Peaceful Knitter

Is this too much yarn to take on a 7 day trip?

I’m going out of town for a week. This is a trip that will afford me plenty of knitting time waiting in airports, on airplanes, ferries, and in cars. One of the clear bags is backup yarn that will be going in my checked bag. The other will go in my carry on bag and contains two projects. You know, in case I finish one before I get to my destination.

While away, I plan on working on simple pieces like hats, neckwarmers, and fingerless gloves to build up an inventory for an upcoming craft fair I will be doing with Nutmeg Knitter. Since I will be selling my wares, it is important to me that the items I sell are original patterns representing my point of view. So along with all that yarn, I am not taking a single pattern or reference book. This is frightening and thrilling at the same time! I will be relying 100% on my own knowledge and creativity, hopefully being inspired by my surroundings and knitting up a storm.

The good news is, if I run out of yarn or project inspiration, there’s a yarn store or two where I’m going…

Have a great time knitting while I’m away!

Here’s one of the projects I used to procrastinate distract me from my Ravelympics socks. This was an extremely fast knit (2 or 3 hours), and the vibrant yarn was a blast to work with. I look at it and think sophisticated clown. Or eccentric Connecticut knitter. Whichever.

• Pattern: An Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
• Yarn: Crystal Palace Iceland in Circus
• Needles: US size 10.5 double points
• Mods: I used much bigger needles and did an extra row of k2tog to get the closure down to 8 stitches before cinching it closed.

Not much else to say, really. I think I am burned out from the push to finish my socks this weekend. My initial plan was to take Sunday off from knitting completely to give my mind and hands a rest. By evening, however, I was feeling that itch to pick up the needles and knit! You can’t slow me down, apparently.

And after I finished this hat, I went right up to my craft room and started a new project. It’s a never ending cycle, this knitting of mine, and I love it!

Big Martha and I took a victory lap just moments ago after I finished the toe on my second sock!

• Pattern: Spring Forward Socks
• Yarn: Shi Bui Knits Sock
• Needles: US size 1 double points
• Mods: I only made 5 gusset decreases and a shorter foot to fit a woman’s size 6.

Ravelympics 2008: check.

You may remember that I am on a mission to collect interesting buttons. It started with making neckwarmers that needed closures, and a desire to add something unique to simple pieces. My small button jar has done the job until now, but I have been wanting a little inspiration.

I found some vintage buttons on etsy that have been fun. But I still wanted a larger influx of materials to work with. I have this fantasy of being able to sink my hand into a deep bin of buttons, fish around a bit, and pull out a treasure every time I need inspiration. It’s really hard to fit my hand into a old apricot jam jar…

A trip to Michael’s today for some Cotton Ease resulted in a side trip down an aisle I have never explored before. I found a company that claims to sell a bag o’ buttons clipped from vintage fashions! For just $4.99 you can pick up a grab bag of buttons.

I have no idea if these buttons are truly from ye olden days or not, but there look to be some fun ones in there.

It was an immensely satisfying moment to rip open the bag and dump all those buttons out into a tin. And then I could start picking through them, looking for hidden treasure. There are metal, plastic, and fabric-covered buttons. Some are singletons, others belong to pairs and sets of multiples. So many possibilities! Here are some of my favorites:

Okay, enough procrastinating. It’s time to refill my drink, find a comfy seat, and get back to knitting those darn socks. Because after writing yesterday’s post, reading all your comments, and talking to people at SnB last night, I feel slightly more motivated to give finishing a try. I guess I do want to go down swinging after all, not just lay there while I get punched in the head, wishing I was somewhere else. (Ha! that’s an Olympic metaphor–I must be feeling better already!)

I wish all of you the best who are in the same boat as me. We have until tomorrow to finish up what we set out to do, and should feel good about whatever we are able to accomplish.

Have a great weekend and knit something fun!

As the Olympics are winding down, so too is my enthusiasm for my Ravelympic knitting project. What started out as a fun, exciting way to participate in an international knit-along has turned into something that feels a lot like homework.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the idea of a knit-along, or even the project I chose. In fact, I had fun sharing my ideas and progress with others at first. I just don’t think I am up to the task of knitting under a deadline, even a self imposed one.

