Knittin' Smitten

Peasblossom Creations

2011-06-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I've moved things around a bit...

Are you looking for my new blog? Try here: http://PeasblossomCreationsblogspot.com

Are you looking for my shop? Try here: http://PeasblossomCreations.etsy.com

I am holding onto this blog to post how-to's (coming soon). Check back for updates in the future. :-)

Maloja Mitts for Lily

2011-03-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

You'd think that after coming back from Las Vegas my first project would have sequins or yarn with some super-sparkle to it or maybe involve feathers...

That is not to say that this project isn't REALLY exciting. Because I think it is. Dark purple fingerless mittens with a subtle cable just isn't the expected project. What makes this project so exciting, you ask? Well, I knit both of these gloves at the same time and I used a technique called Magic Loop to do it. I'm pretty impressed with myself; this was something new for me. I'm planning on writing a tutorial for how to do magic loop (complete with pictures and/or video if I can figure out how to film and knit at the same time) and posting it here, so keep a look out! If you want to be emailed updates, send me a note at knittinsmitten@gmail.com and I'll add you to the mailing list.

In fairness to the visually inspiring city, these gloves were planned in advance and not a product of the Viva Elvis Cirque du Soleil show (which, I must admit, was pretty spectacular). Like many of us who choose (or are forced) to leave our homes from October to mid-March, my friend Lily's hands get cold. Mittens may seem like an excellent solution, but not for Lily. I know she is asking a lot, but she wants warm hands and to be able to use her fingers at the same time, a demand that mittens just can't meet. So! Behold!

Maloja Fingerless Mitts for Lily

This isn't Lily. This is me.
But soon I'll try to take a picture of
Lily wearing her delightful new gloves.

I used one of my favorite yarns for this project: Cashmere Merino Silk in DK weight by Sublime. This yarn is so soft and it knits really smoothly. This is the same yarn (different color though) that I used for Lauren's gloves back in August and it was just as easy to knit with. No pilling, no splitting, no yarn barf. (Yes, Mom, yarn barf is a thing. Remember that ball of pink lace-weight yarn that you so kindly detangled and wound up for me? And how it would go really well for a few seconds and then you'd pull a little more yarn out and BAM! it would be all messed up and tangly again? That was yarn barf.)

The original pattern, designed by Tracey Grzegorczyk, had the gloves being quite a bit shorter. I added a few inches in the wrist section so more of the forearm would be covered and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. This also had the added benefit of having a more fitted look to the glove. Without these few inches, the ribbing of the cuff was pretty loose around the wrists, but when it is up higher on the arm it fits more snugly.

The pattern was really well-written. She even had a little chart to help you keep track of the increases in relation to where you were on the cable pattern -- something I hadn't seen before and most sincerely appreciate. If I had been knitting the gloves one-at-a-time, this would have been especially helpful to make sure that they were the same length and that the thumbs happened in the same spot.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. I need to figure out a way so that when I knit in the round, my cast-on edge is even. I usually have to do funny things when I weave in the ends to make them even. Maybe a question for Debie at Serial Knitters!

But this doesn't mean sequins, beads, and feathers aren't in my knitting future...

Peasblossom Creations

2011-03-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I've done it. I've made the first steps to opening my own (small) business! I am rationalizing this as a way to pay for graduate school (side note: I got into the University of Washington's Information School for fall 2011! Woo!) but really I just like the idea of people wearing and using the stuff I make. And maybe making a little bit o' cash on the side.

I've been reading The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin and have been making preliminary plans. All this is tremendously exciting! I have a new blog and an Etsy store but there isn't anything in them yet. I want to get a little inventory stocked up before I go live and have a better plan for how to maintain my online presence. There is also a whole bunch of tax, "doing business as", and official stuff that I need to figure out before I really get going. I need to do this right; accidental tax evasion is apparently the same thing as intending not to pay your taxes.

This book has been really helpful and I foresee it continuing to be so in the future.

So, without further ado, let me introduce...

Peasblossom Creations!

The blog will be at PeasblossomCreations.blogspot.com and the store lives virtually at PeasblossomCreations.etsy.com. As I said earlier, there isn't anything there yet. But just you wait (Henry Higgins)! Soon enough there will be things to buy and request and comment on and generally admire.

On Facebook? Like my page at (Facebook link)!
Do you Tweet? Follow me at @PsblossomCreate (Twitter link)!

In the mean time, if you're interested in ordering a hand knitted object, send me an email at knittinsmitten@gmail.com and we'll talk.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

You know, if I posted more regularly, I wouldn't feel compelled to make MONSTER posts like this... well... New Year's Resolution: post more regularly.

I'll try to keep this as concise as possible. But here is a four month update on my knitting life (or at least what I remember of it).

Cowl for Mom

(finished July 4, 2010 -- gifted December 25, 2010)

Waaaaay back in July, I finished a cowl for Mom for Christmas. Since she is one of my most reliable readers, I wasn't able to post about it, but since Christmas has passed *and* I remembered to give it to her, here are some pictures and some info about the project.

The pattern is Plucky Curacao Cowl by Thea Colman (click HERE to download the pattern for free from babycocktails.blogspot.com). I shortened it so it would only wrap once around and I also left off the smocking. I'm not sure if it is because I wasn't able to smock the ribs tight enough or if the yarn wasn't right for the project, but I was really unhappy with how the smocking looked on mine so I didn't do it. If you look at other people's projects or the one that Thea Colman did, the smocking looks lovely; mine just looks way better without. I used Plymouth Yarn Suri Merino Wool in an off-white. Very soft!

Mom with cowl and gloves

September Knit-a-Long Fingerless Gloves

(finished October 8, 2010 -- gifted December 25, 2010)

I did finish those fancy travelling cable gloves for the September knit-a-long: just not in September. I was very close, but pesky things like coursework kept getting in the way.

I showed them to Mom when I finished them and she thought they were quite lovely. Quite magically, she got a pair just like them for Christmas... oh Santa and his elves!

Argyle Vest for Jack

(started October 6, 2010 -- still in progress...)

This one didn't quite make the Christmas deadline. Not even close, in fact. I'm aiming for his birthday in early August now. I'm still working on the back and haven't even made it to the arm hole shaping yet, but I'm getting close now. I've done about 25cm (in twisted rib stitch... 169 stitches... on size 3 needles... no wonder it's taking me forever!) and the shaping starts in just 13 more centimeters!

I'm going to need to do some pretty serious blocking on the project. Unstretched and unblocked, the vest is 11" - 12" wide. Ari has assured me that I am knitting the correct gauge and that it should block just fine. After all this work, I certainly hope so! And if it doesn't fit him.. well.. we'll figure that out when we get there. But I always think stuff isn't going to fit and then it does. So I'll probably be okay.

Whitman College Craft Fair! (December 3, 2010)

Early in December, Whitman hosted their first annual craft fair. As any good knitting club leader would, I signed the club up for their very own table! The week before finals seems to have been a rough time to have a craft fair. Only Hadley (a knitting club member) and myself had anything knitting related to sell (Ari had some prints from an art class that she tried to sell), but since I was trying to de-stash a bit before the holidays, the table was pretty full.

Ari and I also tried to sell knitting lessons and a bunch of people stopped and said what a great idea the lessons were. They included a trip to a yarn shop with assistance picking out a pattern, needles, and appropriate yarn. Unfortunately, no one actually bought a lesson. We were hoping that more faculty would come through and want to buy a knitting lesson for their children, but almost no faculty even looked into the craft fair.

I knit some quick projects for the fair. I sold two headbands (should have made more! They were super popular and gone within the first five minutes), but nothing else moved. I think the fair might have been too far from Christmas for people to be really thinking about Christmas gifts. Most students seem to go Christmas shopping once they get home from break. I ended up donating the red and white striped scarf (see image above) to a man who works with youths whose lives have been affected by HIV. He was collecting scarves to give to the kids in his support group. So at least it went to a good cause!
Note: The three hats (blue beanie, blue cuffed hat, and red-white beanie) are still available if anyone is interested. Email me at knittinsmitten@gmail.com to inquire.

