Home Again, Home Again

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Jiggity-jig.

(What? I’m the only one who says that?)

I’m back home, and I’m exhausted.

It was great to see our families (both mine and my husband’s), and I had a fabulous time.  We played cards, ate lots of great food, and explored Pennsylvania, Cleveland and Chicago.  All in a week!  A real whirlwind tour.

And, of course, I did a ton of knitting.  You can’t expect me to spend all that time in cars, airplanes and the Chicago L and not get out my knitting.  I’ll tell you about everything I worked on (I can finish a surprising amount of knitting when I’m cooped up in the back of a minivan for 12 hours) over the next couple weeks.  But, I want to start with what might have been my favorite project.

You remember this brightly-colored beauty (the one on the right)?  It’s Knitted Wit Victory DK in Fairy Garden… Swoon.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWell, a few hours of work (and approximately 1 million ends to weave in later… no wonder I’ve never made gloves before… what a pain!), I’ve got my own crazy-lady riding gloves  (Also known as the Ringwood Gloves from Rebecca Blair- a very well-written pattern!)OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI love them!  And I love that their coloring is just slightly different.  It’s hand-painted yarn, after all.

I also love the very cool, but surprisingly simple stitch pattern.  It’s two rows of stockinette, and one of k1p1 rib.  Easy!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe gloves are dense and squishy and lovely, and I can’t wait for the weather to get cool enough to wear them.

Now I just have to find buttons for the cuffs… I’m thinking little, white shell buttons, or maybe faux pearls.  I’ll have to go through my big button jar and see what I have.

What kind of buttons would you use?

Taking pictures

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I think I’m approaching the end of an era.  It’s been a good long run- probably about 5 years.  But, I think my camera is on its last legs.  It’s a sad day.

My camera’s nothing fancy- just a little silver point-and-shoot.  A refurbished Olympus that I got for cheap, off of a deal-of-the-day website.  It’s worked well for years.

91eCSgUhEcS._SL1500_It even takes pretty good pictures, under certain conditions.  With good lighting (ie, a sunny day), I can take decent close-ups.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, if I’m patient enough, I can even take slightly less close-up shots, if it’s not windy out and I’m willing to take 20 or 30 pictures before I get a good one.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMy camera has worked well enough; and frankly it still works.  Except the battery doesn’t keep a charge for more than 15 minutes.  And I’d like to have some more control of focus and color and exposure.

The problem is, I know nothing about cameras (I got really excited when I found out what the “macro” button was for).  So I was hoping someone out there in internet land could have some advice for me.

Do you know anything about cameras? I know DSLR’s are fancy, but are they worth it?  Would it be worthwhile to take a photography class?  Where would you even find a photography class?  Are there any websites that would be good for a novice like me?  I don’t even know where to start!

Inspiration: On the road again

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I’m on the road again.  Somewhere between the Shell gas station and the Wendy’s on the side of the freeway.  I’m having a great time hanging out with my extended family and I’m getting tons of time for knitting. Win-win!

I can’t stop at any yarn stores (which is probably good, since my suitcase is already full), but all the hours in the car have made me think about all the other road trip knitting I could be doing.

This beanie is just too perfect for words, after all it’s a “Road Trip Hat.”  I love the interesting, minimalist use of cables  I could see this becoming a favorite for years and years.

Road Trip Hat by Emily Williams

Roadtrip-cover-rev-600px_medium[1]Of course, my perennial favorite, the Hitchhiker Shawl, would be perfect for knitting on a road trip.  A simple, easily memorized pattern and acres and acres of garter.  I can’t think of a more perfect pattern to work on while staring out the window, watching the scenery go by.

Hitchhiker by Martina BehmCIMG7885And, if you’re looking for something a little more practical… maybe a pair of driving gloves?  You could wear them to keep your hands warm while the A/C is blasting.

Men’s Driving Gloves or Fingerless Gloves by Tara Smolinski

IMG_0163_medium2[1]But, really, if you want the perfect road trip project, it doesn’t get any better than this adorable road cowl.  Cute!

Road Trip Cowl by Ping Woodvalleypat550.550.zoom.1_medium[1]What do you work on when you go on a road trip?

