K3tog: ILx Knitting 3

What do you do at knit camp?

On the one hand, knitting and Scotland sound awesome. On the other hand, "camp" sure brings back some bad childhood memories.

Oh, have I said that we learned to purl? This means we can do stockinette stitch, which makes me feel like a real knitter. Tonight is our last knitting class, which is kind of a bummer. We learn to bind off, and maybe something else.

Hold on, it's already the last class? This is confusing. Well, I guess it's not like my four (turned into a five) year course. Honestly there are some major disadvantages to my teacher. I showed her the sock I'm doing. It's a plain stockinette sock (from Nancy Bush book) with a dutch heel. My teacher basically refuses to accept anything that's not her thing. She has all these fixed ideas about decreasing, sock type,... Christ. The weirdest is her not recommending a swatch for a sock! WTF! So noone does it (except me lol).

Abbott, I will probably enroll in courses by Jared Flood (his Girasole project, Baby Surprise Jacket YAYAYAYA). Also NANCY BUSH. WOOOOOOOT. If there's still place available of course. First day will be an introduction to lace knitting. I don't know, honestly, I think I'm too crappy to enroll in this thing. But ah fuck it, why not! Some other Belgians are probably joining. Question is: do I take the deluxe room? The ensuite room is a STUDENT ROOM. Finally I can complete my education. lololol

Yeah camp sounds sucky

I can get not swatching if you have made lots of socks before & generally know the yarn/needles you're working with, but not for the first time you're trying out socks! Insanity!

You are not too crappy to enroll, Nath. I've seen the lace type stuff you've done on Rav. It's good! It sounds like loads of fun. I say do it!

It was just a three-session class for very beginning knitters. Basically taught us how to hold needles (not like a crochet hook!), how to make a slip knot, how to cast on, how to knit, how to fix our fuck-ups, how to purl, and how to bind off. They offer other classes that focus on specific projects - http://www.sisterartsstudio.com/adult.html - although some of those are a little out of date.

yeah you're not too crappy. there will be a lot of people there newer to it than you, too. my friend did girasole for a wedding present for someone, and his other circular blanket (name i forgot) for the same girl's sister's wedding present.

i wanna take a class to learn continental

Yeah it wld be cool to know Continental, so I cld do two-fisted Fair Isle.

Actually they have a class for switching to continental. There's also Knit Nation. Only a couple of days. I'm in DOUBT, what to DO? This seems silly, this is like my frigging hobby, why spend so much money on it? Truth be told, if I go, I rrrrreally wanna take the swanky room. But that's 660 pounds, double the amount of a regular one. hmmmmmmmmmmm

If I could feasible afford the swanky room, I would take it in a heartbeat. That would make it less like "camp" and more like "totally awesome knitting vacation."

I know... Urgh. The normal rooms are just student rooms. Ef. What to do. :-( I don't think my husband would mind if I took the swanky room. :-) I'll sleep over it. lol

Okay, I went and ordered my DELUXE ROOM. woha! And my courses (intro to lace knitting, baby surprise jacket, girasole, vintage sock). And also some day trip to a cotton mill.

Is that New Lanark, Nath? If so, it's great - beautiful scenery (in a valley right next to the river and a short walk up to the Falls of Clyde waterfall). Also it was owned by a social and educational reformer so the workers weren't treated like slaves and the village had - I think - the world's first nursery school.

yes it is actually. i wasn't that interested myself, more for my mom who has a much deeper knowledge of/interest in this (more in regard to traditional bobbin/needle lace)

I don't remember anything about lace - it was a cotton mill so they wove vast quantities of fabric. The museum itself is really more about social history, though. Oh, and they do really good ice-cream :)

oh i wasnt implying they made lace, just the connection to it (cotton)

i am knitting a clapotis. WORST BESTEST name ever for a pattern!