Fingerless Arctic Blast Gloves for Lauren M.

(started December 2010 -- finished December 24, 2010)

Modelling by Mom

One set of three fingerless gloves I hope to finish over winter break. My friends Lauren M., Lily, and Alyssa saw a pair of fingerless gloves (from earlier post HERE) and really liked them. They all asked for a pair and since I was going to be knitting stuff anyway...
The pattern I used for Lauren's gloves is called Arctic Blast by Star Athena (click HERE to get to Star Athena's blog and see her pattern). I used Rowan Cashsoft DK yarn in Opulence and they turned out quite lovely if I do say so myself. Mine didn't turn out nearly as lacy as the gloves that others made, but I like them all the same.

Fingerless Maloja Gloves for Lily

(started December 29, 2010 -- still in progress)

I'm trying a new technique with these gloves. I'm using my brand spankin' new Addi Naturas (soooo nice!!) and trying magic loop AND knitting two at once. It looks like I'm having a laddering problem so I might have to start over which would be a huge pain. Getting everything lined up and started is by far the most challenging part of magic loop. Once you get going, it's super easy.

Imagine these gloves...

in this color!

The pattern I'm using is Maloja Fingerless Mitts by Tracy Grzegorczyk (click HERE to buy the pattern). I'm using Sublime Yarns Cashmere Merino Silk DK in Black Cherry (purpley-plum.. very pretty).

Learn How to Knit Fair Isle Swirls Hat!

(started January 3, 2011 -- class on January 6, 2011)

I’ve been talking about learning stranded Fair Isle for a while now and since Serial Knitters in Kirkland is offering a class that works out with my schedule while I’m visiting my parents, I figured, why not?! So I’m signed up for the class, have bought the yarn, and have already done the ‘homework’. The first few rows are finished up to the first Latvian braid (the chevrony arrows near the rim of the hat).

The pattern is Swirls Hat by Carolyn Doe (click HERE to purchase). I'm using Cascade 220 superwash wool in charcoal grey, white, and light pink. The main color will be grey with white swirls and pink accents. Hopefully it will be cute... we'll see!

The class in on Thursday, January 6, 2010 from 6pm to 9pm. There isn't very much to take a picture of, but hopefully after class I'll have some color work done and will post about it then.

I’m using the magic loop method. I’m might have a slight laddering issue where I switched colors for the first time, but I think that it’ll be small enough that it will either be an easy fix or not noticeable.

Things I hope to learn:

- Stranded color work!

- Latvian braid trim

- Braided tassle

Spring Beret for Me!

(Planned)

I have this pretty light yellow yarn and I'm planning to knit myself a slouchy spring beret. The pattern I've picked out is called Pasha by Jane Richmond. I'm pretty excited to start it! I hope to get it done before April 2011. (Check out RAVELRY to get this pattern).

Big Tree Blanket

(will be in progress forever...)

No progress has been made past the first 6 or so rows. The blanket is currently about the size of my hand. We'll see how much work I get done on it before summer 2011...

That's all for now! Happy new year to everyone!

My first novels...

2010-09-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

It's Friday night and I'm working on a paper (due on Monday) for my history class on the Sundiata (history of Mali) epic. That being said, I haven't updated here in over a month: a situation that requires immediate action.

Brace yourself for my massive update. I am going to try to be relatively brief since there are numerous topics that need to be covered, but I make no promises with regards to its brevity.

Book I: Things I Have Completed

Chapter 1: That Cabled Pillow

I finally got around to sewing that cabled pillow together and stuffing it. It's a pretty funny pillow. I blocked the squares to be 12" x 12" and when I sewed them together the pillow is a squat, poofy little thing. It works as a headrest and looks adorable in an "I'm an awkward size" kind of way, but it isn't quite the decorational/functional pillow for which I had hoped. But at some point in the indeterminate future, a corresponding pillow will be made and I'm hoping it will look like a big-pillow-little-pillow set. Note to my mother: they will not be matchy-matchy.

Chapter 2: Those Fingerless Gloves for Lauren

I am astonished at how quickly these gloves knit. If I had sat down and focused (non-casual knitting, but determination-mode), I probably could have done both gloves in one day. I definitely could have finished them in two days. I'll have to remember these if I'm ever in a gift-giving bind. I made these for Lauren, but with a Knit-A-Long group that does different fingerless gloves each month. These were August's gloves and I happily completed them within the month!

I used Sublime Cashmere Silk Merino DK yarn in 'rhubarb'. Soooo lovely. The yarn is super soft and it has a little bit of shine to it and it shows the stitches well. It slide on and off the needles nicely; it was just a comfortable yarn to work with. In the future, when I have made it through my queue of planned projects, I am going to look for patterns that call for this yarn (or similar) and use it again.

Oops! Too big for Douglas!

I am still debating about whether or not I should make matching (yes, matchy-matchy, but in a pleasant way) a cowl or a mini-scarf (with a pin) for Lauren as well. She has pretty curly hair and I'm not sure that a cowl is such a good idea; it might be miserable getting it on and off for her. Also, though cowl necks on sweaters appear to be in style (as far as I can tell anyway), I haven't seen anyone around my age (other than myself as Curtis pointed out) actually wearing cowls. So I'll figure that out later as her birthday gets nearer (mid-November).

Chapter 3: A Cabled & Cuffed Fisherman Style Hat for Curtis

While ordering (and returning... and ordering... and returning...) all that yarn to find the right color for the blanket I'm planning (see below and previous entries), Curtis found some that he thought would make a great hat. And it turns out it did. The hat turned out awesome and, to be completely honest, I am astonished. The hat was knit flat, rather than in the round, and I couldn't tell until the very end if it was actually going to be the right size. I also couldn't tell if it was going to even look good. But I finished it up and it looks great and it fits. No pom-pom, but I think that it would look kinda dumb and less fisherman hat with a pom-pom. I altered the pattern a little bit so it wasn't so pointy at the top so it's more like a beanie. The pattern itself was frustrating; it assumed a lot of knowledge and left gaps in the pattern that you could figure out, but I spent all that money on the book... I shouldn't have to figure it out. I have no intention of ever making this hat again.

Chapter 4: A Cabled & Cuffed Fisherman Style Hat for Daddy

I made another one of the cabled and cuffed fisherman style hats.

Before I gave the grey one (above) to Curtis, I asked Daddy to try it on. I figured if it was big enough for him, it would fit Curtis. Dad tried it on and just looked so gosh-darned cute and then seemed so sad when it wasn't for him... so I made him a different one. His is in black to go with his ninja outfit (or because he requested charcoal grey-black and the yarn looks more black out of the store than grey). It's basically the same pattern, but with a different yarn so I did some adjustments. It came out a little looser, but the same resting size so I think it'll work out. It shed all over the place while I was making it (either that or Douglas did), but I think it has pretty much shed all it is going to now.

Red pandas get cold
in Walla Walla!

The hat has a twisted rib for the cuff and the body of the hat (rise) has an alternating cable and a twisted rib. Because the yarn is so dark, I'm sure you can't tell in the picture, but it has some nice visual texture in real life. I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out. The only real problem I had was when I was seaming it (using my newly learned mattress stitch), the yarn, since it was single ply kept pulling apart. Now, I know I'm a pretty tense knitter -- I knit very tightly -- but this was annoying. I had to keep tying it back together. Apparently, this yarn doesn't like shear stress (I just finished a geology course).

I'm planning on giving this to Daddy for Christmas, so if you talk to him between now and then, don't tell!

