knits with balls

Someone check the temperature

2009-11-17T16:54:00.005-05:00

I think hell may have just frozen over. I'm blogging two days in a row. What I bring today is the first installment of Ram Club 3.I think I signed up for this in July, so it was a nice surprise to see in the mail come October. Don't know when I'll get started on these, I'm really digging the Paraphernalia socks. I was able to knit last night without too much pain, but things are still not right.

Still here...

2009-11-16T16:55:00.002-05:00

Here's some proof. They are a bit longer now, but I'm having some back/shoulder issues which are keeping me from really going crazy with knitting. Which I would like to do. It's frustrating.

A quick vacation

2009-09-09T17:05:00.001-04:00

In the spirit of timeliness, I'm forgoing a few FO posts to blog about more recent events.In a rather spur-of-the-moment decision, we spent Labor Day weekend up north at the grandparents' cottage near Kalkaska, MI. We brought our friends Phil and Maureen along and had a great time. The weather was awesome all weekend. On Saturday we drove up to Tahquamenon Falls and got some great photos.Sunday

FO: Orange Pooled Socks

2009-08-24T12:25:00.001-04:00

Pattern: my ownYarn: handgefaerbt.com Merino Extra Fine in Little ZentaurNeedles: Knit Picks Options, size 1Started: May 6, 2009Finished: August 19, 2009Ravel It!Whew! Finally a finished project. I haven't had one of those since... **rifles through the archives** ...Well, I haven't had one of those blogged since... late April! At last count I have four (4!) unblogged finished projects. The

Grafting the toe

2009-08-19T13:13:00.002-04:00

Almost done with sock number two. I like to graft really loosely and then come back with a needle to snug things up, stitch by stitch. I'm thinking about making some sock blockers from cardboard. Maybe I can use those as a template for some wood ones. FO post this weekend hopefully.

A brief update

2009-08-03T14:54:00.003-04:00

It was really nice to knit at lunch today. I needed it, it's been a hell of a Monday. This is the vacation sock I started back in May. The originally intended pattern didn't work out, so I switched to a much simpler one that's mostly 3x1 ribbing. I love the way it's pooling.Now that I have a new phone from which I can take pictures and blog, perhaps I can get some shorter updates posted here more

A little verse

2009-07-06T14:50:00.003-04:00

For want of a sock blocker, an FO was lost.For want of a FO, a photo was lost.For want of a photo, a blog post was lost.For want of a blog post, blog mojo was lost.

Gauge issues

2009-05-28T21:00:00.002-04:00

I just tried on my nearly finished Typhoon socks (pictured in the post below) and sadly realized why they're pooling differently. You see, I started the sock on the right with a large circular needle and magic loop months ago, and knit the sock on the left using DPNs over the past few weeks. Since the needles are the same size, I naively expected to get the same gauge. I guess that's one in the

Socks Aplenty

2009-05-11T16:23:00.000-04:00

I've pretty much given up on my Red Wings sweater for now. Construction difficulties combined with warmer weather have forced it to the hibernation pile. What I've really been working on lately is socks.I finally finished by Beyond the Sea Socks (FO post forthcoming) and picked my Typhoon Socks off the WIP pile. I'm knitting them toe up from opposite ends of a large skein, and you can see how

I'm a Fan of the Environment

2009-04-23T11:04:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Swiffer Re-Usable ClothAuthor: Birdy EvansSource: Birdy's KnitsYarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream Ombres & PrintsNeedles: Knit Picks Options, size 7Started: April 10, 2009Finished: April 11, 2009Modifications: noneRavel It!We go through a lot of Swiffer cloths in our house. In fact, my mother-in-law dropped off a giant box of them from Costco a few weeks ago. I finally decided that we needed a

The collar didn't work

2009-04-15T10:42:00.002-04:00

Stitched down the collar last night and made a sad realization. Knitting a collar straight around without decreasing makes for a stand-straight-up collar. Yeah. Back to the drawing board. I know I have to decrease, but how much? 10%? 25%? 30%? 50%? Any suggestions?

So it's been awhile...

2009-04-14T17:11:00.003-04:00

According to Ravelry - the only site I can keep semi-up-to-date it seems - I've finished three WIPs, started two more and finished one of those since last we spoke. I also know I've made good progress on my Wings sweater. I just haven't had time to let you all know that. A busy work schedule in March combined with almost 2 weeks with practically no computer killed my blogging mojo. The upside was

Sweet Christmas Present

2009-03-04T15:42:00.000-05:00

So it's two months to the day late, but better than never right? I heard about this particular book on David Reidy's podcast, Sticks and String. Noting the current scarcity of Alice Starmore's book, this gem at around $20 was a steal. When mom asked if there was anything else I wanted for Christmas, I couldn't say the words fast enough. You can get the best look at the goodies inside on the

Tips 'n' Tricks: Logo Embroidery

2009-02-26T21:20:00.002-05:00

As promised, I give you the brief tutorial on how I stitched the logo onto my Red Wings Winter Classic hat. What follows are instructions on how to use satin stitch to create a logo on a knitted garment. This is just How I Did It, not necessarily How It Should Be Done.Once I found the logo I wanted to use, I printed it and cut it out. I then laid it face down on a piece of felt and traced around