Road Trip!

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I’m taking a road trip later this week with my in-laws (Hi, in-laws!).  And that means one thing:

Dramamine? Car games? Eating at McDonald’s?

No!  It means an excuse to go yarn shopping and start some new projects.  After all, my sweater project is getting too big, and I’m out of purple yarn…

I stopped at a lovely yarn shop over on the other side of Lake Washington, Serial Knitters in Kirkland.  I’ve only visited there once before, years ago, and I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get over there again.  It has a fantastic selection of local and national brands in some of the most gorgeous colorways I’ve ever seen.

Two skeins came home with me:  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe lovely, subtle gray-blue is Madeleinetosh Tosh DK in Cloud Dweller, and the over-the top rainbow of exuberance is Knitted Wit Victory DK in Fairy Garden.  They’re both squishy, but firm, and I can tell that they’ll knit up into great hard-wearing accessories.

(And, I can’t help but smile when I look at the Victory DK colors… so gorgeous!)

I’m thinking, since I’ve only got one skein of each, I should use them to make little accessories.  The Victory DK is slightly thinner, so I’m thinking mitts or gloves.  And, I don’t care for variegated yarn knit into simple stockinette (weird, I know), so they’ll have to have some sort of texture.  I’m thinking these gloves might be just the ticket (and they’re an excuse to use some of my buttons).

Ringwood Gloves by Rebecca Blairringwoodbiggreen_medium[1]Wouldn’t they be just the funkiest, most cheerful winter accessories?!  I’m excited already.

The cloudy blue Tosh DK is just as beautiful as the hyperactive Victory DK, but in a more grown-up, classy way.  I’m thinking the subtle color changes would work really well with cables.  Something with a lot of cables.   Maybe a hat.  Maybe this one:

Antler Hat by tincanknitsiain-5-1024x682_medium2[1]Unfortunately, my yarn is a smidge smaller than the yarn called for in the pattern, but I think if I go up a size, I should be able to knit up a lovely hat as I while away the miles.

What do you think?  How should I use my lovely new yarn?

Nooooo!!!!!!!

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I have terrible news.

Terrible, terrible, heartbreaking news.

You might want to sit down.

It’s about my lovely, purple cabled sweater, the one I’ve been working on for months.  It’s… *sob*… it’s… well…  I’ve… I’ve…

I’VE RUN OUT OF YARN!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI don’t know what I was thinking.  I’m easily 3 or 4 skeins short.  I’m not even halfway through the first sleeve, and I’m completely out of yarn.  UGH!

So much for planning.  Sigh.

I’m off to the Knit Picks website to order some more and hope the dye lots aren’t too far off.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Have you ever seriously miscalculated on one of your projects?  Ugh!

Quilt, quilt, quilt

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Oh boy.  I really, really underestimated the amount of work on this quilt.

It’s coming along, and it’s going to be really pretty.  But, at this rate, it won’t be done until well into the 2020’s.

Isn’t it funny, I have no trouble spending hundreds of hours painstakingly knitting away on a lace shawl or a cabled sweater without noticing time passing.  But, when I get out the sewing machine, I want everything to be finished as fast as possible.  On the other hand, you know that there are plenty of quilters out there who sew big, complicated quilts but don’t have the patience to knit a pair of mittens.

Weird how that goes.

Anyway, I’ve gotten my first square done, and it is beautiful (and big)!  I love it!  It’s about 18″ across, and my little squares fit together pretty evenly(not perfect, but well enough).OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERANow, I’ve just got to make 11 more!

Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew?

Inspiration: All the Cables

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Hello, my name is Allison and I have a problem.  I love cables too much.

It’s funny, now that I’m on the body portion of my cabled sweater, which is all in stockinette, I’m finding it difficult to keep my attention on it.  Where are my cables?  Where is my interest?  Why isn’t my cable needle out?  It makes me kind of sad.

And what’s a sad knitter to do, except dream of her next project?

I love the understated simplicity and interesting construction of this pullover.  The cable/eyelet combo across the front and back is just gorgeous.  But I don’t know if it has enough cables to tame the raging cable monster in my brain.

