Neophyte Knitter

Back to the Grind

I made it back from Atlantic City.  I'll share some stories and maybe a few pictures tomorrow but this can sum up a lot of the weekend.  Only this kid could get me to go to a beach and get sandy. 

Friday Review - Knitting Tips & Trade Secrets

I'm in Atlantic City with my boyfriend and all of my family so expect some stories next week.  And for all those in the US, Happy Memorial Day!!

Knitting Tips & Trade Secrets by Threads Editors (October 2006)

This is an odd book.  It's not your normal reference book with treatises and instructions on different knitting topics.  Instead it is a collection of advice on various subjects from real knitters (and crocheters), both professionals and hobbyists.  The topics are "Yarn", "Hand-Knitting Techniques", "Multicolor Knitting", "Garment-Making Tips", "Managing Your Knitting", "Machine Knitting", "Crochet Tips" and "Finishing and Caring for Your Project".   The layout is very utilitarian - black and white illustrations, blocks of text and just two colors of ink.

The book actually contains a lot of instructions and great tips but to me it's still kind of useless.  It's a hodge podge of information with a little bit about a lot of things most of which I can find in a good reference book (of which I have a few).  So I recommend getting a good overall book on knitting and skipping this.

Posing with my Ripple

It's been a busy start to the summer.  We had a house guest all last week and even though I didn't see him much, it was still stressful.  And I went out late on a work night and spent the next few days recovering.  It's amazing what a little less sleep does to a person over 30.   

I also got my hair done at the new salon my hairdresser just moved to.  They did some chi-chi deep conditioner that made my hair so soft and I got some more layers to decrease the weight.  Not a huge change but I like it.  And most importantly I got my roots taken care of!  I detest roots.

And I have FO's!  It's been a long time coming. 

First up is my Ripple Afghan that I finished over the weekend.  I love it and now I think I am addicted to crocheted afghans.  This only took me a month!  That's quick in my book, especially considering my shawl is 9 months and still going. I do think I will wait until the Fall to start my next one though - working on it with the weight of it in my lap is most uncomfortable when it's warm. 

 

I am very pleased with everything that went into this.  The yarn is soft enough to curl up with while still being machine washable.  The graduated colors sooth me but added enough punch that I didn't get bored while working on it.  And crochet is easy, mindless and fast. 

I also have a new pair of socks. I finished up my Diamante's last night. Overall I am pleased with them.  The solid color shows the pattern well.  My only thing is that it wasn't mindless enough for a sock.  I had to pay attend to all those m1's, decreases and increases.  That's why it took me so long.  My next socks will stockinette or rib - something really easy.

Now it's time to start more projects!  Yeah!  Of course, any big ones will have to wait until I get back from my trip this weekend.  Did I mention I am going to Atlantic City for Memorial Day?  Jon has a gig out there so I decide to join him.  And my entire family is coming down to visit from Massachusetts, including my nephew!  It's going to be a blast.   

And I am going to try to visit a LYS this trip, something I normally don't do while on vacation.  However since there will be an almost 6-year old in the mix, it won't be gambling and carousing the entire time.  We plan on trawling the boardwalk, getting some fudge and salt water taffy and I might even put my toe in the ocean. I figure I can wrangle my Mom, sister and nephew into joining me in checking out the local fiber sources.  Now I just have to find some LYS to visit.

I will also have lots of travel knitting time since I am flying during the day.  I have a non-stop flight into Philadelphia and then I am renting a car and driving to Atlantic City.  My plan is to listen to Harry Potter on my mp3 player (I am on the 4th book) while working on my lace shawl.  I am determined to finish it in June.  My mindless knitting will be washcloths.  I started one last night and it's so easy, quick and light that I plan to use a bunch of my cotton scraps to knit a bunch that I can use around the house and give as gifts. 

Happy Memorial Day if you are in the US!

