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!!! :)
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
All set for a ski trip
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
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.
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.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
It's raining.. It's raining patterns!!
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!
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!
Saturday, February 03, 2007
The Man had his birthday
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? ;)
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? ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)