Natsumi by Yoko HattaNatsumi_01_medium2[1]These cozy little mitts are super pretty, too.  I love how the cables run directly into the ribbing at the top and bottom.  But, while the cabling is very pretty, I don’t know if it is unusual enough.

Traveling Cable Hand Warmers by Purl Soho

traveling-cable-hand-warmers-4-2_medium2[1]Ah ha!  This might be perfect!  After all I’m looking for the most over the top, ridiculous cable pattern I can find.  This hat is nothing but an amazing, beautiful tangle of cable loveliness.  And, I can always use a new hat.

Snowstorm Hat by Anna RaufSONY DSCDo you ever get caught up on a specific project or technique?  What do you do when you can’t get something out of your head?

Tutorial: Three-Needle Bind Off

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I’m still jazzed about the three-needle bind off I did on my cabled sweater this week.  It’s just such a neat (in both senses of the word) technique that doesn’t get used enough.  It’s a great way to join shoulders on a pieced sweater, or pieces of a scarf, or squares of an afghan.  Is it kind of weird that I want to design something that uses the three-needle bind off, just so I can do it some more?  Possibly.

Anyhoo, if you haven’t done it before, it might feel a bit tricky- after all, you have to wrangle two pieces of knitting and three needles.  But, trust me!  It’s super simple.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFirst, hold your knitting with good sides together in your left hand.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThen, insert your third needle (in your right hand) into the first stitch of each piece of knitting.  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWrap your yarn, and pull it through, dropping the two stitches off the left needles, just like you’re doing a k2tog.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThen, do it again. (Work a K2tog using one stitch from each needle.)OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAYou’ll have two stitches on your right needle.  So, now it’s time to do a plain ‘ol bind off, pulling the first stitch over the second.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAJust keep going!  Work a K2tog using one stitch from each left hand needle, then pull the old stitch over the new.

When you’re finished, you’ll end up with a lovely neat row of bound-off stitches.  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, when you open up the piece and look at the right side- Ooh!  So pretty!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHave you ever used a three-needle bind off?

Cable Sweater: Back with a vengeance

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Now that I’ve finished my EPIC SECRET PROJECT, I can go back to my lovely purple sweater!  Time for more cables!

(Apparently I really like cables-  I’m still really enjoying them after more than a month of cabling.  I should make more cabled projects!)

I finished off both fronts, which are both generous 10″ by 30″ rectangles of thickly cabled loveliness.  Then I did something else that I really enjoy, but don’t do nearly enough- a three-needle bind-off.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe tops of the front panels are joined together at the spine with a beautifully neat row of three-needle bind off.  The cables come together perfectly, and it just looks so professional.  It’s a technique I don’t use much, but one that always gets me excited.  It reminds me of a zipper, carefully mushing two separate pieces together so that they fit perfectly together.  It’s just so satisfying.

Then, I picked up a bunch of stitches across the back and now I’m chugging along on a big ol’ panel of stockinette for the body back.  If I were to do it again, I think I’d add another big cable running down the spine.  But I don’t feel like ripping out all my work, so I’ll just leave it as is.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’m still unsure how wearable this sweater will be- it’s kind of an odd shape.  But I’m absolutely loving working on it.  If it ends up being unwearable, I can at least rip out the back and sleeves and be left with a pretty scarf.

Dun, dun, Done!

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So, I feel like my posts have been a little lacking in content lately.  I’ve written a bunch of little, silly posts, about TV and such but nothing with  a lot of meat lately.  Sorry about that.  But I have an excuse.

I’ve been working on a monster of a design for KnitPicks.  And it’s been eating up all my time.  While I still can’t talk about it (not until next year when it’s published), I can tell you I’ve finished it!  A little under a mile of worsted-weight tweed in garnet red.  Tons of cables.  And, well, that’s about all I can tell you.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASorry to be all secretive and mysterious, but I’m super excited about this one, both because it’s a really pretty finished object, and because I don’t have to work on it any more!

I’m sure you’ve had projects like that- huge knits that are marathons of complicated stitches that never seem to end.  And after they’re done, you sit back and go “Wow, I made that!”

I’m looking forward to showing off this project down the line, but in the meantime, tell me about your most epic knits!  I’d love to hear about them.