Book II: Things I Have Started

Chapter 1: Fingerless Gloves for an Unknown Party for a September Knit-A-Long

This month for the Fingerless Gloves Fanatics monthly Knit-A-Long (KAL), rather than having one design and everyone knit the same design, we did a theme. The theme this month is: support a designer! You can knit/crochet anything you want as long as you purchased the pattern (no free patterns this month!). So I bought "Very Terhi" fingerless gloves and ordered some Rowan Cash DK yarn to make them. Granted, I got off to a late start (I didn't even cast on until September 11, 2010), but this is an unbelievably slow pattern. The gloves featuring a travelling pattern (see all those criss-crossing ridges?), which essentially means that every stitch (or just about) gets cabled one way or another every single row. And I'm using a chart rather than written instructions (or a combination of the two) which means it's slow going. I've finished one of the cuffs last night (September 16, 2010) which might sound really exciting, except that I shortened the pattern by two whole repeats. I don't think these are going to get done in time.

The palm side of the glove is entirely ribbed which will be nice since the back of the hand will be quite stiff with all of the cabling. I've reached the thumb gusset, and since this whole thing is a chart, I am quite confused. I'm not exactly sure where the stitches are supposed to go. Maybe I'll just wing it if I don't hear back from anyone on Ravelry (I asked if anybody knew what they were doing).

And who knows? Maybe you'll get a slightly crazed update at 11:58pm on September 30th saying "I did ittttt! I gottt them donnnnneee! Bwahahahaahaaa"! But I doubt it. There are only two Sundays between now and the 30th and I work in the art gallery on Sundays and that's when I get most of my knitting done. Or at least the only time I can plan on having to knit.

Chapter 2: Fingerless Gloves for an Unknown Party for a Different September Knit-A-Long

Since the KAL last month went so quickly I committed (mentally, anyway) to a second KAL for September. This one is a mystery KAL! All this means is I don't know what the gloves look like when they're done and the pattern is released in chunks over the course of the month. I thought this would be fun to do and I found a skein of yarn that I'd forgotten I had (from my first ever 'real' project!) that is exactly right for the pattern (the author tells you what type of yarn and how much you'll need).

I haven't even made a gauge swatch yet. But I'm still considering this 'in progress' and probably will until the end of September. Then it will go back to 'planned'.

Book III: Things I Still Haven't Gotten Around to Working On

Chapter 1: A Sweater Vest for Jack

In making the Cabled & Cuffed Fisherman Style Hat for Curtis, I discovered that I'd been checking my gauge all wrong. I don't know if this would really have made much of a difference for previous projects, but since this is a garment and actually needs to fit or I might cry, I am going to make a new gauge swatch.

Chapter 2: A Stupidly Large and Complicated Blanket for Curtis/Me

The fishermen style hats that I made for Daddy and for Curtis needed the same size needles that were required to start this blanket. This means I haven't been able to start it since I knew I could finish the hats by Christmas (way earlier than Christmas as it turns out). But now the hats are done and the 10.5 needles are available... and I still haven't started it. I'm more scared of this project than I thought I was. But I wound up a skein of yarn so it's ready to go whenever I get the nerve.

Chapter 3: A Tank-Top for Me

This image is from astealerofhearts.com.

I've been working on other, smaller projects and now that it's September, I'm not really thinking about tank-tops. So I'll make this next summer when it's hot and then it will be ready for... next September. Good plan. Maybe I'll do this over winter break? I'm going to use the Nuna yarn that I got with Curtis (pictured on the right) and make the "Heart Lace Top" (http://www.astealerofhearts.com/2010/06/heart-lace-top-knitting-pattern.html). I'm also going to get tattoos. (Just checking to see if anybody will actually read this far).

Book IV: Yarn

I recently de-stashed (and donated to my knitting club) and took photos of all of the yarn I have and updated my Ravelry page. This is pretty exciting for me, but I don't think anybody else cares. All of my yarn is organized in gallon-sized ziplock baggies too. I'm so pleased with myself. Except now I'm out of ziplock baggies.

The End.

In other news, I really hate the program that Blogger makes you use to enter your blog entries. It wreaks havoc on the formatting. Bah. So apologies if the fonts are MASSIVE or if they're too small to read. I tried. This is somebody else's fault. Not my responsibility. (I'm currently listening to Atlas Shrugged on audiobook). Really though, I'm pretty sure all the fonts will turn out the same size (readable) on everybody's computer.

Blanket and Hat and Gloves

2010-08-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Big Blanket
I've got this big blanket planned (the one with all the cables and the trees in the middle... see image on right) and I have had one heck of a time getting yarn for it. Curtis and I decided we'd go with Cascade's Eco Wool (it's big and bulky and you get an absolute ton of yarn in one skein), but that was the easy part. At first, we'd planned on having the blanket be shades of blue. It'd start off in the middle sort of a light silvery blue and then fade out to a navy blue on the outside border. So I ordered the yarn. When it arrived, I came to the startling realization that *my* monitor is one of *those* computer monitors that doesn't necessarily display color correctly. I had colors from robin's egg blue, to grey-brown, to ocean-green-blue. The only color that looked anywhere near the same was the navy blue. This was going to be a very ugly blanket. As I'm packaging it up to mail the yarn back, Curtis spots a grey skein and says, "Well... I don't think I'd want a grey blanket, but I think that would look great as a hat!" So, Curtis is getting a hat: more information below.

After the shades of blue fiasco, Curtis and I decided to go with a nice, dark forest green -- all one shade. So I order the yarn. It arrives and it is the most nauseating shade of kelly green I have ever seen. That one gets mailed back too. This time, I contact Jimmy Bean's Wool (click HERE to visit their online store) and ask for some advice. I told Amber, the lovely lady who helps with the customer service what type of green I was looking for and she suggested a color and even mailed me a little snippet of the yarn for FREE so I could see it. That yarn worked out (Lichen 9338 -- dark green and browns) and has arrived at my new apartment (mostly unpacked... reluctant to finish my closet). So, once I finish Curtis's new hat, I will begin the biggest knitting project of my entire life.

Curtis's Fisherman's Pride Hat
This hat is knitted flat and I don't think I will ever knit a hat flat again. I can't tell if this is going to fit or not. I can't even tell if it will fit me. Every time I measure it, I get anywhere from 18" to 24"... and that's a huge difference. Once I sew it up (mattress stitch), I'll see if it fits anyone.

This is what the hat is supposed to look like except Curtis is convinced he doesn't want the pom-pom:

This is what the hat looks like so far:

August Knit-Along with Ravelry Group
So, since it's August 14, I figure I should get around to starting the August Knit-Along with Fingerless Gloves Fanatics. I'm pretty sure I can get a pair of fingerless gloves done in 15 days... I think. The pattern I'm making is called "Cafe au Lait Mitts" by Paula McKeever (click HERE to see the pattern on ravelry). Hopefully, they'll fit and look like the image on the left when I'm done. [The image is from Ravlery user Spirals and are of her finished project.]

I'm going to make them for my friend Lauren and make a matching cowl. Her birthday is near the end of November, so they'll either be a birthday present or a Christmas present... not sure which yet. I bought Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK in Rhubarb for the project. I think the color is lovely, very dark purpley-pink.

News from KnitWits

2010-08-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

For the past week or so, I've been in the process of moving into my new apartment. (See image on the right). This is a much bigger undertaking than I anticipated; this was my first big move (and I moved into my own place so I had to furnish the whole darn thing.. thanks Mom and Dad!) and, as if that wasn't enough pressure and stress, Curtis moved back to Seattle the same weekend. Two moves to coordinate! I suppose it's not surprising I haven't gotten more knitting done.

I've received two very exciting bits of information from the lovely KnitWit duo in Kirkland, Washington.

1. A knit shop is opening up in Kirkland! It's called Serial Knitters (click HERE to visit their website). The shop is located in Kirkland, Washington at 8427 122nd Avenue NE. Opening weekend is next weekend (August 6th - August 8th) and they're having drawings and door prizes! And of course, there is yarn for sale. It looks like the store is going to do lots of interesting things (they have a 'sci fi' night where they'll be showing a sci fi television series while you can come knit... the first one is Farscape) and they have a ton of classes and events listed. Since I'll be busy that first weekend taking care of middle schoolers (I'm a resident assistant for the Whitman WISE program), it looks like I'll have to send Curtis to do some reconnaissance.

