August 27, 2007
Endless gray
Believe it or not, I'm still working on the knit elephant for my nephew's birthday.
It has been decades, miles, galaxies and ages of gray stockinette.
I forget to see in color when I'm done working on it.
Don't get me wrong, it is really adorable now that I have the head and body attached and stuffed. But as a little distraction, I am working on a pair of socks for the dude.
The Jawoll Jacquard I'm using has the little spool of reinforcement yarn inside and it's self patterning just like the yarn! Someone with incredible attention to detail thought that up. But it may disturb them to know that I did not match up the pattern when I held the two together.
Anarchy!
It has been decades, miles, galaxies and ages of gray stockinette.
I forget to see in color when I'm done working on it.
Don't get me wrong, it is really adorable now that I have the head and body attached and stuffed. But as a little distraction, I am working on a pair of socks for the dude.
The Jawoll Jacquard I'm using has the little spool of reinforcement yarn inside and it's self patterning just like the yarn! Someone with incredible attention to detail thought that up. But it may disturb them to know that I did not match up the pattern when I held the two together.
Anarchy!
August 18, 2007
Bigger Family
There are two additions to my family this week, can you believe it? Any occasion is an excuse for new handmade gifts, I say.
Today my bro and sis-in-law arrive home from Ethiopia with my new nephew. I can only imagine how crizazay their house will be today when they arrive after 24 hours of traveling to a house with three kids and my mom.
Nibling #7 is already about six years old so no little baby hats or booties to knit. I was thinking of knitting him a hoodie or socks or maybe whipping up a quilt, but quilts are Mom's territory. I will probably go meet him within a month, so socks seem more possible.
And then my new bro-in-law is getting married this week so I'll have another sis-in-law! Fortunately, I got to see her house and decorating style this summer so I knew exactly what I wanted to make for the handmade part of their wedding present.
Please excuse the horrible cell pic. It's a brilliant copper, light green and emerald green--I'll try to take a better pic tonight. I crocheted another of these silk-strip baskets in December. The crocheting takes no time at all, but cutting and joining the silk strips is a pain in the ass. But since I have yards and yards of silk sitting around, I thought it would be a fun experiment.
When Karen saw the hank of silk strips last weekend, she asked how I control the fraying edges. They are somewhat controlled by the crochet stitches capturing the loose strands and you can give it a haircut when it's finished. But for the most part you let them be.
Speaking of Karen, I can't fail to mention what a sweetheart she is! I visited her last weekend and she insisted that I take home a bunch of groovy sock yarn. A fabulous green and a tropical orange for myself and some manly charcoal for the dude. They are all neat brands or indies that I have never knit with before--should be a treat! Three guesses what my next project will be, haha!
Today my bro and sis-in-law arrive home from Ethiopia with my new nephew. I can only imagine how crizazay their house will be today when they arrive after 24 hours of traveling to a house with three kids and my mom.
Nibling #7 is already about six years old so no little baby hats or booties to knit. I was thinking of knitting him a hoodie or socks or maybe whipping up a quilt, but quilts are Mom's territory. I will probably go meet him within a month, so socks seem more possible.
And then my new bro-in-law is getting married this week so I'll have another sis-in-law! Fortunately, I got to see her house and decorating style this summer so I knew exactly what I wanted to make for the handmade part of their wedding present.
Please excuse the horrible cell pic. It's a brilliant copper, light green and emerald green--I'll try to take a better pic tonight. I crocheted another of these silk-strip baskets in December. The crocheting takes no time at all, but cutting and joining the silk strips is a pain in the ass. But since I have yards and yards of silk sitting around, I thought it would be a fun experiment.
When Karen saw the hank of silk strips last weekend, she asked how I control the fraying edges. They are somewhat controlled by the crochet stitches capturing the loose strands and you can give it a haircut when it's finished. But for the most part you let them be.
Speaking of Karen, I can't fail to mention what a sweetheart she is! I visited her last weekend and she insisted that I take home a bunch of groovy sock yarn. A fabulous green and a tropical orange for myself and some manly charcoal for the dude. They are all neat brands or indies that I have never knit with before--should be a treat! Three guesses what my next project will be, haha!
