K3tog: ILx Knitting 3

I don't feel like knitting because it's summer (even though the thermometer hasn't hit 20 for a fortnight).

I'm still confused - even after reading the facebook knitting group post - what the right side on a garter stitch is. Is the cast on tail on the right or left when beginning a new row? HELP.

Madchen, try small things, in cotton! I'm knitting the bubbly curtain from Mason-Dixon right now, and it's out of linen yarn. It doesn't get too hot, having it on my lap, which is a plus, seeing as how it's 93F out.

Nath, I'm under the impression that garter stich has no RS or WS (I'm pretty sure I read this in an Elizabeth Zimmermann book). I usuallly go with where the cast-on tail is though, as if it were stockinette. I could be completely wrong, though.

Spinning lesson set up for next weekend. I'm taking this whole thing to entirely geeky new level, I'm afraid. Bye bye social life.

(obv., once a pattern is started, and you've committed to a RS in garter stitch, then it exists, but when you're just starting out, i am pretty sure it doesn't matter when you begin)

I have not come on this thread in so long as I've not knit in weeks. I'm a bad knitter. (but more sewing/writing)

Nath, I believe the left unless my knitting skills have left me altogether.

Well, I posted on the Addicted to KNitting board (on FB) and they said it was the left but is that after you knitted a row or not? I guess so, no? I don't think it's very strict but I WANT TO KNOW. :-)

I put all my finished (but unseamed) projects on the table. Oops! I have

baby trousers
sleeveless sweater
lacy shawl
almost finished bath gown

that hello kitty embroidery thing I made last year (needs to be framed)

I'm pretty sure I forgot something but I can't recall it at all. :-(

Hmm, I'll have to wait till autumn for this thread to revive (without my help), AMIRITE? Anyway I went and ordered some more Debbie Bliss books. And some yarn. But I do need to seam my 'finished' pieces so IC an show'em off. I'm currently also making a lacy dress. In purple. I'm also going to try (and fail, I just know) making a Phildar cap in a DIFFERENT yarn. I really have to make the plunge and substitute yarns. I'm a little scared as my prev attempts have failed and I'm crap at measuring gauge. Hmmmmm Wish me luck!

Good luck, Nath!

Gauge is such a bitch, sometimes!

Anyone have any good ideas for a knit shawl that would look good with a wedding dress?

Nope, but I did see a pattern for a wedding dress somewhere?!? Sorry.

I'm thinking Elizabeth Zimmermann's shawl, from "A Knitter's Almanac", but that might be HUEG and not great for summertime.

Okay it's not knitting but embroidery. Still I thought you ladies would appreciate.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1010/872637736_95ad9b1498.jpg

Also, Vicki Howell from Knitty Gritty was checking the shirt out when I was wearing it in line for the movie. rar.

I saw taht on your flickrpage! VERY VERY pretty!!!

I'm trying to be more (ahem) ladylike and this means LONGER nails. Anyone have any tips. Just practice? It's a bit weird knitting with longer nails.

I started a BAG!!!! I'm so excited even though I know I won't have enough yarn. EEEP! :-) But it looked GREBT in the mag and it's more fun than another lace blanket.

http://www.simplyknitting.co.uk//resources/simplyknitting/magazine.jpg

You can see the off-white bag on the cover. But I'll be doing it in purple (and no felting probably).

YAY!

Hmm, I couldn't see the image.

I would say felting is good for bags as it gives them some stiffness. If not, be sure you use a nice lining. Bags are awesome.

My nails are getting quite long but I've only been sewing/stitching for the past few weeks. They've made typing interesting.

Ugh, I still haven't done a thing since the move. This pattern for knit grass is strangely inspiring though!

I'm freeforming a baby cardigan to try and use up some of my acrylics - I am forbidding myself to buy any more yarn until the stash is seriously reduced. I get cross each time I look at it!

