Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
I have been waiting FOREVER to post this!!!
My dear friend had her second baby girl recently, and I knit this for her:
It's a pinwheel baby blanket. I knit it in Cotton Tots, and added a picot bind-off to the pattern. A close-up of the bind-off:
I think Cotton Tots is my new favorite, second to Patons Merino. CT is super-soft, and truly machine washable AND dryable, which I did not find was the case with most cottons from the LYS. Plus, they all cost a buttload, and homie don't play that. They actually sell Cotton Tots at the LYS, but for a ton more than at Michael's. Yeah, I know, I don't need the "shop locally" lecture. They are so mean and unhelpful at the LYS here, I'd rather give my money to Michael's anyday. I won't shop locally if it means keeping businesses with bad customer service alive.
In other news, I am taking tomorrow off of work to spend the day with my hubbie, as it is his spring break. I have a ton of personal leave saved up, and have been working my arse off, @ work and studying for the ARE, with no break. So, it's about time for a mini-vacation. We spent the evening searching the MLS. Man! Houses are getting cheap here! And in good areas, too! SO exciting! We're saving up for a down payment, but I think the dream may become a reality sooner than we think!
It's a pinwheel baby blanket. I knit it in Cotton Tots, and added a picot bind-off to the pattern. A close-up of the bind-off:
I think Cotton Tots is my new favorite, second to Patons Merino. CT is super-soft, and truly machine washable AND dryable, which I did not find was the case with most cottons from the LYS. Plus, they all cost a buttload, and homie don't play that. They actually sell Cotton Tots at the LYS, but for a ton more than at Michael's. Yeah, I know, I don't need the "shop locally" lecture. They are so mean and unhelpful at the LYS here, I'd rather give my money to Michael's anyday. I won't shop locally if it means keeping businesses with bad customer service alive.
In other news, I am taking tomorrow off of work to spend the day with my hubbie, as it is his spring break. I have a ton of personal leave saved up, and have been working my arse off, @ work and studying for the ARE, with no break. So, it's about time for a mini-vacation. We spent the evening searching the MLS. Man! Houses are getting cheap here! And in good areas, too! SO exciting! We're saving up for a down payment, but I think the dream may become a reality sooner than we think!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
You knit WTF?
I saw this story on the Drudge Report today. Wow. That is so messed up. Knitting with dog fur? I don't even want to know what the sweater smells like when these old people work up a sweat.
When we were on our honeymoon last summer, I stopped in a little yarn shop in Colorado one morning. The owner also ran a dog grooming business out of the old house, and she was grooming some big fluffy dog when I came in to browse around. I joked that she could harvest her wool in one business and sell it in the other. Her eyes lit up, and she pointed with her brush to a fluffy white knitted hat, and said, "See that hat over there? It's Samoyed! I got it from my dog!". I thought knitting with dog fur was limited to one eccentric old lady in rural Colorado, but apparently, I was wrong.
When we were on our honeymoon last summer, I stopped in a little yarn shop in Colorado one morning. The owner also ran a dog grooming business out of the old house, and she was grooming some big fluffy dog when I came in to browse around. I joked that she could harvest her wool in one business and sell it in the other. Her eyes lit up, and she pointed with her brush to a fluffy white knitted hat, and said, "See that hat over there? It's Samoyed! I got it from my dog!". I thought knitting with dog fur was limited to one eccentric old lady in rural Colorado, but apparently, I was wrong.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Stashbusting
In an effort to save some dough, I am doing some knitting from my stash. I typically don't stock up on yarn without a project in mind, but this sock yarn was on sale a few years ago online ($4.50 a ball!!!!), but it had not yet decided what it wanted to be until recently.
The pattern is Crossover Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks. It is hard to find interesting patterns for such a variegated yarn that doesn't really have stripey repeats.
In other news, Hugo is recovering from us having people over last night. He had a hard time. He was really crabby, but he refused to leave the room, like he wanted to hang out, but doesn't yet know how to not freak out.
And a funny picture of Ginger. This is how she spends most of her time - flopped out in whatever sunny patch she can find.
The pattern is Crossover Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks. It is hard to find interesting patterns for such a variegated yarn that doesn't really have stripey repeats.
In other news, Hugo is recovering from us having people over last night. He had a hard time. He was really crabby, but he refused to leave the room, like he wanted to hang out, but doesn't yet know how to not freak out.
And a funny picture of Ginger. This is how she spends most of her time - flopped out in whatever sunny patch she can find.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Saturday Night's Alright for Knitting
I FINALLY finished the socks in Tofutsies that I started many moons ago. I finished them up last night while we were watching The Searchers, a great movie. I love old westerns, and I especially love that there are so many you can watch on-demand from Netflix. And what I love most is that I have such a nerdy husband that he hooked our boob tube up to a computer and we can watch the movies in our living room and not in office chairs around the monitor in his office. He's my modern caveman.
Back to the socks. I was a little wary, as the yarn did not knit up incredibly soft, but after a trip through the washer and dryer, they are nice and soft. I will never buy sock yarn that can't be thrown in the washing machine. These socks are definitely not as warm as wool ones, these are for warmer days.
Ginger needed to inspect them. They do meet her exacting standards. Despite the gusset on one being longer than the other. Which doesn't bother me like different lengths of the cuff would. And apparently doesn't bother her either.
And then she needed to inspect the camera. Good thing we have her to keep an eye on things.
In other news, I HATE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS!!!!!!!! HATE it! It is the stupidest, most antiquated idea, and I have yet to see any hard, scientific proof that in the sunlight-drenched state of New Mexico, it actually saves any energy. If someone can show me proof, I will eat my words. Except for the vowels. Arizona knows what's up. They don't change their clocks twice a year like us idiots next door. I hate losing an hour of my day every spring. And no, gaining an hour in the fall does not make up for it, especially considering I spent my extra hour this past year waiting on the side of the road for a tow truck to come pick us up and didn't get home that night until 1:00 AM. Grr.
What's next on the needles? Well, I still have that giant piece of stockinette to finish up that will soon become a shibori felted pillow cover, but that is really boring knitting. So, I am starting another pair of socks, this time in Regia bamboo. I'm excited to do more summer knitting, and I need to knit from my stash to save some money, so more socks it is!
Back to the socks. I was a little wary, as the yarn did not knit up incredibly soft, but after a trip through the washer and dryer, they are nice and soft. I will never buy sock yarn that can't be thrown in the washing machine. These socks are definitely not as warm as wool ones, these are for warmer days.
Ginger needed to inspect them. They do meet her exacting standards. Despite the gusset on one being longer than the other. Which doesn't bother me like different lengths of the cuff would. And apparently doesn't bother her either.
And then she needed to inspect the camera. Good thing we have her to keep an eye on things.
In other news, I HATE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS!!!!!!!! HATE it! It is the stupidest, most antiquated idea, and I have yet to see any hard, scientific proof that in the sunlight-drenched state of New Mexico, it actually saves any energy. If someone can show me proof, I will eat my words. Except for the vowels. Arizona knows what's up. They don't change their clocks twice a year like us idiots next door. I hate losing an hour of my day every spring. And no, gaining an hour in the fall does not make up for it, especially considering I spent my extra hour this past year waiting on the side of the road for a tow truck to come pick us up and didn't get home that night until 1:00 AM. Grr.
What's next on the needles? Well, I still have that giant piece of stockinette to finish up that will soon become a shibori felted pillow cover, but that is really boring knitting. So, I am starting another pair of socks, this time in Regia bamboo. I'm excited to do more summer knitting, and I need to knit from my stash to save some money, so more socks it is!
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