"Clapotis" definitely sounds like something you'd catch on shore leave.

lolol yeah. i am scared of the pattern though. i shall commence as soon as i finish the vintage baby dress.

also, i fucking hate baby blankets. especially with small needles. fuck that shit.

tonight we were taught how to do pompoms. i skipped. boring and i hate pompoms anyway. some fellow student put hers on her perfect hat and made it ghastly. BAH. pompoms.... NO.

it's not as bad as you'd think. not that i've knit it--i started it at one point and then changed my mind about the yarn. i still might try it sometime, but i'd want to do it garter so as to avoid curling so much. but that eats more yarn.

Meh, I'm postponing. Who wants the Clap. ;-) lololol

Apparently there aren't enough applicants/pupils this year to do a follow-up course next year. So they will organize a basic course (starter course) next year. I think I'll just stay. I can just sit and do my thing and only participate in the exercises that I want. (It's common, some students have been following the course for YONKS this way.) I have to say though that I have very little interest in sweaters. I prefer small portable things that are easily finished in a short amount of time. (lol yeah right).

I finally found some patt that I can use for my noro sock yarn: simple yet effective shawl. HURRAH. Probably fo rmy mom. Next century. lolol

The clapotis was the first thing I made that wasn't just garter stitch or ribbed scarf. I had a number of false starts when making it but once I got into it, I never looked back. I picked it as a first thing bcz SO MANY people had done it I figured I could get help at the drop of a hat...there was a freaking .xls file someone made of what the instructions were for each row and (best of all) how many stitches should be on that row (this is on the Clapotis KAL group iirc on Ravelry if you want a copy, it is pretty sweet).

Anyway, anyone have a fave cast-on for socks? I think socks are gonna be my new thing bcz they are so PORTABLE.

Yes, we call it an elastic cast-on. It's with cotton and then you move onto your actually yarn and just rip the cotton out. Tubular cast-on? It's very stretchy. Well, that's what we were taught in class but I have yet to use it in my own socks. LOLOL

Doing the October is for Spinners scarf. Stupidly I didn't notice why they do 4 lace threads together.lol But I didn't like the web like ending anyway.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4345378907_38da1c2684.jpg

That PLT thing was horrible because I am a tight knitter and didn't use lace needles. Otherwise pretty easy. It's based on a design feat in the B Walker books.

i've just used the long-tail for socks and it's fine. a lot of people use german twisted cast-on but i can't learn it.

i'm back to working on the featherweight cardigan. i'm afraid my stitches are too uneven but hoping it will work out when blocked. i think i will like it.

How is it working with such tiny yarn?

it's alright once you get used to it. i'm using one size smaller needles than the pattern called for so my gauge might be slightly tighter but it does go surprisingly fast if you just watch a movie while going back and forth. well, i did start it late this summer but i took a lot of time off. the body should be done soon. then i get to do sleeves, it'll go faster in the round. i imagine i will someday make it again using washable sock yarn because i like lightweight cardigans.

the tiny yarn on relatively big needles *does* seem to lend itself to unevenness so i'm also trying to knit tighter than i normally would

My friend sent me that Venezia sweater patt. I immediately knew what it was from the title. I'm beginning to be a real knit dork. That said, no way would I make that! Such tiny needles. My friend however is awesome at colour knitting.

oh yeah the clap is dead easy lol

fave cast-on for socks?

I love the Old Norwegian, it's very cat's-cradle but also stretchy + firm.

