Deep-Thought Workshop

Entrelac Shaping - 1 (progressive increase in size of individual blocks)

2011-06-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

End of tier 1

Completed swatch: base triangles and 4 tiers

Set up each base triangle with 5 stitches.

Tier 1 block: Pick up 5 stitches and continue until 2 stitches remain on the bottom triangle to which it attaches. Increase the number of rows in this block by skipping one 'attach' stitch (in this case p2tog). Essentially, a short row is employed to add 2 extra rows to the block. Continue to finish. Repeat for each block in the tier.

Tier 2 block: Now you're picking up stitches from the elongated blocks of tier 1. So pick up extra stitches accordingly. In this case, 6 (instead of 5). Use short row as before to add 2 extra rows to this widened block. Repeat for each block in the tier.

Tier 3 block: Pick up 6 stitches and elongate by 6 extra rows placing the short rows evenly.

Tier 4 block: Pick up (6+(6/2)), ie, 9 stitches and add 6 extra rows as in tier 3 blocks.

And so on. It takes 2 tiers to complete an increase. The first tier makes the blocks longer. The second makes them wider and you're done with that specific increase.

The woven fabric is simple but each 'band' radiates outwards in ever increasing size. This creates a spiraling effect.

The other method of creating bigger blocks are:

alternative 1:

each tier: pick up n extra stitches and also elongate by nx2 rows. This would take 1 tier instead of 2 for a single step of increase.

Entrelac Possibilities

2011-06-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Statutory Warning: this post is link-heavy and photo-lean.

Most entrelac patterns (eg: Danica, Motley on Knitty) are built square. Entrelac vests, jackets, scarves, cowls, sleeve cuffs etc are mostly rectangular/cylindrical chunks pieced together. Compromising on shaping just to be able to construct fabric a different way had seemed like an academic pursuit with little real application. Recently, I chanced upon Fuzzy Jay's blog and his work in creating 3-D geometric shapes. Sure, this was still very academic but advanced. Breaking free from the rectangle got me intrigued.

With my first swatch out of the way, Mum and I incorporated some lacy entrelac patterning into the hood. I'll post pics of the project soon - I'm calling it 'Red Riding Hood's Envy'.

I thought I'd seen all in entrelac when Eunny Jang's Cochin Shrug happened. You'll find 2 photos at the bottom of this page. The construction of the shrug has just blown my mind. Since I saw it first, I have spent every spare hour of my waking (and sleeping) hour 'unventing' it in my head.

After sketching over and over, this is how I think it is built: 2 identical flared tubes are joined at the back. Each flared tube is created by casting on (for the edge of a sleeve) and increasing the size of blocks in every tier. Over half of it is sealed with triangles to form the front edge and lower edge of back of that half. The second one is knit identical to this and joined at the center back of each side with new blocks connecting the two shapes. I am in process of testing my theory.

But first, I need to get a good handle on shaping entrelac knit circular . There seem to be a few options for widening the diameter of a tube:

1. increase number of blocks in a tier for rapid widening

2. increase block size in each tier for a more gradual flare

- I could either pick an extra stitch while picking up for a new block

- or, I could knit extra rows by skipping a p2tog or ssk that connects 2 blocks

The former affects the woven pattern in very interesting ways. I plan on testing out these methods and also test the decrease with each method. Fun fun! Will keep you posted - next time with pics. :)

Twisted Stitch Trellis - Stitch Pattern

2011-06-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Challenges of knitting diagonal stitch pattern in the flat

2011-06-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Stitch pattern:

1: *[M1], k1, p1 (to create garter column of 1 st), ssk, k - rep from *

2: all even rows (WS) purl

The idea is to create slanting columns of garter, flanked by stockinette.

Versions of this stitch pattern are very popular in round knitting and are most suited for hats. What happens if I knit this flat?

Try 1: (top image)

Work an imaginary tube. The diagonal columns fall off the left edge and new diagonal columns start from the right edge. With this, the fabric grows diagonally but in the opposite direction!! Whaat!! I charted it out and confirmed this to be fact.

Try 2: (bottom image)

So I figured all I had to do was kill the extra stitches on the right edge and increase stitches on the left edge. Simple right? This time I charted first and the chart looked alright. I then swatched it. The fabric didn't grow straight up. Instead, it now slanted to the left, along the diagonal columns of the stitch pattern.

I can explain this phenomenon - there is no stitch in the fabric that is oriented along the cartesian y-axis (given that the bottom edge of swatch is x-axis). Each stitch is either at approx 45 deg or 135 deg. To get a rectangular fabric out of this, I'd have to device a half-stitch-decrease on the right edge and similarly a half-stitch increase on the left edge for every RS row.

I will give this one more try and post my results. If not, perhaps a different combination of stitches will achieve a similar fabric but one that grows as a rectangle.

My first entrelac swatch

2011-06-05T20:35:00.001-07:00

After ages, I invested in a knitting book - Rosemary Drysdale's 'Entrelac: The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting'. I proudly present my first swatch. I quickly started playing with stitch patterns within each block, created some shaping, and changed colors.

Other mods I made are a bit hidden:

1. I pick up n stitches to start a block. The book recommends knitting another row in pattern. On the third row, you start to do ssk or p2tog. I saw that this was creating 2 extra rows of fabric for every block. My modification: pick up n stitches. Put the nth stitch back on the left needle and either ssk or p2tog (depending on direction of block) with the first stitch of the abutting block from below.

2. A second mod is to just slip the first stitch of every row instead of knit or purl. This makes it easier to pick up stitches from the edge later, and looks much neater.

On a different note, this is my first e-book from VK's in-app store on my iPad. My first reaction to the user experience was 'eh'. It is not the most intuitive interface to begin with but does have most features necessary for ease of navigation. Until I figured out how to quickly move between one part of the book to another (and you can do that, yes), I was actually flipping gazillion pages. If you ask me now though, I love it. The only thing I'd miss with digital books is keeping 5 different books open for reference all at once.

'Rain Drops in Breeze' Stitch Pattern

2011-06-05T20:16:00.001-07:00

First the pattern notes:

Every odd row is knit (if circular) or purled on WS of flat knitting.

RT: knit 2 tog, do not slip off stitches, knit second stitch on left needle, and slip off both.

All other stitches (blank cells) in chart are knit stitches.

For circular knitting, omit the left-most column and knit over multiple of 6 stitches.

Innocuous enough? This stitch pattern is special because it emerged after a marathon of swatching. My requirement was to achieve a soft texture that is easy on the eye but - here's the catch - without adding bulk. My yarn? chunky weight.

For folks who want to add some shadows to large areas of plain stockinette, I'd recommend trying this out. When knit over an area, the fabric reminds you of raindrops in breeze.

Marching Penguins Border Pattern

2011-05-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

A non-curling border that combines linen stitch and seed stitch. Designed to especially suit chunky yarns. I have included the chart and index. If knitting in round, omit the last column and knit this up over multiple of two stitches.

I used cable cast on for the swatch in picture. When you join it in the round, you see purl bumps on the outside. I used this row as the very first row of the border to give an added decorative edge.

Somebody tame the web!

2011-05-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

Among my most propelling reasons to launch and maintain my blog was this: web-logging had caught on like a blaze, empowering everybody with a very simple, yet powerful publishing tool. RSS was the hip thing. I wanted to engage in this community and find out first hand what it was all about. A blog is your personal story you want to share with anyone who'd care to listen - you piece the words, the images, the videos and tell a story. Despite the anarchy and consternation it created in the formal publishing world, this was the last that the voice of the web would be this coherent.

XML feed - a standardized presentation of data - is the foundation of this technology. So regardless of blogspot or typepad or wordpress or your own private installation, everyone can subscribe to everyone else's blogs. One other technology that bloggers need to thank: the browser. Its what made access to your blog platform-agnostic.

Multiple changes have coincided since then:
1. the collective amorphous voice of the web is less interested in writing a story and more in sharing raw data in real time
2. the 'cloud' has developed a gluttonous appetite to absorb data
3. the web has long grown out of the browser and into mobile apps
4. walled gardens have set up camp and very successfully too

The result? Crazy s***load of data pushed into the cloud every day. This is not too bad really. What the web is struggling with currently is fragmentation. And that's directly influenced by 3 and 4 above.

You can upload videos in youtube or presentations in slideshare etc. And even though you're using different services, you have the power to stitch them all together, any which way you like by embedding links or scripts into your html. Not so with walled gardens - the most famous one being FB. Interestingly, FB exploits the open access of the web (eg: those ubiquitous 'like' buttons in non-FB parts of the web) while guarding studiously its own space from external services.

Mobile apps have created a different problem altogether. iTunes - another walled garden - is the platform that created mobile apps. Mobile apps are inherently platform dependent. Your total available reader-base is limited by the platform on which the app runs on.

The web today is fragmented. The question is 'so what?'. So what if the basic tenets of the 'world wide web' and its courier service, the lowly browser have been challenged?
1. The online audience is now fragmented. It was that you could publish at http://www and potentially get visited by everybody with network connectivity. Not anymore. You may be online but not logged into specific online platform. You may be online but on a specific mobile device. If you now yearn for the 'global presence' that once used to be served with a simple domain installation, here's your minimum investment:
a. website b. facebook page c. twitter account d. mobile apps - atleast one for apple and another for android (and I won't even get into the various flavors of android)

That's minimum. If you're a knitter and selling patterns, you gotta be on ravelry.

The other add-ons would be a 'channel' on youtube to publish videos, podcasts (the personal radio channel - are they still alive?), etsy or other marketplaces (if you're selling things), HP's magcloud (if you're selling pdfs), betterfly (if you're selling instructional classes). This is just to give you a taste of things. I do not claim to know all the individual services available out there. Point is, there are way many and way too scattered.

2. Along these lines, one quickly starts seeing the effort in managing a coherent, visible and dynamic online presence. Apps are clearly for the big players but even between publishing on your website, and re-publishing on every credible closed platform, that's a lot of re-work. And with how frequently the web expects to get refresh data, that's a load of work.

3. That was the publishing entity's story. But what about the consumer? Researching information online is turning into black art. A very important section of the internet may be completely hidden in your blind spot and you will never know.

4. Finally, fragmentation of a single user's cyber presence.

In all this, I haven't even touched upon google gadgets and facebook apps. Neither those 234 buttons to share, tag and bookmark links.

Google's search is not good enough anymore. RSS aggregators are old news. The new problems need 2 unified platforms:
1. one to publish
2. another to consume

Life would be simple again!

Conjoined i-cord - New Technique

2011-05-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

Knit 2 i-cords (of different colored yarn for better effect) side-by-side on a dpn, and twist the yarn once every row. What you get is a perfect join between 2 i-cords.

This creates a double-width i-cord while keeping structural integrity and allowing for multiple colors. Here is an example of how you can use it.

String of Blooms Scarf

2011-05-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Yarn:
Hand-painted 100% pima cotton picked up from Oakland TKGA 2006. This one has made several appearances on my blog: here, here and here.
The second yarn is also a 100% pima cotton I picked up from michaels, a dusty red. I had used it to make this.

Needles:
DPNs - the size of your choice

Abbreviations:
C1: color 1
C2: color 2
DPN: double pointed needle

Skill required: i-cord

Knitty's Nagano Sakura has been haunting my knit-thoughts over the years. That scarf is as much art as it is a wearable. I just couldn't get to make it though. I finally figured why: it is a felted scarf but useless as warm-wear. Perfect for Summer in its styling but not so much in its construction. String of Blooms solves these issues with a new method of creating attached i-cords instead of felting a stockinette strip.

Cast on 3 stitches of C1 and knit about 5 inches of i-cord. On a different dpn, cast on 3 stitches with C2 and knit 8 inches of i-cord. Slip the live stitches of this second i-cord on the same needle as the C1 i-cord alongside, with the same orientation.
Row 1: twist the 2 yarns, knit first 3 stitches continuing in i-cord with first yarn; knit next 3 stitches with second yarn, making sure you tug at the twist so there is no slack.
Continue knitting this row until required length (about 50 inches)

For a tutorial on this method of making conjoined i-cord, read further here.

Now slip the first 3 to a different dpn and knit the 2 i-cords separately for another 5-10 inches and bind off.

Knit a few flowers and attach. I'll write a separate post on different styles of making knitted flowers.

Green Pig (Angry Birds)

2011-05-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Now my Angry Birds series is complete.

Red Delicious and Granny Smith

2011-05-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Apples. Each took about an hour of work from start to finish.

Knitty is not alone

2011-04-29T08:31:00.001-07:00

The world of online knitting magazines and pattern stores has evolved. I have listed down my findings below:

Free Magazines much like Knitty

Petite Purls

Vintage Purls (NZ website)

Knotions

Daily Knitter

Pop Knits

For the Love of Yarn

Paid Subscription Magazine:

KnitNet

Knit Circus

Love of knitting

Pattern Shop:

Twist Collective

PatternFish (a little like Twist Collective but more like etsy/ebay for pattern pdfs)

quinceandco.com

Ysolda

Fluid - A Scarf

2011-04-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

'Fluid' describes the movement in this scarf perfectly. If left un-blocked, it turns, bends, twists and curls with a mind of its own. This fluidity is encouraged by diagonal construction and blocks of stockinette and reverse stockinette. It is kept in check by rows of eyelets with garter borders that separate the blocks. When blocked, it drapes elegantly, with a touch of glamor.

You can customize the scarf by changing the number of cast on stitches and the length of stockinette and reverse stockinette blocks. Suggested numbers for each of these dimensions are in brackets.