Lots of amigurumi planned too :)

Boo! I seamed that sleeveless sweater and noticed that the "armholes" are different in tension. I must have cast off harder on one side. It's really noticeable (if you're a knitter). :-(((( I feel like I'm back at square ZERO or something. Bah bah bah. I will never get it right, will I? :-(((
Even the dress I'm knitting will be "interesting" because the armsleeves have to be adapted (don't correspond enough to the pattern). Might do a "sleeveless" dress as well and just make a border.
HARUMPH. :-(

I did finish that lacey shawl (and sleeveless sweater).

Also realized I can't felt the bag I am knitting which means I will have to use another finish.

Bah double bah.

I am going to order a few knitting related books (two on soxors). I just have to persevere and just DO IT. :-)

http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/completelist.htm

-> Might be some interesting books there. All in PDF format!

The 25th Anniversary edition of Vogue Knitting as a pattern for a kimono jacket and pants made from FIFTY-FIVE skein of Koigu.

WHY???????????

Who designed the pattern?

Maie Landra.

This is not the first time I have seen Koigu pants, either.

I calculated the price. Would be about 650 euros or something?!? WTFreakingF.

My husband says it's time to do something else than plain stockinette/garter stitch.
This is after I saw this on Crafster:

http://nashira.ca/Members/drooly_ooly/photos/craftster-images/blanket-01.jpg/image

Eek. Looks very hard. :-( But I will attempt to make it. :-)

Also, how should I make a bag have a 'floor' (oh god, so tired I can't use the proper word, I want something which... uh straightens the bottom of the bag...).

Nath, when sewing bags I use plastic mesh canvas (for plastic cross stitch crap) in between the bag and the lining for strength and shape. You could do this if you lined your bag. Also, blocking is your friend, Put the bag over a box of some kind and spritz with water. This should help define a bottom though not as well as felting or reinforcement/lining would.

Have y'all signed up for Ravelry.com? It's pretty great! I got my invitation (it's still in the beta-testing phase) a few weeks back. It's pretty addictive, yet really wonderful. You can catalog your stash!

Today, I hope to finish the Mason Dixon Bubbly curtain which will go in my kitchen. Once I find my digital camera, I'll have photos of it soon.

also, re: ravelry:

If you're looking up a pattern, to see other people's finished items, there are LINKS to ERRATA on the pattern page. GENIUS.

Ok, this is fucked up. Last night I figured I better make a new gauge because, even though I had used the same yarn, it'll be in a different colour. it seems that the row count is completely fucked up!!!! How can that be if the amount of stitches sort of matched the gauge?!? (I'm using a replacement yarn that is similar to the one recommended.)

Also I made some booties for the new baby. I hope she won't fit into'em when she's born cause they are massive. hahahah Well, looks that way but I haven't seamed'em (what else is new!).

I need to finish seaming a stackload of projects. The first andmost important one is a HANDBAG. I knitted it in about ten days. It's quite cute. :-)

"sort of" helps to explain why the row gauge was off.

I just got "Charmed Knits" a book of Harry Potter patterns *squee*. There are about three things I want to make including two sweaters but I must not start too much at once or I won't finish. Also, I'm trying to use what's in my stash instead of buying some new stuff. Which right now means trying to swatch a bulky yarn for a cable sweater that calls for worsted weight. Hmm, I predict this will not work.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1360/1204744987_7ab33b0777.jpg

Wee! My first knitted handbag (not counting the totally crap one I made).

I'm ph34ring the rest I have to seam. :-(

That looks awesome! I love the cable pattern.

I picked up the needles to do a simple kitchen towel for a bit. Mostly I just want to get my chops back so I can tackle some of the larger projects in my stash.

A couple of my UFOs have reached the stage of "uh, where was I?" Especially the fingerless gloves that have cable going up the gusseted thumb, where you're adding stitches in the middle of cabling. There was math involved, and it made my brain hurt!

maybe back up a bit and restart?

Yeah my Malcolm X bag probably needs to be frogged as I've totally lost my place on the chart. I blame 1. the dogs for chewing my original chart up 2. myself for letting the shards get wet to the point where I couldn't transfer my progress to a new one. :(

nath, the bag looks great!

