CRACK!!!!

Yes, that is right folks, I am now the proud owner of my first hank of what is affectionately known as “Crack Yarn” around these parts. I got a pretty purpley-blue kettle-dyed color (I think it’s Marine, but I’ll have to check later) from Knit & Pearl for $12.50.

Julie wound it into a ball for me using the ball winder and swift, and Nathan was positively fascinated. He turns to me and says “Why don’t you get one of those?” [referring to the swift and ball-winder]*faint* I love this man!!

Julie then says “Do you have an anniversary or birthday coming up soon?” Why YES I DO! Ha! Anniversary in three months, birthday in four. Oh yeeeeaaaahh. Maybe I will end up with my own swift and ball-winder (or at least the winder). That would be awesome.

So later after my small group at Starbucks in Goleta, I called Chauntel to get suggestions for what to make with it. After stalking her at Kmart (hee), she suggested the currently popular chevron scarf. Very good idea. But then I got home and realized that I’ve been wanting to make a Clapotis, and what better yarn to use? (I’ll still make a chevron, though. It’s such a fun design)

I think I’m going to try to make a “skinny” Clapotis. We’ll see how well that works. I’ve already cast on for it, so if I need to buy another hank to finish it, well, I suppose I’ll just have to do that then won’t I! hehehehehe….

(I’ll take pictures and post later).

Oh, and speaking of crack, Nathan is teaching me how to play Counter-Crack…I mean…Counter-Strike. I am getting my badass self ON! At the end of our late-night terrorist adventures, I’d been killed about, oh…20 times, after making a measly 2 kills. Hopefully I’ll get better once I start playing before 11:30pm without Aunt Flo pestering me.

I am stealing the DomiKnitrix’s name for my CS alias cause Nathan agreed that it was awesome. We’ll see how long this lasts. If I get frustrated (or Nathan gets frustrated with me commandeering the computer, hehe), then I’ve always got my crack yarn.

 

The Back is DONE!

I just finished the back piece of the “Yarn Girls Guide to Simple Knits” sweater I’ve been working on! I managed to sneak in a fair amount of knitting Friday and Saturday, and finished it at Knit & Pearl’s “Sit & Knit” (2-5pm on Sundays). Most of the gals were working on baby hats or cat “blankets” for Cottage Hospital and the cat rescue place (ASAP, I think?), respectively.

Also, in K&P news, there is now a Knit & Pearl Blog! From what I hear, more will be added soon, so bookmark it and keep checking back!

 

My knitting life for the past week.

Thursday: Managed to knit a few inches on sweater at knit group. Yay!

Friday: Thought about knitting. Spent time with hubby instead of knitting.

Saturday: Ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, wishing I could be knitting. I got a haircut, found a top for my audition, and had a voice lesson instead.

Sunday: Ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, wishing I could be knitting. The closest thing I did was walk into K&P after a stop at Kinko’s. It was the first meeting of the K&P knit group. I REALLY REALLY REALLY wished I’d had my knitting with me. I did paperwork, prepared our taxes, and managed to do a *little* bit of homework instead.

Monday: I don’t even remember what happened Monday. I think it was more running around, and more homework. Oh yeah! I went up to SBCC to practice singing, piano, etc.

Tuesday: Lugged knitting with me to school. Got on the wrong bus, ended up standing, and going past SBCC. Whoops. Managed to sneak in 2 rows before choir started! YAY!

Wednesday: Forgot to bring knitting with me to school. Got on the RIGHT bus (the one that’s not as full), and sat there bored, wanting to kick myself. Managed to slip some knitting into my class anyway. I used intarsia as a metaphor for identity, Ha! Go me!! I also knit one row when I got home. But then I was tired and went to bed.

I CAN’T WAIT FOR KNIT GROUP TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

 

Knitting withdrawals

I haven’t knit a single stitch (other than at Knit Group on Thursday) for a week. I am having knitting withdrawals I think. I keep toting it around with me, in the hopes that I’ll catch a few moments to be able to knit.