(scroll to the bottom for index of abbreviations.)

Gauge: 14 S x 18 R for 4"x4" in stockinette
Final width of scarf: approximately 4"

Pattern Notes:
knit-DIAG: sl1, M1, knit till last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1
purl-DIAG: sl1, inc1 by ptfb, purl till last 3 stitches, p2tog tbl, p1
eyelet-row: sl1, rep [yo, k2tog] till end, k1
stockinette: knit RS, purl WS
reverse stockinette: purl RS, knit WS

First stitch is always slipped. Slip purlwise for purl row and knitwise for knit row to keep it consistent.

Setup:
CO even number of stitches. (18 S)
WS: knit

Alternate next 2 blocks of pattern until the scarf is 55" long.

Stockinette Block:
ROW 1 (RS): eyelet-row
ROW 2 (WS): purl
ROW 3 (RS): purl-DIAG
ROW 4 (WS): purl (begin stockinette)
Continue stockinette for next even number of rows (18 R), end with WS
Next Row (RS): purl-DIAG
Next Row (WS): purl

Reverse Stockinette Block:
ROW 1 (RS): eyelet-row
ROW 2 (WS): knit
ROW 3 (RS): knit-DIAG
ROW 4 (WS): knit (begin reverse stockinette )
Continue reverse stockinette for next even number of rows (18 R), end with WS
Next Row (RS): knit-DIAG
Next Row (WS): knit

Bind off:
Bind off in-pattern instead of the last row of the block. You can choose either block as the last one. I ended mine with Stockinette Block to keep it symmetric.

Abbreviations:
RS: right side
WS: wrong side
R: rows
S: stitches

Protected by Copyright.
Note from author: You may use this original pattern free of cost on condition that you mention the source deepthoughtworkshop.blogspot.com or provide the link to this page.

Brioche Trim Vest

2011-04-23T01:22:00.000-07:00

Two color Latvian braid (search for video on youtube) is used to finish all edges of this vest. The bottom and neck bands are knit with 2-color brioche knit in the round.

This vest is knit in the round upto the arm shaping. Bust shaping is achieved by short rows.

Ganache - a mosaic vest

2011-04-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

Mum made this vest using a Barbara Walker mosaic pattern. The trickiest bit was to keep the pattern going despite the neck and armhole shaping. The back of the vest is knit in a simpler color-work pattern, highlighting the lone band of Barbara's mosaic at the very bottom. The other detail in this vest is the dark-chocolate color of the neckband and armholes while the rest of the vest is knit with brown-gray and milk-chocolate. I can see this vest enjoying a fulfilling life of wear.

Shower of Lace

2011-04-23T00:35:00.001-07:00

While browsing through the patterns in Ravelry, I came across Murcia, a free download shawl pattern by 'They Call Me Stacey'. The lace pattern of that shawl is what I used to make this curtain. The tension rod is a 14 dollar purchase and fits snugly in the shower window.

For the cast on, I used the Estonian method, but with single strand of yarn, following it up with 2 rows of knit stitches. I mimicked the look in the bind off by creating a similar garter band before casting off.

Here is a video demonstrating the cast on method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frc5_9AIVy0

Recipe
Cast on stitches for N repeats of the pattern + 4. Use Estonian method to cast on.
2 stitches on each edge are knit in garter for the selvage. Determine the number of repeats for required width, given your specific gauge.

Continue knitting in lace pattern to achieve desired length. End with WS. Purl all stitches the next 2 rows to create the ridge. Bind off in purl and weave in ends.

Weave the tension rod through the holes in the lace.

Neck-Turtle

2011-04-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

I was in Vancouver last November. The snow, the coffee, more snow and oh the coffee - I had to knit, darn it! I located an LYS, bought some yarn and a circular needle and knit this up free-form, with no notions whatsoever, not even tape measure. I loved this project every stitch of the way; it completed my picture: snow, coffee and knitting. Perfect!

Recipe
This project is knit top-down, flat and seamed in the end. Check the gauge on a swatch of 2x2 ribbing. Cast on enough stitches so when the ribbing is relaxed, the total width is 10 inches. It should stretch to over twice that for it to accommodate the head circumference while wearing it.

My pattern has 3 rib columns create a single section that is repeated around for symmetry. So my CO number of stitches is a multiple of 6.

Knit 2x2 ribbing. Continue for 5 inches. Start the increasing. I used cable cross-overs to add interest while increasing with yarn overs and make one stitches. The key is to repeat the pattern in sections around.

Continue increasing over the next 3-5 inches depending on the length you need. Picot bind off adds a ruffle-like finish.

Tri-oche Scarf

2011-04-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

Brioche is fascinating. It looks deceptively like stockinette and yet, conspicuously like not. Strong and architectural visually, yet squishy and stretchy to wear. BriocheStitch.com was my go-to reference for this scarf. I used soft Valley Yarns merino in worsted weight.

Mum knit this scarf so beautifully. It was to be a gift for my sister. Greedy pays - its mine now. :)

Recipe
Select 3 colours that have a fair amount of contrast to create a bold look. Mine were gray, blue and coffee.
CO an even number in coffee
Next row: knit the regular brioche stitch in gray
Next row: knit the regular brioche stitch in blue
continue knitting in brioche with every row a different color. Drop the color you knitted the row with, pick up the other yarn available on that side (there will only be one other yarn on that side) and continue knitting.
Continue for about 55 inches. The scarf builds slowly as it takes 2 rows of knitting to create 1 row of brioche. Bind off with the same color that you cast on with. Weave in ends.

Golden Eggs of the Angry Easter Bird

2011-04-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

My niece continues to be in love with Angry Birds. She sings the tune non-stop, obsesses about unlocking golden eggs and demos the latest holiday flavor of the game. So guess what she asked me to knit for her Easter holiday.. 2 golden eggs. Ofcourse!

Recipe
CO 6 stitches over 3 DPNs, with 2 stitches per DPN. Join, making sure there is no twist. Place marker to identify start of row.
Next 2 rows: Kfb in every stitch - 24 stitches
Next 3 rows: Inc 1 once at beginning and again at end of stitches on each needle - 42 stitches
Next 3 rows: knit even
Next row: dec 1 once at beginning and again at end of stitches on each needle - 36 stitches
Next row: knit even
Next row: dec 1 once at beginning and again at end of stitches on each needle - 30 stitches
Next row: knit even
Next 3 rows: dec 1 once at beginning and again at end of stitches on each needle - 12 stitches
Stuff with cotton fill
Next row: dec 1 once at beginning and again at end of stitches on each needle - 6 stitches
Leave a length of yarn, snip it and thread a tapestry needle with it. Run this yarn through the 6 live stitches using the tapestry needle and pull out the knitting needle. Pull tight and weave in the ends.

A commuter smiling

2011-03-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

If you saw me smiling to myself on my way to work yesterday and wondered why, you were justified. It wasn't a Friday, Terry Gross wasn't being funny, I wasn't on the phone and I wasn't carpooling. If you're still wondering, here's why:
A utility van belonging to a floor repair/install/refinish company had this company name splashed across:
"Lori Does Hardwood".

I love this country!! :)

Red bird

2011-02-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

My rendition of the red fella:

Stitches West 2011

2011-02-19T23:47:00.000-08:00

The rubber stamp industry has buckled under the economy and I really hope it bounces back. Yarn however, continues to enthrall and hypnotize, if one is to go by the turnout of both vendors and customers at the convention. Fabulous.

Did I buy yarn? No. Did I buy books? No. So I wasn't exactly the perfect customer then? Don't judge yet. Here's some exciting stuff I found:

1. leather straps for knit/fulled handbags here - gorgeous.

2. Kollage yarns - corn fiber here and stretchy cotton blend here . Corn as I discovered, is deliciously soft and luminous. Only, I'm torn by the concept of knitting with somebody's potential dinner. But then again, it is a bit too tempting to pass by easily. The other yarn - stretchy cotton blend - was the exact species I was looking for. I'm very fond of wearing cotton but not too crazy about knitting with a yarn with no elasticity. This one solves my problem.

3. Habu Textiles here. Such curious yarns! So unique!!

Order these products I will.

Among books, I saw an enormous interest in global knitting techniques - also called 'ethnic', much to my irritation. Icelandic, Scandinavian, Peruvian, Nordic, Estonian, and a host of others I don't even recall. I got the sense that the community has plateaued out on the sock knitting frenzy, going by the number of new books on the subject.

About the Devil and the Truth

2011-02-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Chanced upon a story that blew my mind:
The devil and a friend of his were walking down the street, when they saw ahead of them a man stoop down and pick up something from the ground, look at it, and put it away in his pocket. The friend said to the devil, "What did that man pick up?" "He picked up a piece of the truth," said the devil. "That is a very bad business for you, then," said his friend. "Oh, not at all," the devil replied, "I am going to help him organize it."

Blue bird

2011-01-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

Annika chose the blue bird as her birthday gift. While Rovio has been struggling with shipping orders, her birthday came and went. It's 3 wks past and no bird has yet arrived in the mail. So tell me, how long is a darling 6 yr old supposed to wait for her birthday gift anyhow! 2 days back, my needles got busy and this quirky creature happened, replete with bangs and a wispy tail.

Needles, please knit me some Autumn

2009-08-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Fall for me has always conjured images of wearing fabulous hand-knit skirts with layered tops and calf-high shoes. This year, I intend to satisfy this itch of mine. I've been looking for nice skirt patterns. Knitty.com has the feminine 'bell curve' and the elegant 'sidewinder'. If you find other pretty ones, please do drop me a comment with the link.

Can you believe - Fall IK '09 has no skirt! Neither has the Fall issue of VK. The fashion houses don't want us wearing skirts this season? Now I want more than ever to knit myself some. :)

Topaz? No. Coral.

2009-07-10T10:34:00.001-07:00

I took Knitty's 'Topaz' and turned it into 'Coral'. All that's reminiscent of the original Topaz is the dimension of the dress. I incorporated seed stitch at the shoulders, a different palette and a mosaic band.

About art

2009-06-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

When art turns utilitarian, does that turn into a 'craft', endowed with a halo albeit significantly diminished of its glow? Broadly speaking, yes. For example, an art-quilt implies one that is utterly useless in wrapping around to warm you in winters, but somehow elevated in its importance, owing to this aspect.

Here's where it gets blurry: if you've watched staging shows on HGTV, you'll see paintings and sculptures serve a utilitarian role - fill a space, make it look larger/smaller, create a mood, create cohesion and so on. Regardless, those are called 'art' pieces, rather than something that' d suggest craft: 'paint-feature/dimensional-feature'.

So then a piece of what's traditionally identified as art could be reduced to 'pragmatic art' depending on application, but never a piece of what's traditionally identified as craft be elevated to.

What purpose does art (as it is defined) serve? The word 'sensory' comes to my mind. It makes a statement: the owner of the piece is affluent enough to not have the piece do any work. Looking pretty is all that is expected of it.

With this high-brow art-ism plaguing populations, it makes me wonder, should the 'crafts' demand equal rights?

When I knit, I sculpt and color and texture the product all at once, one stitch at a time. Rather than dress a wall or side-table when finished, it dresses me. That makes it art, doesn't it? What am I missing?

death of innocence

2009-06-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

I found this quote recently:

"this is for the death of innocence.. it died somewhere between the head and the heart."

Who said this? What was it in the context of? I sense much disillusion and bitterness in the words. If such a death of innocence leads only to an intellectual awakening, why mourn? If this isn't true, I would want to know what else can be born of it, for death doesn't exist in isolation.

Spring Flair in Winter

2009-06-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

I've practically lived in this cozy feminine sweater all of '08 Fall and Winter. The pattern is 'Pullover Flair' by Ann Budd from IK Spring 2006.

You must've noticed how I pick patterns from a different season, and often a different year of publishing. So far, this idiosyncrasy has worked in my favor.

Project: one seagull a day (mine this perch)

2009-06-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

'Mine This Perch'

Some theory at work here in varying degree:
1. controlling eye movement by manipulating highlight and shadow.
(The eye focusses on the area where the lightest light meets the darkest dark. )

2. shadow drama. (To create dark shadows, deepen them with complimentary hues.)

3. reflected light

4. reflected colour

Seagull

2009-06-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

The seagull is my latest 'study'. Here's what led to my dusting off my sketch book and my precious set of prisma color pencils, only to obsess over seagulls:
A fabulous muscle spasm rendered my back quite quite useless in the last couple of days for my favorite activity (no prizes for guessing what). So the 'Topaz' I'm making as a gift (Knitty Spring 2009) had to be temporarily abandoned.

In the meanwhile, I DVR'd a gazillion art shows on PBS. With all that inspiration and no knitting in hand, I had to do something. So, the seagulls.

By the way, some tidbits of my Topaz. I've substituted the fair isle with a mosaic pattern (Barbara Walker). IMHO, mosaic is well suited for kid clothes as it lends an informal touch as opposed to the traditional look of fair isle. The other bit I'm excited about is the really unusual color-combination I've picked - a matte coral contrasted with an 'almond' shade. The hope ofcourse is that this one year old will make a fashion statement with this dress. Will post pics when ready.

Back to Prisma - have I told you how much I love them? I call this sketch 'pear hug'. This is an early creation.

That's my sewing machine resting under my quilt. And ofcourse I call this 'so cozy'. :)

Practical lace

2009-06-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

My Glasgow Lace creation (IK Fall 2006) makes for a dramatic addition to my spring wardrobe. I happened to have a green in my stash that matched that in the pattern, and the weight of the yarn worked perfectly for the project too. I rarely knit anything in the suggested color of the pattern but with this, I'm glad I used green.