The first week (and sock) was great fun. But as I finished sock one and forced myself to cast on for sock two, I found myself lusting after other projects. I wanted to stay monogamous, but as you can see from my last post, I faltered and fell into bed with some instant gratification knitting. I kept telling myself that when I finished the first sock I could knit a neckwarmer. A little incentive never hurt, right? So I did the neckwarmer, and when I finished I was happy to work on the sock for a little bit.

Then yesterday I didn’t really want to knit on the sock at all. I took it to knit with a friend over coffee and couldn’t focus on it, in part because I was having such a good time chatting, but mainly because I don’t think I care about finishing on time anymore.

So I started a new project. It’s fun, fast, and most importantly it’s not a sock.

The pattern is the Unoriginal Hat by the Yarn Harlot in Crystal Palace Iceland wool.

Something tells me that as soon as the Olympics are over and I’ve finished the hat that I’ll have no problem going back to the sock. This is my rebellious streak coming out, I suppose. That’s something my friend and I were discussing yesterday: what does your relationship with your knitting say about who you are as a person? What does it mean if you are a knitter who enjoys starting multiple projects, or works on one project at a time faithfully? What about those of us who plan out our projects for a long time before casting on versus those of us who spontaneously jump into projects? Are you a monogamous knitter or do you have a harem of projects?

What, if anything, do you think knitting says about your personality? Please share your thoughts on this one; I am dying to know what other knitters and crocheters think!

For now I’ll stick to knitting what makes me happy while pondering the deeper meaning of my knitting habits…

• Pattern: Straw Mat Neckwarmer by Peaceful Knitter!
• Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted Weight Merino in mystery color, one skein
• Needles: Size US 10.5 straight or circular
• Notes: I adapted the star stitch motif* to a horizontal neckwarmer, added a 2-row buttonhole and called it a day! Simple, fast, and so fun to knit.

*Star Stitch Motif Swatch

Using size US 10.5 needles, CO 25 stitches (use a multiple of 4 + 1 stitches to determine number to cast on for desired project. I did 173)

1. Row 1 (RS): Knit.

2. Row 2 (WS): P1, (MS, P1) across

3. Row 3: Knit.

4. Row 4: P3, MS (P1, MS) repeat to the last 3 stitches, P3

5. Repeat these 4 rows until piece is desired width. BO and weave in ends.

MS= Make Star: purl 3stitches together, leaving the stitches on left needle. Wrap the yarn around the right needle once and purl the same 3 stitches together. That’s it

The beauty of this stitch pattern is that you can customize it to create just about anything. You can make a scarf like this one, or a headband like this one. A hat or fingerless gloves would be nice too. So do what I did, and create your own knitting adventure!

I knit until the neckwarmer was half as tall as I wanted it to be (2 inches) and created a button hole that was 4 stitches wide. Then I kept knitting another 2 inches, bound off and it was done. I think it could use a good blocking as the top edge likes to curl up, but other than that I am very happy with it. And I know I don’t need to say this, but the Malabrigo is so very soft against the neck.

Since I had such a great model, and the yarn is so scrumptious, I’ll share another pattern with you right now. This is what I did on Monday when I was tired of working on my Ravelympics socks:

• Pattern: Skipping Stones Neckwarmer by Peaceful Knitter
• Yarn: Malabrigo Bulky in Charrua 259, 104 yards
• Needles: US size 10.5 straight or circular
• Notes: Another super fast, fun stash-busting knit.

Skipping Stones Neckwarmer

Using size 10 1/2 needles, cast on 86 stitches.

1. K1 P1 across

2. P1 K1 across

3. Repeat these 2 rows until your piece measures 1.5 inches. At the beginning of a row, work in seed stitch pattern for 6 stitches, then BO 2 stitches in pattern. Finish row in established pattern.

4. P1 K1 across to bind off, then CO 2 stitches and work in pattern to end.

   (I made three button holes this way, but you could easily adjust the number, location, and size of the buttonholes to suit your taste.)

