Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Ripper Returns

I plan to make this a (well not exactly plan) sequential blog. I'm sure, just like any, there will be a bad sequel after this. But for now I leave you with this horror...

I love Sockpixie's Le Petit Trianon baby sweater. The first one I made was with the Bernat Cashmere blend (5% Cashmere lol) in a charcoal gray. When the heck does a baby were charcoal gray??? Ripped back and made into the Cashmere Hat.

My second attempt went much better. I made it from the Bernat baby 1lb yarn in blue. Instead of the ribbon opening though I used buttons. However, it was a baby shower gift and no pictures are available to prove I was succesful.

In my last attempt I was inspired by a yarn I saw and purchased in my last yarn binge. The Karabella Forresta. Very pretty brights and subdued vintage colors. When I saw it I knew that I would love to knit this particular pattern with it.

Now the horrific part...

I somehow casted on 100 stitches instead of 90!!! Aaaand Im already into the decreases of the sweater!!! AAAAAaaargh!!! So I have to rip out the whooooole sweater!! And to make matters worse I use a stitch marker at every 10 stitches so as to not lose count. How the heck could I mess this up?? I wondered how I was already into my 3rd ball of yarn. Duh!!


It's not like it took me that long to knit. It's bulky yarn on 10 1/2 US needles. I didnt like the gauge either, it's to tight. So now I am going to rip back and re- start with bigger needles and fix that also.

From This To this Back to this

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Stashed Up

I am participating in LAL (Learn Along) from the Knitcents Podcast and Ravelry group. Basically, you have to learn something new. Even better if it helps you save money, save the environment, and any other which way you can figure out. Here was my post the LAL thread:

"Ok here is my contest entry

Non-knitting

I learned how to use dish soap, salt, vinegar, and baking soda to clean lots of things:

  • For the bathtub I plug the drain then pour some baking soda all over then the vinegar. I let the fizzing do the work for a little while. I then pour some salt and start scrubbing with a brush. The vinegar and baking soda disinfect and whiten. The salt adds a lot of friction and super cleans the tub. To finish I boil some water (pleeeeeeease be careful) and pour over the tub. All the grime and oil comes right off better then any fume ridden chemical for the bathroom. Saves you money and you save the ozone layer!!! Double win!!! You can also use for the toilet.
  • In a spray bottle mix 1 cup vinegar, 1tbls dish soap, and then fill the rest with water serves as a great glass cleaner and counter disinfectant. Save more money!!!!

Knitting:

I'm stash busting since I've spent too much money on yarn. Here is how:

Since summer is coming and I’ve been seeing a lot of moths and critters lately I have decided to Ziploc all my natural fibers. Don’t want a perfectly good ball of wool or alpaca to go to waste.

And to stash bust I have decided to make each bag a kit by putting all the yarn together and adding a pattern in the bag. So next time I want to start something new all I have to do is pick up a Ziploc bag and start casting on!!

Hope these tips are helpful!!"


The bathtub one I couldn't try. For some reason here in Tijuana (or most of Mexico) people don't have bathtubs, just showers. But I did use it on my friends tub lol. It worked really well!! I unfortunately didn't take pictures but it was so pretty and white. The vinegar and baking sodas fizziness disinfected (reminded me of the volcano in grade school lol). You could feel the salt really working as you scrubbed. The boiling water just melted all that grime and junk and as a plus the boiling water helps the drain from clogging up. It must have felt so nice to shower in it afterwords.

I did get a bottle and made the cleaning mix with vinegar. I just it on my giant glass coffee table and no streaks. Nice and clean. You could smell the vinegar but it went away right away. That and I looooove to light my scented candles after I clean.

For my knitting project

I have finally organized my stash!!! It's nice and pretty. I decided to "photograph" and put it all up in my Ravelry Stash. The reason I put photograph in quotations is cause I used my cell cam to do the job. I still haven't gotten around to getting a digital camera. It worked though and as long as something can do the job I need it to do I rather save the money to add to my stash (oh wait I didn't say that. Trying to de-stash). I even took all my skeins to my LYS and got them all wound into balls (all except for one straggler that got away, and thanks for the help Kathy!!!) so now I can't get discouraged on using yarn from my stash due to unwound yarn.

Anyways, it's all up. Now I have to start picking some patterns out. I had already picked out some patterns for some of my newer yarns and I wrote about it in my Confession blog entry. It was me trying justify my impulsiveness, but it's helpful now.

I went out yesterday and bought the Jumbo Ziploc bags and even XL bags. The jumbo ones are actually Hefty brand but it works just as well. I also splurged on a set of mini speakers for my Ipod to listen to podcasts as I'm getting these kits together. I hope it will help me stay focused and get the job done. Here some pics of my organized stash:





Now I'm off to find patterns and start getting those kits together!!! After I have breakfast...

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Alive!!

So I was super sick last week!! I was at work on Monday but towards the end of my shift I kinda felt funny. By the time I got home I was not feeling well at all. I was knocked out for 2 whole days!! That Tuesday though I went to the Dr. thinking I had the mumps (I had a swollen cheek). Turns out it was my parotid gland (random) got swollen and infected. I had a 100.7 temp when I was at the Dr.'s office. Not good. I got some antibiotics and felt better to get back to work on Thursday but this parotid gland is still swollen. Got a CT scan (also an ultrasound) to make sure my salivary glands were clear (no stones to block them). So random are ailments but no mumps. Whew.