Friday Review - Nature Babies

Nature Babies by Tara Jon Manning (October 2006)

Environmentalism is really coming to the forefront these days.  Ideas for greening ones life are everywhere.  So it's no surprise that someone decided to tie this into knitting and in the case of this book felting and sewing projects.

This book encourages the use of natural fibers for kid's projects with am emphasis on organic and naturally processed yarns.  Yarns used in the project are all of this ilk.  Many from sources I have never heard of usually with a little blurb about the company or process they use.

It also gives some background on some of the fibers like hemp (given a bad rap for being related to wacky-tabacky) and color-grown cotton (has natural pigments so no additional dye is needed). 

The projects cover all the range of basic garments like sweaters and hats but there are also some cute projects like baby bottle cozies and a chenille robe.  And the knit projects are not easy-peasy but have some heft using cables, intarsia, fair-isle, and even lace.  The patterns have multiple pictures, schematics and charts where applicable and in general seem well written.  Sizes are from newborn to 2-years old.

In keeping with the recycle theme there is a section of felt projects - recycled felt from old sweaters.  I was really wowed by the creativity.  There were hats, hot water bottle cover, toys and even a jacket. 

The final section was sewn projects using organic flannel and for the most part they were dolls, keeping with the authors belief that simple and natural are best.   

I like the book overall even though there is some touchy-feely writing (knitting with love and infant massage).  The author definitely has a spiritual bent that some people will appreciate.  I appreciate that it's easy to skip.

Ambition

I don't know why I thought I would need 4 skeins of each color for my Ripple.  I must have been on crack when I was measuring it in the beginning.  Or it might have something to do with not factoring the weight of the sucker stretching it out.  Whatever it is, when I did a down and dirty measurement over the weekend (picture me standing holding the mass as high as I can so to stretch it to the full length), I discovered I had reached my goal without realizing it!  it was already taller than me.

So then I had to decide if I wanted to end with a black stripe (what I started with) or end with a white stripe (at the end of a color repeat).  I couldn't decide so I looked to to my resident fashion victim for enlightenment and he said white.  Surprisingly, I decided to go with that that answer, mainly because I wanted to use up all of the yarn I could without breaking into a new one.  So now, I am only 2-stripes from completion.  And some end weaving.  But since I have been periodically doing sections of those, I only have about 1/3rd of them to do.

And I think I have the crocheted afghan bug now.  I am eying some stuff that have been lingering in my stash forever for my next one.  But that one will be done in square so that it's possible to actually do during the summer!

In other randomness, I was down at Disneyland on Mother's Day (a friend wanted to bring her Mom) and it was awesome.  Hardly any lines and gorgeous weather.  I guess the last thing most Mom's want to do is head to a theme park which is great for the rest of us!! 

Wedding Knits - Friday Review

Wedding Knits by Suss Cousins (January 2007)

If you read my review on Home Knits two weeks ago, you will see a striking simlarity.  Same author, publisher, look and feel.  Same color palette too.  Blandy neutrals but much more understandable in this case.

This is another book with a hodge podge of patterns loosely themed around a wedding.  The book is again beautifully photographed.  Ditto all the great formatting things I said about the other book.

The 30 patterns are broken up into bridal party, bride and honeymoon.  The patterns use a lot stockinette in neutral colors, are written out and use her line of yarn.  Projects range widely from a hair clip to a purses to wraps to a wedding dress to a binki and a skirt.  The theme is really a catch-all of projects, some which fit and some which seem to be a stretch.  You have the "Mother-of-the-Bride handkerchief", the "Maid-of-Honor Shrug" and "His and Her Vacation Scarves" next to the "Waterfall Veil", the "Something Blue Garter" and the "Ultimate Wedding Dress."

So for this book, all I can do is recommend you take a gander and see if there is anything you are dying to make.  For me, there wasn't anything like that.

Resistance is Futile!

I couldn't resist.  Despite the heat and a little hand sweat, I worked on Ripple while watching Heroe's.

Hot!

It is hot here today.  Really, really hot. 

