Neophyte Knitter

Another One Bites the Dust

It's happened again.  Another year has passed and I am now officially over the hill at 31.

Unlike last year, I am greeting this birthday with little fanfare.  There is no party planned.  Just various lunches and dinners catching up with friends.  I am enjoying all the birthday wishes and the many different ways they are getting to me - in person, phone calls, text messages, e-mails and MySpace comments.  This is a crazy world.

I was going to take some time to reflect on the past year and what I want to do in the coming year but I think I am a bit to morose at the moment to examine everything.  Instead, I will answer 5 simple questions.

• What do you love the most? Family
• What do you hate the most?  Not being able to figure out my meaning of life
• What scares you the most?  That I won't figure out how to make myself happy
• What do you want more than anything right now? To not feel alone.
• What do you expect from life?  That's the question I can't answer at the moment.

Friday Monday Review - Knitting Sweaters from the Top Down

This was supposed to post Friday but I got sick on Thursday and forgot.  Then I had such a busy weekend shaking my groove thing and getting scared at some local Haunts that I didn't get near a computer.  And I am exhausted today having gotten just 3 hours of sleep.  Meh. More updates on everything me later this week but in the meantime enjoy the Monday Review.

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Knitting Sweaters from the Top Down by Cathy Carron (March 2007)

I like the idea of this book.  Top down has always been like the holy grail of knitting sweaters even though I have never knit one this way.  Imagine no seams!  Try it on as you go!  Make it the length you want! All wonderful, wonderful things so I was excited to examine this book.

This book really stresses designing a sweater to meet your needs and style and some discussion is given over to that. The knitter is urged to knit a sweater to suit the individual with function, form and details.  All the designs in the book are all based off of two basic patterns (pullover and cardigan) and the author provides directions for multiple stitch gauges (from 8 sts to 24 sts per 4").  Everything else just shows how easy it is to modify the basic designs.  For the neck, you are given rib types, rolled, ruffled, polo, mandarin, cowl and even a hood.  The body shape is discussed including where to do shaping and how much before moving  on to the hem and sleeves. 

All in all, over 30 pages are given over to description of the sweaters before even getting down to the knitty-gritty - the top-down math.  It's a decent discussion on it, explaining why things are done one way.  I had no problem understanding it but then I am an engineer and am not in any way math challenged.  So I am not sure what the average person would think.

The projects are "meh" with some of the sweaters venturing into downright fugly territory.  I tend to be very classic in my sweater choices with mostly solid, simple stitch patterns and maybe some fair-isle at the yoke.  So I was disappointed with the presence of novelty yarns in some of the projects.  Novelty does not belong in a sweater that an adult will wear in my opinion.  They render it cheap and chintzy.

Then it's on to "big" town where the bulky sweaters overwhelm the models. 

Actually, the models are pretty scary.  Too many look either blank eyed or mean.  What kind of direction was the photographer giving?!?!

There are some simpler ones which are too bad.

The layout is a bit corny.  Hmmm, that's not the right word.  I mean young, tacky and not elegant. Most of the projects are given in 4-sizes (sm to xl) with generic yarn requirements.  The charts included (in both inches and cm) give dimensions for the different sizes. Pictures are clear with multiple shots.   

The section on "Understanding Sizing and Size Charts" is a good inclusion.  I think one of the most difficult concepts for a new sweater knitters to grasp is the concept of ease in a fit.  When I first started, I thought that the way to know what size to knit is to measure your bust and knit the one whose measurements were closest without being less.  I didn't take into account the style of the sweater and my own personal preferences in fit (I like close-fitted without being tight). 

I really like the content of this book, I just think the projects used to demonstrate everything are hideous.  There is only one that even remotely appealed to me which was probably the simplest of the all.  But the author has obviously ruminated quite a bit on this niche construction and explains it thoroughly and well. I also like how she advocates thinking outside the box urging experimentation in color and details.  So if the projects don't leave a nasty taste in your mouth or you are really interested in this type of sweater construction, this might be a book for you.

Friday Review - Knits for Dogs and Cats

Knits for Dogs and Cats by Tina Barrett (March 2007)

When I first read the title, I thought I would find a sweater for a cat.  The picture that popped into my head made me break out in peals of laughter. My Gus would never deign to put on a sweater and me trying to get one on him would be tantamount to a declaration of war and claws would not be sheathed!  A dog sweater on the other hand is in the realm of possibility. My sister has a little Dachshund (named Padme by my Stat Wars crazy nephew) in cold New England.  She is a bit yappy but I it might be a good project to test my fair isle on.

