New post.
New relationship status (I'm engaged!).
New family.
New camera (Nikon D3100 starter kit).
New projects.
New goals.
New plans.
Same traditions ♥
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Less than 70 degrees
I think this might be the first day since Spring that the temperature didn't go above 70°. Normally I hate to see the warm weather go, but more and more I'm finding that I rather like the month of October: gorgeously colored leaves, apple picking, pumpkin carving, and, of course, knitting. I sadly neglected it during the abnormally hot and sticky Summer but now I'm wishing I sucked it up and at least finished a hat.
Since I have little to show, here's a failed attempt from last year:
Ravelry project page: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/lgleo/lucky-7-hat
Ravelry pattern page: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lucky-7-hat
Pattern: http://knittywhipped.blogspot.com/2008/01/free-patterns-one-and-all.html (scroll down a bit)
Modifications:
Crown rounds 1 and 13: changed k2tog to ssk to match the direction of the cables.
Detailed project notes:
2009.12.06 CO 84 sts on size 5s; worked 10 rounds; tried it on; it fit ok, but stretched too much leaving non-wind-resistant gaps; ripped it out.
2009.12.07 CO 96 sts on size 5s (enough for 8 cables). As expected, this is too loose. Need to figure out a happy medium that still allows the ribbing to flow into the cables.
2009.12.08 Trust the pattern. Back down to 84 sts and size 7 needles. Yeah, typically ribbing is bigger that most else, but the sts seem even enough in the pattern photo and it fits ok. Plus, I’m impatient and really want to make this now with this yarn. After 18 rows of ribbing, I finally finished the left overs from Evangeline and began the second skein.
2009.12.11 Finished up through the noggin; on to the crown.
2009.12.13 Finished all but the last row of the crown, put in a lifeline and pulled tight, tried it on, and didn’t like it. I guess either my row gauge is way off or I have a bigger head than I realized because withOUT folding up the ribbing it fits. I want to fold it up for extra warmth. Ripped out the crown and will try adding another cable repeat.
2009.12.14 FROGGED I’m not happy with the fit so I’m stopping now because I know I’m not going to wear it. It’s short and tight. After following the pattern as written, if I fold the ribbing up I’d lose ear coverage. If I fold it up and pull it down, it’s tight and stretched and won’t be any sort of wind resistant in the upper half. It’s not a bad pattern and I like the hat, it’s just not what I was looking for right now.
I checked out others' projects and they seemed to run into sizing issues, too. It's a nice hat and I'll probably try it again someday (maybe with chunkier yarn?), but it's not going to be warm like I wanted. Of course, neither is the lacy beret currently on my needles, but that's another post...
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Joining the Ranks of Sock Knitters
I finished my first sock!
In progress photo:
I love it and I loved knitting it. The Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino hand-painted yarn is a bit, well, more colorful than I'd usually wear, but all the different colors and frequent changes made it much easier to see what I was doing on the short row toe and heel.
I started out with a different pattern (Leyburn) but didn't want to be so worried about tension on my first pair, plus I wanted a bit of openness. I found Anastasia after much Ravelry hunting. I could've saved myself a lot of time just by looking more into Leyburn's creator: pepperknit.com designed both!
Rav notes/timeline:
2010.03.21 I’m getting pretty good at making sock toes. Maybe this will be the project where I finally make it to the heel…
2010.03.24 Halfway through the foot. This is a much better pattern for this yarn than Leyburn.
2010.03.25 Took a break from knitting for a bit to weave in the toe end. I didn’t skim the sts yet, just wove it a bit. Must remember to finish this before washing.
2010.03.26 7.25”, 4th spiral is at the end of the needles, beginning the heel with a purl row. Stop wrapping when 10 sts are live (6 wrapped sts on either end).
2010.03.26 7.25”, 4th spiral is at the end of the needles, beginning the heel with a purl row. Stop wrapping when 10 sts are live (6 wrapped sts on either end).
2010.03.27 Scratch all that. They don’t fit. I measured the ball of the foot as suggested in Socks from the Toe Up, did the -10% thing, etc. and it fits the ball fine. Where instep meets ankle, however, is about a full inch larger (8.5” vs. 7.5”) and the pattern gets very stretched and distorted trying to accommodate that. (Don’t think that changes my view on that awesome book--it was, after all, my fault for not measuring that in the first place.)