2. If you're feeling charitable, RedHeart has a knitting kit for you! The HeartScarves project benefits the WomenHeart organization (Go Red for Women). For just $12.99 ($3 of which get donated by RedHeart to WomenHeart) you get yarn, needles, a booklet instructing you how to make a scarf, information on how knitting is good for your health, and a plastic carrying case. After you finish knitting your scarf, you can donate to WomenHeart and it will go to a woman struggling with heart disease. Interested? Click HERE.

Well, that's it for now! I've got more unpacking to do.

How to Add a Comment to a Blog

2010-07-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

My mother mentioned that it can be a little tricky adding a comment to a blog. To make things a bit easier, I'm posting some step-by-step instructions on how to post a comment to someone's blog.

How to Add a Comment to a Blog
1. At the bottom of each entry, there is a bar that has information about when the entry was posted and how many comments other people have left on the entry.

2. Click on the text that says how many comments have been left on the entry.

3. Clicking will take you to a page with just the one entry on it and a text box. You can also see what other people have written.

4. Type what you would like to say into the text box.

5. Once you have typed what you want to say, click on the drop-down menu next to the text that says "Comment as:". This will give you a list of ways for you to post. If you have an online identity (such as a blog of your own), feel free to comment that way. You will be prompted to log in by a pop up window. If you do not have an online identity or do not want to use it, select either Name/URL or Anonymous.

**How to choose which method of posting**
If you select Name/URL whatever name you type in (see next step) will appear above your comment. (Mary says... [your comment]). If you select Anonymous, no name will be given above your comment. (Anonymous says... [your comment]).

6a. If you selected Name/URL, a window will pop up prompting you to enter your name and your URL. (URL stands for "Universal Resource Locator" and is the web address that you type in to the address bar at the top of the window to get to a website). Enter in whatever name you want to appear on the post. You can also put in your website address if you have one or you can leave it blank. Click continue.

6b. If you selected Anonymous, you do not have to type anything.

7. If you want to see what your comment will look like before posting, click Preview.

8. Once you are done reviewing your comment and have selected a method of posting, click Post Comment.

9. You may be prompted to type in the letters that are shown to you in an image. If so, type the letters in the picture, keeping in mind that they are case sensitive. This is to make sure that a computer robot isn't spamming the blog.

That's it! You're done! Comment successfully posted.

Breaking News: Boyfriend Scores Brownie Points with Girlfriend and Girlfriend's Landlord

2010-07-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend, Curtis (that's him, over there on the right), is currently employed by Home Depot and works in the flooring department where he has been awarded a Homer Award, not once, not twice, but SIX times and has received a Certificate of Appreciation from district management. In other words, he's pretty awesome. But yesterday, he earned some serious brownie points.

First, some background. I am moving into this really nice apartment. The lease is signed, my parents' furniture has been sorted and selected for transfer to my house, everything is pretty much ready... except for the apartment itself. The landlords are renovating it; that's part of what is making the apartment so nice. And, when the plan was to spend the summer at my parents' house in the greater Seattle area, not having an apartment for 3 months wasn't a problem. It wasn't a problem until I got a really great internship working at a library out here in Walla Walla. So, the landlords are scrambling to get the apartment done as quickly as they possibly can (it looks like the move-in date is July 30 now! almost a month earlier than initially planned!), I'm crashing in my friend Becca's room, but since my all of my stuff is just going to have to be moved out again, everything I own is in her dining room.

How does Curtis (over there on the left wearing a hat I made him last winter) fit into this bizarre housing situation? My landlord, John, met Curtis at Home Depot because he needed tile to finish the shower floor. Unfortunately the Walla Walla Home Depot only had half of the amount John needed so Curtis put in a transfer request and John left happy after being assured that the tile would be there on Thursday. The Home Depot in Lewiston, however, failed to transfer ALL of the flooring department transfers. What does Curtis do? Aware that John is my landlord and that any delay in construction means continuing discomfort for me, he calls John and offers to go pick up the tile and deliver it.

So, yesterday, Curtis takes me to Richland and we head into the Home Depot and pick up the rest of the tile. We complete an over-the-phone purchase for John and sequester the tile in the trunk of Curtis's car. John is happy and quite impressed with Curtis's dedication to customer service and determination to get me into my own apartment and out of Becca's dining room.

And then! The part that makes this story relevant to a knitting blog. Since we were in Richland anyway... Curtis took me to Knitty Gritty! Tremendously exciting. He even looked through some knitting books and felt some yarn with me. We picked out the type of yarn that will be used on that massive blanket (with the cables and the tree in the middle) and I bought some yarn for a tank top and for an early fall beret thing I'm planning. See the pictured yarn below...

Nuna by Mirasol in a silvery grey blue

40% silk, 40% wool, 20% bamboo

Ultra Pima by Cascade in a dark red

100% pima cotton

This yarn really is more red than purple but I kinda failed at the picturing taking part... below is picture (not mine) from Ravelry that is much closer to the actual color. Imagine the purple mixed with the red below and that's probably closest.

And then, as if that wasn't enough, he took me out to lunch to this amazing teriyaki restaurant, Woo's Teriyaki. It was delicious. It was so good, Curtis mentioned that maybe we could go all the way back out to Richland just to have lunch... but maybe we could go back to the yarn store so we would could get more done in one trip. Excellent!

After lunch, we headed back to Walla Walla and dropped the tile off with John just in time for him to finish up the shower. He is so pleased with Curtis that he is going in to the Home Depot to find a manager and tell them what a great employee Curtis is.

So all around a pretty good day!

Pillows, Slippers, Sweaters, and the Future!

2010-06-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

Cabled Pillow

I have finally blocked the squares for the cabled pillow! Not only that, but today I purchased some fabric to back the knitting. That means that I only need to sewing the fabric on (sewing machine... a new acquisition!), sew the sides together (yarn and tapestry needle), and stuff it with fluff! This is tremendously exciting.

I intend to sew it on tomorrow or Monday evening and then later in the week head to Jo-Ann’s (oh, that wonderful place of bliss, contentment, and superior, speedy customer service…) to buy some fluffy stuff to stick inside.
I’m not quite sure how big this pillow is going to be though. Blocked, the squares come to 12” x 12” and stuffed, they’ll be even a bit smaller. I’m going to make the second pillow (of my own hair-brained design) larger and hopefully they will look like a big-pillow-small-pillow set. It is that outcome for which I go! This second pillow will be basically a square from the quilt design I was considering making using these cabled pillow squares.

The pillow will have a small white square in the middle with a leaf design and a brown border with ... some other sort of textural pattern. The back will be just plain brown in whatever textural pattern I come up with. I'm thinking maybe diamonds.

Trivia from the KnitWit Duo:

Which Harry Potter characters like to spend their free time knitting (for charity or otherwise)? Scroll to the bottom of this entry for the answer!

French Press Felted Slippers

I've knitted all of the slipper pieces. Using size 15 needles made the project go unbelievably fast even if my hands did get tired from holding such large needles. The pieces look pretty funny and they are really large since they'll shrink when I felt them. I actually completed the pieces a while ago, but have been kinda nervous to sew them together.

I'm not so much nervous about sewing them together as I am about felting them. I've never felted anything before -- I generally don't even like things that are felted. If I mess them up (if they felt and shrink so they're too small, for instance), it really isn't a big deal. I did some wildly inaccurate arithmetic and bought way too much yarn for the slippers so it's not like I'd have to buy more if I messed them up. I just like to get things right the first time. But I've decided that I'm just going to do it! Next week. I need to find an extra doesn't-mat ter-if-it-gets-ruined pillowcase first. I think I found one (it's Curtis's from his freshman year... and it's been sitting in storage boxes for at least 3 years now) but before I destroy it accidentally or, you know, cover it in irremovable green fuzz, I need to check with him to make sure it's okay.

I also need to buy some cute buttons for on the flap of the slippers. Buttons! I love buttons and buckles. Not such a fan of tassels though.