Mods: I made it more snug than recommended. The sleeves are a complete re-do: larger armholes and slower (and more number of ) decreases to create sleeve cap.

I call it my practical lace project as I'm not one to wear shawls, scarves, capelets or even hand-knit socks, however much I adore the look. A top such as this is the most practical application of lace for my use.

Yosemite

2009-05-30T03:15:00.000-07:00

There I am at Yosemite National Park, wearing my Estes Vest (IK Fall 2008 issue).

Gallery of Finished Objects

2009-01-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

A hanging lantern I made from some craft supplies, scrap yarn, and a light kit from home depot. Oh, I've got to mention - the construction would've been impossible without the glue gun!!
The lantern - which is a symbol of Diwali - was a gift for my nieces on the occassion.

A small collage I made with glossy magazine print and some rubber stamping. This one was a gift for my Mum.

A cardi with basic pattern picked up from 'Knit 2 Together'. I used cotton fabric to create panels down the front and a yoke. This one's a favorite in my wardrobe as it snuggly, and easy to care for. The woven-knit fabric combination stands it apart.

I have found I gravitate naturally to Norah Gaughan's creations. This was a summer pattern, intended for cotton yarn and was published in a summer issue of IK. I used the brightest, warmest peruvian wool to knit it up. Never fails to get me compliments from folks around me when I layer it over a long-sleeved tee.

A crib-sized quilt - my first one ever and therefore, a very special product.

A hoodie for Srijan (Vestee)

2009-01-17T16:12:00.001-08:00

Knitty's Vestee for Srijan's first birthday. Psst: I made the tag as well. Here's the other side of the tag:

Yup, acrylic. I've developed respect for it after a few years of yarn snobbery. Price is one thing but that's not what did it for me. Really, show me one other type of yarn that's as easy to wash. If it's for babies or young kids that I'm knitting for, acrylic is my yarn of choice. I use larger needles than recommended to knit loosely coz I've seen this to lend greater stretch and softness to the fabric.

Happy Birthday Annika!

2009-01-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

This one's inspired by the hues of sky and snow from my recent Trahoe trip. A snow globe I picked up at South Lake Tahoe shows you what I mean.

It's for my niece Annika, for her 4th birthday. Happy Birthday darling!

A pause

2008-07-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

It is unlikely I'll be posting much more to this blog. Although my knitting is on and I have several new and funky FOs since my last post, the blogging bug has flown out the window. Until it returns.. s'long. farewell.

New tags

2007-10-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

The hat was gifted today to Palak (pronounced Puh-luck), who turned 6 yesterday. I'm most certain it is too big for her, sadly. I'll find out soon.

I'm sorta addicted to creating tags now. (click on images below to enlarge). After about 30 minutes of incredible mess on our glass top dining table, I came up with these. The pictures don't capture the sparkle but there's quite some on them.

front of tag

back of tag with washing instructions

Combined knitting hack

2007-10-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

I took up my needles and yarn this evening to study the combined method of knitting. I'm equally comfortable knitting with yarn in left hand and the right. For most knitting, I go continental. With stranded color knitting, I knit with a yarn in each hand. So far, this has been convenient for my purposes. I got down to learning combined method just so I could test its worth and efficiency.

IMHO, the combined method demands flexibility on the part of the knitter. To begin with, my continental knitting method was the following: knit with yarn wrapped clockwise and purl with yarn wrapped anti-clockwise.

1. The combo method banks on the back edge of stitches to be the leading edge on the RS of the fabric.

2. To achieve point 1, you've to use different ways of wrapping the yarn for knit and purl. Get comfortable wrapping the yarn either way, for knit stitch as well as purl. Look for combo knitting videos on the net.

3. stockinette straight knitting:
RS: knit in back (leading) edge wrapping the yarn clockwise
WS: purl in leading edge wrapping the yarn clockwise.

4. garter straight knitting:
RS: knit in back (leading) edge wrapping the yarn clockwise
WS: knit in leading edge wrapping the yarn anti-clockwise.

5. seed stitch straight knitting:
RS: knit stitch: wrap yarn clockwise
RS: purl stitch: wrap yarn anticlockwise
WS: knit stitch: wrap yarn anti-clockwise
WS: purl stitch: wrap yarn clockwise

If you swatch 3. 4. and 5. above, you'll notice that the RS is knit just as you would in regular continental, except that the back edge is the leading edge. At the WS, do what you have to, to create a twist. The simplest way it seems, is to wrap the yarn contrary to what you would have normally. That's really all there is to it.

Regarding shaping, I haven't come to it yet, but I'm not concerned too much, really. There are charts out there that help you along with translations. It was the garter that had me stumped initially.

The benefit of combo? Some swear it's faster. Not yet for me. The same people also swear by the even-ness of the stitches. Girl! It's to be seen to be believed - my swatch is testimony. Oh, and a little-known feature - the gauge is tighter than continental, for the same yarn and needles. That was a curious find.

HOWTO: design cards with stencils and stamps

2007-09-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

1. Embossing with stencils:
Materials - light box, some wax paper, your favorite metal stencils, card, assorted chalk colors, eyeshadow brushes (to apply the color), embossing instrument
Method - sandwich the stencil between the light box and paper. Place paper right side down. Rub some wax paper to make the embossing stylus move smoothly. Run the stylus along the edges of the stencil. Turn over and color with the chalks.

2. Glitter with embossing:
Materials - glitter glue pen, glitter
Method - simple enough. apply glue, dump glitter on it. Clear away excess glitter.
This look lends sparkle to the embossing. The white glitter looks the best really.

3. Scruffer with embossing:
Materials - color paper with color on one side and white on other, scruffer (soft sandpaper-like tool)
Method - emboss as usual with the colored side being right side. Rub the scruffer on the embossed parts until the white starts showing through
This is an easy way of highlighting the embossing.

4. Layering with embossing:
Method - say you have the stencil of a flower. One method is to emboss it directly onto the main card paper which folds to become your greeting card. Another is to emboss it on a different colored paper, cut it out and stick it to your main card. You can take the layering to the next level by choosing different paper for the petals and another for the center. This is how different colors can be pulled in by using appropriately colored paper and then layering the parts together.

5. Stamping:
a) Backgrounds - this happens to be the single most complex part of the composition, if I understand it right. The backgrounds can be as simple as a spray of color or extremely layered, with words in different fonts, background prints, blocks of color and effects created by diamond glazes and resists.

b) Masking with masking tape - the masking tape product has a reusable sticky surface. You can cut either a positive mask or a negative one. To achieve this, stamp on the tape, the design for which you need a mask. Cut it out on its outline. The inner piece that matches your stamp is a positive mask and the outer, your negative mask. Can be used in a variety of ways to partially expose the coloring or the stamping on the card.

c) Masking with chemical resist - The product called 'micro glaze' is a sealant and also works as a resist. stamp your design using this glaze. Since it's transparent, you would not be able to see the design yet. Now, rub the ink pad onto the paper directly. The parts of paper with the glaze on it does not catch the ink.

d) heat embossing - stamp your design with pigment inks. Before this dries, dump embossing powder, just like you would with glitter. Clear it away. Now use your heat gun and see the powder gain dimension.

e) filling in color - there are a dozen clever ways of filling in color.
i) Use markers to paint different colors on the stamp itself. While applying the stamp, you'll have a multicolor design.

ii) Certain stamps create outlines of design. These outlines you can stamp either with a darn neutral shade (browns/greys etc or black). Alternately, you can heat emboss these outlines. The inner spaces can then be filled in using watercolors, iridescent colors, color pencils - there's a gamut of products out there. Using negative masks to keep the color from bleeding outside the areas is a good idea. Application can be either with cosmetic sponges, eye-shadow brushes, stippling brushes, or with pencils directly.

iii) Pour 3 (or more) inks in a tray, roll a brayer into it. Now, apply this brayer onto the stamp to get an unpredictable combination of coloring. You can apply the brayer directly to paper, to achieve a layered background.

f) using acrylic boards with unmounted stamps
i) Use mounting foam. Cut out in the shape of the unmounted stamp. Adhere on side of it to the back of the stamp (follow manufacturer's instructions). The other side statically clings to acrylic. This method makes it quick to stick and peel stamps to and from the acrylic handles. However, to maintain the electrostatic property, the mounted stamps have to be stored correctly, on sheets available for the purpose.

ii) Use regular glue to stick to the acrylic. Once peeled, you can clean the residue either with baby wipes or stamp-cleaning agents. This method can only be used with unmounted rubber stamps. It gets slightly longer to attach and peel. However, it saves you some money.

g) blending pencil
This, I hear, is the stamping artist's best kept secret. Look up 'Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencil Blender' online.

The cheapest place to learn this art is at a stamping expo - it cost me 5 dollars of entrance fee and a few hours today. The folks at the booths are the kindest I've known. My favorite haunts are the demos at each. Ask a related question and they'll run to the moon and back if necessary to find you the right answer. The samples they create are amazing to watch being made. Don't miss it next time.

Wake up stamp artists!

2007-09-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

Not a single stamp design with the knitting theme in all of the stamping fair 'A stamp in the hand'. Not one.

Anyone who's been to Stitches or TKGA will know the percent of population that knits in the US and as far as I know, it's growing. I've seen knitters to be spenders. Have you seen the bags of yarn carried out of the popular knitting conventions? We love to knit and we love to tell the world we knit. Stamps are a great way of advertising our favorite interest. Think of all the interesting tags we can attach to the gifts we knit, the stickers and buttons (the real kind) we can create. Imagine the greeting cards we can make for knitterly friends. There's untapped potential here.

End of free advice. Never mind that I agree with one of the stamps I saw today: "free advice is worth what you pay for it". :)

For Palak

2007-09-28T08:31:00.001-07:00

That's Coronet. The pattern did not have instructions for a 7 year old's size. I applied the general guideline I found in the Harlot's 'Knitting Rules!'. Now, she specifies certain inches for a 'child' and certain other for a 'young adult', without defining either term. I infact went for the latter and perhaps have made the cap tad too big for Palak. I'm hoping her birthday gift doesn't disappoint.

Psst: the book is a good read. The humor had me chuckling. She has these general size charts, which seem to have been processed by decades of knitting. These I'd say, are comforting to carry with you, for quick spot checks on your knitting, especially when you're making something for a gift.

A stamp (or 3) in the hand

2007-09-24T18:29:00.001-07:00

Card paper, a fresh tea bag, 2 ink pads, and a few stamps later, I had a few tags. Here's one:

A stamp in the hand is in town again, this saturday. The stamping industry is suffering, I hear. I'll visit the expo this year round just to support it in my little way.

Psst: Both Amee and Misha have been gifted with the hand knits. I heard from Misha's mom today who was so touched by the gesture that it made my day.

For Misha

2007-09-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Misha is turning 3 this weekend. Little girl loves pink I hear. This is her birthday gift from me: the softest pinkest bolero on the face of this earth!

This one's an original too. My pattern came about thus: I see a fluffy cardi in one of many knitting books I've borrowed from the library, which leaves me with an idea. A week later, I hear about Misha's birthday. So I go to Michaels and get the fluffiest yarn (2 stitches to an inch) in the pinkest shade available. Cardinal rule: design machine washable garments for kids, for the Moms' sake. I then park at the closest Walmart and measure (with my office badge), the shoulder width and armhole depth for something that would fit her. The actual design and development was the breezy part. The bolero length just seemed right.

For Amee

2007-09-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Note: Amee is 0 months old. The spanking new parents are my friends.

Psst: an original design

For the pattern-curious:

Books

2007-08-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

I've been foraging library shelves and catalogs for all books knitting. Focus is on baby knits and knitting literature (history, biographies of artists, evolution of style etc).

1. Knitting in America / Melanie D. Falick ; photography by Chris Hartlove.
- Read this to learn about the various American women in professional knitting and their lives. Includes Barbara Walker - I'd buy an entire book on her, if one were available.

2. Paintbox knits : more than 30 designs for kids / Mary H. Bonnette and Jo Lynne Murchland.
The sweetest patterns are in here. I've put this on my wishlist.

3. Simple knits for cherished babies / Erika Knight.
A tiny new-born wrap jumped out of this book. For the rest of it, it is what it claims - simple. And too boring for my taste.

4. Beautiful things to make for baby : knitting, sewing, crochet, embroidery.
Practical knitting, sewing, crochet items you can create. I loved this one as it's focussed more on the baby rather than the craft you're using to making something with.

5. New baby knits / Debbie Bliss.
Beautiful knits.

Hope to be busy making new-born wearables to gift my friends. Brimming with ideas, what with all the patterns I'm practically swimming in! There's also the classic surprise baby jacket that I've unvented and written a script for. Exciting times ahead.

Limping back to 'normal'

2007-08-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

I've resumed knitting. And the world seems friendly again.

In the meanwhile, much is new.
1. Icarus is actually making beautiful progress. The lace weight 100% cotton yarn is rendering the shawl cloudy softness beyond imagination. I'm absorbing mistakes and resurrecting the next row of stitch-count rather than re-knit and therefore, I'm not slowed down. It's not going to look factory-perfect at the end of it all and I'll be none the poorer for it.

2. I design patterns, cut fabric and sew with much confidence.
my partner in crime: Brother XL2230

3. I love jigsaw puzzles even more than I used to in childhood. The enchantment has only grown!

When was the last time

2007-06-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

I blogged or even read my favorites?! Pathetic!

First, sorry, I'm really behind on the tags. I will though, I promise.