Option A: Rip out completely and start over with more sts. Currently, the toe fits (actually it’s a little big on the pinky side; apparently I have a big, big toe but that’s an issue for another sock) and the ball fits, and I don’t think either would fit if I upped the number of sts from the start.
Option B: Switch to a larger needle. I don’t currently own any other size dpn until going up to size 5. I already checked LYS availability for a 1.5 circular to switch to magic loop and found that the closest one is already closed for the weekend. I’m not willing to wait. Plus, I like my gauge as-is and think another size up will be too loose.
Option C: Do some math and increase somewhere in the middle. Then exactly repeat everything for the second sock. The most difficult to execute is, as usual, my favored option (wonder if I do that on purpose…).
Option A: Rip out completely and start over with more sts. Currently, the toe fits (actually it’s a little big on the pinky side; apparently I have a big, big toe but that’s an issue for another sock) and the ball fits, and I don’t think either would fit if I upped the number of sts from the start.
Option B: Switch to a larger needle. I don’t currently own any other size dpn until going up to size 5. I already checked LYS availability for a 1.5 circular to switch to magic loop and found that the closest one is already closed for the weekend. I’m not willing to wait. Plus, I like my gauge as-is and think another size up will be too loose.
Option C: Do some math and increase somewhere in the middle. Then exactly repeat everything for the second sock. The most difficult to execute is, as usual, my favored option (wonder if I do that on purpose…).
2010.03.29 Finally got around to ripping out the heel and half of the foot. Slowly working my way back up, increasing 4 sts in one row (one per spiral, including future leg spirals) so right now I have 8 sts between spirals. Might do one more increase round like this.
Increase Round: To be worked on round 14 of my chart (maybe I should upload that…). At the end of round 13, M1 st on the sole. Round 14 instep: k2tog, yo, K1, M1, K5, (k2tog, yo) twice, K5, M1, K1, k2tog, yo. Round 14 sole: begin with a M1 and then k around as usual.
Increase Round: To be worked on round 14 of my chart (maybe I should upload that…). At the end of round 13, M1 st on the sole. Round 14 instep: k2tog, yo, K1, M1, K5, (k2tog, yo) twice, K5, M1, K1, k2tog, yo. Round 14 sole: begin with a M1 and then k around as usual.
2010.04.02 Made it to the heel. Stopped at about 10 rows after the 3rd spiral, with 5 St sts at the beginning of each instep needle before the eyelets, and 4 pairs of eyelets completed for the 5th spiral. It fits much better this time.
2010.04.02 (later) Finished the heel. It still fits much better. Picked up 2 sts between the heel and the instep to close the gap, began knitting the instep in pattern and realized I messed up somewhere because there aren’t the right number of sts between the spirals. I’ve been tinking any mistakes made so far, but in this case it would mean undoing the heel to get to the rest of the instep. Or I can drop sts in lace work. Either way, the first order of business is finding out where it happened. This oughta be fun…
2010.04.03 Tried to fix the problem without ripping out, I really did. I can fix knit sts no problem, k2tog wasn’t hard to figure out, but even with techknitter’s guide to moving increases, I can’t figure out the moving yo’s and mixing those with the k2togs. I spent more time trying to figure it out than I did making the heel in the first place, plus the yarn’s starting to fuzz and stick together, so the heel is no more. Now my problem is with picking up a row of sts, which I surprisingly had no trouble with the last time I ripped out. I’m hoping a bit of sleep will help before attempting this again.
2010.04.03 Tried to fix the problem without ripping out, I really did. I can fix knit sts no problem, k2tog wasn’t hard to figure out, but even with techknitter’s guide to moving increases, I can’t figure out the moving yo’s and mixing those with the k2togs. I spent more time trying to figure it out than I did making the heel in the first place, plus the yarn’s starting to fuzz and stick together, so the heel is no more. Now my problem is with picking up a row of sts, which I surprisingly had no trouble with the last time I ripped out. I’m hoping a bit of sleep will help before attempting this again.
2010.04.04 Fixed the extra eyelets, re-knit the heel, started up the leg, and forgot to start making spirals on the back. At least I don’t have to rip back as far this time.
2010.04.08 Now that the heel’s done and spirals started, it’s moving along quite swimmingly. I’ve got a couple inches up the leg and seem to have enough yarn to get a good ways up the calf, if not all the way to the knee! May want to make an increase round or two before getting that high, though.
2010.04.10 Ok so maybe thinking I could make them knee-highs was a bit excessive, lol. I think I might take a break from the pattern to knit a cuff to see how much yarn it’ll take. I want to use up as much as possible on these.