FO: Red Wings Winter Classic Hat

2009-02-21T10:09:00.003-05:00

Pattern: Very Warm HatAuthor: Elizabeth ZimmermanSource: The Opinionated KnitterYarn: Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes in Natural, Cascade 220 in RedNeedles: Knit Picks Options, size 5Started: January 16, 2009Finished: January 31, 2009Modifications: noneRavel It!For the final goal of my January Hat Trick, I wanted to replicate the Red Wings version of the 2009 NHL Winter Classic hat. As soon as I

Random updates

2009-02-18T11:51:00.001-05:00

I'm subbing lots of links for the lack of photos. Sorry about that.1. My Cobblestone sweater is near completion. I ran out of yarn two rounds + bind off away from finishing the neck. So, last night I undid the garter cuff on one sleeve and began reknitting after decreasing 10%. I plan to see how much yarn that gets me, and if it's half enough, do the second sleeve the same way. If it's not enough

How to Hide Yarn From Your Spouse in 7 Easy Steps

2009-02-10T23:24:00.000-05:00

Bartlettyarns Fisherman 2-Ply, NaturalStep 1: Make enormous yarn purchase using personal bank account direct deduction through Paypal.Bartlettyarns Fisherman 2-Ply, OatmealStep 2: Have enormous yarn purchase delivered to work. Dodge questions from co-workers about contest of package.Bartlettyarns Fisherman 2-Ply, Medium Sheeps GrayStep 3: Plan to arrive home from work well in advance of spouse.

FO: Yzerman Aran Hat

2009-01-26T16:15:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Fishtrap Aran Hat (January)Author: Elizabeth ZimmermanSource: Knitter's AlmanacYarn: Cascade 220 in charcoalNeedles: Knit Picks Options, size 7Started: January 11, 2009Finished: January 18, 2009Modifications: noneRavel It!This is goal #4 in the January Hat Trick KAL. I plan to knit the Aran Cardigan from the January chapter of Knitter's Almanac, but I definitely wanted to practice the

What a day.

2009-01-20T11:24:00.000-05:00

Check Out My Big Ten Inch...

2009-01-16T10:06:00.001-05:00

... sweater for a man that's knit in blue ...I've knit over half the length to the under arm, which is where you join the sleeves and things get exciting again. I'm really happy with the progess I'm making, I knit on this a little bit each day. Making hats in between has definitely helped with little bursts of instant gratification.It's been tough working this 51" sweater on a 40" circular needle

FOs: 5-Hole Pocket Hat & One Good Turn Deserves Another

2009-01-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

Hat Trick complete!Pattern: 8-trick pocket hatAuthor: TECHknitterSource: TECHknittingYarn: Cascade 220 in burnt orange, marine, yellow, charcoal and redNeedles: Knit Picks Options, size 5 & 6Started: January 2, 2009Finished: January 7, 2009Modifications: noneRavel It!I've been wanting to make this hat since seeing it on TECHknitter's blog last February. I knew I had enough Cascade 220 to make it

FO: Top Shelf Turn a Square

2009-01-07T14:31:00.003-05:00

Pattern: Turn a SquareAuthor: Jared FloodSource: b r o o k l y n t w e e dYarn: Cascade 220 & Noro Silk GardenNeedles: Knit Picks Options, size 6 & 7Started: January 1, 2009Finished: January 2, 2009Modifications: noneRavel It!My first FO of the new year and boy did I get it in early! I cast on shortly after midnight passed on New Years Eve, knit all through the 2009 Winter Classic (Go Wings!) and

My Second First Sweater

2009-01-05T13:49:00.001-05:00

I've been jonesing to knit myself a sweater for a while and when I saw eight skeins of Bartlettyarns Fisherman 2-ply for $25 shipped on a Ravelry destash, I knew the time had finally come. I originally thought I would knit EZ's Aran Cardigan and set about knitting a swatch cap. Unfortunately, I misread her instructions and attempted to squeeze 5 stitches into one inch. Let me tell you, knitting

FO: Mom's Mitered Mittens

2009-01-02T13:46:00.002-05:00

Pattern: Mitered Mittens (May)Author: Elizabeth ZimmermanSource: Knitter's AlmanacYarn: Valley Yarns SheffieldNeedles: Knit Picks Options, size 7Started: December 2, 2008Finished: December 9, 2008Modifications: Same as last timeRavel It!My Mom requested a pair of these after seeing my own pair knit with Noro Silk Garden, so I decided to make them part of her Christmas present. She wanted them in

A Fiber Tour: Day 5 - conclusion

2008-12-22T17:12:00.001-05:00

I give you, A Brady Bunch of fiberI guess that makes the blue corriedale Alice.The final stop on our tour is one half (so far) of what will bring this all together. An Ashford drop spindle that was part of my haul from Pancake & Lulu 4 'days' ago.She's a beast, but I'm very happy with my choice. It wasn't until I began to spin with it that I developed an appreciation for spinning thicker yarn.