I went out today to get lunch and it was sweltering.  I had entertained thoughts of eating outside to enjoy the sun but I ended up running back to my cold office with my food.  I also vetoed the idea of my afternoon walk (been walking around the block a few times).   I checked out the temperature.  It was 95 degrees!!!  It's normally a balmy 75 this time of year and 95 is just two degrees shy of the record high hit in 1984. 

I don't even want to think about how hot it will be in the house.  I have no AC which is normally not a problem since I also get very little direct sun but when it gets this warm outside, I start to stick to my couch. 

I shudder at the thought of working on my Ripple Afghan which is over the halfway mark.  Why am I do a winter project when Spring has sprung (or for today, summer!).  I am always ass backwards. 

Anyway, all of this is OK because Jon's home!  The crazy man drove back non-stop from Oklahoma City to LA yesterday.  He left around midnight Central Time and got in to LA at 1pm.  That's about 1300 miles in 15 hours or an average of 87mph.  He really, really wanted to get home.  And now that he's back, I can finally catch up on Heroe's!  Woo Hoo!

Downtown

Downtown is the place to be today apparently.  We have 2 big celebrity to-dos hitting the Courthouse's today, the same ones I walk by to and from my job at City Hall. 

Now I normally never know about these things but for the first time in months, I watched the 11pm news last night.  I was on the couch and one of the cats had fallen asleep on me and she looked so darn cute that I didn't want to disturb her.  So when the special 2-hour Grey's Anatomy was over, i watched the news instead of turning to South Park like I usually do since I couldn't reach the remote.

So I learned that in addition to the slimy LA DA trying to put Paris in jail this afternoon for driving with a suspended license twice (for 45-days in County jail....no freakin way), I also learned that Kim & Alec were scheduled for another child custody hearing this morning.  Which totally explained the paparazzi there were everywhere this morning.  There were at least 10 at the loading dock entrance and another 10 hanging out at the entrance.  Not to mention the lady with placard reading "Honk for 50/50 Shared Parenting!".  There was also this big purple RV circling the block which said CRISPE across it.  When I first saw it, I thought maybe I could score some free cookies but the second time I spied it (it was circling the block with the courthouse), I got to read what the acronym stands for - Children's Right Initiative for Sharing Parents Equally.  All I have to say is that poor kid.  Her life is being used to further a cause and that just sucks.

A note on Gray's Anatomy...I will totally watch the spin-off!  Look at that list of talent - Taye Diggs, Tim Daley, Amy Brennemen, and my favorite Merrin Dungey (from Alias and my secret guilty pleasure Summerland) not to mention the beautiful Kate Walsh.  They had me from the scene where all the ladies watched the surfer with the abs of steel.

And thanks for all the well-wishes yesterday.  As someone pointed out, my extreme boredom probably has something to do with the funk. And I looked at the calendar this morning and figured out the rest of my angst was probably a result of PMS.  I hate being a woman sometimes.  Hopefully this also means that I haven't gained 10-lbs but I know its at least 5-lbs so it's time to reverse that trend!  Maybe I will try to take advantage of the beautiful SoCal weather this weekend and go on a hike. 

Friday Review - 100 Afghans

100 Afghans to Knit & Crochet by Jean Leinhauser & Rita Weiss (August 2006)

This is another compilation book of projects previously published by various sources (Patons, Lion Brand and Coats & Clark). The 100 projects are mainly crochet with only 14 of the patterns being knit. And over half the crochet afghans are granny square.

Still it's a pretty book with lots of different colors combinations that can be used for inspiration. Each pattern is totally individualized with the instructions for the various stitch used contained therein. Thus you can copy it and not need anything else. Every pattern is accompanied by a full-sized color photo.

The majority of the fiber is of the affordable variety with a prevalence of Caron, Bernat, Patons, & Red Heart, in worsted weight. 

This is not a particularly noteworthy book.  It is just a collection of afghan patterns that might be of interest to you if you crochet.