I'm loving toe-up sock knitting - used Judy's Magic cast-on and magic loop for the first time on a sock. It goes incredibly fast and no ladders, which I find really surprising. Also, the short-row heel means no picking up gusset stitches, which tbh I kind of hate.

omg NOW my lace needles arrived. AFTER i finish the spider.

i also got fat ol' DPNs cause i wanna knit really chunky socks.
and i got a set of harmonies. straight needles. they seem very pointy so would have worked for the spider too.

i also got one ball of peaches & creme.

still have to finish the clap but it's beginning to bore the shit out of me. lol

thinking baout starting this http://www.tekstiiliteollisuus.fi/fi/naistenneuleet/678/ and guessing what it says in finnish. someone has one in projects with better waist shaping and changed details so i think i will just follow what she did.

oh i have an idea though--instead of guessing the finnish (i was just going to use the numbers anyway) i will do that kind of neck with francis revisited shaping

because huge cowl neck sweaters annoy me

<3 that spinners scarf i think

OMG HOLY SHIT WOW. i just got an email that my etsy stitch markers are going to be featured in motherfucking KNITTY.

i'm kind of freaked out.

it's the 'cake or death' set. :D

Oh man get prepped for same-day $$$sell-out$$$.

Not like you're "selling out" but that you'll run out of stock ASAP.

she helpfully included the url just in case i wasn't familiar with knitty.

xp yeah i know! she said to stock up. eeeeep.

Hahaha, my friend who just learned to knit asked me a couple times, "Have you heard of this web site for knitters called Knitty?"

btw Julia I failed to mention that your news is FUCKING SWEET.

yeah, it's about as obscure as ravelry.

thanks! i'm totally thrilled and freaked out. holy SHIT.

the issue goes live in mid-march. i think i'm making some stitch markers this weekend.

Wow JuliaA!!! That's awesome, but holy crap kind of terrifying too! In an exciting way though.

My friend who I gave the "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish" set to adores them and needed them so badly to get his sweater finished - he was using random bits of wire and paperclips!

Awesome, Julia!!!

OMG HOLY SHIT WOW. i just got an email that my etsy stitch markers are going to be featured in motherfucking KNITTY.

late to the game but this is fucking awesome news!

ANYWAY, I'm most probably going to do the Mountain Ash shawl. I ordered a shitload of Japanese knitting books. Friend suggested I just start up the shawl. WAH? I hardly think I'm capable! But heck it's in sportweight and doesn't have any frigging nupps (like the Baltic Blossom shawl I'm doing now).

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/___68MN07ag8/RXhDpY8NxSI/AAAAAAAAAGw/lASInnd2bMk/s1600-h/Mountain+Ash1.jpg

This is Fleegle's or Grumperina's shawl.

See another shawl (with fucking nupps) I made=

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4484064728_74c88710bc.jpg

Oh lolz.

http://www.grumpyknitter.com/mountainash/fma3.jpg

thanks nath! knitty was exciting. my listing is near the bottom of this page: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss10/FEATss10stuff.php (the knitoramaa stitch markers)

nath, you always get all self-deprecating about your knitting skillz, but that shawl proves otherwise. gorgeous! i've heard that nupps are a pita.

i swapped services/yarn with a rav person, who knit me this:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4347206702_60400fd55a.jpg

i gave it to my mom and she looooves it so yay. it's not as pooly as it looks in the pic--the colors look really good in the actual shawl. i hate how blues are so off in photos sometimes. that's with CTH supersock in blue/green potluck. the pattern is rhytidome.

i haven't knit for eons. i miss it. but i'm focused on keeping stitch markers stocked up for my etsy shop, and my hands are hurtier than they used to be, so i can't get that much done with knitting.

but, a couple of years ago i did a bunch of bears for the mother bear project. they were a great way to learn magic loop, and also they were cuteness therapy knitting. as well as a great way to use a bunch of acrylic. my mother insisted on buying two of them from me at the time, which i thought seemed silly, but whatev. one of them was the best one i did.

and then my sister had a baby and the baby got the good bear. she doesn't say many words yet (baba mama dada etc), but she does say beh! when she wants her bear, and she loves that bear. which i think is adorable and charming. of course.

http://images4.ravelry.com/uploads/juliaa/21880464/P1030417_medium.JPG

i'm knitting one just for her, but it's horrific fun fur (never again!) and it may take me a while to finish. i'll get it to her by her fifth birthday. she's just about to turn one, so i think that's reasonable.