Sweater Vest for Jack

Well, this is it. This is the first time that I'm going to knit something that actually has to fit someone. I'm going to make Jack (my grandfather) a sweater vest. It has a textural argyle pattern in the front, a twisted rib on the back, and will be a lovely navy-greyish blue. I've traced an outline of a sweater vest he owns that fits well and I'm going to try to knit that same shape. We'll see how it goes. I've purchased the yarn (while in Ashland celebrating my grandmother Jackie's birthday with some Jane Austen and dinners out on the town!) and I have the pattern. It's from the same magazine that I got the pattern for Quinn's birthday beret. This time, I will be sure to check my gauge.

I will be leaving the leaves off.. not only do I not know how to do Intarsia or Fair Isle style yet, Jack doesn't really wear patterns like that anyway. So, if you can't tell by the pictures here, go ahead and click on the image and you should be able to see the textured argyle. So. That's the plan. I'm planning on contacting the magazine to see if, when I finish, if I can mail in to get a puppy too.

The Future!

I have all sorts of things planned for the future. Step 1: finish outstanding knitting projects (pillows, slippers). Step 2: finish outstanding SEWING projects (notebook covers, bag). Yes! That's right! You heard me! Sewing projects! I've been learning how to sew this summer at a local store called Stash. I have a new sewing machine (Bernina 1080 from my lovely mother and Judy Barlup) and I've been stitching away! I'll be starting a second blog soon... pretty much as soon as I come up with a name, really. That site won't even have the promise of tutorials though since I don't think I could teach anybody anything. But in case you're interested... here's one of the projects that I've done. This is the first thing I've made entirely by myself and I made it using cheap fabric (I didn't know there was really a difference between fabric quality), but I'm still disgustingly pleased with myself. I'm working on making notebook covers for some of my friends.

I have no idea if they'll use them, but at least I'm getting practice sewing. Well, I don't know if Quinn and Alixandra will use them. My friend Lauren has requested some and we're going to pick out fabric together so I'm pretty sure she'll use them. Anyway, the clear plastic pocket (for course name, or owner's name, or whatever) was my addition. Also, please note the pencil pocket on the inside.

I've also made a sling bag (Birdie Sling by Amy Butler) and the class I went to today taught the Grommet Hipster by Indygo Junction and I'm almost done. Indygo Junction, funnily enough, is located in Kansas City, Missouri. Even if you move away, it seems you never actually leave. While I was in Jo-Ann's, there was a woman with her granddaughter from Overland Park, Kansas and I resisted the urge to run up and say hi, but it took a lot of strength.

Anyway, to check out what I'm working on or if you're a sewer, you should visit http://www.MySewingCircle.com. My user name there is KristineMarie.

Other News

I would like to point out, especially to any concerned relatives who may or may not watch shows such as Law & Order: SVU, that it is a Saturday night and I am updating my blog about knitting.

Answer to KnitWit Trivia:

Albus Dumbledore spends time examining knitting magazines; Mrs. Weasley always has a sweater or several ready for reluctant sons and Harry of course; and, Hermione ensures the warmth of House Elf heads by knitting charity hats!

How to Make a Blocking Board

2010-06-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things just don't turn out like they should - or the shape and size you want or need them to be. This is when blocking comes in handy. Blocking allows you to make adjustments to your knitting by stretching and shaping. There are three different types of blocking: wet blocking, spray blocking, and steam blocking. The methods vary as to the amount - and form - of water used to relax the fibers and allow you to reshape them and which method you use should be dictated by the type of fiber with which you are working. I chose to make a pair of blocking boards that way I could move my projects out of the way and have the option of pinning them into shape.

I got the general instructions on how to create a blocking board from Knitting.com. Click HERE for the full article from Knitty.com. Also in that article is a useful guide to which blocking method you should use for which fibers.

I know at first glance the pictures seem small, but if you click on the image, it will show you the full sized picture.

How to Make a Blocking Board

Materials (for two total):

Picture	Item
	2 Sheets of 2' x 2' Drywall (1/2" thick)
	Sturdy tape (such as duct tape, linen tape, or electrical tape)
I used Res-Q Tape because I went in search of linen tape at Jo-Ann's and couldn't find any. The Res-Q Tape is double sided but when you only use one side, the paper on the other is nice and thick and the tape is pretty strong so it worked out. Just use whatever type of tape you think will help keep the edges of your board from crumbling.
	2 yards of 1" gingham fabric
The grid on the fabric will make a useful measuring tool for when you block. The only 1" check I could find was light pink which showed up okay, but I would have preferred a blue or green.
	Staple Gun
The staple gun I used was recommended by my mother who, like myself, has small hands, but - unlike myself - does upholstery. She needed a staple gun that actually worked but was easy to handle and not so large that she couldn't get it into the places she needed to staple. Relatively inexpensive (approx. $10), the Easy Shot was her first pick. After using it, I have no complaints other than a lack of more things to staple.
	5/16" Staples
Make sure your staples will work with your staple gun.

Directions:

1. Using your sturdy tape, tape around the edges of the squares of drywall. This is to help reinforce the edges and prevent the edges from crumbling.
2. Put extra tape on the corners of the drywall. Like knees and elbows, corners frequently get banged around and bumped into so, while this step isn't strictly necessary, I wouldn't skip it.
3. Iron your fabric! This is important so you don't have any bunches of fabric or wrinkles that will keep your blocking board from being a smooth surface.
4. Spread your fabric out on a smooth, hard surface and place the drywall on the fabric. Make sure the line the top and left side of the drywall up with the lines of the gingham. This will ensure that the grid pattern is straight and will make it a more useful measuring tool.
5. Once your drywall is in position, cut the edges of the fabric so there is a 3" border around the drywall.
6. On one side, fold 1" of the border in towards the drywall. Pin in place. Be sure to place the pins in such a way that when you staple the fabric down, you can still remove the pins. You do this so the cut edge of the fabric is tucked inside and won't fray. If you want to be extra certain that it won't fray, you could also use a product like Fray Check along this edge.
7. Fold the pinned side of the fabric onto the blocking board. While holding the fabric taught but still, staple in place. I stapled about two inches apart along the whole side.
8. Repeat steps 6 - 7 for the side that runs parallel to the first completed side.
9. For the two remaining sides, repeat steps 6 - 7 ensuring that the corners are folded neatly, like a package. To do this, make a triangle in the corner with the fabric. This should help keep the fabric from bunching or being too messy around the corner.
Once all sides have been stapled, you're all done!

Decision!

2010-04-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

*If you would like to receive e-mail updates about this blog, please send an email to knittinsmitten@gmail.com! Thanks!**

I have decided! The cabled squares that were being considered for either pillows or a quilt will be pillows. I've finished one side of one of the pillows, but need to get more green yarn for the back. I'm really quite nervous; this will be my first adventure with dye lots. I'm hoping that they'll match up well enough that you won't be able to tell. I'd be so frustrated if the front and the back of the pillow looked really different.

I am still going to need to block this side though. The edges are a little curly and I'm pretty sure that it will be MUCH easier to make the pillow if both sides are the same size and lay flat.

I've purchased the materials needed to make a blocking board and I'll be posting soon with a 'how I made my blocking board' tutorial.

Potholders for Curtis
I've also been working on some potholders for my darling boyfriend, Curtis. I've discovered that for him to get things out of the oven, he has been using a mix of dish rag and paper towel. To protect his fingers and reduce fire hazards - as well as for the direct benefit of my mental health - I'm making seed stitched pot holders out of a variegated, 100% cotton yarn. 45 sitches across and 59 rows long. I'm making two squares and will then whip stitch them together. I've already finished one square and have made significant progress on the second. Only 18 more rows!

SEED STITCH
To make a seed stitch, cast on an odd number of stitches.
Then, *knit one, purl one* and repeat until you have one stitch left. Knit that stitch.
Repeat that row until you have the desired length.

CO #odd
Row 1: *K1, P1* Repeat ** until 1 stitch remains, K1
Row 2 and on: Repeat Row 1.