5. Work in seed stitch another 1.5 rows and repeat row 3 & 4 to create another buttonhole.

6. Work in seed stitch another 1.5 rows and repeat row 3 & 4 to create another buttonhole.

7. Knit in seed stitch until piece measures 4.5 inches wide. BO in pattern and weave in ends. Add buttons to coordinate with where you created buttonholes and enjoy!

Please note that I have posted these patterns straight from my notes, having knit them only once. If you discover an error or something that needs clarification, please email me and I will work to make the pattern better.

A special thanks to Sweetie, who insists she doesn’t have the training for such rigorous modeling work.

I disagree.

This weekend’s knitting brought me across the halfway line with my Ravelympics Project.

After turning the heel I discovered that my gauge was a bit small to fit my foot. You know the story: turn the heel, get excited, try the sock on your foot to see how it looks. Well, I couldn’t seem to get the sock over my heel… had this not been a project motivated by outside factors, I probably would have set it aside, pouted for a while, and ripped it all out later. But I want to finish these socks!

So I made the decision that they would be gifted to my sister-not-quite-in -law who has wee size 6 feet. This is a benefit in 2 ways: first, I don’t have to frog, and therefore this is not a setback at all. Second, the sock will be finished faster since it will be shorter than what I would have made for the size 9.5 feet in my house. It’s a win win!

To celebrate and give myself a break from tiny sock needles, I cast on a neck warmer in bulky Malabrigo. It’s a simple seed stitch motif and will have three buttons.

This is one of severaI original designs I have in the works. I am knitting and writing as I go, then knitting again from my notes and editing the pattern. The design and test knitting process is interesting and educational at the same time. I have a whole new appreciation for the work and attention to detail that goes into designing and pattern writing.

My first pair of mittens are complete! As you can see, the pointy thumb situation has been remedied. These will be a size small/children’s pair; I just need to work out the numbers for larger sizes, and then I will put the pattern up.

And finally, my sweetie is back from her Adventure Week out in Oregon. There was surfing, camping, and mountain climbing, but she still found time to bring me back a meaningful souvenir.

Time to get back to the knitting!

My sister is in town this week, and we have been having so much fun! There have been all the sisterly activities we enjoy together: shopping, sharing the bathroom in the mornings, watching silly tv while knitting… it has been such a pleasure having her around and getting her all to myself!

Last night we were invited to a little cocktail party in the city. At first, I felt a little awkward, so I found some other antisocial people hiding out under the stairs, and I joined them.

Thank goodness I had some knitting with me to take the edge off my nerves. Sharon and Ozzy didn’t seem too impressed by it, though. While hiding in the shadows, I noticed George Clooney sitting across the room. I wanted to go over and talk to him, but I was still feeling pretty introverted. I begged my sister to ask him if we could join him at his table.

He said we were welcome anytime, so I casually meandered over there. I don’t know what got into me: I asked if he would hold my sock in progress for a picture! What a gentleman…

Is it just me, or does he look a bit stiff and uncomfortable holding my knitting? It got a little awkward after that, so I decided to get up and mingle. The sock was a great icebreaker, and I used it to get close to a couple other celebrities.

Whoopi was very approachable and easy to talk to. She was interested in my knitting, and asked to see it up close. She commented that my gauge seemed a little bit off from the pattern, but that it otherwise looked good. I had to explain to her that I am working under the Ravelympics deadline and don’t have the time to rip it out and start over. After assuring her that I would use larger needles if I ever make this pattern again, she seemed satisfied.

Then the strangest thing happened: all the members of the Spice Girls showed up looking exactly like they did in the 90s. I heard they were going on tour, but I didn’t realize it was a retro act. They were still a lot of fun, though!

Looks like Scary Spice is going to crush my knitting with her bare hands, doesn’t it? Fortunately I got it back unharmed.

Just as we were getting ready to leave, a VIP guest arrived. This girl has been stalking me lately I swear; whether I’m watching television, listening to the radio, or shopping for toilet paper at BJs, there she is. You know who I’m talking about, I’m sure. Especially if you have a daughter under the age of 18…

What happened next could not be helped. It was like someone else took over my body, rushed up to her and did terrible things. Funny thing is, it didn’t bother her a bit. Strange…

We had a seriously fun time exploring Madame Tussaud’s wax museum in New York. If you have the opportunity to go to one of these, or you just need a good laugh, it’s definitely worth the trip. I thought I would be nonplussed about the whole thing, but something came over me and I had a playful, joyous time. Shouldn’t we all have more days like this?