Many exciting things to show in the meanwhile.
1. My new 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. It's Christine Graf art piece called 'Bonny Doon Hills'. I've just only started sorting the pieces. They are so bright and so tiny that it delights the jigsaw-maniac in me. Pics in due time.

2. I've sewn a kameez. (browse google images for a visual on this)
Excited coz I drafted it all.by.myself. I have some designers in the family; mum who is self-taught and sis who also got a degree in it - both excessively at ease with the process and frightfully good at it. So yeah, my accomplishment is not a big deal but for what it's worth, I am proud. I need to click pictures next to upload.

3. Hmm.. that's it I guess. Unless I want to blog about my Kathak. It deserves a separate blog and I've no time. :( Ah well.

meandering along the south rim on my coffee table

2007-05-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

I'm wandering into the land of other crafts (with knitting firmly in my hands - I'm not letting go of the pointy sticks this easy, no way!).

I'd picked up a 500 piece jigsaw from the Yavapai point observatory at Grand Canyon. I was working at it last week. Here's how it came along:

See that one little piece? That's just to prove to you that I infact have uploaded the snapshot of an assembled jigsaw and not an image off of the cover! :) The piece was fit in place before claiming the mini-project complete.

Next stop: some pattern drafting and sewing. Long overdue as I've a pile of projects pending. This blog is going to be invaded with jots of my cutting/sewing endeavour. Consider yourself warned.

Art

2007-04-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Anoushka, my 5yr old niece sent me these:
Queen and King. Doesn't the King look like he's expecting a hug from the Queen? :)

A beatific angel with wings, and red hair with dark highlights

A cheerful astronaut - note the lady's transport in the background :)

Also, most joyfully accepted were 2 paintings by Roopa from her original collection of oils: Tinted Thoughts

Under the Maple tree

Lonely beach

Spring Showers - of snow!

2007-04-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

My friend Roopa and I visited the Grand Canyon last week. Unexpected snow lent much excitement to the trip, to put it mildly. Take a look:

Yavapai Point on Apr 12 '07

Yavapai Point on Apr 13 '07

On the 12th

On the 13th

Shrugged

2007-04-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

Relentless repeating of the IK Lace Shrug drop stitch pattern later:

across the back

over the shoulder

along the arm

Yarn: cotton microfiber blend from Webs (Valley Yarn, Longmeadow) from my stash
Needles: US #5 addis (LOVE 'em)
Mods: repeats were changed across and along to fit the gauge and the yardage of yarn I possessed. Just so happened that by the time I finished with stitching the seams for the arms, I was left with not a scrap more! It was nerve-racking until the BO though as I was staring at the skeins quickly diminishing.

Notes: microfiber cotton is the way to go for summer/spring knits with snug fits. Longmeadow is squishy soft and lovely to knit with as well. I've tried Valley yarns of 3 different blends and weights and this far, I'm a happy camper!

Icarus update:
In the meanwhile, Icarus is trotting along. I expect it to be a while before I complete it and I'm in no hurry either. It's my comfort blanket of sorts. I'll always have something to work on where there's nothing else. The chart is easy enough to memorize. All I use it for it a quick peek every so often to confirm I'm on the right track. I'm marking this my zero-stress project and so it goes without saying that a rare mistake will be taken in my knitting stride and gallantly forgiven. It's a blissful way of life - recommend it as therapy to us compulsive obsessive knitters.

Blue Socks update:
I've been wearing them every single evening and night and weekend since I cast off. They look wonderfully worn although not exactly eye-candy. No holes to worry about yet. This pair of socks is most likely to felt first before wearing thin. If that happens, more merino 100% wool Valley Yarn socks will be knit - and joyfully too.

Title change - why now?

2007-03-25T23:25:00.000-07:00

This is a preemptive post. I've made a drastic change to the title and this can spell trouble. I deliberated for all of 30 seconds on my options before I went ahead with it. This, in no way undermines the importance of holding on to a title - it's a brand after all. There was a nasty problem with my earlier one and I've looked away from it long enough. The 30 seconds of problem-solving, in this case, came not a second too early.

Begin explanation: the title this far (An Engineer's Day Out Knitting) was quite removed from the URL which suggests 'Deep-Thought workshop'. End of explanation.

Psst: I've launched a new blog: Deep-Thought Lab: A Linux Diary. Good time to set the title straight, don't you think?

IK on my needles

2007-03-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

Drop Stitch Shrug

The mighty Icarus (IK Summer 2006)

Uneventful knitting is on and this I say with utmost satisfaction. I'm in a phase where ideas flow, I find the perfect yarn of the most perfect hue in my stash, I chance upon perfect patterns in my homegrown library, and I'm ready with all the notions I need. I'm spending zero new dollars on new projects and loving it. It's guilt-free knitting at its best.

Oh, and I'm finally knitting for myself. :)

Socks and Lace

2007-03-20T22:59:00.000-07:00

Anywhere I turn in blogosphere, I either spot elaborate socks or intricate lace. Often both in a single pattern. The commercial patterns (magazines/books) are struggling to catch up and make hay. The lace frenzy was conspicuous at Stitches this year.

I love catching the buzz. But I gotta admit that the excitement puzzles me a little. Either kind of project is knit in fine yarn and consumes considerable time and effort. My Jaywalker endeavour was not the most enjoyable as all the double decreases and increases with #2 US size needles left my joints sore. Then there are the socks with intricate cabling/lace/colour-work designed into them. My worst fear, after pouring love into a perfect pair of socks is that the they'll develop holes. They're socks, they grow holes.

Lace has quite another problem - I rarely find the need for it in my wardrobe. How many formal occassions do I dress up for in a year?

I love to see other knitters' socks and lace though. I am usually in awe. I am working towards them though and am in earnest search for my favourite paraphernelia/techniques. With socks, I'm nearly there. With lace, I have launched on Icarus' shawl from IK using a 100% cotton lace weight yarn bought at last year's Oakland convention.

Lace in cotton? What was I thinking, you ask? Well actually the yarn was bought for a different project altogether, which I later realized was not a good match for the yarn type. I was recently leafing through Amy Singer's 'No Sheep For you' and happened to catch her opinion on cotton lace. Per her, it'll block just as well. I'll find out soon enough. It's coming along pretty though. I'm enjoying the process, the rhythm being quite different from that of colour-work or garment shaping.

With socks, I've nearly found my favourite weight of yarn, size of needles, whether I want a sock-by-sock approach or a simultaneous pair, direction (top-down/toe-up), heel, gusset, and toes. If you'd like to know, it's chunky socks in 100% wool in worsted weight (or perhaps dk if a certain stitch pattern calls for it), top down, and turned heel. Here's a discussion that caught my attention - I'll place this link on my sidebar as well.

I've not tried toe-up but am not too keen either. I get great fit with the other direction and I attribute that to the decreasing (for gusset) rather than increasing. Just today though, I came across a new technique for decreased gusset with toe-up. It's here and here. Really, there's so much going on in this little world that it makes me breathless and excited all at the same time.

Lovuh (a.k.a. Lava)

2007-03-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

Liz and Ann, thanks a bunch for replying to my post with your interpretation! :)

I had infact designed it to look like a volcano. Baby blanket being sucked into a molehill was exactly how it was constructed! Among the other interpretations, 'drooping flower' is the best. Life's not always about the glamorous, is it? The last thing I wanted it to look was cute. So I guess my intent was met.

Blue Socks

2007-03-18T23:41:00.000-07:00

Speaketh the Blue Socks:

On Fri night, while with friends, I was cast on. #5 16" Addis worked in synchrony on my 'Amherst' Valley Yarn fiber made of 100% merino. Quite early on, I was adorned by a splash of a colour with some mosaic knitting.

I was all but completed on Sat night, if not for a hasty dash to the movie halls to catch '300'. Awesome graphics there, I daresay. I was cast off on Sunday morning, first thing.

Lookie.. I sport a nearly perfect gusset

and a gusset side not quite so.

Despite all, the proud owner dances in her first ever perfect pair of original hand knit socks.

Lovuh

2007-03-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

I've been busy and inspired. This baby is my best work yet. 'Lovuh' is a representational sculpture. What does it look like? Leave me a comment. I'll tell you what I had in mind when I designed it but I wouldn't want to bias you right away.

The function Lovuh serves is that of a GPS jacket - well, more of a pullover really. My GPS sits on my dash looking forlorn and quite.. err.. naked. I came up with this project to keep the fella covered when switched off.

The brown yarn was purchased but all other came from my stash. Whatever yarn could be felted, has been. Although the basic conical shape was designed to fit exact dimensions after felting, the rest was free form.

Knitting a cap - design discussion (updated)

2007-03-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

Having knit a few caps, here're some notes on the design:

Number of stitches to cast on = 0.85 * stitch gauge (in stitches per inch)* circumference of head (in inches)

If you like a warm ear band of height h:

cast on provisional, knit h inches, purl one row, knit another h inches. Now fold over (along the purl ridge) and join the cast on stitches to each corresponding live stitch. Alternately, you can hem it together during the finishing.

To make the inner flap snug, use 2x2 rib instead of plain stockinette.

Other techniques for making the ear band warmer:
1. Fair Isle/colour stranding: this creates a double layer, making the ear flap 3 layers thick.
2. Line with soft felt. This although may seem like work, will make the cap that much more wearable in winter.
3. Knit ear flaps like the South American Chullo. To make this, first knit 2 ear flaps for desired length which you can join at the appropriate positions once the ear band is knit for 2 rows.

Update:
The no-rib ski cap I'd knit recently hadn't turn out quite as warm around the ears as I'd wanted, possibly because of the acrylic content in the yarn. Also maybe due to a lack of colour-work or ribbing. So you see, the 3 points I'd written above were what I learned from the project. Option #2 seemed to be the best fix and I got right down to the task. I knit and fulled 2 strips, placed them on the inner side and hand-stitched them in place.

The no-rib ski cap with colour stranding

Inner flap lined with fulled strip

Here's to a toasty cap!

Cardi-3d - a design discussion

2007-03-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

First, the test results from a sample I knit using the PERL calculator.

Attributes used:
#
#Gauge:
#
Stitches per inch: 5

#
#Dimensions in inches:
#
Circumference of sleeve: 6
Width of jacket: 5.75
Length of jacket: 9
Depth of neck: 1.5
Width of neck: 2.5
Width of placket: 0.8

Test result: Success.

Realistically, I was off on the intended gauge by about 3/4th of a stitch and so the cardi was slightly larger when finished.

Pictures of the knit sample:

Flying carpet? Or a stripey tail-less ray swimming away?

Note the 3 buttonholes.

See the reversing symmetry in the colour striping?

Some issues that I had to ponder over:
1. Technique for double decrease:
This was relatively simple. The one I selected was:
slip 2 knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over the knit stitch. This one works well as it gives a neat symmetry to the double decrease with the middle knit stitch sitting uppermost and prominent.

2. Technique for double increase:
Here I had a few options that I tested.
a. M1 left and right by knitting into the stitch 2 rows below the new row being worked.
This method creates large holes.
b. yo appropriately and knit into them twisted on the reverse row.
This too has much too much yarn for the stretchy garter to handle.
c. kf/b twice consecutively.
Not tried. If this one doesn't create a row of holes, it will be perfect as the look will match that of the double decrease of choice.
d. pick bridge yarn between 2 stitches, twist and knit into it, knit the next stitch and increase again like the first.
This was my choice as it gives strength and stability by knitting away the excess yarn. No holes to worry over whatsoever. However, the look does not match that of the double decrease.

3. Shaping on the RS or WS
If the increases and decreases all occur on the RS (or the public side) of garment, the stitch pattern thus caused will be available for all to see. If implementing this way, you'll have to select your double increase and decrease patterns to match up nicely in appearance. However, as the ones I had used were not so, I chose to do the increases and decreases on the WS of the cardi. The look is subtle and the stitch pattern in the corners (where the inc/dec occur) do not really become the focus. I liked it this way.

4. Striping
Any guesses on the striping design?

5. Discoveries
Garter is much slower than stockinette-based stitch patterns, and uses much more yarn to knit up the same surface area of fabric.

The cardi-3d is a basic pattern that can be used as template for incorporating stitch patterns and colours to make it more interesting. It's also a warm wrap for infants, the front-open making it easy to put on and slip out. Perhaps a knit belt can turn it into an infant bath-robe of sorts. I also have some ideas on changing the shape of the button panel using short rows.

Derived Inspiration

2007-03-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

Every now and again, I spend time running a deep-search on the web for new blogs that suit my taste - some that contain serious study of 'The Stitch' and others that provide knit-eye-candy.

Sara's a personal favourite when it comes to the former. She discusses the nitty gritties of yarn overs, of weaving floats in color stranding, of twisted stitches in relation with the twist of the yarn. This is pure geek if you ask me and I love every bit of it.

Wendy also discusses techniques. Very handy.

I chanced upon 'Joyous Knits' a few days back and discovered her finished-object albums. Just take a look at the gallery and you'll know what I mean!

And look at this: It takes imagination and creativity to take this pattern to this.

Finally, a new set of free patterns: here.

Sneak Peek at my pattern-making

2007-03-04T01:10:00.000-08:00

'Cardi-3D' - It's what I'm calling my interpretation of EZ's Baby Surprise Jacket. The beauty of it is in the unique 3 dimensional knitting where you sculpt out the garment as you knit.

I have not yet read the original design but I am most certain that despite similar geometry, it has none of the cleverness that is EZ trademark.