To make the same potholders I am:
Using US size 8 needles and 4 ply worsted weight 100% cotton yarn...
CO 45 stitches.
Row 1: *K1, P1* Repeat ** until 1 stitch remains, K1.
Rows 2 - 59: Repeat Row 1.
BO purlwise.

My grandma sent me this image. It's a magazine cover from Good Housekeeping and it's quite old (from 1918!). She and I were thinking that maybe I could make prints of it and sell them. I'd touch it up a bit (center it and make sure it had a nice background) and print it on nice card stock or a heavier paper. Do you think it would sell? And if so, for how much? Either way, it's very cute!

For future projects:
I do still plan on making a blanket for the living room. I've decided on the pattern "Yggdrasil Afghan" by Lisa Jacobs (see Ravelry link HERE). In the center there are four trees whose branches are entertwined and their roots lead down to some really fantastic looking cables and leafy-vine designs. It's a pretty large blanket though and will require a lot of yarn and a lot of patience. (The image is from Ravelry and is probably under copyright.)

Also, for my BRAND NEW APARTMENT (woo!) I am going to be making a bunch of house slippers since the floors are painted concrete. The slippers I've found are called French Press Felted Slippers. They are, as the name implies, felted and represent the first and so far only felted project that I've liked. They are little ballet type flats with a button! The pattern from Ravelry can be found HERE. (This image is also from Ravelry.)

Since it looks like the slippers will knit up pretty quickly, I'm thinking I might make a variety of colors and, more importantly, use a variety of cute buttons! I really like buttons and buckles so these will just be great.

**If you would like to receive e-mail updates about this blog, please send an email to knittinsmitten@gmail.com! Thanks!**

Waffling

2010-03-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

**If you would like to receive e-mail updates about this blog, please send an email to knittinsmitten@gmail.com. Thanks!**

This past month has certainly been a busy one! I've finished mid-terms (barely) and made it home for spring break. I've been trying to find housing for next year (harder than you might think!) and a summer internship that pays (about as hard as you think) and a summer job (I'm applying to some knit and craft shops on the East side of Lake Washington) and trying to get some work ahead done for my classes. That being said... I've completed Alixandra's gauntlets (see previous post), almost finished one side of my current project (see below) and mom and I finished my knitting needle case (also see below)!

Alixandra's Spiryogyra Gauntlets - Complete
They turned out nicely, I think. Unfortunately, I got them done and gave them to her just as Walla Walla is warming up so I might have to wait until next fall to see her wear them. Pictures then.

Cabled Pillows (?) - Current Project
Right now I'm making pillows! Basically, I'm going to knit two roughly 14x14" squares (when blocked... my edges are curling) and then line them and then sew them together and then stuff them. That is my incredibly vague master plan. I don't know if pillows actually work like that. But I'm not sure about the whole pillow idea. The picture here on the left is what I've done so far. I like the pattern and I really like the yarn - it's the Suri Merino that I got on my yarn quest mentioned in THIS POST - but I'm not sure about the pillows. I'm worried they won't look very contemporary. And I don't want to do all this work for non-cool pillows.

Here's a close up of the pattern I'm making. It's called a Saxon Cable. It's pretty easy. The first set was a little confusing, but once I saw the pattern (when you're at this spot in the fabric, the cable needs to turn in, so it makes sense to move the purling to the right, etc.) it went a lot faster. I think I'm going to put on one more repeat of the pattern (17 more rows) and then see how close to being square it is. I might need to put on 5 total though.

But since I'm worried about the pillows turing out sorta lame, I'm thinking about making the squares into a little quilt. This presents several problems:
1) I have to buy way more yarn. I mean, way more. It looks like just one side of a pillow is going to take more than one skein so I'll already have to buy more just for pillows. (I have 2 skeins of green... all they had, 4 skeins of brown, and 4 skeins of white/beige).
2) This is going to be way more work. As in, possibly infinite never finished project that sucks my soul away leaving me a worthless husk of miserable knitting-ness.
3) The pillows (or quilt) are going to be living at my boyfriend Curtis's house. I haven't talked to him to see what he thinks of the pillows so far. I was going to talk to him about it when I go back to Walla Walla at the end of the week. I don't even know if he *wants* a blanket for in the living room. I don't know if he is going to be worried about the pillows not being up-to-date enough.
4) I don't know how big to make the quilt! If I do the pattern I've drawn (see image on right above) the blanket will be about 3.5'x3.5'. I guess that's okay for a little lap blanket, but I don't really like little lap blankets. I want to be able to curl up under a blanket. But I really like the design I've made. The green squares would all be the same saxon cables; the little squares inside the larger ones on the outside would be this neat leaf pattern I've found; the smaller squares on the inside would be some sort of pattern I haven't decided on yet. I could make it bigger (think closer to 4'x5') but then that messes up my design unless I make it HUGE, which I really don't want to do.
5) I don't know if a quilt is less lame than pillows. It might be just as lame but with more work.
6) I need to find the same dye lot. This is problem no matter what. Uggggh. I thought I bought enough... I'll have to call Jacci's Yarn Basket and see if she has anymore. If not, then I guess I'm on the ultimate yarn quest.

Knitting Needle Case - Complete
The knitting needle case is complete!!! Hooray! Mom did most of the sewing (well, okay all of it except for the hand sewing) and it turned out awesome. Brace yourself for picture show!

In progress:

Complete and closed up:

We're still deciding on ribbon length. They won't actually be that long.

Opening...:

Open:

With the flap up:

Without a flap, you run the risk of having your needles slip out. A very sad event indeed.

The oustide when opened:

All sorts of details and close-ups:

One of two zippered pockets. This one has a clear window in the front of the pocket so you can see what's inside!

Very cute butterfly applique! Also, please note the hot pink top-stitching.

Needle pockets! There are 15 slots for double-pointed needles (pictured) and 15 for straight needles. Again, note the hot pink top-stitching.

Thanks Mom!

Library Updates!
I've decided to do little reviews of the knitting books that I own (or are considing owning) and like at the end of each post. Usually it will be just one book, magazine, pamphlet, what have you at a time. Also, if it's available on Amazon for you to purchase, I'll put a link up.

I've added a book to my knitting library. Romantic Knits by Jennie Atkinson is really lovely. There are a bunch of really cute designs and patterns in here. Atkinson designed the beret that I made for Quinn's birthday. The design on the cover is her Butterfly Dress and I have every intention of making it eventually. There are also some lovely robes and some cute slipper socks.

The pictures are full page and full color. The book itself isn't particularly easy to carry around - it's pretty big. The instructions look easy enough to follow and there is a useful guide in the back of the book. What caught my eye in that guide was a little article on different finishing techniques you can do on the edge of your garments. I would definitely recommend this for a confident knitter.

***

I've also checked out Sock Innovation by Cookie A from the school library. I'm debating whether I should buy it or not. It has a lot of really useful information on how to make socks and (even better!) design your own. The patterns in the book are interesting, but I'm worried for someone who has never made socks (and has never had to turn a heel... or shape anything really...) that they might be too hard. It would probably be a good one to get though. I'm just not sure.

Gauntlets for Alixandra

2010-02-17T00:34:00.001-08:00

After my yarn quest, I decided I might as well do something with the yarn rather than sit there and look at it, drooling. I've started (and almost completed... this week has been stressful. That means more knitting. ... I just realized it's only Tuesday night. Awesome.) the gauntlets for Alixandra. The pattern is called Spirogyra from Knitty.com and I'm making the short length, though they go all the half way up my forearm anyway.

Anyway, left gauntlet is done. I just need to sew in the loose ends. :-)

Pictures:

Yarn Quest

2010-02-14T13:27:00.000-08:00

I live in Walla Walla, Washington - a little city of approximately 30,000 people with a Macy's and a Wal-Mart and that's about it. And technically, the Wal-Mart isn't even in Walla Walla, it's in College Place, the next city over. There is a Joanne's here as well, but sometimes you just need yarn other than Vanna's Choice or Red Heart.