I had to go to a meeting thing at SBCC in order to get a student loan, and I was SOOOOOO itching to pull out my knitting, but I refrained since it was a smaller group of people than I expected and I didn’t want to be distracting/rude to the people speaking. *sigh*

Tonight, I am determined to find a few minutes between class, prepping for the audition/placement tests, and sociology homework (which I am sorely behind on *double sigh*).

But I have some good news! We’re getting a sizeable tax refund and this loan will help us transfer some higher interest balances so we can pay off as much debt as possible before we move. Yay!!

Now if only I can get SFSU to cooperate with me!!

Announcement!

Knit & Pearl at 5 E Figueroa is now has a knit group that’s currently scheduled for Sunday afternoons from about 2-4:30pm. I’m gonna try to make it at least part of the time on Sundays (probably more after the dreaded audition), so I hope to see you there! One of the gals who was there is planning on joining the JS group too!

 

New yarn!

I finally got around to buying some yarn from Knit & Pearl Boutique downtown when Chauntel, Tracy, and I went there to shop and knit on Sunday.

There were single skeins of 100% Merino wool by Claudia Hand Painted Yarn in “Blue Fields”

and “Oops “

I LUUUUURRRVVE these colorways! AND, they were ON SALE! (cause they were single hanks) Woot!

I decided to make a Dream Swatch Headscarf with Oops, and I’m debating what to make out of Blue Fields. I was originally thinking a baby hat, but since I think that’d be better in a more washable yarn.

Thinky, thinky….

 

Needles….of DEATH!

First, I abandon my crochet hooks, and now my straight needles have been abandoned to my Knit Knook (as I now affectionately refer to it as). So they got angry.

Behold, Needles of Death!!

And, the Knit Knook:

(Yes, it’s a mess, and there is more yarn under the surface. And more in storage. But not nearly as much as Chauntel’s stash!)

Lastly, I finally got around to taking some pictures of the sweater so far. The lighting wasn’t great since I took it at night, so the color is a little off, but here ’tis:

I need to work on it more often. I was going to bring it to knit group, now that the pattern is pretty securely stuck in my brain, but alas, Thursday was the only night my littlest sister and her “Special Friend” could doubledate with Nathan and I. I am sad to miss knit group, but I don’t know SF super-well and besides, my Big Sister duties come first

Anyone up for coffee and knitting on Sunday mayhaps? I have some extra spending money (and might even have little more this weekend) so I’m thinking that a mini-yarn-shopping-spree at Knit & Pearl is in order!

 

Getting my knit on.

Now for the promised pictures!

First off, I am jumping on the fan bandwagon and posting my signed “Knit 2 Together” book. I LOOOVE this book! I’m so glad I got it as my first real knitting book. I can’t wait to get started on a project from the book…although it’s gonna be probably a month till I do. *sigh*

Now on to the meat of this post: I did my first blocking! And I took pictures to prove it. I read Eunny Jang’s recent post about blocking, and it really helped. My only complaint was how freaking loooong it took to dry! But it’s a little thick and I did put a towel under it (on top of a very large, thick plastic bag), so that might be why.

Pre-blocking:

Soaking (I used no-rinse “Soak” in the Flora scent):

Draining:

Expressing the water:

The pinning process:

I only blocked the side strip (which will make up the side panels and strap) on the sections that will be sewn to the side.

All blocked and writing the pattern (which I will share when it’s all done and I know it looks good!):

Here it drying the rest of the way on a clothes drying thingy, with the scarf for my mom next to it (don’t mind the mess). It’s amazing how much better it looks! I can’t wait to get it finished.

And to top it all off….here are my first real cables! I’ve been wanting to figure out how cables work, and I finally did. Yippee!

They are attached to my sad looking little tester swatch, but there they are and they are cute I put my handy-dandy new cable hook thingys from Knit & Pearl (Clover brand). I really like how they work.

