Nothing to Knit

We were going to hang out at the coffee shop the other day. Ryan was going to be doing some work, so he suggested I take something to read or something to knit.

"I don't have anything to knit."


When we got back and I started organizing some stuff, he gave me a funny look, "I thought you said you didn't have any yarn?"

No...I said I didn't have anything to knit. Very big difference. Jeez!

Next!

One of Ryan's Christmas presents was his choice from a book I recently purchased. It's Rowan's Knitting for Him. Rowan has great patterns if you're (a) a man or (b) a woman with a 34 inch chest (which I haven't been since, oh, I don't know, 6th grade).

This is the one he chose. Unfortunately, the yarn they suggest, a RYC blend of cashmere, wool, and microfiber, is somewhere around $9 a ball and it takes about 20 balls. For those of you who are slow on the up-take or have already started your New Year's drinking, that's somewhere around $180.


Being the resourceful girl that I am, however, I found equally fabulous yarn for about half the price. Knit Pick's Andean Silk in Chocolate is the orders I got. I think it will look pretty nice. Andean Silk is a wool, alpaca, and silk blend. I have a couple balls of this yarn and not only is it incredibly soft, but it knits up great. It gets a little sheen from the silk and has the kind of stitch definition that will look great in this sweater.


And ladies...before you ask...the nice young man in the pictures does not come with the sweater (sorry, Mom!).


I just have to wait until I get paid again! Because of course I need some more 14 inch Lantern Moons to get it going.

Hooked

In addition to the beautiful yet unfinished jewelry box and some stunning sapphires to put in it, I also got crochet hooks for Christmas. Not just any crochet hooks. Hand turned hardwood hooks from Brains Barn in New Jersey by Brian Bergmann.

Here they are in the not-remotely-worthy new case that I made for them.


This one is an I and is made from black walnut.


This one is a K and is made from rosewood.


This is the J and is what has to be the blackest ebony I've ever seen. None of my knitting needles are anywhere near this dark.


I finally made myself a crochet hook case. It feels very inferior.


I used all three of them today, just playing around with some scrap yarn after I reorganized my stash. They're amazing. It really does make such a difference working with nice equipment and materials. These hooks have ruined me for all others. Even my black walnut Brittany hook pales in comparison. I told Ryan he's all set for the next couple of years worth of gifts...I need D through H and maybe an L!

Why On Earth Anybody Felts Intarsia?

One review I read of Nicky Epstein's felted intarsia bag asked why anyone would felt their knitting after doing such intricate colorwork.

I now know the answer.

In real intarsia I would have been forced to weave in all the ends I had left over. By felting it, I got to be lazy and trim them all off of the halfway felted bag. This is the disaster that I had on my hands after the first run through the washer.


This is how much better it looked after I trimmed it. I think that by doing it between washings I nailed it. The ends were secure enough to trim, but the second wash hid the spots that were trimmed.


Again, this is why you felt the tremendously difficult intarsia. It's so you don't bang your head against the wall when you're trying to weave approximately 8,469 ends in. This is the pile of stuff I trimmed of the bag. You know, the stuff I would have woven.


The bag is finished. I forgot to take a picture of it before I wrapped it up for Christmas. It came out pretty well considering I ran out of brown yarn and started taking apart the I-cord, then cut it way down after it was felted because it was humongous, then sewed it by hand (you know how I feel about that!). I'm even considering using the leftover pink yarn for some kind of Valentine's Day felted something-or-other. We'll see how that goes.

A New Beginning

When I first finished quilting the now-famous T-shirt Quilt, Ryan and I had a conversation about how we should have been picking up shirts from various things we had done together to make one for "us" when we had enough shirts.

What he didn't know at the time was that I had already tracked down a couple of them and was planning on surprising him with as many as I could lay my hands on.

There's a few more that he actually has...the Presque Isle Triathlon shirt, the St. Patrick's Day 10k shirt, the VaDu shirt would all be wonderful additions to our quilt. So, 10 or 15 shirts from now we'll have a quilt full of trips and holidays and everything else!