As you all know, I finished Quinn's hat last week. I did not plan ahead very well, however, and found myself with projects mentally lined up but no yarn or patterns or anything! This is pretty much a disaster. (Considerably less frustrating, though, than finding out that all the reading ahead I did when I didn't have any knitting to work on were the wrong assignments because my professor used a different edition of the text when he made his sllyabus...) So! This means: YARN QUEST!

Within a 60-mile radius of Walla Walla, according to Google, there are 4 yarn shops. In order from closest to my house to farthest away: Oregon Trail Yarn in Milton-Freewater, Oregon (18 minute drive); Knits by Kyle in Waitsburg, Washington (30 minute drive); Jacci's Yarn Basket in Dayton, Washington (40 minute drive); and, Sheep's Clothing in Kennewick, Washington (1 hour 15 minute drive). So I went to the first three last Wednesday. (To get to Dayton, you have to drive through Waitsburg anyway.)

Milton-Freewater
I boldly set out south towards the Oregon border. My radio in my car doesn't work, so I've got my iPod on shuffle with the headphones up really really loud so I can hear the music from the passenger seat. As I'm sure you can guess, this was pretty lame and didn't last all that long. Milton-Freewater is a pretty depressed little town; it's full of closed down shops. There are some really lovely homes and a VERY purple building that houses a chocolate factory that looked intriguing.

I arrived at 1112 South Main Street and find myself completely baffled. There's a little quickie mart type thing and an auto repair shop. And it looks like this. Can you tell where the yarn shop is? (Answer: it's the door on the right.) I was pretty confused. So I called the store number that I thankfully printed out with the driving directions and was informed that the ladies probably stepped out to lunch if the lights aren't on. Supposedly they'll be back in an hour or so. Okay.

So I drive around looking for something to do. I find this completely bizarre kitsch-shop / salon (I'm not kidding). The first 3/4 of the store is full of super glittery fairy statues, fake leather purses with tassles, and wooden signs that say things like "I don't have time for ugly cowboys". I round the corner and there is a pedicure station right next to a perm setter thing and a hair dressing station. Apparently the lady who owns the shop will cut your hair, dye it, perm it and give you a manicure if there aren't too many other people in the store. It was a pretty amazing little place.

Hungry = lunch search. My choices include McDonald's, Dairy Queen, a questionable looking burger establishment, and this little house with a sign advertising soup and fresh bread. I pull into Nobody's Bizness (the soup & bread place) for lunch. The lady who runs it only has one menu item and on Wednesday it was 'Cheesey Cream o Broccoley!' soup. I figure this has to be better than McDonald's. And I'm sure if I liked broccoli soup it would have been. The bread was delicious. I mean it. It was soo tasty. And the soup would have been great if it weren't for all the broccoli in it. As it was, I ate the whole thing anyway.

Mosey back to Oregon Trail Yarn and it's still dark and locked. I call back and the lady says to just go next door to the car repair store and her husband will let me in. Skeptical, I do as she says. Her husband - very sweet - asks me what I'm looking for. Skepticism continues: "sock weight and worsted?" To my astonishment, he not only shows me where it is, he points out which is his favorite. What a guy. :-) I don't find exactly what I'm looking for - and it was hard to find stuff because the shop is under going rennovation. Most of the product was covered by plastic sheets to protect them or in the back storage unit in boxes. (I've since heard from Ravelry-ers that this shop has been like this for a while). I did find some things I wanted though... it's hard to go into a yarn shop and not find something... but before I go back there again I think I'll call first to see how construction is going. Until then, if I want any Wildfoote sock yarn (which came in lovely colors and was very soft - two hanks for $10.90) I'll go to their EBAY STORE which is well stocked.

Yarn purchased:

Wildfoote Sock Yarn by Brown Sheep Co. in "Mistletoe"

Lanaloft Sport Weight by Brown Sheep Co. in "Herbal Garden (green)" and "Mystical Pink"

Waitsburg
Determined, I head back north through Walla Walla and then make a turn to the east for Waitsburg. A much more pleasant drive than south or the first bit of the drive west (toward Kennewick), I definitely prefer going this way than the other.

Though the pictures don't really do justice, if you don't think this is pretty than you definitely don't want to do the drive to Kennewick just for yarn. It's flatter and browner.

Arrive at 525 Powell Street. It's somebody's house. There's a cat in the window. The lawn is a bit overgrown and it doesn't look like very many people visit, despite the large "Welcome" sign on the door. A bit run-down and nothing indicating a yarn shop. I'm sitting in my car watching the cat watching me. It licks its chops.

Yarn Purchsed:
None. Drove off in terror.

Dayton

After driving past it once, I arrive at 242 East Main. Jacci's Yarn Basket, after the previous two destinations, is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Inside is a fully constructed yarn shop with so many different colors and weights and brands and wools and everything. Oooooo. So I end up with the yarn I wanted in the first place (sock weight for gauntlets for Alixandra and worsted weight for the pillows for Curtis and me). And I am happy. Oh so happy.

Yarn Purchased:

Heritage Paints Sock Yarn by Cascade in pink/orange/purple/more pink

Suri Merino by Plymouth Yarns in green and white and tan.
(55% alpaca 45% merino)

And then I came home and showed Curtis all my new yarn and he was as enthusiastic as I can resonably expect him to pretend to be. (He's more genuinely enthusiastic about the projects themselves - especially the completed ones; I think he has a hard time visualizing what they'll look like completed). And then he accidentally sat on one of the skeins of yarn and I went "AAAAAAAAH!!!" Don't worry though. The yarn is okay. (Curtis survived as well). (Barely).

Birthday Beret!

2010-02-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

HAH! Take that O ye demons of unfinished projects! Behold: a completed beret ready not only to be worn, but to be coordinated with outfits.

Overall, it went pretty well. In the middle, with the diamond pattern, it felt like I was never going to get it done. Hats are funny like that. They decrease so quickly that all of sudden it's done and you haven't purchased yarn yet for your next adventure, let alone picked out a pattern. (See next entry for yarn purchasing adventure).

I'll see if I can get Quinn to wear it in a photograph to post.

Quinn's Still Incomplete Birthday Beret

2010-01-31T15:27:00.000-08:00

Today is Quinn's birthday (she just turned 20) and unfortunately her head is still bare. I'm 56% done (row completion, not stitch completion). I've made a ton of progress over the past week or so, but I wasn't able to get it done by today. I am about to start row 35 of 69, which sounds like I have an absolute ton left to do, but I'm past the widest part of the hat so the rows are getting shorter and shorter. Right now, my rows have 196 stitches, but next time I decrease, I decrease down to 168. Then 140. Then 126. Then 98! (70, 42, 28, and then finally 14). So it's going to start going really quickly very soon, I'm just not there yet.

On the plus side, it's starting to look hat-like. And if you sort of squish it down and spread the bottom part out it even looks like a beret sorta. I'm enthusiastic. I think it's going to work.

I told Quinn yesterday that her birthday present was still in the works and that she would get it sometime this week. She seemed a little disappointed that she wasn't getting her present on her birthday, but then I pointed out that it was like celebrating all week and she perked up.

I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer while knitting. I think it improves morale. I just finished up season 1 (I decided to start over since I don't remember where I was in the show anyway). Season 2 will have to wait though. Something about wanting to graduate on time tells me that I should do my anthropology reading tonight instead of Buffy season 2.

Another Non-Knitted Project

2010-01-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

So far, I'm not staying particularly true to my blog mission statement, but I'm so excited about this other project I just completed! I can't help myself. I am so excited. Brace yourself, this might sound dorky. I made... a schedule board!!!

I know, I know. Really cool, right?

Well, my housemates think so! Our names are Alixandra (A), Kristine (K), and Quinn (Q). The letters are wood cutouts that I painted and glued on. The fabric (which, yes, by the way, does have glitter ladybugs on it) is fabric glued onto a piece of posterboard. I made and printed the schedules using Microsoft Excel and then made pockets out of vinyl that I sewed on using a running stitch and pink embroidery floss. So every semester from now on, we can have our schedules proudly displayed. And if we change classes (say, at the end of the semester...) we just make a new schedule in Excel, print it out, and viola! Into the clear plastic pocket it goes.

