K3tog: ILx Knitting 3

pom pom rugs just seem like a bad idea, esp having cats

Great haul at All the Fun of the Fair yesterday - they are about to close for refurb so everything is on sale.

Picked up 6x balls of black chunky (going to make the o w l s jumper - but already I know I'm going to mod the heck out of it - it's got to be top down and I don't like all the shaping at the back - black would hide a lot of sins but I it looks like it might be nicer done more evenly), some circ addi turbos 3.25mm (am sure they will come in useful), knitpro metal 6mm tips (for the owls jumper - annoyingly you rib on 6 and then go up to 6.5 for the body, who has 6.5mm circs, NOT ME chiz...), a small...

pom pom maker!!

Oh oh, and "insouciant socks" by Cat Bordhi. AWFUL title, but it was on sale. It actually looks really good and I've never made socks using that method before.

(I'd get "eat.sock.love" (ewwww) if it were a fiver I guess. But it wasn't. Cookie A is coming to visit a yarn shop round here at some point, but I'm not sure if I'll go as I've never made any of her patterns come to think. Oops).

Further to my plea upthread, thought I'd just update on current knitting situation for my wife: As part of her birthday swag I got her a 6-hr course, Brant's "Ultimate Knitting Bible" book and then visited fairly new local knit supplies shop for yarn etc. They were super helpful and I emerged with a tote bag, needles and Noro pattern book and yarn (expensive wool! as you all know). Tina had her first lesson this week - she was a bit apprehensive beforehand, but really enjoyed it and came back with an immaculately neat bit of sample work (I was very proud).

Thanks again to ILx Knitting Local 2378 for all the advice - really appreciated.

Heh glad she's enjoying it!

Is anyone else having problems with Ravelry running like a 3 legged dog? I have a bunch of messages to read and Rav won't open them, and it's full of red x missing graphics. And I'm on IE so it can't be a Firefox problem (doesn't work AT ALL with Firefox at home). It's a great resource but urgh goddd COME ON, it's Friday afternoon, have a heart :(

I am goingto Knit Nation. Yipee!

On my ipad so can not post pics. Maybe for the best. Lolol

Off to knit fiore di mare shawl and cobblestone sweatah.

Going to get this book.

http://images4.ravelry.com/uploads/knitaly/529608/cover_small.jpg

Oh no!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevienixed/5351621745/

Shit. Nevermind. :-)

Just saw something on Twitter that Rav has lost a server or something and are trying to get it fixed pronto.

I'm doing cables for the first time - totally screwed up initially, didn't realized bringing stitches to the front or the back actually mattered, but no way am I frogging and restarting so the scarf looks like snakes emerging out of utter chaos.

Do you use a cable?i have since I knit too tight.

I'm definitely using a cable needle - I watched over the shoulder of someone doing cables w/o one but then couldn't fathom it for myself when the work was in front of me. I've got a too-slippery aluminum bird's wing one - thinking about getting a set of wooden ones from KnitPicks along with some of their new Chroma yarn.

I <3 my wooden cable needles. They weigh very little. Trying to just used a pencil as a cable needle did not work the one time I tried it.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1337.snc4/162979_492832584395_789174395_5738896_7210234_n.jpg

i bought a set of cable needles a while back. i've never used anything else

Does anyone know a good online source for snap-on plastic safety noses and eyes sold in the U.S.? You would think somewhere in Tucson would sell noses, but nope. And v few dift kind of eyes. My family all wants me to make them toys.

am working on this http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/aidez/aidez.html but annoyed that my row gauge is 5/inch rather than 4/inch. i would have been done with the left front and a sleeve by now if it was right.

Abbott - when I was searching for stockists in the UK I found a bunch of US based people giving resources - I remember lots of posters were saying they found them in JoAnn, which I am guessing is some sort of chain thingie! Try that, or otherwise, well, don't listen to the person on the other side of the Atlantic :)

What do you all think of the patterns in the new knitty?

I am immediately taken by Palisander, and think I might make one on smaller needles with the wollmeise. Might see how off gauge it goes. I have no problems with creating a thinner scarf, but I do like my scarves long. We'll see! Reversible scarves FTW!

Not immediately taken by others, but could change my mind. I don't like Constantine at all :( But then again I suppose some knitters *like* to make things that look as if you could buy them at any Primark... meh. Perhaps it's the meh colour sample it's knitted in? IDK.