2010.04.11 Save 40 feet for the ribbing
2010.04.10 Ok so maybe thinking I could make them knee-highs was a bit excessive, lol. I think I might take a break from the pattern to knit a cuff to see how much yarn it’ll take. I want to use up as much as possible on these.
2010.04.11 Save 40 feet for the ribbing
2010.04.21 Back on track. NOTE to self: there’s a lifeline after heel eyelet 49. If I need to rip out to there again, do another patt repeat as usual, then do the increase row.
2010.04.23 On to the ribbing! Trying TechKnitter’s slipping technique / Cat Bordhi’s hungry stitch at the end of each dpn.
2010.04.23 On to the ribbing! Trying TechKnitter’s slipping technique / Cat Bordhi’s hungry stitch at the end of each dpn.
2010.04.26 Bound off! I own a complete, hand-knit sock! Now to start all over again to make its mate.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy New Year!
2010 so soon? This is crazy.
I dislike the idea of New Year's resolutions--why wait until an arbitrary day to make changes?--and so already started making major changes last month. I toyed with the idea of killing this blog, but didn't feel ready for that. I am deleting other internet accounts, reducing the number of feeds I follow, etc. to make more room for non-digital life. It's nice: I spend more time knitting and reading and less time in front of a computer screen getting headaches.
I'm also FLYing to clean up my life. I need change. I strive so hard to attain a sense of flow, to be completely immersed in a project, forgetting about time and other, non-related worries, but I rarely even get close to that point anymore. I could blame a lot of things, but the bottom line is that regardless of why I keep interrupting myself, this isn't working for me anymore.
The FLY Lady was mentioned in passing on a Ravelry forum so I checked it out. While I don't agree with everything she suggests (e.g., I never wear shoes around the house), I've picked and chose enough where I think this really has a shot at working for a change. I know this is kind of off-topic from this blog's purpose, but if I succeed in this, I'll have more, guilt-free time for crafts, so I want to share these points here:
I dislike the idea of New Year's resolutions--why wait until an arbitrary day to make changes?--and so already started making major changes last month. I toyed with the idea of killing this blog, but didn't feel ready for that. I am deleting other internet accounts, reducing the number of feeds I follow, etc. to make more room for non-digital life. It's nice: I spend more time knitting and reading and less time in front of a computer screen getting headaches.
I'm also FLYing to clean up my life. I need change. I strive so hard to attain a sense of flow, to be completely immersed in a project, forgetting about time and other, non-related worries, but I rarely even get close to that point anymore. I could blame a lot of things, but the bottom line is that regardless of why I keep interrupting myself, this isn't working for me anymore.
The FLY Lady was mentioned in passing on a Ravelry forum so I checked it out. While I don't agree with everything she suggests (e.g., I never wear shoes around the house), I've picked and chose enough where I think this really has a shot at working for a change. I know this is kind of off-topic from this blog's purpose, but if I succeed in this, I'll have more, guilt-free time for crafts, so I want to share these points here:
- Establish routines and habits. They're much more efficient than thinking and deciding about what to do next and when.
- Break down the place into zones to work on. Again, this takes away time needed to decide what to do next. I have one week to do everything I can in the current zone, then I move on to the next without looking back.
- Declutter. 'Nuff said.
- Spend 15 minutes each day in the current zone. That's it. If it's a weekend or I have time to spare, I still break it down into 15 minutes sessions to avoid burnout. The most important thing I've learned from this is that it doesn't have to be perfect or completed by the end of 15 minutes; I can come back to it later. As a perfectionist, I often freeze when confronted with multiple options and will easily spend more time planning instead of doing. By letting go of that, I'm free to move and actually be productive instead of just sitting still imagining the best way to do so.
- Each month, introduce a new habit.
After 3 weeks, I'm still going strong on this. I've made significant progress in two zones, and for the week of Christmas, I just stuck to my goal of breaking even (i.e., it doesn't get any messier than it already is). I plan to include routines for exercising, eating better, knitting, editing photos, and maybe even blogging. I feel good about this.
In more directly related news, the DBF and I baked about 600 cookies for Christmas to be shared amongst the families. Two batches each of Italian knots, snickerdoodles and Reese's mini peanut butter cup cookies. It was fantastic, but exhausting (and, consequently, photo-less).
I'm glad to be taking a break now. Have a happy and healthy new year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)