I spent a good part of the day today developing a calculator for my recipe in PERL. User provides desired dimensions of the finished cardi and the stitch gauge. The formulas I developed converts this into complete knitting instructions and prints it out.

Here's a preview. The attributes listed below are stitch counts that are derived from user-given dimensions and the gauge:

-------------------------8<--------------------------------------


sleeve (X) = 36;
jwidth (W) = 90;
nwidth (N) = 30;
ndepth (D) = 13;
pwidth (P) = 6;
jlength(L) = 180;

                   |<---------------- Y ----------------->|
                            |<------- W ------->|
                                |<--- N --->|
                   |<-X/2->|        <-P->
             -     +--------.---n---p----p--n----.--------+ -     -
             ^     | \          |           |           / | D     ^
             |     |   \        n........]..n         /   | -     |
             |     |     \          [    ]          /     |       |
             X     |       \        [    ]        /       |       |
             |     +--------|       [    ]       |        |       |
             |     |        | \     [    ]     / |        |       |
             |     |        |   \   [    ]   /   |        |       |
             |     |        |     \ [    ] /     |        |       |
             v     |        |       [    ]       |        |       |
             -     +........|       [    ]       |........+
                            |       [    ]       |                L
                            |       [    ]       |
                            |........    ].......|                |
                            |         \  ]       |                |
                            |          \ ]       |                v
                            ========[====]========                -

------------------------->8--------------------------------------

The script has been tested for accuracy. I will now proceed to knit out larger samples using the numbers derived from this tool and keep you posted.

International Knit-off

2007-03-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

Link here. I have nothing to say on this subject except that I missed it. Yeah, sore about it. And I thought I had my ears to the ground this year. Delusional, you say? Waaa

Nooo... it can't be the..

2007-03-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

baby surprise jacket, can it? I have not read Ms EZ's books, and neither have I watched her DVD/tape. I did not even know of the existence of such a pattern - rolling your eyes, are you? It so happened that at Stitches, as I went about studying the knitting techniques showcased by the knitwear on display, I found every now and again, a curious baby jacket with a perfect T shape.

The jackets were knit in garter and had some curious shaping - like the kind where you use the 'dec2' stitch every alternate row to form a right-angle in your knit fabric.

Once I returned, I parked the observation and went about with life as usual. Ie, until I read Ms YH's recent post 'Garter is good' where she linked to this previous post. Ah, so the pattern I'd seen at Stitches was copyright Ms EZ and had a name to it!

The knitting community is remarkably polite (save for hints of racist attitudes I run into every now and again). I googled and found that noone was rude enough to squeel the pattern to the online knitting community. Now feeling warm and fuzzy and also equipped with lotsa pictures (google image search) of the jacket, I did what anyone in my position would've: try a hand at architecting the pattern myself.

So out came some graph paper and tape. I cut 2 T shapes, cut one of them in the center (front of jacket) and notched out the square neck as well. I taped the lower edge of the sleeves leaving the upper edges free. I also taped the sides together.

Before I started though, I had 2 options for cast on:
1) lower edge of the baby cardi and knit upwards (seemed more intuitive)
2) upper edge (though I hadn't yet understood this bit)

I left all upper edges free so I could analyze the options using the paper template.

Paper mock-up

I pondered over my 'sculpting' options. There are 3:
1) inc symmetrically
2) dec symmetrically
3) short rows

Thus equipped, I figured out one method (of many, I'm certain) for achieving the end product.

And launched:

So far so good. Number of stitches CO: 20+9+9 = 38

The completed piece looks somewhat like a flying magic carpet, no? :)
all knit up and cast off

And there it was, the curious jacket, the tricky recipe uncovered:
The back.
Observe the change of stitch-orientation on the sleeves

Scale of the miniscule jacket

Pictures!

2007-02-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

How predictable can I get! I love cats - surPRISE! And DH keeps me amused by clicking their pictures for me. He returned from a trip to Japan with a photo of a feline snoozing on a window sill in a dark alley. Ain't that sweet? This morning, he captured a snapshot with his phone:

A ginger cat strolling at leisure

I haven't quite wrapped up my discussions of Stitches. I mean, come now, the show is worth more than just a blog entry or two, no? Don't ya worry, there's more pictures than banter to follow.

I waxed eloquent on the Mama Bear earlier. Here's a hasty picture of it in action:

And a pretty picture of the ball winder:

The winder falls short only by the absence of a motor. I know, I know, battery-operated ball winders are not the buzz - and will someone please educate me why! Annnyyyway. For now, the swift and the winder together have reduced the strain on my muscles and time. The center-wound ball that spools up looks sexy, I gotta admit. Love it for that.

If you're wondering about the yarn, it's from my stash picked up at the Knit and Crochet show, Oakland, 2006. It's a 100% cotton, fingering weight.

Then there were the books I bought:

On a different note: I have been the proud owner of a stand mixer since last july. I've prep'd cakes, cookies, rasgulla and an incredible numer of batches of rotis using this indispensable machine. The mixer works with 2 independent motors, one for the turntable and another for the mixing hooks. Last month though, the turntable motor failed. A bit of googling revealed that the Heritage series of Sunbeam is notorious for this exact failure. Fortunately for me, mine was still well protected by warranty. A phonecall-to-customer-service later, I was shipped out a replacement and this time, I requested for the red model. It came in today:

Yipppeeee!

Selecting colours

2007-02-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

is not easy and I am justified in being flummoxed over the subject. Looking at hanks of dyed yarn will not give you the faintest clue of how that shade of ochre will contrast against a shade of blue. And if purple will fit into the picture at all when you want to keep the look sedate.

A shade card isn't going to help you much either. I am particularly wary of the ones that indicate 2-colour/3-colour combinations based on color theory. If you ask me, that limits your creativity and makes your product look very similar to many others, simply because of the 'standard' combination you went with.

I am not sure why this never occurred to me earlier. I was walking through the aisles at Stitches and the brainwave hit me - watercolours. Why not use watercolours as a tool to indicate how the colours will work with each other? And what percentage of the knit fabric to knit in what colour to keep the look balanced. So this is what I'm going to try in 2007. Carefully plan my projects and incorporate colours in the 'blueprint'. Then proceed to place online orders. I like this idea.

Stitches (and Market) Take Aways

2007-02-25T18:49:00.000-08:00

I'm mostly happy about the event. Fortunately for me, the booths were familiar and also the layout. Infact, I was amazed to find Webs, Yarn Barn of Kansas, and Twisted Sisters in the exact same spots as last time. I spotted Wagtails of Australia as well.

I didn't spend on much yarn coz I don't have any projects lined up currently. What I did was touch and feel the yarns I've seen online to make mental notes of them. That'll serve handy, won't it? I specifically liked Louet sock yarn (100% animal fiber), Lorna Laces(80-20 animal fiber-synthetic), and Cascade 220 worsted weight (100% animal fiber). Valley Yarns has a good selection as well.

I noticed more cotton this time than in the last year's two conventions - Stitches and Oakland. There also was more silk and bamboo. I also chanced upon a 'beginners' spinning wheel - the Ashford Kiwi - selling for about 300 dollars. Hmm.. curious. Seems affordable. The rowing looked beee-autiful. Almost enough to get me started on spinning. Almost!

I also studied the patterns of independent designers and found some very interesting ones. There was a cardigan with panels knit in the diagonal. A row of domino knitting was designed into this on the front panel. Looks very pretty. There was another top with a fine cable design with small footprint and a big number of repeats. The top was knit in mohair and looked dainty. I saw texturing (stitch patterns and cabling) used in ways that work with the structure of the garment and add to it. I saw designs that were built on short rows and ones that knit sideways. In all, an inspiring expedition.

Here's what the cat brought home from Stitches:
- Mama Bear yarn winder and swift from The Oregon Wood Worker. The two came together for a special of 83 dollars. This was a much deliberated choice and only when I was convinced of its value did I invest in it.

I have researched swifts for over a year now. In my opinion, the umbrella swift is not the most efficient. The center of gravity is high up from the base and this makes it prone to instability while perching it on the table edge or fitting the hank on it. Also, I've never quite understood why you need a vice-mechanism in a place where a floor/table stand would work perfectly well.

The other option was a Beka swift. I like it much better than the umbrella design but it still is a vertically projecting swift as opposed to the Mama Bear which has a very small vertical footprint.

The Mama Bear was put to the test last night and it delivered as promised. It sits low on the surface, does not require a tightly stretched out hank, and easily dismantles into a bundle of sticks! Sweet.

- a couple of balls of yarn from Webs in worsted weight 100% merino to make socks out of. It's an experiment as I have little patience for sock-weight yarn with #2 needles. I'm hoping these will make soft squishy socks that knit quickly. I'm open for disappointment. The colour is a beautiful dreamy blue.

- Twisted Flower sock pattern written by Cookie A. from the Bay Area Knit Co-op booth. Also purchased 2 skeins of Louet Gems Pearl for the project. This is not truly my buy coz it'll be sent out to a friend of a friend's as it was bought on her behalf. I am tempted though to buy this also for myself. It is a yummy design.

- Books: Mosaic Knitting (Barbara W.), Scandinavian Knitting (Sheila Mc Gregor) and a handbook on cables.

- Class: Gwen Bortner - "Flat to Circular and Back Again".
I realized I didn't need this class, but too late! The students had to select a flat-knitting stitch pattern that we wished to convert to circular. I scoured the entire Stitchionary for a pattern I'd need help with but surprise-surprise, I could handle all the conversions with ease (save for two at most), even before taking the class.

I tested out several swatches before settling on one that I thought I'd need some help with. The WS of the pattern had a 'dec 4' that read like this: k2tog tbl, k3tog, slip k3tog stitch over k2tog stitch.

Try reversing that. Not the easiest but I hoped to learn some tricks with it - and wouldn't that be the whole point of this exercise? The verdict however, was that some stitch patterns like this, are best left alone. That was sorely disappointing - although she did have a point. The rest of the session held very little information that I wasn't already familiar with through my self-learning.

One useful technique I returned home with was knitting a circular swatch the easy way. And like I said, I have only myself to blame for enrolling into a class that wouldn't add much to my knit-knowledge.

Would I take more classes? Perhaps join camp? Or go on knitting cruises? Probably not. Reason being, I would stand out in the group and not be able to gel. My background - that of being a professional engineer - is very different from most people's at these sessions. I am fearless, mathematics is a friend to me and knitting technicalities are the easiest of problems to solve considering stuff I do for a living. Given this, I'll be taken to be 'wierd' at best. Also, I need a snappy pace to the lectures which, you must understand, is simply not possible at these classes. So although I value the experience for it's sake, I will prefer to self-learn.

No, I didn't win any prizes. Dang! For that, I'll return next year to Stitches. And to checkout the latest in yarns, patterns and books. No more classes for me.

Stitches West 2007 - The Market Preview

2007-02-22T22:42:00.000-08:00

I'd been to Stitches last year by paying for Market entrance. This time, I chose a different route - that of enrolling into a class. And guess what - I found out that I'd bought myself entry to a 'preview' of the Market where only registered students and teachers are allowed to shop at a fully-stocked marketplace for 2 full hours. It's worthwhile!

So okie.. I came back equipped with 2 sets of dpns, 2 pairs of addi turbo circulars and a set of cable needles. I browsed gazillion books and was tempted to purchase every single one written by Elizabeth Zimmerman. In the end, I did make one book purchase and that was the Mosaic Knitting one by Barbara W.

I am very keen on owning a colour-stranding pattern book but the choices completely threw me off. Stitchionary has one and with charts too. Should I just go for that or is there a better one out there? I did see some specific to Scandinavia, Andean and generally 'Folk' but like I said, they all left me very confused.

If I'm to buy one Elizabeth Z. book, which would you recommend the most? Almanac seemed very interesting and it's affordable as well. Then there's 'the opinionated knitter' and again, I'm left with confusion.

The upside to all this book hunting is that I got to see many many of the books that I otherwise find only online. 'No sheep for you' did seem to have wearable patterns but I've had enough of knitting with cotton for sometime now. I also leafed through the classic stitch pattern series by Barbara, the socks books by Nancy Bush, the Magical Knitting series by Cat Bordhi, the Interweave press books, Nicky Epstein's curious series of 'knitting the edge'.

The books on Arans/cable-knits did draw me. I do like the concept of introducing twists in the knit fabric using cabling but do not really appreciate the very architectural look of traditional patterns. No offense to anyone but I do think that traditional aran knitwear makes people look older than they are. It would be nice though to have non-geometric patterns using cables. The bunny I knit last is a classic example. There's also the 'Leaves in Relief' pattern at Knitty and an incredibly useful howto on designing trees. Sadly, there's no book that has taken cabling to this level of free-form creativity.

I scouted for affordable options for yarn swift + winder. Why are they so expensive? I've procrastinated this decision - to buy or not - long enough now and a hank of perfectly beautiful yarn is languishing in my stash for want of winding. It's a pity. I just might end up spending a neat 80 dollars on a winding system with swift and winder. Sigh. I can buy a great many books for that value, can't I?

Oh, did I mention - I saw Lily Chin, the author of many a knitting and crochet book. She was there for book-signing and chattering away cheerfully.

In the end, Stitches is an exercise in decision-making, prioritizing, and budget. The attendance never fails to surprise - the sheer strength of female population that congregates is to be seen. 'Twisted Sisters' has consistenly one of the best looking booths and yarn.com (Webs) has the largest collection of yarn. Yarn Barn of Kansas has a fabulous collection of books and needles. The demonstrations with spindles and spinning wheels are always fun. Noro and Koigu are still drooled over.

Bunny. Swatch. iPod cozy.