Labels: FOs
August 17, 2007
Knitters on the #9
Even with extensive construction and the threat of rate hikes and route cuts, I still prefer the CTA to any other mode of transport. Call me crazy! I am attempting to master the bus routes and my favorite is the #9. Not just because it's my "home" route and it goes everywhere, but also because that's where I've spotted the most knitters in the city.
This just solidifies my theory that the #9 is cool. A couple days ago there was a girl knitting what I assumed to be a sock cuff on dpns with double strands of a green yarn. Hey, was that you? Gimme a shout out!
A couple weeks ago I chatted with a lady knitting a tank from a cotton blend. I forget the brand, but I remember it was something I couldn't afford. Maybe she spent all her money on the yarn and that's why she was taking the bus? Completely rational if you ask me.
Oh, and another reason I like the bus? If anyone out there is keeping score of how many bikes I've had stolen since I moved to Chicago...the count is now TWO.
This just solidifies my theory that the #9 is cool. A couple days ago there was a girl knitting what I assumed to be a sock cuff on dpns with double strands of a green yarn. Hey, was that you? Gimme a shout out!
A couple weeks ago I chatted with a lady knitting a tank from a cotton blend. I forget the brand, but I remember it was something I couldn't afford. Maybe she spent all her money on the yarn and that's why she was taking the bus? Completely rational if you ask me.
Oh, and another reason I like the bus? If anyone out there is keeping score of how many bikes I've had stolen since I moved to Chicago...the count is now TWO.
Labels: wips
August 10, 2007
Sunshine in my eyes
When I was four or five years old, I watched John Denver and Kermit the Frog sing "Sunshine in my Eyes" but Kermit's version said that it made him sneeze, not happy. Now that's the only way I can hear or sing that song. And there you have a portion of my brain that has been unavailable for any useful information for twenty-five years.
My awesome new hat keeps the sunshine out of my eyes in classic Laura style--colorfully. The best part is that the yummy cotton yarn was a gift from a friend, so I was thinking of her the whole time I knit the hat! She can also appreciate a nice shade-providing hat. The pattern is from Knit.1's Spring '07 issue--I'll have to get back to you on the yarn.
This pic was taken on my back deck and you can just barely see some of my flowers. I need a decent chair out there and then it would be the perfect spot to knit. What summery things have you knit recently?
My awesome new hat keeps the sunshine out of my eyes in classic Laura style--colorfully. The best part is that the yummy cotton yarn was a gift from a friend, so I was thinking of her the whole time I knit the hat! She can also appreciate a nice shade-providing hat. The pattern is from Knit.1's Spring '07 issue--I'll have to get back to you on the yarn.
This pic was taken on my back deck and you can just barely see some of my flowers. I need a decent chair out there and then it would be the perfect spot to knit. What summery things have you knit recently?
Labels: FOs
August 06, 2007
Mosaic
I'm rather pathetic. I haven't visited many yarn shops since I moved to Chicago--maybe two. Isn't that the first thing a good knitter does when they are in a new area? I checked out more yarn shops before I moved here than I have since.
Well, yesterday I was out in the suburbs and I stopped by Mosaic Yarn Studio. While it's by no means near me and I couldn't consider it my "local" yarn shop, it is very easily accessible by Metra. It's a pleasant, sunny store with a lot of room and a huge class area.
The ladies there have written their own line of patterns and I picked up the Norwegiean Riviera sweater pattern. I didn't find the yarn I was looking for, but that doesn't mean I didn't get any. :) I finally treated myself to some Koigu in a bright purple.
That was pretty much the highlight of my weekend, followed closely by getting a new vacuum. It sucks, haha, which is more than I can say about the old one. Have you visited all the yarn shops in your hometown?
Well, yesterday I was out in the suburbs and I stopped by Mosaic Yarn Studio. While it's by no means near me and I couldn't consider it my "local" yarn shop, it is very easily accessible by Metra. It's a pleasant, sunny store with a lot of room and a huge class area.
The ladies there have written their own line of patterns and I picked up the Norwegiean Riviera sweater pattern. I didn't find the yarn I was looking for, but that doesn't mean I didn't get any. :) I finally treated myself to some Koigu in a bright purple.
That was pretty much the highlight of my weekend, followed closely by getting a new vacuum. It sucks, haha, which is more than I can say about the old one. Have you visited all the yarn shops in your hometown?