The first batch...the stories behind them and the scheming that went into them:

This shirt is from Chick's Oyster Bar in Virginia Beach, courtesy of one Mr. Brian T. McCune. This was, by far, the shirt that required the most scheming. Chick's is where we had lunch after the Virginia Duathlon during our week long road trip in April. I scoured the internet looking for a shirt from there, I emailed the restaurant, I thought all was lost...until Ryan forwarded an email to a bunch of people and my opportunity presented itself in the form of an email address. Of course, B.T. let it slip that I had emailed him when he was talking to Ryan right before Christmas and I got harassed about that for a couple of days, but it all worked out in the end!


Another part of the road trip was a few days in D.C. where we walked around the better part of the city. We spent a lot of time in the Georgetown and Dupont Circle areas of town, so I figured this would be a good addition. Of course, when I tried to order it, they were back ordered. So, after a few emails and calls back and forth with the nice young lady at the Georgetown University bookstore, I had procured a shirt the would easily fit a 6 year old. Seeing as I only need the logo from the front, though, this works out, too!



One of the most difficult to track down, the King Tut shirt is from the tail end of that same road trip (we get around!). We met my mom, Cindy, and Amber in Philadelphia for the exhibit at the Franklin Institute. This was the first time Ryan was subjected to the power core of the Henneman family matriarchy. All four of us together should have been enough to scare any man away, but he's a tough cookie! (Side note: the reason he fell in love with me is probably the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies he got early Saturday morning when we set out on this adventure.)


The next piece of the puzzle is the shirt from the London start of the Tour de France. This was another toughie. I had seen these shirts at the tour, where we spent (an agonizing) six hours or so watching men in tight pants on bikes. I mean, we saw the fantastic beginning of the race...yeah, right...that's it! I think the plot was actually hatched somewhere around this time to make another quilt. This was actually the first one that I found when I started collecting.



This one probably seems silly, but Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the first movie we saw in the theatre (it was in England, so it has to be theatre) together. This one was tough to get also, because it was months after the release of the movie when I was looking for it. Thank you Hot Topic, for selling random things!


And last, but certainly not least, the MS Regatta shirt. A lot of scheming went into this one, too. I had to get it from Ryan's parents (thanks, again!) without Ryan finding out about it. Not as easy as it sounds, but we managed.

This is only the beginning. Just give us a couple of years and there will be another great quilt (along with a great marriage and probably a toddler!) in between sweaters!

Lace Blocking (A Primer on How to Fascinate Cats)

I saved myself 40 bucks or so today by going to Lowe's and buying some coiled 18 gauge steel wire instead of putting up the cash for lace blocking wires. You'll be happy to know that I was correct. They work pretty well...once you get the wire to stop coiling. I have blocked the first half of the Heart scarf.



I'm still working out the kinks (real kinks, this time), but it certainly does the trick.


I blocked it on the trusty ironing board, the favorite hangout for cool cats, so of course I had an audience for this, too. The fact that there was wire moving that they could bat at didn't hurt, either.

While it dries, I can knit the second half. You have to knit up from both ends in order to get the pattern to go the right direction when you wear it. So I have plenty of time to block the first part. Maybe I can block the second part while I finish the felted bag...

Here we have the second half in the fantastic orange bag. Still working with a net!

Safety Net

I, quite literally, ripped this lace pattern out 30 times. I was swearing at it. It got ugly. I put it aside and then went back to it and started using the knitting equivalent of a safety net.



On a plain row (many wrong side rows are all purl stitches) you weave a piece of scrap yarn through your knitting to mark a place where you know you were right. Then, when you screw up you only have to rip out 10 rows instead of a heart-wrenching 30 or 40 rows.

Since then I haven't made a single mistake, of course! We'll see how this goes. Only 25 or so pattern repeats (250 rows) to go!

Here We Go Again

It has begun. I have started knitting the second side of the bag. More intarsia! Yippee!



No, really. I'm actually getting the hang of this. So, of course, that means that the second side looks way better than the first. Great.