Thx superpitching – I tried Joann's, and they have some eyes and no noses. (Also I don't know what the deal is with that place but always 20 mins in line, no matter how many or few ppl in the store.)
I did find this place, tho, with a nice nose selection: http://www.suncatchereyes.net/index.html
And these guys, who offer "undead" eyes! http://www.etsy.com/shop/EnamiEyes

I find looking at toys eyes on the internet really creepy tbh. Look at their staring dead eyes argh argh argh. If you put them onto a soft toy what if they make the soft toy... kill??

Anyway that's just my er, take on those. (This is why I like the ami style round simple black eyes. Less room for psychopathic inference).

Wondering whether I should actually post this or not. Hey why not.

I did not know there was a new Knitty! <3 I agree that the Palisander is nice – I like the cabley thing on the back to make it reversible. Would be lovely in Wollmeise (!!!!) too, as I think it's too wide right now...I have a couple skeins of ultra alpaca light, I wonder if that wld work for it...

I think the turn of the glass cardigan is pretty & wld probably look flattering on me, but it is a shame the designer lazied out on putting in buttonholes. I wouldn't want to use a shawl pin on a sweater. I think the Shelburne mittens would make good gifts for my sisters up in Idaho. I like the Quest hat, too.

Just yesterday I was admiring a Japanese book which contains NOTHING BUT reversible scarves, yum yum (I wonder if it's time for another play-asia/amazonJP order). So Palisander's caught me in the right mood :)

In agreement on the TOG cardie, but she does suggest snaps and I think they might work, if you weren't a little tubster like me and snaps would probably gape a bit.

(I wonder if I am one of the only knitters who hates shawl pins! I dunno why, I just sort of resent their presence in my life! Then again I hated olives for years and now I could happily scoff them by the jar).

Joanie is nothing like anything Joan Harris would wear, and that line of ribbing ending on the boob would be most unflattering (looks nice on the small-boobed models, though).

The collar on Joanie is totally weird and giant. IDK what it is but like 90% of sweater patterns have these giant, gaping necklines...all the ones in this issue seem to.

I see where they were coming from with Jacqueline, (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEw11/PATTjacqueline.php)

("mod culture, Chanel jackets, and, of course, Jackie O" <-- yeah yeah)

but it doesn't do anything for me in that bulky guage, and *another* button down collar. And the buttons pull even on tiny model cutie :( I'd be inclined to get a smaller yarn and go back to the drawing board as I do like the OTT neck shape. A bit...

do i want to make this or not, i cant decide http://twistcollective.com/2010/winter/magazinepage_07.php

I like that very much.

Hmm I don't know! I really like the bias cables, but I'm not really keen on those sorts of collars m'self. YMMV!

If I am being VERY nitpicky, I wonder if the sleeves are a little bulgy at the joins? But that's very nitpicky. Reverse st. st is a bit sproingy, or it could just be the joining. Or the light! Or pixies!! Argh!

maybe i will. i've never had anything with that kind of collar. and yeah the sleeves do look puffy. that isn't something i can't fix though (lol yeah right i suck at sleeves). i'm in the mood to make sweaters at worsted weight or heavier because i want to feel like i'm accomplishing something. also hats, i want to make infinite hats

I am making the owls jumper right now as it's bulky and after spending months on the Ashworth, only to find it's not coming together how I wanted it, I NEED TO MAKE SOMETHING AND FINISH IT QUICKLY else I'll sob. So I do completely understand that desire, yes!

Make a WURM hat! I keep forgetting about it but I very much want one. I accidentally bought EXTRA bright orange yarn, maybe I will make a ridiculously bright orange one to cheer myself up...!
(http://thenakedknitters.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-sample-alert-wurm-hat.html)

it looks like i have again made the bad decision to not do anything else today so i am almost done with this sleeve. i think i'll do the sweater counter-clockwise: left front, left sleeve, back, right sleeve, right front.

That wurm hat is pretty similar to the Japanese NCap. MAde one. Super easy.

Just yesterday I was admiring a Japanese book which contains NOTHING BUT reversible scarves, yum yum

I am pretty sure I have that book. It's different techniques, right? Slipstitch, Fair Isle, Cable?