2007-02-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

Pics are not the best - I lost sunlight in the nick of time and oh well.. flash just destroys the teeny shadows of the stitches, doesn't it? I'll post better pictures but I just could not resist:
baby bunny complete with googly eyes..

and bushy tail.

See the tail peeking from behind?

The project started as a swatch. When the 2 rectangles were ready, I felt the compulsive need to stitch up 3 edges and lookie - here's the cutest iPod cozy ever!

Thanks awfully to my friends at Eweforia - AuntieAnn and Carin who not just sent me better photos of the sweater(scroll down the entry) but also a pattern writeup to help me along.

This project uses knitting techniques to achieve a sculpted look and feel. That's new for me. The bunny has a distinct 3-d look about her. Cables, stockinette and reverse stockinette are used most ~~cleverly~~ brilliantly to achieve the effect.

Tagged '20 Somethings'

2007-02-16T23:15:00.000-08:00

I stop shy of talking about myself on this blog but here I am - tagged! You've to thank Janani for getting me write this post!! The title '20 somethings' does not seem to connect to anything but I do not question the Tag. :)

Three other names i go by: Deepu, Dee, tech-support (I hold an MS in computer networking - hehe)

Three screen-names: Now this is wishful thinking! :) Jokes apart, I suspect this has to do with usernames (on myspace for example) that hide my identity. Nopes.. too old for that sorta thing.

Things i like about myself:
My paranoia that influences almost all decisions I make. It's the reasonable kind and keeps me from stagnating.

Things i don't like about myself:
I know better listeners than me.

Things that scare me:
Spur-of-the-moment changes to plans.

Scared about: charging bulls. Where I grew up, the neighbors had cows (for the milk). The breeding season would be a nightmarish time for us kids. Not fun.

Hobby: My dominant hobbies at the moment are knitting and blogging. But I do switch every so often between painting, reading, and sewing. I'm quite quite drawn to polymer clay but am holding back from launching on it. Scrapbooking is beckoning me as well but oh well.. there're only so many things a girl can do.

I catch myself stealing: optical cables and connectors from other engineers' setups in my lab at work - to help my own setup. shhh! Can't blame me if I'm running deadlines and not able to pull up my testbed (of network routing/switching devices) for a dire lack of cables, can you?

Something that gives me the creeps: arachnids

About me: I am a firm believer in planning. Have you heard the quote that goes "In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable"? I like the sciences and especially mathematics for the predictability in them. I enjoy knitting for the same reason. That would explain why stochastics and queuing theory are the dearest to me. These are studies that attempt predictions in the real world. In contrast, the pure sciences work using a multitude of assumptions.

I have never understood the value of 'vague' art (the kind that's vaguer than abstract) and nude art. The latter, IMHO, is porn endowed with the halo of artistic expresssion. Wouldn't mind a bit if it were categorized plain and simply as what it really is! But that's my opinion. I'm sure quite a few would disagree.

Bungee jumped? Don't care for it.

Food: Love seafood. Specifically the Konkan and Kerala styles - which sadly are absent from the Indian cuisine offered in restaurants in the US. I also dig Thai Chicken Rice Soup. It is quite literally 'chicken soup for the soul'.

I like to read: well written material. I'm not particularly biased towards any category of books. If I've to recommend a book though, I'd ask you to read 'Never Eat Alone'.

Emotional: Watching fine excellence in action exhilerates/inspires/awes me. In any field of expertise. Be it the way a good manager tackles a difficult situation with elegance or a classically trained artist perform his/her piece on the stage. Often, when I'm reading an exceptionally written book, I slip into observing the craft of writing rather than merely following the tale. These are things that draw emotions from me but may not necessarily have me emotional over them.

I strongly detest: having to use a 'white' kitchen. All the cleaning and scrubbing to keep it that way takes the fun out of cooking. Give me granite countertops and steel appliances anyday. Add a floor with the look of stone and it completes the picture. I'm currently paying premium rent just for this luxury.

I regret: I wished I could skate when at university (USC) to take the effort off of my tired feet. I had to walk across campus between classes, to my oncampus job, to the labs, the library, the bank and the apartment I rented. Wheels under my feet would've been SO much more efficient.

I love: appreciation. ;) And caricatures. And funky clocks. And maps (for their artistic value as well as utilitarian). And 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles.

Intuition is: tad overrated. Instinct is more powerful than intuition. The basic defect in the intuition hypothesis is that it gets confirmed only in hindsight - when infact it ceases to hold value anymore.

Three essentials:
Granite kitchen countertops, steel kitchen appliances (including sink) and a sexy stand mixer. :D Oh, and spray that kills mildew.

I believe:
Jack Bauer is a hypocrite.

Funny thing you read today: ..we say "There are 300 knitters coming to your bookstore on Friday. " and they say "Sure...sure honey. Hundreds of knitters. Uh-huh. Why don't you go knit on your cute little sock over there while we PREPARE TO SCREW YOU OVER BECAUSE WE ARE SUFFERING FROM A TERMINAL STEREOTYPE." - Yarn Harlot

Thing I want to do badly now:
Knit a pair of wrist warmers using my sage green microfiber-cotton blend scrap yarn.

Dream Career:
Writer

I want to go on vacation to:
Peru and Scandinavia/Norway

I want to visit:
handloom weavers of India and study the skill.

Three girl names i like:
1) Anoushka
2) Janani
3) Aurna

A Song you sing a lot lately: Into the Ocean - Blue October
(A feb 17 update: this track moved to the top of the VH1 top 20 charts today - aha!)

Are you happy this ended: Loaded question! ;)

Me tagging:
(and this is optional for you folks coz we've knitsy blogs and this tag is quite generic in nature).
AuntieAnn
MrsFife

Thanks Janani, for tagging me. This was fun. Hope it's as interesting reading my responses as it was penning (err.. typing) them.

Whoa!!!!

2007-02-16T22:52:00.000-08:00

Ofcourse I'm subscribed to Yarn Harlot's blog! (For the benefit of non-knitters in my life who might read this, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee writes humour of the knitting world. Psst: search her name on Amazon.)

Her post of Feb 16, 2007, 'Represent' had me sit up. If you want to hear from the celebrated author about the size and purchase-power of the knitting world, read that post. It overwhelmed me, despite having been to knitting conventions and keeping myself tuned into the various blogs, podcasts, KALs (knit-alongs), meetups, yarn swaps, charities and online magazines.

And isn't it nice that she is attempting to change the world? Very impressive how she's planned an event and only then proceeded to complain about the issue she wants to take a shot at resolving. The skeptic in me does consider the possibility of this being a clever marketing ploy for her new book but in matters like these, the skeptic has to take a backseat because the change, if impacted, will be welcome. Never mind any possible ulterior motives. That's my opinion and I wish her luck in the endeavor.

Piggles

2007-02-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

More caps! :) They're quick, easy, and utilitarian. Oh, and addictive owing to the instant gratification. Also, they're awesome projects to try out new techniques on - perhaps stitch patterns, colour stranding, mosaic knitting, and double knitting. The piggle is charged guilty of tempting me into the realm of knitting caps.

Psst: does anyone know the technical difference between a cap and a hat? I thought I knew but that was before I came to this country. Out here it's understood differently - I can sense it but not put my finger on it.

Getting back to my new products, the little yellow one has the port-holes for pony tails. I ran out of the lovely coloured yarn and had to compensate for the height of the piggle with a pom-pom. Thank you L. Chatterjee B. for suggesting the contrasting shade *and* the pompom for effect!

Here it is, perched on my speaker:

And below is the larger one with no port-holes. This does seem a touch bigger than my niece's head-circumference (I won't know exactly yet though) but I'll go with the pattern's claim that it is designed to fit all sizes, from toddler to adult.

I used worsted weight 'affordable' yarn. I tried, the caps are comfy against the skin despite one being 100% acrylic and the other about 70% or so.

I cast on 65 stitches for the yellow cap and 90 for the blue. My stitch gauge (5 stitches and 6 rows per square inch) was considerably different than the one in the pattern.

So finally the postal package will be mailed out to my sis. It'll carry 2 caps, 2 tops (all handknit) and some scrapbooking paper for the grrlz.

A note on lace - folks with tendinitis and CT will do better with lace knitting eliminated from their projects. Mine was slightly aggravated by these stitch pattern repeats and I can only imagine the impact full-fledged lace can have.

All I need is a windfall

2007-02-13T01:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.puchkaperu.com/index.shtml
http://www.interweave.com/knit/events/scandinavia/default.asp

I rest my sorry case!

The post that reads like a podcast

2007-02-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

If only I could afford this! :( I spotted the ad first in IK Spring 2007, page 124. If you ask me to choose between the Da Vinci tour and this one, oh hands down! Shouldn't they run some lottery? Like the one Charlie won in W. Wonka and the Choc factory? Imagine that - winning a lottery that'll take you on this tour. WAAAHHH. I want to win!!!!

I'm glad Stitches West is approaching. I've enrolled into a class this time. It'll be my first ever knitting class and I'm a bit skeptic about the take-away. My only reason for taking it is the experience-value. And the entry it gives me to the Market on all 3 days (I hope!). I intend to spend my lunch hours and evenings on the weekdays and just live out of there on the weekend. That'll be a retreat alright! Hopefully I'll make some wise choices with yarn this time.

On a different note, have you seen Katja? Isn't it the most adorable little thing for a little one?

And on a vastly different note again, has anyone from Interweave Knits supplied a good reason for why they never publish patterns of knitwear for men? Beats me! The men in my life LOVE handmade knits - I'm talking of the husband and my dad. Well actually, so also my FIL. I haven't yet knit for my nephew or brothers-in-law.. hmm.. that gives me an idea. Anyway, what would I do if not for Knitty. Makes me love the online portal that much more! Also for that Knitty has nailed the sensibilities of the young (at heart) knitters.

I'd also like to talk about 'let me explaiKnit'. I found this blog not a day too soon. Sara writes posts that read like essays on the nuances of knitting techniques. There is so much information derived from experience and also pointers to excellent references, that I can read for hours, much like a text book. Her 'discussions' (as she calls them) on fair isle and colour stranding particularly helped me immensely.

My DVD rentals are waiting for me. I have TransAmerica and Walk the Line beckoning me. To think I resisted the urge so I could catch up on my blogroll and blog some myself - and quite effortlessly at that! I guess that makes me a hopeless knitter. Yay!!! :)

All set for a ski trip

2007-02-12T01:23:00.000-08:00

V, this is for you. To match (or rather contrast) my chullo.

Here is an update with pattern details:
Source: No-Rib Ski Hat
This pattern is written for the knitting machine. All you'd need to do is translate the knitting language into the handknitting one. It's simple enough. The band around the ears is double layered. My interpretation of the pattern went thus: Start with provisional cast on (I used crochet for the purpose) and knit even in the round. Once knit twice the length of the hat band, fold over, carefully remove the crochet and and pull each loop from the MC cast on through the live stitches. The cast on stitches now become live and the hat band will be double layered, all closed up. Now on, it's simple enough - follow some stitch pattern or colour work pattern, decrease as required and pull yarn through the last few stitches to finish up.
Makes for a dependable hat recipe.

I cast on 87 stitches, just as in the pattern because for once, my gauge nearly matched. And have you noticed, knit caps/hats are very forgiving in the matters of the circumference.

For the knit-curious, I'm updating with a new pic of the stranding. You'll notice full weaving of floats:

Video tutorial on the technique here.

Sinhaavalokan

2007-02-12T00:35:00.000-08:00

That's Sanskrit for frequently looking back - literally or figuratively. The simile is drawn from the lion's instinct of looking over the shoulder once every few steps. Translated to us bipeds, it's a check of sorts to assess if we're on track by recapitulating the paces we most recently walked. This is unequivocally a virtue.

My first blog anniv. came and went. I didn't feel the need to discuss it. Today though, I would like to jot down some findings of my last one year:

- what's ergonomically poor: acrylic fancy yarns, lace knitting, and knitting synthetic yarn with metal needles. Oh, and continental knitting. Although much faster (and my preferred method), this technique strains the shoulders.

- surprise! woolease brand of yarn works very well for hats. This will stay my first choice for its affordability and accessibility.

- cotton yarn is heavy! And inelastic. The microfiber cotton blends work the best, if cotton it should be.

- variegated yarns do not lend themselves to stitch patterns. They're best knit in vanilla stockinette, garter or reverse stockinette. A rare exception is the 'sea foam' pattern from stitchionary.

- sock yarn which is wool reinforced with synthetic fibers are uncomfortable on the feet. I just might opt for 100% hand wash sock yarn the next time around.

- socks (made with sock yarn) take a loong time to complete. They have large surface areas and are knit with fine yarn using fine needles. I should perhaps try a pair with soft 100% wool worsted weight yarn. Given that they'll be used to warm my feet at home, the thickness will only help!

- 2 socks on 2 circs method for knitting 2 socks simultaneously is very rewarding. The symmetry achieved on the pair is picture perfect. Highly recommend it. As a bonus, you'll never suffer the dreaded SSS ('single sock syndrome' for the uninitiated).

- caps/hats are very useful. Really quick to knit and can be constructed in 'standard' sizes. Gloves and scarves are useful as well. Except, the length of the fingers would need be customized and as far as scarves go, sadly they're the most boring to knit.

- knit curly whirlees, teeny sweaters and jingle bells make sweet tree ornaments. Take a look and another one.

- garter rib is the most beautiful of 'em all ribs. Despite much experimenting, I cannot stop loving this stitch pattern for its elegance.