I've decided (after the fact) that it would have been completely worth it to have copied the pattern twice just so that I could highlight what I had done instead of using the sticky note to try to keep track.

Queen of Hearts

I've knit lace once before. There are lace panels in the cable scarf. They're nothing fantastic, but they are still lace. I've been having trouble with more elaborate lace lately, though. I just can't get it right. My yarn overs never look as big as the pictures in the patterns.

I did find a cute heart pattern, part of an old Knitty special edition. I'm having some luck with it. It might become a scarf.


It's a pretty simple pattern. Aside form the k4tog (knit 4 stitches together all at once!). You just have to split it in the middle if you want all of your hearts to go the right way. That's easy.


One of the things about lace knitting is that it doesn't look like much until you block it. I wasn't really sure about it until I had blocked it. I'm on my way to Lowe's to look for wire instead of paying through the nose for lace blocking wires. We'll see how that goes.

Once an Idiot...

I now have seven feet of I-cord. I went back to read the directions because they just didn't seem to make sense.

That's when I saw it in the directions. Under the part that says "Finishing."

I-cord (make 2)...

Make two? Make TWO?! What the hell are you talking about...make two? I wanted to hang myself with the first one.

I also think that I'm running low on dark brown yarn, so this might be an even bigger problem.

We'll see how this goes. I'm knitting an interpretation of the pattern at this point.

5 Feet of I-Cord Later...

I have now made it all the way across the 56 rows of floral intarsia pattern. I have begun knitting the bottom so that I can do the floral pattern again up the other side. Woo-hoo!



I have knit approximately 5 feet of I-cord.



Great. Only 2 more feet to go. No problem.

I'm Not an Idiot

I can knit. I can knit lace (kinda). I can knit cables. I can now knit intarsia. I can knit English (yarn in the right hand). I can knit Continental (yarn in the left hand). If you put the two together, I can knit Fair Isle (in theory...I'm not really that great at it, yet).

I don't tell you this to brag. I tell you this because until half an hour or so ago...I couldn't make a decent I-cord.

The "I" stands for idiot. Because it's so easy, any moron could figure it out. Except this idiot.

Finally, I decided I'd better figure it out because the felted purse has 84 inches of I-cord for the handle. So I gave it another shot and I finally got it. It ain't pretty, but it's getting twisted and then felted anyways.


I have about 12 inches done so far. Let's see 12 inches, out of 84 inches. In Ryan math that's probably 3/4 of the way done...All right!

It's a Kind of Magic

They say that patterned knitting like Fair Isle and intarsia and such go faster because of the magic of watching the pattern form. I'm not sure if I entirely agree with this, but it is pretty neat to watch the flowers and leaves happen. It almost makes me forget that I have 30 pieces of yarn dangling from my work. Almost.


This is what the back looks like. In real intarsia you have to weave all the ends in. Which might be my favorite thing ever. Right up there with visits to the dentist and driving to Saegertown everyday through the snow belt.


But, hey, by now I must be done if I was halfway done the other day...

Making Progress

I'm getting the hang of this whole intarsia thing. What I've found is that you have to stop thinking about the shape of the flower or leaf or what have you. You have to think in rows.


That means you have lots of separate yarns for each color part. This makes for a big mess no matter what I try to do. Every couple of rows I straighten the whole thing out again. It's a good time. Really.


I am getting somewhere, though. I have a flower and a leaf done. I'm about 25 rows into the intarsia pattern. According to Ryan, that means I'm halfway done. I think he must have flunked math because I have to do it again on the other side. And do the bottom and the sides and the straps and sew it together and felt it. I don't think that's half.



This is testing the outside limits of my skills. I like it.

Intarsia - ish

So, I started the Nicky Epstein bag. This is the first few rows that end up becoming the casing for the dowel. No problem. Stockinette stitch with a little garter thrown in for a turning ridge. Easy. Could do this in my sleep.