It has been a pleasant and productive weekend so far, full of newness and creativity.

On Friday my Sweetie left town to go climb mountains, surf, and generally be outdoorsy with her sister in Oregon. While I was sad to see her go, there’s something about having the house to myself that inspires my creative side. There are a couple of projects to do, as there always are when you’re new homeowners, and I decided to tackle a couple of the more fun tasks.

1. Setting up my new aquarium! I am an amateur fish-keeper, and with the spaciousness of our new house and an economic stimulus package check in hand, I decided to upgrade. I have had the empty tank sitting in the dining room for a couple of months, waiting for the wall situation to be handled. There were something like 4 layers of wall paper to scrape, then patch and paint. Well, the walls and patched, and about a week and a half ago I got to fill the tank with water. I let it cycle, adding bacteria and water from my old tank to dirty it up a bit. After testing the water and getting the go ahead from the fish store, I moved my fish into their new 45-gallon luxury habitat.

It turns out that it’s really difficult to get a good picture of fish swimming through the glass walls. I tried; I wanted to show how happy they are, swimming around their new digs. I am especially pleased that some of them have taken a liking to the sunken ship in the corner; I love it when the fish swim in and around the decorative features!

2. Friday night I cast on my socks for the Ravelympics. I was a little distracted trying to watch the amazing opening ceremonies (seriously-a quarter mile long screen on the arena ceiling?), but managed to get a good start. Then yesterday I got off a few stitches in the pattern and had to tink back about 4 rows. here’s where I am as of today:

I am really enjoying this pattern so far. It looks way more complicated than it actually is, which is always a plus when trying to knit something on a deadline!

3. Yesterday morning our new couch arrived! We purchased it almost 2 weeks ago, and the wait was excruciating. It was probably good to have such a sense of anticipation in this instant gratification world, and it was definitely worth the wait. Everyone loves it.

Now I’m off to knitting group to see how much I can get done on the sock today. I am an excited girl today, eagerly awaiting the arrival of my sister this afternoon! I get her to myself for a whole week, and we have plans to shop, knit, eat good food, and generally enjoy each others company.

What have you been up to this weekend? Any other Ravelympians out there?

Needles?

Check

Yarn?

Check

Pattern?

Check

I am officially ready for the 2008 summer Olympics to begin. Yarn in hand, I will join thousands of international athletes competing for personal knitting glory! My goal: finish a pair of socks in 17 days.

Will you be watching the opening ceremonies tonight? Will you be knitting while you do it? Then you are an Olympic knitter! Some things to consider before casting on:

• Stretch. It is important to properly stretch your muscles (mental and physical) before competition begins. It would be a shame to get all the way to the Olympics and experience a set back due to hand cramping or improper reading of the pattern. Be sure to put the knitting down between events to stretch your hands, shoulders, neck and arms.
• Proper refreshments. Depending on climate, be sure to have plenty of rejuvenating (caffeinated) beverages on hand. It may also be necessary to refuel frequently with nourishing items such as popcorn, cookies, ice cream fresh vegetables and whole grains.
• Comfortable seating. Change position at regular intervals to prevent muscle cramping. Provide yourself with adequate back and leg support.
• Minimize interruptions. No one calls an Olympian on the phone while they’re competing. No one runs alongside during the 100 meter dash asking to be fed, played with, or loved. If at all possible, send your significant others out of town for the next 17 days so that you may focus completely on your goal.
• Surround yourself with other athletes. No one understands what you’re going through like another competitor. Attend your knitting group, get together with other knitters one on one, troll your favorite blogs and websites looking for tips, advice, and anecdotes.
• Have fun! While this is a competition, it is meant to be a whole lot of knitting fun. So don’t take yourself too seriously along the way. Stay flexible with your plans and don’t push yourself to extremes. Challenge yourself kindly and with permission to shift your goals and expectations along the way.

Have a great weekend, everyone!