- if you're knitting fair isle (or colour stranding), learn how to weave the 2nd yarn (while you're knitting with one) to eliminate floats. This makes the fabric tighter and less puckered. Sara's blog 'Let Me ExplaiKnit' has some very useful posts on the subject of colour stranding. This video was of incredible help for me.

- if you're knitting colour work, do learn about the 'dominant yarn'. It makes an awful lot of difference to the finished product.

- mosaic knitting works amazingly well with felting. Click here to see a bag from my collection of FOs.

- colour stranding naturally lends itself to double knitting and steeking. It also makes the fabric double-layered and therefore, extra warm.

- while selecting yarn to knit accessories, colour-coordinate the projects to go with some clothes you already possess. Or make the accessories neutral. I know, this sounds intuitive but often, it's an effort to find the exact shades of yarn for the project. It takes an effort to plan the colours around the clothes we already possess.

It's raining.. It's raining patterns!!

2007-02-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

The Spring issue of Interweave Knits. OMG, I wasn't expecting it in my mail today. And was I delighted when I flipped through the pages! Let me explain. I subscribed IK last year in the hope of finding clever designs/patterns delivered to me at regular intervals. And receive so in mail I did - brilliant patterns and all. Sadly, they turned out not my style. Way too much detailing in any pattern and my mind moves on, not wanting to launch on it for practical reasons.

This issue makes up. The mag is better organized. The patterns are.. well.. I'll let you judge that but I did find some elegant ones not wrought with details. I'll list the ones I dig: the Green Tea Raglan (I'll perhaps use a different shade), Slanted Neck Pullover, Ruffled Surplice, Merry Maiden's Dress, Florentine Pillow and the Lace Shrug. Phew! That's enough projects right there to make new issues of IK redundant in my collection. This being the last issue of my 1 yr subscription (which I've now cancelled), I'm glad it ended this way.

I'll probably launch on the girl's dress for my nieces just coz I love knitting stuff for them and it's a lovely pattern. The lace shrug is beckoning me as well. That'll be my first project with mohair. And how I'd love to have a color burst on my couch with the Florentine Pillow! My only reservation there: intarsia. I am not sure of my feelings towards this technique. It just seems like way too many ends to weave in. Is there a good reference on how to eliminate having to weave in ends by some clever technique or other? I'd love to know.

One other thing I'll prize this issue for: a howto on enrelac. By Eunny Jang who also contributed to the *very* interesting steeking article in the previous issue. Nice! Steeking and Entrelac no longer seem wild and fierce to me.

It seems IK is introducing more and more online Knitting personalities into their publication. First it was Amy Singer of Knitty.com. Then it was Eunny J. This one features Grumperina's pattern. I've been following Eunny's and Grumperina's blogs for nearly a year now. These blog feeds sit next to Nona's, Zibibbo's and Yarn Harlot's feeds in my 'Celeb Blogroll' tab of my personalized Google aggregator. This is what keeps me in awe of them: the sheer bulk of knitting they publish with every new post. When do they knit so much? How do their shoulder/arm muscles cope? I read diligently in the hope of one day unearthing their secret.

February is a lovely month, no? I like the rain showers, the gray skies, and the temperatures resembling those of Spring. This afternoon I sat on my rocking chair on the patio, listening to the pitter-patter of rain and the swish-swish of the swimming pool, watching the bare trees sway in the light breeze and the raindrops fall into the pool. I had a warm comforter around me and a steaming cup of ginger tea in my hand. Bliss!

The Man had his birthday

2007-02-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

I baked this cake yesterday with a never-fail recipe I've been using for years. (Have I ever mentioned, I am a die-hard d-i-y baker and stay a mile away from the instant mixes.) This time around, I tried a ganache glaze frosting using white choc coz the Man just happens to love white choc. The decorating was done with a home-made butter cream icing and gel icing-in-a-tube from the store. The product was satisfactory for a first attempt with frosting.

Following the cake-cutting:

It just so happens that my auntie who'd taught me to knit as a pre-teen, also used to bake and frost fantasy character cakes, with my Uncle's able help and support. This cake is nowhere near any of those but well, I'm happy for what it's worth. I especially liked the red-on-ivory color combination, and the way it turned out much better than I'd anticipated. Also, the contrast of the matte-red (of butter cream) with the translucent red gel.

So, as a gift for the birthday, I bought a Dyson. I know what you're thinking. No, it's not a cheap thing to pull off - just practical. I learnt from a friend some world-truths on selecting gifts for your spouse. Without getting into further details, rest assured that I've made my friend proud. And with a home as clean as it is right now, the DH quite content. :)

Okay, so here's the part I don't get. We went out for dinner to a Persian restaurant tonight upon a recommendation. This was the first time we had dined at Negeen. The food was terrific and as we eat, to my utter astonishment, out flows a belly dancer decked in glitter and performs for the next 30 minutes. Turned out that this unexpected treat - of watching belly dancing - beat all other hands down. Now what do you say to that!? DH claims he'd no clue we would be in for this up-close. Do I believe him? ;)

A knitter is desperate when..

2007-01-31T01:52:00.000-08:00

1. she derives inspiration from a pattern meant for a 1 year old.

2. she sits up till 1:42AM to complete knitting AND weaving in the ends of the project. Despite, is not able to sleep before blogging about it.

3. she throws caution to wind and purchases woolease (lion brand) just coz she's too restless to launch the project

4. she knits swatches that are complete products in themselves

Psst: what you're seeing above is a perfectly usable cozy for my glass.

5. she dives into the deep end of a shark-infested pool by buying 1500% acrylic (tell ya, way too acrylic than just 100%) boucle to be the contrast yarn. If that's not dangerous enough, she knits using double-strands of the main color (woolease) and this God-forsaken boucle into a fair-isle pattern. Ok, if you don't know how horrible a choice this is, let me tell you, you're better off not knowing. To her defense, the poor knitter has only this: "I needed yarn quick and I needed very specific colors. I got desperate" Do you not feel for her? Poor soul knew not better.

6. she gets more excited about knitting ski caps than the trip they were intended for. And feels not an iota wistful when the aforementioned ski vacation gets cancelled. :)

And when a knitter gets as desperate as outlined above, she would have created this:

Perched atop a table lamp is my labor of love (err.... desperation?) . Fits just as I wanted it to - snug, as a ski hat should be. The ear flaps are as effective folded and tucked back in as they are hanging loose (shown in pic). The fair isle color stranding makes those segments extra-thick and consequently extra-warm. It's so soft, squishy and warm that had I a cat, she'd have made this hat her permanent residence. :)

Allow me to name my hat. I'm going to call it 'lemony lime'. Oh, and if this were published by Knitty, would they tag this pattern 'tangy'? Hahaha!!

Ocean Waves

2007-01-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

Finished Object: A summer top I'm calling 'Ocean Waves'
Design: original

This top fits a 5 year old.

Yarn: Judy Garland 100% cotton (purchased at the Oakland knitting convention in 2006)
Gauge: 5Sx6R for a 1"x1" square.

Details: Top was knit in the round and has picot edge, seafoam stitch, dimples and eyelet ridges. Rest is stockinette and occassional garter for finishing the sleeves, neck etc.

When swatches become art

2007-01-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

If you've read this, you'll know already that I had just so recently busted my backside over some particularly elusive design decisions. Like all noble knitting, the process involved studying stitch patterns and swatching them, in relentless pursuit of the one that would enhance the variegatedness of my yarn rather than fight it. What follows is some documentation of the work.

The decision is still not made. I need a stitch pattern that will go over the maximum %age of surface of the vest. I need a pattern that won't look make the vest boxy. I need one that will have the eye move from one colour to another without it appearing conflicting or too busy.

Scroll down for my picks.

Reference material used:
[1] Vogue knitting stitchionary
[2] 1000 Sweaters

Swatch #1 above has 8 stitch patterns tested on it. From lowest to highest, in order, the stitch patterns are:
1. Peruvian Lace (#232 from [1])
2. Simple eyelets
3. Eyelet herringbone (#46 from [1])
4. Diagonal float stitch (#53 from [1])
5. Simple eyelet diamonds (#73 from [1])
6. Eyelet ridges (#72 from [1])
7. Dropstitch row
8. Stitch pattern from 'Textured Sweater' pattern (Body 20 from [2])

Swatch #2 above has 5 stitch patterns tested on it. From lowest to highest, in order, the stitch patterns are:
1. Zigzag rib (#79 from [1])
2. Dropstitch pattern (#80 from [1])
3. Ladder and rib (#211 from [1])
4. Dimples (#58 from [1])
5. Small herringbone rib (#67 from [1])

I find the diagonal float stitch (swatch #1, pattern 4) and dimples (swatch #2, pattern 4) the most appealing.

Sleuth

2007-01-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

Knitting on hold.. yet again! This time, for another stage production, a play in English presented by Naatak. Naatak is a non-profit theater organization in Bay Area which has been presenting plays successfully for the last 11 years. 'Sleuth' is an Indian adaptation of Anthony Shaffer's play by the same name. I worked back stage, as part of production crew, working on sets and special fx and helping with props.

My first experience with theater - to my delight - has been as exciting as I had anticipated. I got to paint 'flats' (wood panels) that are put up on stage as walls. I got to design faux marble finish for the floor. I got to use power tools - saws, staple guns, jig saw. The special fx were as fun to put together. This involves audio/visual input on the stage, on cue.

The audience response in the last 2 shows has been overwhelming. Final show plays today. Good Luck to us!!! :)

Lovely Variegated Yarn..

2007-01-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

how I ~~loveth~~ ~~hateth~~ ~~loveth~~ hateth thee!

I'm a little frustrated. I'm forcing stitch patterns on a VY. Now you know why.

I'm trying, I am! My Vogue Knitting Stitchionary (vol 1) is witness to my patience, determination and perseverance. The many swatches lying astray are proof of the endeavor.

I adore the yarn itself. I have a hank of the most gorgeous hand-dyed cotton. It's playful, unpredictable, whimsical and generally NICE.

I struck gold with the seafoam stitch and a vertical version of it. I need more though. I'm not into stockinette and I don't want to venture into ribbing. Both options will have me zzz before the 2nd row of the vest I'm knitting. I also want to achieve whimsy using the stitches coz the vest is for a little girl.

It's been an interesting experiment, I must admit. One year into full-fledged knitting, I'm still amazed by the properties of yarn. It's quite freaky how each one clearly draws lines on what will look good on it and what won't. A mind of its own, no?

I'm tad wiser with VY now than when I started. Judiciously placed eyelets, dropped stitches, floats, rows of garter between rows of pattern - these work better than vines, trellis, smock, weave, brocade, cable, and herringbone to mention a few. Get the eye to follow the colors changing and the stitch will show through. It just so happens that the stuff that works is mostly horizontally aligned.

My New Year resolution? That's simple. Buy yarn and please, no VY.

' I can' is one hundred times more important than IQ

2007-01-01T00:11:00.000-08:00

goes a quote.

I suspect every once in a while people face the very limits of their (perceived?) capability. Analyzing such situations with objectivity is certainly possible, but alas, only in hind-sight. On the flip side, it's less about analyzing and more about accepting.

How does anyone ever measure individual capacity? Would you know for a fact if something is possible of you or not? And to what level of excellence? How much learning and practice can get you there? And would a lifetime of attempting suffice?

Is excelling at some interest more important than just plain enjoying it? Does dedication make up for lack of brilliance? Some think so. I'm not quite sure at the moment. Does 'I can' really stand in for IQ??

Jingle Bell and The Treeeeee

2006-12-29T09:10:00.000-08:00

Tagged!

2006-12-27T14:47:00.000-08:00

Auntie Ann tagged me a while back, to my astonishment and delight. Playing along, here are:

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Network Technician
2. Programmer Analyst of Mainframes
3. Dev-Test Engineer of Network Routers
4. C/C++ instructor

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. The march of the penguins
2. One true thing
3. Austin Powers Goldmember
4. There's Something About Mary

C) Four places I have lived:
1. Los Angeles, California
2. Karnataka, India
3. Jersey City, New Jersey
4. Santa Rosa, California

D) Four TV shows I love to watch (all for their creativity):
1. Debbie Travis' Facelift
2. Simply Quilts
3. Mad Money
4. Surprise By Design

E) I have been on vacation:
1. Ooty, India
2. Kumarakom, India
3. Coorg, India
4. New Delhi, India

F) Websites visited daily (ah! frequently enough):
1. Google personal page with RSS feeds and widgets
2. Lightreading
3. eweek
4. local Convention Center event calendars

G) Four of my favorite foods (I can list 4000!):
1. Sweet corn chicken soup - served in Indo-Chinese style
2. Wolfgang Puck's grilled vegetable sandwich/panini
3. Shrimp shumai
4. Cheesecake

H) Four places I would rather be right now (sighhh!):
1. Catching the newest flick in the movie halls with DH
2. Poker night with friends
3. With nieces, crafting
4. Among my yarn, my laptop and knitterly books, planning the next project

I) Four people I’m tagging with this questionnaire:
1. mrsfife
2. [All Other Bloggers reading this.. ]
3. [please plzzzz drop me a comment.. ]
4. [and I'd LOVE to tag you!!]

Goodies off the assembly line (with instructions)

2006-12-15T00:34:00.000-08:00

OkaY! Can you believe it, I actually checked off quite a few trinkets off my list and here they are (proudly) on display. Clearing up my living room 'studio', I was suddenly struck by how much sq footage I really have!! :)

Here you'll find:
* a tinsel wire pompom - simple enough

* a knit curly whirly - read my previous post for a howto. Notice the jingle bell. This stretches out the CW nicely when hung, having it spin at the slightest breeze.