Then we get to the intarsia, the floral pattern, and I want to bang my head against the wall just a little. There's got to be an easier way. I have ripped this out at least two dozen times already and I'm only about 15 rows into the pattern. I think I'm making it harder than it has to be. That, and I keep missing things because I suck at reading patterns. Basically, it looks like a big mess right now.


The actual pattern is starting to emerge, though. I can see it. I'm glad it ends up getting felted. I'm not very neat about it yet. Here's part of a flower and a leaf. Really, I swear.


I'm going to keep reading. God knows I have enough books about knitting. I ought to be able to figure this out.

You Have Stolen My Heart

In our lunacy of leaving the house on Black Friday, we went down to Glass Growers Gallery.

Ryan bought what might be the prettiest ornament ever. I haven't put it up yet because the kitties are still knocking things over. I think it might just end up in the window so it can catch the sun (ha!) and stay safe from little paws.



The picture doesn't do it justice. It's gorgeous. This kind of thing is the reason I say that I'm not artistic. This is on a whole other level. I can't compete.

Family Tree

I lied a little about none of the other ornaments being as fabulous as Paco and the cactus. There's some other pretty cool ones. They'll get their day in the sun...really.

This is one of my favorite ornaments. It was a gift from Ryan's parents.




It says around the bottom, "Connected with a bond of belonging - forever family."

I like the belonging part. That's very true. Ryan's whole family has been very welcoming, right from the beginning, especially Sue and Pete (or Mike, depending on the day...I'm just going to alternate back and forth, I think. We'll see how that works.).

Shortly after we announced that we were planning on getting married, I talked to Sean. He told me that he was "glad his brother finally found someone who appreciated his quirks." Really, that's what he said. What he doesn't know is that I'm only slightly less quirky than his dear brother. Not everybody gets me. It's nice to be accepted for who you are and everyone I've met so far seems to. I'm glad...I like them, too.

Yuletide Cactus

These are the ornaments that are probably in my category. We'll start with the Yuletide Cactus. It (obviously) reminds me of good old Sin City. Out there it's actually palm trees that get strung with Christmas lights. I kinda miss sunny, 50-degree Christmases...kinda.


This kitty looks just like Ginger. Except for the halo. That is definitely not just like Ginger.


Ryan picked this one out. I agree. We do, in fact, rule. I have not, however, received an apple...ever.


The red sled is mine. Apparently, red is more girly. The cats have now knocked it off the tree four times. Needless to say, I moved it.


Ryan picked this one out for me, too. He seems to think I have a shoe problem. Just because you buy seven pairs of shoes in three days doesn't mean you have a problem. Flip-flops don't count as shoes either, by the way.


There are more ornaments, but they're in the "our" category more than these. Not to mention that none of them are as fabulous as Paco and the cactus.

Paco the Christmas Parrot

This is the beginning of my short photo-documentary about Christmas ornaments. These are the ornaments I kind of think of as being Ryan's.

You've already met Paco the Christmas Parrot. Isn't he charming?


When I was little, everybody in my family had a sled. Actually, the sleds are still around. They're at my mom's. This is Ryan's sled. It's awfully small. Maybe Paco can borrow it...


Big? Pointy? Definitely not my ornament...Draw your own conclusions.


I actually picked this one out for Ryan. It reminds me of Scout. It must be the halo.


What Christmas tree would be complete without a shamrock? Apparently, not ours.


Next up...Lynnsey's Christmas ornaments, including the Yuletide Cactus.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

One of the reasons I haven't put up a Christmas tree for the last few years is that I am owned by three cats. Here's Ginger after she helped me put the skirt underneath the tree. She's very happy about the Christmas tree. It tastes good.


Here's Gracie, inspecting the underside of the tree just in case anyone decides to take a nap under there (aside from Lola). We wouldn't want them to see any unsightly misplaced branches under there. Good work, Gracie!


In his blog debut, it's Paco the Christmas Parrot posing for a shot with Ryan before perching in the tree. He came all the way from the jungle to visit. He's looking forward to doing a little skiing.


Yours truly placing a lovely ornament on the tree, probably another tropical bird or something equally ridiculous to those of you who are more serious about your holiday decorating.