Under the wire

I’m only posting because I’ve made it 25 days, and I’m going to finish out the month, but I’m too tired to write a real post. The short story–visited both babies yesterday; had lunch today with my much-missed former coworker visiting from Georgia; spent the rest of the day at the hospital with a friend.

I’m cross-posting this with my Polgara blog, because I’m too tired to write a real post for that blog, either.

Oh, but one last thing–Lion Brand Suede works much better crocheted than knitted. That is all.

Categories
Miscellaneous

Yarn torture, brought to you by Lion

Ok, who thought Lion Brand Suede was a good idea?  Omigod, is that a pain in the ass to work with!  The lack of give combined with the “stickiness” makes it one of the worst yarns I’ve ever worked with.  Plus, despite the name, I can’t help thinking it’s gonna worm just like chenille.  Joy.

Sadly, it’s the only yarn I have in my stash that is the color I need for a requested project, and I’m trying really hard not to buy more yarn this year, so I’m stuck with it.  I spent three hours knitting it up yesterday before deciding the stitch count wasn’t working, so I frogged it.  It’s sitting there on the table, daring me to try again.  Stupid yarn. At least it’s soft.

Categories
Knitting and Crochet Shopping

Let the Christmas season begin!

The tree is up and decorated, I’ve downloaded new (to me) Christmas music from iTunes, and I bought some of my first presents from the Black Friday online sales–the season has officially begun!

My holiday knitting is coming along nicely, although I ran into a glitch with the beaded Booga Bag–not enough yarn.  Curses! I always forget how very much yarn BBs use.  For the next one I’ll definitely be cutting back on the stitches, probably about 20% to start.  For now, I either have to hit a Michael’s for another ball of mustard Patons (*shudder*), or make the top third brown.  The second option would be my first choice, except the beads make it more complicated.  I don’t think the change in color will work with the beads, so until I can think of a third option that doesn’t require me going to a craft store during the holidays (*shudder*), I’ve put that bag aside and started on another Pink Lady bag, this time in purple and blue.  I started it yesterday, and worked on it a bit after dinner while chilling with my friends, so it’s already half done–yay!

In non-bag knitting news, I’ve had some requests from family and friends that I’ll need to squeeze in, perhaps after I finish this latest bag. And I have to start felting soon, as well. Must procure more zippered pillowcases so I can do as many as possible in the same cycles, and save myself some quarters.

That’s it for today–happy shopping!

Categories
Knitting and Crochet

Busy little knitting bee

WIP: Little Coco
WIP: Little Coco
(waiting for felting)
It’s a fuzzy picture, but check out the cool stitch pattern on the bottom of the bag.
WIP: Pink Lady Bag
WIP: Pink Lady Bag
(top left; bottom is knit)

I finished bag #5 last night, and immediately started bag #6, this time using Lion Brand’s feltable wool.  I’m using the same pattern that I used for my very first felted bag three years ago, which I conveniently found when I was cleaning my bedroom last week.  It’s call the Pink Lady Bag from Designs by Shelley, and it’s very easy, although it does involve the kitchener stitch to seam the handle. The Lion Brand is about 50 yards shorter than the listed required yardage, but I was in the mood to do something variegated, so while I’m hoping the 200 yards was just optimistic, I’m double-stranding two different colors (one purple, one variegated) just in case–since I bought two of everything at Michael’s last week, that gives me two sets of the mix.

I’m really enjoying this whole “cranking out as many bags as I can” strategy–takes the indecision out of my next project, which is what frequently stalls me out when I finish a project. With so many incredible patterns and yarns to choose from, I can never decide what to do next! I’m getting a little tired of the Booga/Little Coco type bags, though, and while I adore the Balloon bag pattern, it requires stitching the handles before felting, which I hate doing.  Hopefully this Pink Lady Bag is as easy as I remember, so I can get a few under my belt before going back to one of the other patterns.

Categories
Knitting and Crochet

I has pictures, let me show you them!

It feels like forever since I posted (recent) pictures, but it’s true! I downloaded them off my camera a mere three minutes ago, just to bring them here to you!

ClutchFirst, we have the turquoise and white clutch from One Skein, before felting.  Even the bottom is seamed, can you believe it?! I hardly can, and I did it. The colors remind me of something, but I can’t think what.  Something commercial.  Not Microsoft, not Apple…. They’re the same colors as my own employer’s logo, but I don’t think that’s it either.  Maybe it’ll come to me, someday.

Fire ScarfNext up in our show and tell is the “What a Difference Blocking Can Make!” scarf, done in orange and red cotton in feather and fan.  The cotton was purchased from Suss Design (at least, I think that’s the name of her shop on Beverly, but you know who I mean–there’s only one Suss!) with the orange and red already wrapped together.  Next time, I’ll separate them and ball them separately, ’cause it was a nightmare trying to knit them off the same ball with their slightly different weights and tensions.  However, the colors make my heart sing, and that’s really all that’s important, right?

In other news, I cast on the purple and turquoise Little Coco last night while watching Chuck and Heroes.  It took me the full two hours just to do the bottom of the bag.  The stitch isn’t standard garter or even stockinette; it’s something for which I don’t know the name, but looks awesome and creates a stronger felted bottom than you get from garter or stockinette. I’ve always intended to make a scarf with that pattern, but so far it hasn’t happened.  The other reason it went slowly is the yarn–I’m using Lamb’s Pride, double stranded, which is thicker than I expected, and more tiring for my fingers. It should be easier once I’m working in the round, though.

And just for the hell of it, I give you Jack, trying to nibble off a piece of a dead hydrangea:

IMG_4107