I have a spinning lesson on Saturday. I've been perusing the internets for wheels.

Bye-bye social life.

I ordered some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock online ($8.65/skein!!) and am patiently waiting for it, so I can start the Monkey socks for my sister.

I started knitting a handtowel with my leftover Euroflax linen, and it's coming out really nicely!

Why is yarn so high? I haven't bought any for awhile b/c I just can stomach the expense. (esp. considering how long it takes for me to finish projects compared with sewing.)

That's extremely cheap for LL, actually. In my LYS it goes for about $14/skein. It's totally worth it, though, as it's beautiful, hand-dyed wool.

I spent, uh, $22/skein on the Euroflax linen. But, it was totally worth it once again as I have a bitchin' bubbly lace curtain in my kitchen now.

I now have UFOs that I have to look up where I stopped exactly. Also, almost finished a dress but I am so much in fear that the collar is too small. I actually measured the circumference to check if my baby's head will go through it. :-( Hopefully once I will get it all right. :-(((((

Nath, when are you due?

End of October

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1389/1224468433_25004d8cf8_o.jpg

I'm sorta happy with the end result.

Trust me, I don't knit a cardigan in 24 hrs, I just have a ton of things I need to seam. Next up? Two baby pants. :-)

Such a sweet little cardi! what kind of buttons will you use, nath?

I'm probably going for those brown buttons they use on duffel coats, *if* I find them, but my husband said it would maybe be a bit too boyish... Not sure yet.

here is a picture of my semi-finished monkey sock (from knitty). i was watching a re-run of knitty gritty last night, and cookie a was on (the designer). i was having a bitch of a time with the heel flap (totally the easiest part). after i cursed her existence loudly, everything came together perfectly. yay, catharsis!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1249/1263113167_dea97f10e2.jpg

*must do sock*

What yarn is that? I finally started the second sock in Colinetter Jitterbug.

I need to find a Mr. Sparkle crochet pattern.

that is lorna's laces "purple iris".

i just bought my first jitterbug last night in this amazing deep purple/fuschia (sp?) last night. SO SQUISHY AND LOVELY.

i'm thinking i shall use it for this pattern:

http://magknits.com/Sept06/patterns/snicket.htm

what type of sock are you doing?

also, i've decided it's time to take on cables. i read the cabling article in interweave, and i was fascinated.

are cables tricky?

I'm doing toe-up frpm the article by Ann Budd in the Summer 07 IK. But not the pattern.

My yarn is green with yellow and magenta.

Cables are only has hard as you let them be.

Cables aren't very tricky, they are actually easier than you think they should be. You just need to pay attention to whether you hold the stitches on the needle in front of or behind the knitting.

I haven't used a cable needle to hold stitches, just an extra dpn.

this is my color, "velvet plum"

http://www.colinette.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=1546d6df4384a16/shopdata/0020_yarns/0007_wools/0005_jitterbug/images/jitt_vplum_lrg_697x234.jpg

NB it's actually much more vivid than that.

is jitterbug a delight to work with?

LL is pretty great, but sometimes i find it can shred a bit too easily when frogging.

Yay! Cables! Thanks, ladies! I psych myself out and think, "that's too difficult!", but knitting socks have helped me get over that mental block. Bring on the cables. I'm ready for them.

I have a sock started in LL that needs to be worked on. I like the texture of LL Sport more than Sock.

I use Clover cable needles because I am a sucker for anything they make.

Like this:

http://www.createforless.com/InterchangeData/images/2/2007/0412/2007051708330092007-0412-1694.jpg

I freakin' love cables. And I also use an extra dpn instead of cable needles. (In a pinch I've been known to use a bobby pin.)

Right I've unraveled the sweater I didn't give my mom two birthdays ago and decided to do an easy drop-sleeve sweater from the Harry Potter book for her. Problem is I did the original in pink/purple striped Lana Grossa du Chine. I only want to do purple now as it's her favorite color and the other stupid sweater looked like a pink and purple bumblebee. Alas that yarn is discontinued and I can' find it anywhere! I'm flummoxed.