefibermill.com from those lovely people. It's very soft. Incredibly soft.
I also bought some roving that i intend to make thrummed mittens with. I've been wanting to make them for a long time, but never could find roving.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Flutter by, butterfly

The butterfly lace cloth is just flying by (hehe)... right now i'm on the 8 repeat of butterflies of 12, so i should finish either later today or tomorrow and then i'll be able to start on another one. This is a really simple lace pattern. 2 repeats is only 4 rows. wow. well, here she is














want a closer look?


See the butterfly?


the most frustrating thing is that i keep screwing up at the BEGINNING of the rows, and since this is a gift and lace, i have to rip back and fix it!!!! grrr!



but it's a score for me because

1) i'm using up yarn that i have

2) it's another project spectrum color (i still need yellow!!!!)

3) i'm learning more lace!!!!



I should probably check up on when the next phase of project spectrum starts... i think the next set has metallics in there. how is one going to find metallic yarn? (a metallic bead purse project??? i could make a cool bag with black yarn and metallic pony beads (lack of money, woe is me!!!)) i can see it now....

for the other wash cloth i'm thinking a multi colored ball band warsh rag... i don't want to buy more yarn, but it gets harder and harder every day not to...

do needles count?

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Finished (quick, i know!!!)


Finished: Fingerless Gloves

Pattern: Fingerless Gloves by Laurie-Ann Schultz www.soysilk.com

Yarn SWTC Karoke (i used almost the whole skein!!! If you like having things that look similiar, use two balls and start from the same repeat)

Modifications: There were some problems with the pattern, like the hands were reversed and it was written kind of funny... but other than that i did it like i was supposed to.

I don't really like how they're basically two different mittens, but i was just doing them for work (!!!) and just did as i was told. I'll offer to knit another pair so that there will be two matching pairs instead of one mismatched pair. I really like the right hand one, though.

For mother's day, i've decided to knit my mom, grandmas, and aunt wash clothes!!! i know i'm cutting it close seeing that mothers day is in a week and i have about 7 ladies to knit for... but i can do it!! i might have to crochet some... 8 if i knit one for my boyfriend's.... what's a girl to do...

Right now i'm working on the 'Butterfly Lace Dish Cloth' from the knit list. I really hope that i have it finished by this evening....

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Finished!

The cable purse. I finished it this morning. It sat on my floor for quite a bit because i had a bunch of other stuff going on and i just didn't feel like finishing it, but i came home last night from spider man (it was pretty good. the american flag part was unnecessary...) and was still very awake so i just finished it up. lining and all. so here she is.




Cabled Purse



My own Design



Materials: Red Heart super saver and 2 quilter fabric things...



Alterations: none, it was my pattern








It's already gotten some you. Today me and the boyfriend went to Cinco de Mayo in west Saint Paul.



It was very crowded. And rained. So we went to Boca Chica while the rain was at its worst, and of course once we got home the rain stopped. All in all it was a fun day.








In other news, one soysilk fingerless glove is done!!! The pattern is written strangely and the right and left hand directions are reversed. I'm sure that once they're blocked they'll look great, but right now they're kind of gangly. One left!!! i hope i can finish it tonight






Also, mother's day is in a week or so, so i think i'll start a secret project ....shh

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

I got the Job!!!!

So this job i've been going on about this whole time, I got it!!! Barb was almost overwhelmed by all my stuff and i don't know exactly what my job title is, but it's something along the lines of 'teen knitting club consultant' (that probably gives a little hint to my age) So i'm basically going to be a teacher! I'm really glad i got a teaching job because it'll give me a chance to try it out and see if i could really do it. I'm also getting paid to knit samples. My first project (which i'm NOT going to screw up) is a pair of fingerless gloves. amazing. with 50/50 soy silk and wool. wow. (they're paying me, did i say that!)

In other news: the carrot bag is Finished!!! i'll report on that tomorrow, though