Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Mystery is in the Air

I give you Mystery Project #1:It's a stab at something new for me. So far there are a few errors, but I'm going to stick with it & see what happens.

And now... Mystery Project #2:

Yeah. It doesn't look like much to me either. At least not so far. But I have high hopes for this new experience. I worked on it today and am already more comfortable with the pattern.

And last, but not least... Super-Duper Mystery Project #3!



Hah! You thought I was going to show a photo of it, didn't you! Not a chance. This is a pretty big s t r e t c h for me, and I'm not going to share any photos until I have an idea of how it's going to turn out. Settle in. It could be a while on this one.

I don't know what it is about this summer, but I've suddenly been inspired to try some new things... to broaden my horizons... to stretch my limits a bit. It's fun!

Monday, July 16, 2007

We had a busy weekend... made busier by puppy sitting. Our dogs can be a handful, but I forgot how tiring it is to have to keep an eye on a pup almost every minute, lest your shoes get chewed up! Fortunately, the puppy we watched was pretty good. He kept himself busy by pestering our two much older dogs. He's really cute! Check out this photo. From left to right you have Enos, Roscoe, and Nash. Enos & Roscoe (yes named after the deputies in the Dukes of Hazard) are our dogs, and Nash is the visiting K-9.


I also finished the sewing project for LilMan. He got new Cars the Movie curtains for his room!


And I finished the Trinity Log Cabin blanket. Here it is in all its glory:
And here it is wrapped around one of LilMan's teddy bears, as it might end up wrapped around the baby who will receive it.
Here are the specs:

  • Pattern: Trinity Log Cabin Triangle (pattern by Indigo Muse)
  • Yarn: Baby Bee Sweet Delight in Teddy, Mint & Naked.
  • Needles: I started on my size 8 bamboo needles & then switched to the Turbo's.
  • Comments: This blanket was so much fun to knit! I did each section with 7 garter stitch rows before binding off & that seemed to be the perfect ratio to keep it fun. I weaved in the ends as I went, thus saving my sanity while finishing. After trying a few different borders I decided to go with a simple single crochet. It's clean, neat, and doesn't detract from the overall impact of the blanket's shape.

I will definitely be making another one of these someday. I haven't had this much fun with garter stitch since my first knitting experience!


Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Why I Hate My Addi Turbo's

Why I Hate My Addi Turbo's
By: Keowdie

1. They are too slippery. My current project is taking much longer than it should beacause I keep dropping stitches. I am already a slow knitter, and with these things I'm barely creeping along. I'll be stitching along, happy as a clam, and all of a sudden, one (or two or three) stitches will attempt suicide by leaping from my needles. I, of course, have to stop and rescue them, replace them, and then get back into my groove. Argh!

2. They are too slippery. I know I just said this one, but that has to do with the yarn slipping around on (and off) the needles. This has to do with my hands. It is July in St. Louis. That means 97 degree temperatures with 80+ percent humidity. My Addi Turbo's are difficult to hang on to with sweaty palms. If you live in a more mild climate, this thought might gross you out, but trust me... in July, EVERYONE in St. Louis has sweaty palms.

3. They make a disturbing sound. I love the warm, happy click-click-click of my wood/bamboo needles. I have grown to cringe at the click-and-scrape of metal on metal. It's not as bad as fingernails on the chalkboard, but it's getting there. I am concerned about getting wrinkles and TMJ as I keep catching myself clenching my teeth and frowning dramatically while knitting.

4. They are too shiny. Now, I know for many knitters this is not a problem, but for me it is. You see, I don't work in an office or the same building all day long. I drive to and from 4-6 schools/homes to serve my clients each day. I often have time (5-15 minutes) to kill between sessions (while sitting in my car), and what better way to spend that time than knittng? Again, this is St. Louis, people. We get long stretches of lovely, bright sunshine. Normally this is a good thing, right? Not when the sun is glinting off the already annoying (see numbers 1,2 & 3 above) needles, thus blinding you with spots before your eyes. The spots add to the difficulty that is point number 1 (above).

5. I resent them because I was deceived by these needles. Well, really I was deceived by the woman who sold them to me. These were my first knitting needles, and perhaps I should feel more sentimental about them. But when I acquired them I knew exactly nothing about knitting. I got a pattern from my sister and eagerly took it to my LYS. The woman handed me an armful of acryllic yarn and the Addi Turbo's. "My sister says to get bamboo," I said. "Oh, no," she replied. "These are Addi Turbo's. They're very quick, ergonomically correct, and are just the greatest thing since sliced bread." Liar. I have come to experience some serious negative emotional reactions to these things.

So why haven't I just thrown them out and bought some lovely bamboo circular needles in size 8?

Well, the simple answer is this: I have no idea. (Probably it's because I'd rather spend my knitting budget on yarn, patterns, etc.... not needles in a size that I already have.)

Now, I know that my essay may not be a popular one. I have heard that lots of knitters love their Addi Turbo's, though I'm not sure I know any of them personally. And I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with this particular type of needle... they are just not for me.

So tell me what you think. Do you like Addi Turbo's? Do you hate them? Do you have a favorite type/brand/pair of needles? If you DO like the Turbo's and you'd like to trade my pair of Turbo's in size 8 for a pair of Bamboo's in size 8, let me know. Otherwise, these will very likely end up in the circular file. Eventually. After I buy some size 8 circulars in bamboo.

Monday, July 9, 2007

How time flies! Unfortunately, my current knitting project is NOT flying. It's the Trinity blanket... still. Now, I should mention that I still L-O-V-E this pattern. It is so much fun to knit, and I'm really not bored with it yet. The thing I am wrestling with is the vortex that all blankets (and large projects) get sucked into. It starts quickly, with a small triangle. You do a few very quick rows and then you get to change sides and colors. Yay!

I've had to change to my circs because there are so many blooming stitches that the straights were getting crowded. And then it got sucked into the Knitting Black Hole. It doesn't help that the needles I'm using are slowing me down (more on that another day). I'm working on it... I swear I am, but it doesn't seem to be getting any larger. I'm beginning to stress that it won't be done in time to greet it's owner when he (or she) is born later this month.
There are other projects going on here. I am doing my five-year-purge of the home office, which is taking a really long time. I run my business from this office & I'm thinking that perhaps a Once-a-Year-Purge would be better.

And, I'm working on a small project for LilMan. It involves some of this:
And some of this:
Notice how intently I'm staring at my machine? That's because I'm not very good at sewing yet & it's a complete challenge just to get the machine threaded. I will persevere, however, and will emerge triumphant!

I'll leave you with a few miscellaneous photos from the yard... and a new purchase I recently made:
The lovely hibiscus:

The exuberant Jack-o-Beans: (These things just go everywhere!)
The first watermelon of the season: (LilMan already wants to pick it!)
And my recent purchase. I love shoes, but don't by new ones nearly as often as I did BC (Before Child). New shoes are always a treat around here.
Happy Knitting!!!