And yes, that would be my schedule that has no Friday classes and nothing before 11AM. It's a beautiful thing, a well-crafted schedule.

Pictures!

In other news, I desperately need to do laundry.

Quinn's Surprise Birthday Hat - Incomplete

2010-01-18T14:39:00.001-08:00

Quinn's birthday is in 14 days (today inclusive) and I'm about to start row 16 of her 69-row birthday surprise beret. I need to make significant progress today, especially since classes start tomorrow! As I mentioned before, I'm a little nervous about whether this will fit or not. Since it's a surprise it's not like I can just have her try it on half-way. I'm going to ask my other housemate to try it on though... her head is closer to the size of Quinn's that mine is.

I'm knitting the Virginia beret from The Knitter, issue 10. You can see what it is supposed to look like on the cover of the magazine (pictured on the right). I left the magazine sitting out at my house and Quinn saw it and just loved it. And since I decided I wanted to try and make a fancy beret as fast as I possibly could and, ideally, still have it look good, I decided that this would be a great present. So, hopefully she'll still like it in two weeks.

The yarn I'm using is Heritage sock yarn (100 grams / 437 yards) in red (color 5607). I'm using size 2 and 3 double-pointed needles; this is by far the smallest needle I've worked with and it definitely took some getting used to. Fortunately, the pattern isn't too challenging, just time consuming.

And now I'm looking at other people's Virgina berets on Ravelry.com and they all look really good. I know it's hard to tell when it's still on the needles (especially when I'm not even through the fancy diamond part) but I'm really nervous. I hope mine comes out looking as nice as everybody else's.

Update on Simple Cabled Hat

2010-01-16T13:10:00.001-08:00

After a relatively easy trip back to Walla Walla (there was some fog, but other than that, smooth sailing), I arrive, hat in hand, ready to deliver it to my boyfriend, Curtis. Not surprisingly, I was a bit anxious about whether or not it would even fit onto his head, especially considering my issues with gauge and sizing before.

I was able to get it onto his head with virtually no trouble -- he did squirm a bit and was probably unhappy about being attacked from behind... The only problem was it was a little bit too short. It seems that while his head might not be particularly large circumference-wise, length wise is a different story. It's not so short that he won't wear it or that it looks funny, but he'd like it just a little bit longer. I'll post a picture as soon as I can get him to hold still long enough to take one.

Which means, ladies and gentlemen, that a new hat is in the works. Once I finish the other projects I have lined up that is. The new hat will have a cuff that way if it is too short, he can just unfold the cuff a bit and *PRESTO CHANGE-O* it'll be a bit longer.

But first I must complete in order:
** Quinn's (housemate) birthday surprise hat (which may or may not fit. since it's a surprise I can't exactly have her try it on. Birthday: January 31)
** Curtis's pot holders (he's using paper towels to get things out of the oven at the moment. very dangerous)

Projects lined up in no order:
** Sweater vest for Grandpa Jack's birthday
** Large complicated cabled scarf
** Fingerless gloves for Curtis
** Something wonderful for myself
** Something for Alixandra (other housemate)

Soft Needle Case

2010-01-12T17:02:00.001-08:00

So, technically this project isn't knitting or crocheting, but it's relevant, I swear. I've designed a soft knitting needle case because I was tired of the one I have not having the features that I wanted. Stuff always fell out, I didn't have enough pockets or the pockets that were there were either too big or too small.

This needle case has enough pockets to store ALL of my double pointed needles (sizes 0 - 11) and ALL of my 9" straight single-point needles (sizes 0 - 14) and it has two zipper pockets, one of which has a clear plastic window so I can easily see what is inside. Added bonus: when you make it yourself, you get to pick out the colors and the prints.

Inside View
This is what the case will look like completely unfolded. The yellow bit at the top is a flap that will fold over to keep the needles from slipping out. I know it looks a bit chaotic, but I am certain that the finished product will look great. (For pictures of the fabric I purchased, scroll to the end of this post). The finished measurements of the unfolded case should be (if all goes according to plan) h:16", w:19".

Outside Design
And, as you probably guessed, this is what it will look like folded into thirds. The flowers are part of a print that I purchased, but the band across the middle will be sewn on. In in the picture I have a button and elastic closure, but I'm considering have the ribbon (green, lacey, pictured below) tie on the side instead.

On the band across the middle, I'm either going to embroider a 'K' (for Kristine! or for knitting. Whichever) or a little hedgehog! I really like hedgehogs; I think they're just adorable, plus they have lots of needles, which makes them an appropriate mascot for a knitter.

This is the fabric I've picked out for the inside of the case. The green fabric and the pink polka dotted print will be the zippered pockets on the left. The pale yellow is trim and the flap at the top. The pink swirls will be the back two pockets for both needles. The large flowers will go on the front pockets for needles. I don't know if that made any sense, but I'll upload a picture when it's done.

And, deductive logic never failing, this is the fabric and ribbon for the outside of the case. And as pleased as I am with my design, I must say that the print on this fabric looks much nicer than the flowers that I drew.

Anyway, what really made me decide to try and make my own needle organizer (with significant help from my mother (thanks Mom!), who actually knows how to use a sewing machine, unlike myself) was seeing the needle organizers made by sarahkincheloe on Etsy.com. I knew I was frustrated with my needle case, but after seeing her cute fabrics and the way she made her organizers I knew that I wanted something like that. You know, something that functioned and still looked pretty? The only thing missing for me was a zipper pocket, but after looking all over the place, I've come to the conclusion that normal people don't want or need zippered pockets in their knitting needle organizers. Regardless, she has some really cute ones up and you should definitely check out her shop. (I especially like THIS print and THIS one!)

Outside (and unrelated...) Viewing & Reading with Hedgehogs:
Hedgehogs love cilantro
Orphaned Hedgehogs Adopt a New Mom
And a book I want to read:
Elegance of the Hedgehog

First Post & First Projects with Cables

2010-01-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am: a new blogger with a passion for knitting ready to post my successes, secrets, and frustrations for the world! My name is Kristine and I am Knittin' Smitten.

I am relatively new to knitting, but have already completed some projects (sadly unavailable for photographs, but happily in new homes). For the most part, I will be able to post at least some information about everything on which I work. I plan to use this as a catalog of my projects, a reference source, and a teaching tool - not too mention a journal of sorts.

In honor of this being my first post, below are three photographs of two of my first completed projects. Comments and questions are happily received.

Fingerless Gauntlets in Blue.
The pattern, Dashing, is from Knitty and can be found HERE. These went pretty quickly and were worked from the wrist up with several large cables. The most challenging part was getting the thumb on (you use waste yarn on the main glove and then stitch onto those stitches) without pulling and leaving gaps in the rest of the glove.

Materials Used:
- Size 7 (US) Double Pointed Needles (Image: Here)
- 1 Ball of Pattons Classic Wool (223 yards/100 grams) in Denim Marl (77116).
- U Cable Stitch Holder (I use these.)

Simple Cabled Hat.
This is the project that taught me about gauge (and got me going on knitting in the first place). A Christmas or two ago, my lovely boyfriend Curtis asked for a knit hat. First, I had to learn how to knit. After making three inches of a hat that might have fit King Kong, I then proceeded to make a hat that fits me, but not Curtis. So, what you see here is Hat v. 3.0. As soon as I finish my hat (lovely and coordinating, but not matchy-matchy), I'll post a picture as well.

Materials Used:
- Size 7 (US) Double Pointed Needles(Image: Here)
- U Cable Stitch Holder (I use these.)
- 1 Ball Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton in Walnut (brown)
- 1 Ball Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton in Pistachio (green)
- 1 Ball Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton in Macademia (cream)
Yarn can be purchased HERE

So here's to my new blog. May it prove helpful as a reference, or at least provide some insight into the life of the newly knitted.

And, if all else fails, my mother has promised to read my blog. Hi Mom!