 

The beanie saga continues…

Thank God for Chauntel! Seriously, if not for her help (and moral support), I would probably have given up by now.

BUT, I have finally figured out what works for me. It’s a combination of the “Secret Method” and Chauntel’s Beanie Theory. I crochet a bit tightly in my single crochet stitches, apparently, so I had to go up a hook size and add in some all sc rows for the beanie I’m making out of Caron Simply Soft.

So, I started one beanie in woolease. The gauge is a bit tight, but it evens out when I try it on my head, so I changed up a hook size when I got past the increase rows so that there’s enough stretch. If it turns out that it’s too small, well, my brother is getting a beanie for Christmas and at least one BIL will have to wait a little longer.

The beanie I’m working on now is definitely a good size for a man (although I hope it’s not *too* big). The only thing is that I’m realizing that in-pattern, this yarn may not really be either BILs style. So, I can either risk it and give it to the one who might like it more, or else I’ll add a girly embellishment and give it to one of my sisters.

Also, yesterday I made it over to Knit & Pearl downtown for a book-signing. Mel Clark (who wrote Knit 2 Together with Tracey Ullman) came up to our little hamlet and signed books and chatted away with fellow knitters. I bought the book and chatted with her for a few minutes. I wish I had been more familiar with the book beforehand because I’ve been reading through it and it’s delightful! I’m so glad I splurged on it (and supported K&P in the process) because it’s got a TON of great patterns (in other words, I would actually make and wear almost all the items in the book, rather than just a few of them) and it’s definitely going to inspire me to expand on my knitting skills once I’m done with Holiday projects (especially if I get some circulars for Christmas!)

And finally, I am feeling better! I’ve still got a little bit of congestion hanging on, but not too much. I also ended up getting food poisoning or something Saturday night (and slept it off for 16 hours), but that seems to be over as well. My tummy is just being a little sensitive since I didn’t eat much since then.

Man, what a week THAT was! *whew*

 

More Knit & Pearl

I went in again to Knit & Pearl to buy a few things I needed. One was a Size I crochet hook.

I’ve been wanting to get one made of natural materials (I’d LOVE to get some Brittany crochet hooks) and they carry Clover Bamboo ones. So, I bought one and I LOVE it! It’s so much nicer than the metal ones.

I also picked up some stitch markers (very handy!) and Crochet Today magazine I’ve been eyeing every time I’ve been in there, LOL!

(Can you tell I’m having fun with pictures?)

 

Confessions

Saturday, I was picking up the husband from work, but he had a few things to finish up. Knit & Pearl, the new local yarn shop, is right near his work (this could be dangerous), so I popped over to drool over some yarn.

I ended up buying a couple notions and this is where my first confession comes in…

I bought my first gauge. Yes, my first.

I’ve been crocheting for years and I’ve never owned (or used) a gauge. First, it was because I didn’t really understand the significance of using one. My grandmother had taught me how to knit and crochet and I don’t think she ever used one. Second, the things I usually made were without a pattern (you don’t really need a pattern to make a scarf), or wouldn’t really be messed up if the gauge wasn’t quite right (ie: an afghan).

My second confession…

I don’t hold my hook properly.

Now, my grandmother first taught me to crochet, but I re-learned it again later on (and taught myself the English terms since I only new the Dutch ones, and learned how to read a pattern). I eventually got The Crocheter’s Companion as a tool to help me in learning new techniques, etc.

But I never paid attention to the “how to hold a hook” parts since I already had that down. But at knit group last Thursday, I noticed that Sierra (the other gal crocheting) was holding her hook completely differently than I was and she teaches crochet. So I got to wondering whether there is a better way.

I check online and I found these two different styles on the Lion Brand website:

This is closest to how I hold a hook (the “pencil” style), but I actually hold it more like you’d hold a spoon:

This is the way Sierra was holding her hook, and the way I saw most websites show you how to do it:

I may try changing how I hold it and see if it is easier on my wrist. Otherwise, I may just keep doing it the way I do it since it works for me!