* a stocking as promised - some red and brown felt makes the base and curling ribbon gives it the added zing. For the knit piece, I used a stitch technique I found in the pattern for this adorable Woolie Ewe which in itself will make a lovely ornament. I knit a rectangle using the 'loop stitch' to give it the furry woolly look and the dimension. Tell me I'm brilliant!! ;)

* Check out the sweaters. Pattern here. To add to the look, I shaped a tinsel wire into a hanger each.

I am might proud of how these party shoes turned out. The basic pair of shoes is crafted using these origami instructions. I glued glitter, stuck them onto a felt cutout reinforced with card paper and shaped the red tinsel wire into an arch.

Here are some mirror trinkets and tinsel spirals. The wire is sandwiched between 2 mirrors using glue. The jingle bell gives each a finished look. To create those spirals, I wound the wire around cylindrical objects, slipped them out and stretched carefully just a wee bit.

How about some glittery spheres? This is just styrofoam to which glitter is glued. I diluted white glue with some water and brushed it on using a sponge brush.

To prep the styrofoam ball with string and bells, this is how I went about it: Tie a bell at the very middle of a length of string using knots. Once done, fold the string over and stick the open ends together to a toothpick. This you then use to pierce the sphere through until the toothpick emerges from the diametrically opposite point. I then knotted a couple of bells more before I tied the string ends to create a loop using which the ball can be hung.

These are 8 different ideas. I've been browsing for ideas and here are some more that can be employed:
Felted apple
Jingle Bell
Miniature Socks
Fair Isle Christmas Ball
Two Peas In a Pod

Happy Holidays!

Ornament Factory

2006-12-14T00:24:00.000-08:00

No, I didn't say it's gonna look pretty!! :) You'll find paper, felt, styrofoam, tinsel wire, balloons, mirrors, glue (but ofcourse!), string, scissors, jingle bells, multi-hued glitter and.. hold your breath... knitting!! :)

The mirror ornaments were the simplest to put together, the knit ones very unique and the origami, the most brilliant. (I'm modest, aren't I? Haha) Do not want to reveal too much as they are meant as a surprise for my nieces but once they're gifted, I do intend to put up all the information, I promise!

The knit ones, I can talk about - I have creative license coz this is a knit blog after all! So well, I made teeny sweaters and I made curly whirlies. Both look so very cute. I wish I had some knitting beads to include some sparkle. Planning on a pair of miniature socks as well.

The sweater patterns are available on the web. For the curly whirlies, I CO 25 stitches, knit into front, back and front again of each stitch for the next row. BO. That's it. You'll have the cutest little whirly curly ready for the tree.

Ornaments frenzy

2006-12-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or are many out there getting caught up in making ornaments with an urgency? :) I visited the LCS recently and stocked up my 'craft studio' with glitter and glue. (Never mind that the studio I'm so proud of is my living room - DH is putting up with it with angelic patience!!)

The irony is that after spending $$ on crafting goods, I've gone right ahead, pulled out my scrap yarn and started knitting up little thingies that can serve to adorn any tree. Like small curly whirlies with shiny beads on the edge and a jingle bell at the very end of it. And who can resist the miniature sweater? Also, a small stocking of red felt trimmed with a small piece of knitted white (for the fur).

Do you have more ideas for making knitterly ornaments?

A peek into my other interests

2006-11-19T22:11:00.000-08:00

One of these three is me:

If I've been absent from blogging - which I have - now you know why. It took relentless practice to present this dance - a folk dance from the Eastern parts of India.

My teacher - artiste Dipanwita Sengupta - gifted me this lovely kit for my performance:

On the yarnsy end of things, Burst - my overly colourful tank - is still underway but making progress of a row a day on an average! I also designed and sewed a cover for my sewing machine and an apron for the man in the kitchen.

Burst

2006-10-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

Burst is what I'm calling this project. It's an interesting pattern from 'Just One More Row' designed in geometric shape. What you see in the picture is the front neck-shoulder portion completed. The matching piece for the back is under construction.

The way this pattern is written makes it as easy to size for an infant, as for any-size adult. That's what grabbed me. Besides the geometry in it, ie.

Knit (r)elated

2006-10-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Elated - that's how I felt when I saw my friend's completed projects. She, who was proficient with crochet, had never learnt to knit. And now, she has a blanket, 2 teeny sweaters and matching baby caps to her credit. Another friend has now re-caught the knitting bug and has picked up the needles again!

I'm now reading up on how to instruct young children. Anout turned 5 recently and I'm most excited about being able to introduce the craft to her. :)

You know, knitting quite changed my life. It set about a chain of events - first, my shoulders turned sore. The pain ofcourse was a combination of strain of knitting and that which the shoulder bore with daylong 'keyboard-tapping-and-mousing'. This was followed by chiro treatment, which worked very well but did not stop the problem from recurring every so often. This was about the time when I was 'expanding' my knitting horizons, visiting knitting conventions, social knitting groups, wildly studying the online material and generally going berserk with the possibilities of the craft.

To support the chiro's cause, I started working out at the gym 5 times a week. And surprisingly, the shoulder troubles tamed. And how! That just meant that, if I wanted to knit, I had to exercise as well. Really, I didn't mind that. In the end, I was physically more fit and mentally stimulated by the workouts. Who wouldn't love that?

It's funny how things fall into place. Right at this time, the company I work at gifted me an iPod - it was celebration time and every employee got one. A 30GB video iPod at that. I call it 'Gollum'. Installing iTunes opened a new avenue, that of podcasts. Gollum just allowed me to be tuned in to podcasts while I was on the treadmill or the elliptical or pumping (light) weights.

What started as a revisiting of a craft I'd learnt as an eager 12 yr old has taken a life of its own. I'm loving every moment of it! I have about 5 readers to this blog and you know, the number did not decrease while I was on a break; a break that stretched a bit much, I admit! Thanks for sticking around!! :)

Third time lucky

2006-10-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hopefully! The 'cherry' top fit Anoushka perfectly. Anout is the 5 yr old I've been referring to often as my 'older niece'. Regarding the fit though, the lace finishing at the very bottom was not stretchy enough to get in and out of easily.

The newest avatar:

That ofcourse was about an hour's worth of tink-and-knit.

The other most recent project was Knitty's Duo for Annika, the 2yr old in my life. (The 'younger niece'). For lack of sufficient yarn, I did not knit sleeves and knit it vest-style. While I do not have a picture of how lovely it looked on her, here's a pic of the yarn I used:

A minor modification was my use of stockinette in place of garter as the yarn was quite bulky to begin with. I should add that a neck such as this is very kind on the kiddos while wearing the garment.

I'm onto a new project. Don't believe me? Lookie!

You've seen this yarn in my early posts - can you guess which one it is?

Hi there!

2006-08-29T03:28:00.000-07:00

I'm still around.. although mighty slow on the knitting and blogging front. There is some knitting update though. 'Pepper on Paper' socks (derived from Knitty's Thuja) are nearly completed. Toes are underway. Recipient is having to wait for them while I am taking a small break from all things knitting to spend some time with Mum and Dad. Recipient of the jaywalkers LOVED the pair. Recipient of a vest I'd knitted is positively thrilled and recipient of the felted handbag is amazed. :) Nice reactions, eh?!

Pictures of the completed Pepper on Paper will be posted as soon as they're completed. Till then, ciao.

Microsoft's MeTooooo

2006-08-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

Folks, have you downloaded the free version 7 of Microsoft's IE? I finally got around to installing it a few days back.

For the effort, I got this:
- tabbed browing
- integrated search field

err.. yeah, that's it. Hooboy, what was I expecting?!

Some features of firefox I'm hooked to:
- Folders in the 'links' bar which I can right click and select to be opened in tabs. (IE has no such feature)
- CTRL+L selecting the URL field (IE brings up a dialog box - aarrgh)
- CTRL+F shows up a little field attached to the browser, at the very bottom (IE brings up a dialog box - aaargh)
- characters are searched just as soon as I start typing. (IE has no such feature)
- the unbeatable firefox extensions. Most favorite: del.icio.us tagging extension. (IE has no such feature)

So Microsoft's attempt at a 'metoooo' falls short by far. Get firefox folks. If you so want a link opened in IE, there's an extension that lets you open an IE tab from within a firefox browser. How neat is that!

Dirty little secret

2006-08-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering over how readily knitters and spinners in the States exchange information, share their inventive techniques and help each other along in the process of learning. The picture painted is very rosy. Everybody is in love with the craft, with the materials, with the social extensions of the craft such as social knitting or knitting for charity, with the taking of classes, with the related online world of patterns and yarn purchases and blogging and podcasting, with yarn fairs and fiber conventions - I could go on. Knitty love is in the air.

This is all perfect. Except, it isn't a fair picture. Doesn't anyone endure muscle/tendon/nerve issues with the repetitive motion? Many of us work on computers and this, along with knitting is a potent combination of repetitive strain. Why then, do I hear so little discussed about this? Why isn't this information shared in the same way? Is rapid knitting really a virtue? Are knitters out there trying to achieve/break the record and injuring themselves?

I have been knitting for about 9 months now and just like anyone out there, I am passionately into it. It took me squarely 3 months to get to the point of so much pain that I had to get medically treated. Since then, I have looked up online and at knitting conventions for information. Knitty has an article on posture (which I have listed in my side bar) and in all of Stitches West, I found one product alone relating to injuries. It was a hand glove and really, it's not a knitting-specific product.

There is a ton of information on computer related RSI (repetitive strain injury) and so very little on knitting. And you cannot really use the former to help the latter coz the requirement of working needles and yarn is very different from tapping keys or clicking mice. Is this our dirty little secret? Are we too afraid that we'll be asked to stop pursuing the hobby if we admit to this problem? What is it? Why aren't we screaming out loud for some information?? Or sharing it vociferously? I am perplexed. No podcaster is talking about it, dammit!

As my contribution to bringing this to the table, in my future posts, I will detail out my experiences with the RSI issues I had to deal with and my findings from the process.

Please do leave a comment on what your thoughts are about the physical problems associated with passionate knitting.

The wiki experiment

2006-08-06T00:38:00.000-07:00

This one deserves a post. I had briefly encountered wikis several years back and have been curious about them ever since. Other teams at my workplace maintained wikis as informal information bases and this especially suits teams that write a lot of code.

What is a wiki? For those in the dark, it's an online application that looks a lot like a regular website. Except that it lets you edit your content online. This nifty application lets you focus on the content more than the nitty gritties of getting the files published. A great side-effect is that we can now have more than one person editing the content. Anyone with permissions can modify/add to the content and create new webpages within the site. But watch out - it has its own little syntax shortcuts that influence formatting of text or any other content.

Just recently I chanced upon wiki services online and found that one could launch a wiki just as easily as a blog. Or so I thought. The registration was simple enough. But very quickly I have uncovered the challenges.

A wiki is no fun without a bunch of people updating it. And you want this team or group to be as excited about logging in information as you are. ie, despite the learning curve in understanding the formatting of text. For a programmer, this might be trivial but I surely cannot see non-software folks warming to the idea of watching every punctuation mark that gets interpreted as a text formatting cue.

Despite all, I am continuing to give my wiki an honest shot! Documenting my many experiments can get a boost with this. Do check out my Deep Thought Workshop wiki.

Pepper on Paper

2006-08-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

News Flash:
A new pair of socks is in the works. This time it's Knitty's Thuja. I am calling my version 'Pepper on Paper'.

A personal database of patterns and recipes

2006-08-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

I was recently confounded with a serious problem. I needed to organize my patterns and recipes in a database as things were pretty much out of hand. They were all over the place - in books, magazines, in notebooks, on 5 different accounts sitting on 3 different computers and even some residing in my memory, waiting to be documented. A little dire, yeah.

So I put together a wish list for my database:

- centralized so I can access it from anywhere in the world without having to keep separate copies (no installed applications, please.)
- easily searchable
- highly categorized
- picture upload capability
- possibility to include comments in journaling format
- feature that allows emailing of my recipe/pattern at the click of a button

First, I looked up online personal databases for recipes. Kraft Foods has one. FoodTV has another. What I did not fancy was the requirement that I 'submit' my recipe to the message board to be able to add it to my collection. That, or I had a limit to the number of recipes I could collect. In anycase, what about my knitting patterns?

So I contemplated starting a new blog. Which reminded me of another important item for my wishlist:

- restricted access

Blog with authentication was a candidate. I did much research. The issue here? Only TypePad has an authentication service. And it's too expensive for me. Wordpress can be installed and configured for access but what about the domain name and web account I'd need? Much too much overhead.

I slept over this issue and woke up with a solution which I tested out today: Gmail. This is how it'd work: Start a new Gmail account. Write out the pattern/recipe in a new mail and send this to yourself. Upload pictures if you like.

Gmail's response to my wishlist:
+ Great search
+ Easy tagging (using labels and filters),
+ I only need to 'reply' to the main message to include additional comments to the recipe/pattern,
+ thumbprint of uploaded image shows up in the body of the mail. Perfect for recipes and patterns
+ emailing the content out to family/friends is the original intent of Gmail!
+ restricted access is part of the deal

Oh, and the best of all, I can finally make good use of the content-sensitive advertising!

The catch though is that I am not aware of how to export a bunch of mails in a document format so I can create a PDF or e-book of sorts. You see where I'm getting at? A personal printed cookbook or pattern book with my gmail account as source. Wouldn't that be awesome? Any ideas?