So because I felt so sick I really didn't knit much. Yes, I was that sick. I would start a row and start falling asleep. I mean my soccer team was playing and I didn't even get excited that they won!! That sick. Anyways woo to me lol. Back to actual knitting...

I did finally finish my 2fers!!! Yay!!! I just need 2 more rows of ribbing and bind off. They are sooo pretty and well worth the effort. Two Socks!! Still really stoked about that.



Yarn: Karabella Aurora 4 in coral ( it says DK/sport but I say more fingering)
Needles: Susan Bates US2 32'' circulars
Pattern: Don't Box Me In


Also I will be adding all the podcasts I listen to in my sidebar. I started listening to more and now I'm super hooked. I listen to them in the morning rather than my usual radio show. I've now started to listen to Knitmore Girls and Stitch it!!. Ill add links in the sidebar.

I want to also start some kind of progress bar or icon for my Sock Summit 2011 goal. I have never been to any kind of yarn or fiber festival. And recently I have been listening to all these podcasters rave about Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. So I have decided on an X amount of money that I would need to cover the trip, room, and spending. I want to keep track and maybe inspire others to do the same. Maybe even get some people together to share a room and have extra money to spend?? ;) Just a though.

Will be blogging a lil' bit more now that Im up and about. Now to get to binding off those socks...


FYI

All finished!! So pretty


Sunday, May 09, 2010

In progress

I have now finished my Lemony Blues scarf and is all nice and prettily blocked. It's wrapped in tissue and ready for it's recipient to wear. I'm sooo excited. Now on the other hand, my 2fer socks have been very naughty. Not naughty in a sexy way but naughty to the point of me wanting to rip them all out and just re-stashing this yarn until I decided what to do with it.

I guess I shouldn't be to hard on these socks since I am the one who's knitting them. The major trouble is that I can't seem to get past the 2nd 1/2 of the pattern repeat (which is right after I finished the heel) I have ripped back those 4 rows so many times I'm scare my yarn won't hold up much once I start wearing them. The YO and SSK are falling right at the end of the turns. I keep forgetting that the YO are actual stitches. I have even considered just finishing on DPN's. However, I can't find my US2 Crystal Palace set that I'm sure I bought 40% off a while back. I swear I bought size US 1, 2, & 3 but I can only find the 1's and 3's. Head scratcher.

Anyways, today is the make it or break it day. I am going to count the stitches and have a certain amount on the first 1/2 so that I have to knit about 2 or 3 stitches before each turn and no YO or SSK or K2tog are at the ends :crossing fingers so it works: .


Until then this is all I am really thinking about. I have other projects in the noggin' but these socks are taking up all my time right now until I can get them figured. I'm soo close!!!

Monday, May 03, 2010

My Fave Knitting Podcasts

I felt a need to blog about my new addiction in the knitting world. Knitting Podcasts!!! What better way to spend your time as your knitting than listening to other knitters talk about knitting or watching knitters showing you about knitting in podcasts!!

The very first one I came across after I realized there could be such a thing as knitting podcasts was: Letsknit2gether with CAT and edited by her husband Eric. This is a well made video podcast and it's just like watching a knitting show only they're a bit shorter. It was through her I discovered all the awesome fiber festivals like Rhinebeck and the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. She takes us on her fiber trips showing us awesome fibers, yarns, competitions, and so much more. She also has awesome tutorials and shows us all about felting, illusion knitting, and even jewelry knitting amongst so many other things. I also learned about Qiviut yarn, I watch this episode from time to time just so I can drool over the cone of Qiviut she shows us. I definitely recommend this as a must watch.

It took me a while to find another knitting podcast I took a liking to since seeing all the things someone is talking about is much better than listening to it. However I recently discovered Fiber Beat with Wonder Mike. Normally this is a audio podcast but about once a month he will release a video podcast which is very fun to watch. I've enjoyed the Cookie A interview, watching a spinner be super creative with her yarn spinning, along with tutorials.

I recently started listening to my first, all audio, knitting podcast: KnitCents with Rachel. Love her! I've only listened to a few episodes but I love her soft spoken voice and anything I hear about I can see on her KnitCents Blog. She has many money saving tips, awesome yarn reviews, and many great knit-alongs with fab prizes!! I can't wait to start participating since I only just started listening.

There are sooo many more out there that are yet to be discovered. You can find many by searching "knitting" in the podcast section of Itunes. Enjoy!!!

Saturday, May 01, 2010

This Is My Confession

My LYS Border Leather (which is a 1/2 and 1/2 leather and yarn store) was having a super sale and I just couldn't resist. Had to buy the rest of my Berroco Jasper in Capao Bonito for my Central Park Hoodie!!! I finally have all the yarn!!! Im so excited and hope to finish for this coming winter. This is the first project that is planned for myself and the yarns feel and color is just so beautiful I just knew it was meant for this project. I'll buy the pattern Friday and start beginning June.

I also bought some Addi's (who could resist those) and some other miscellaneous yarn:

Needless to say I felt a little (just a little) guilty. I think my hand shook a little as I handed over the cash (I think Kathy may have noticed LOL). But in my defense it was yarn I was gonna buy anyways, I just happen to buy it all at once (that's what I'll keep telling myself). Ill just refrain from buying for a month or so. All these projects should keep me busy anyways. Here are some pics of my new stash additions. Welcome to the family!!