This book was originally published in the UK.  It has a set-up with all the basic instructions in the back, after all the patterns.  Each pattern is preceded by a cartoony drawing of an animal in the sweater.  I think that the illustrations used are cute and very entertaining. but it is a serious problem for me that no real pictures of animals in the projects are included. Instead there are just a flat pictures of the knit project and it is difficult to envision it on an actual animal.  Another issue is color - too much color!  Pages are pink, yellow, purple, blue, green - pretty much every pastel under the rainbow.  Blech.

 

The projects are broken down into two major categories - knitwear for dogs and accessories for dogs and cats.  The sweater patterns don't do much for me and the "girly" sweaters for the dogs have a lot of novelty.  I just don't think fur looks good on a furry animal but that could just be my aesthetic.  The schematics are confusing for to me.  They do not put the measurements on the picture but put them down below.  Not a big change but it doesn't work.  I do like the charts though.  But they the color used which is beautiful in the book but would be a pain in the arse if you just took a photo copy.  The construction of the sweater is mostly two-piece by choice so you can custom fit your dog.  There is a section on measuring your dog.

The accessories are better.  The throne is cute (thought too cute for me) and the kitten mitten is a good idea.  And the shoe chew is priceless.

Still the few things that I do like don't make up for the whole thing.   Now I like that some cuteness goes into a pattern book but to me it's compensating for the lackluster projects and pattern write-ups.   I have just seen better books with animal patterns.

Third Time Better Be a Charm

This is my sock.  It has a beautiful toe and a wonderful slip-stitch rib that shows the beautiful Koigu off.

What it doesn't have yet is a damn heel.  It's not through a lack of trying.  I want to do a gusset heel but in reverse.  It's something I have done before but I have no idea what directions I followed. 

See i have a confession.  I'm a cobbler.  When I make things up on the fly like socks, I just do an Internet search and pick bits and pieces of patterns from all over as needed. 

Anyways, I have done two versions so far.  The first just looked wonky. The second was too big.  I don't want to fault the directions since I am sure it's me whose f-ing it up.  I haven't got a good handle on 9 sts/in gauge.  I took some time today to crunch some number so hopefully this third one is a charm.  I don't want to rip out 3 inches of knitting (aka 3-days of knitting) again. 

Ribbed

Southern California is finally getting some cooler temperatures.  That means I can wear a sweater.  Outside!  The first one my hand reached for?  My ribbed tunic of course.

Ribbed Tunic
Pattern: #26 from Vogue Knitting Fall 2007
Yarn: Knit Picks Merino Style in Hollyberry (10.5 skeins)
Needles: US 5 & 6's
Knit: August 22 - September 30, 2007

The biggest modification was the size.  The medium was too small and the large was too big so I made one that was just right!  The pattern really lent itself to it so all I really did was some number manipulation.  Specifically, I changed the front and back to 158sts co and adjusted all the ribbing.  I also made the sleeves for the large to accommodate my fleshy upper arms so I followed the armhole shaping directions for that.  That's all it took.  I really like the way it fits and feel.  A very comfy and warm sweater.

The only knitting I am doing is a sock and the baby blanket.  The never ending baby blanket.  It's one of those time suckers.  I seem to always be working on it and never getting anywhere!  I know it's not really true but it feels that way.  I won't have it done for Jon to bring with him to FL to see his family since he is leaving tomorrow but I still think I can have it done before the scheduled baby shower on November 17th.  Probably.  Maybe. Hopefully!

I had another long weekend.  I went out on Friday night and flirted with a visiting English guy.  Very good for my self-esteem.  Saturday was basically a recovery day.  I was going to meet up with him again but I decided a random hook-up isn't the best choice for me at the moment.  The fact that I could have was all I really needed.  Last night I went to Halloween Haunt at Knott's Scary Farm with Jon.  It's a tradition with us and it was a lot of fun as usual.  Scary moments, mazes, lots of fake fog and an amazing amount of screaming teenagers.  Good times.  I think I am going to try to hit Universal's Halloween thing too.  I like me a good scare!

   

Friday Review - Heirloom Knits

Heirloom Knits by Judith McLeod-Odell (May 2007)

This is a unique book and something that doesn't come along every day in the knitting book world.

The author shows 20 patterns demonstrating knits from every decade starting in 1820.  The patterns are combinations of old patterns and new twists on the decade's representative style.  Each of them is beautiful and the embellishments are amazing.