My new knitting machine arrived today!!! YEEHAAAAAAAA! Hope this works...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5374571131_37fe7b5af2.jpg
My Silver Reed LK150 knitting machine by stevienixed, on Flickr

Also finally finished the Lopi dress for Elisabeth. I made some ghastly crochet edging. Some lady on Flickr convinced me to rip it and restart.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/5372111137_bfa58bfaf7_z.jpg

BTW that knitting machine is a Silver Reed LK150. Not so expensive: 400 euros! Of course not as knifty (heh) as a more expensive one, but you can still do some lace, fair isle,... Of course you have to manipulate the sts, but still... A good entry level machine. Hopefully I won't give up as fast as I did with my sewing machine. lol

Cor - keep us posted on your knitting machine progress! After having knitted tonnes of laceyarn stocking st on 2.75mm needles I am now thinking knitting machines are a very good idea.

About the scarves book - I was only looking at it on yes-asia and then ravelry, I think it was this one: http://www.yesasia.com/global/ideas-for-double-sided-knitted-scarves/1023574979-0-0-0-en/info.html

My new technique to learn-resolution is to get the hang of double knitting. It looks like actual magic, but I'm sure there must be logic behind it. Somewhere.

Double knitting is not that difficult. DId a one day course on it. Lots of fun! There's this really great patt on ravelry. A scarf with TWO EYES!!!! Phwoar! :-)

Yes, that's the book I have. I have yet to knit from it. hahaha.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5044/5356786801_b4697d4b16_m.jpg
Untitled by stevienixed, on Flickr

MY OWLS woot woot. OR did I show'em already? Sorry!

Today it is f#cking freezing.

I am going to go home and not leave until I have made a snood.

This will do (I have stash Kidsilk night)
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTicequeen.html

Or THIS!
http://www.thesweatshopoflove.com/blog/2010/12/08/entrelac-snood-pattern/

My ears were bl00dy cold...

that "hello sailor" knot necklace made of icord is giving me cool ideas

Just thought I would update you that I have now knitted... 70% of a cowl! This is good going, given it's blunt-as-heck 5.5mm needles and Kidsilk Night. Hoping to finish it this week - only a few more rounds to go.

(The only issue may come when picking up the provisional cast-on and doing the picot bind-off, as I've not done anything with a prov. cast on before - but good to add to the skill-set I guess!)

I'm not sure why I said cowl, because I mean SNOOD.

(Although the words may be a little interchangeable, SNOOD is much better).

First attempt at cables went pretty well:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5300/5401843825_b4cd411c0c.jpg

So I thought I'd try these mock cable socks (from Wendy Johnson's Socks from the Toe Up):
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5096/5402455508_933f8f593d.jpg

Clearly you are a natural.

Having just returned from a week in the Alps, I have decided I need a new ski hat and a pair of very thick socks to pad out the enormous snowboots I bought. I think this is the hat for me but can anyone recommend a good, chunky sock pattern? I've only ever made one pair before, top down, so the same method again would be ideal.

I like these socks a lot, but they involve colourwork which I don't know if you feel like trying? (I have them queued as soon as I manage to destash a little).
http://www.patonsyarns.com/newsletters/july2010/FairIsleSockWorsted(Pat5).pdf

These are REALLY chunky but I think if you wore them with enormo snowboots yr feet may melt?
http://www.iliveonafarm.com/cozytoes.html

Ooh, I like both of them. The only multicoloured stuff I've done before has been plain stripey but I'm happy to try anything - weirdly I've never unravelled anything I've made (I guess I have a high tolerance for the slightly oddly shaped).

Have any of you read Knitting Without Tears by Zimmerman? I'm reading it now and I love it so much. It's like having an extended conversation about knitting with estela. Haw.

"If you hate to knit, why, bless you, don't."

That shit is on my bookshelf! She has this discussion of loose v tight knitting in there that like made me resolved to knit loosely, I feel like I took it to this ridic extreme. She is so funny and sharp.

"If you hate to knit, why, bless you, don't."

I know a few women I could tell this too.

otm + lol

somehow i knew you'd be a fan, abbott!

I am going to make my brother a pair of these that say
DIAB ETIC
because he is, and because it's something he writes on his knuckles all the time, anyway.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs341.ash1/29191_429676421954_630836954_5906703_7402695_n.jpg

I ordered Felted Tweed for it & I am p stoked to work with it. Just came in the mail today (nowhere in town sold it). I was worried it might be too "girly" but OTOH I remembered he asked for them in purple and basically doesn't GAF abt anything, so no worries after all.

I had been making them in acrylic but made too many fuckups on the first one I did + the yarn was not v good (by which I mean it didn't do a good job of hiding my fuckups).