Almost every project is a shade of white.  It makes for a visually cohesive book. The majority of projects are for the home - pillows, blankets, rugs and the like.  What makes them special are the little touches.  Everything has these cool fastenings, or edgings or something else.

The pattern directions could have been better.  In some cases charts were definitely needed (lace throw).  Nothing is more painful for me than lace written out.  Still the directions are not horrible, just not the best.

The author also includes a section on embellishments with different borders and edgings so you can customize a "heirloom piece".

My favorite pattern was a quilted baby blanket.  It actually inspired me.  I plan on putting a very thin batting into the baby blanket I am doing now.  It will make a warm blanket but I think it will elevate it to heirloom quality.

This is really a special book.  I highly recommend giving it a look, especially if you like to make home projects.

Still Here

Still here.  Nothing exciting is going on.  Just kind of cruising. 

Work is in a holding pattern.  I am mentally checked out and ready to move on to my next assignment but I have a few weeks yet.  And I have to train my replacement who doesn't pick things up very quickly.  I hate going over the same thing more than twice.  I am not a patient teacher.

I am plugging along on the baby blanket.  I am only half done.  I didn't expect it to go so slowly  but when I think about it, I am knitting what a 3 foot x 4 foot blanket.  That's a lot of knitting.  I hope to finish in 2 or 3 weeks.  I have started a sock with some Koigu to carry around and work on.  And as a break when the blanket bores me to tears.

Personally, I am doing ok.  I spent a lot of the weekend cleaning, moving furniture around and organizing.  I am the type of person who has to have organized surroundings to have a calm mind so it was therapeutic.  Next on the list is switching my winter clothes for my summer.  Even though it was in the 80's yesterday, winter will get its grip on SoCal soon enough.  Time to bring out the sweaters!

Friday Review - Family Knits

Family Knits by Debbie Bliss (May 2007)

Another book from Debbie Bliss with some of things you come to expect from her - clean layout, beautiful photos and classic patterns.

This book has 25 projects for kids, adults and the home.  The patterns are broken up into three sections - beach, picnic and country - the background of the photos.

My quibble with this book lies in pictures.  They are beautiful but sometimes it's at the expense of showing the garments clearly.  Like the collage with the cute kid below (hint - he's not the one wearing a knit project). And there are some photos that are pure art, i.e. a picture of a swing with no knit project in sight.  That's nice and all but I didn't buy an art book, I bought a knitting book!

Two of the patterns I loved are a cotton jacket and a rib and cables cardigan.  I like classic pieces with just a bit of detail to make them special.

Despite my quibble with some of the pictures, this is still a good book with solid projects.  If you are a Debbie Bliss fan, this is another winner.

Topsy Turvy

It's been a tumultuous weekend.  Lots of ups and downs.  The bf and I broke up.  I'm sad but I am not devastated.  There are a number of reasons this happened that I don't want to rehash here.  The important thing is that there is no bad blood.  We still love each other, we are just not "in love" with each other and it's not fair to either of us to drag it out.  Instead we will focus on friendship.  And we are still going to be roommates, at least for a while.  Life is always interesting.

I didn't feel like socializing that much this weekend but I did do a lot of me things like hitting the gym every day (nothing like being single again to kick your butt in gear!), getting my nails done and knitting.

I am about a third done with the baby blanket for Jon's niece (yes she still gets it).  I think it's turning out great.  It is in Tampa Bay Buccaneers color (his brother is a huge fan) and I got some novelty cotton to back it.   I am already shuddering at the idea of adding the backing but I am sure I will muddle through when its time.  I think I will rely on Mom who is a quilter to talk me through it. 

I want to finish this soon so this is my primary project for as long as it takes.   So I could give it my undivided attention I set aside yesterday to finish my ribbed sweater. I did take some pictures but I think I need to do a photo shoot  with me in a bra and sans my elephant pajama pants on.  Still here's a peak.  And that is a genuine smile.  By last night, I had worked through a fair bit of my personal angst and jotted down some plans.  The number one suggestion I got from everyone I talked to over the weekend was to shake it up and get out so I have decided to start attending SnB, sign up for a sewing class and take up yoga.  On the work front, I got a new position and should be leaving my current department officially by the end of the month.  I am champing at the bit for a change in scenery and some new challenges and since I am working on an approximately half a billion dollar high profile construction project, I am sure there will be both! 

Change is scary and exciting!