SP 10 Questionnaire

Criminy! I started ths post 10 days ago and am just now getting around to finishing it up. Last minute as usual.

I had such a great time spoiling and being spoiled for SP9 that I decided to do it again! I think this is pretty much the same as the last one, but I'm going to do it all fresh because hey, I'm a mercurial girl (I suspect I'd get a lot further if I were a material girl, but that's not how it worked out):

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
At present, Merino/tencel. Also silk, cotton, alpaca, and various blends thereof. I like to try new things, like soy silk and bamboo. I do not like to knit with "regular" wool, as it gives me a rash that is gross and itchy.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Right now a plastic sheet bag, but I'm going to make me up some cool needle rolls real soon (if you read the blog, you probably realize that translates to "sometime in the next year, maybe").

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned to knit when I was 15 or 16 and fell in love with a sweater in one of my mom's old Family Circle magazine. The first thing I ever knit was that sweater: black mohair in a lace pattern. I've never been afraid to knit anything since. I stopped and started a bunch of other stuff, but didn't really become a Knitter until I moved up north and got a job in the Big City. 45 minutes on the bus everyday and the need for a scarf brought me back to it, and I haven't looked back. That was about 8 years ago. I'd say my skill level is advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, but not really. Oh, I have a Kaboodle though. Some things are just one picture on a page of multiples, and it's not always the one I want, but mostly it should be.

5. What's your favorite scent?
I really don't like scented things I haven't picked out myself. I tend to have a reaction to some chemical that's used in lots of stuff (I think maybe to make the fragrance last longer?).

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I'm trying to lose about 30 25 more pounds, so again, no candy I don't get for myself.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I spin, weave, dye, sew, quilt, make jewelry, paint, draw, etc. and so on. I have an entire room full of craft supplies. It's a little daunting.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
MP3s are a go -- I have an iRiver (like an iPod, only, better). I like little bits of just about every genre you can think of, from opera to big band, to traditional Irish, to punk, to 80s pop. Also lots of Country Western (the good ol' stuff, not that new fangled crap they have nowadays) and hair metal.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Purple is my fave right now, and grey and green and teal are right up there, too. Not a big fan of yellow, usually, but if it's in a colorway I don't hate it. I like strong colors, but not necessarily jewel tones or bright colors (though I do like those, too).

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm crazy in love with my husband and 10 month old baby. No pets right now (except I do count the dogs that live down at the junkyard as my other babies, but I don't get to see them often enough to give them treats or anything).

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, but I'm incredibly picky about all those things. I'd almost always rather knit them myself (the Irish Walking Hat my SP9 pal is knitting for me is a notable exception, but she did ask first and let me pick the pattern -- hi, Margaret, I'll email soon!)

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Used to be sweaters, hands down, but I'm really, really into socks right now. I still love sweaters, though.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Right this very second I'm exclusively knitting stockings for Purlescence (see previous posts for info about the contest). Then I have to finish up Christmas presents -- don't ask -- and then I have a couple of other designs that I want to get out of my head and on to needles and hopefully get published. Oh, and I just saw a blanket in the latest Pottery Barn catalog that I'm going to knit up for my living room. $79 for bulky acrylic 3x3 rib? Seriously, Pottery Barn?

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Does anyone ever say no to this question?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circular for sweaters, DPNs for socks; wooden or bamboo (or glass...mmmm...glass needles...lurv them)

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Two of each.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
We do not speak of the Paisley Sweater(v2). But other than that (and counting only projects that I still have some intention of finishing), probably only about a year. No, wait, 5 years (I remembered another sweater).

18. What is your favorite holiday?
International Talk Like a Pirate Day

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Besides craft supplies, yarn, DVDs, books, Darth Vaders (my first crush -- the second "trilogy" just about killed me), gadgets, lipstick and nail polish...uh, yeah. I collect just about everything. If I don't collect it now, I can always start.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Nothing I can think of at the moment (though more Lisa Souza is always welcome -- fab yarn and a super nice lady to boot. Love her, love her stuff.).

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'm planning on learning Fair Isle by doing the pirate hat (there's a link somewhere around here. It will be in the sidebar "soon" -- see above for definition of soon.). I'd also like to explore freeform knitting and entrelac, I think.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Apparently, yes I am. If I'm not now, I will be by March 15 (the deadline for the stockings). No idea what my foot measurements are. I wear a women's 9-10, and my feet are kinda wide, but not so wide I have to buy wide shoes. I tend to incorporate a lot of ribbing in my socks.

23. When is your birthday?
TODAY!!!! :) And it was a good one. I love my birthday. I don't mind getting older (I'd certainly rather that than the alternative!) and I always just feel happy on my birthday.

posted by Laura Y. @ 11:35 PM 0 comments

Ours go to 11!

I know you must all be asking yourselves, whatever happened to those Monday weigh-ins? Did she just give up and decide to be a big fatty, gorging herself on chocolate like she did when she was breastfeeding (oh, glorious days of yore!)? No, Gentle Reader... I just, well, sort of plateaued for awhile there, and then also forgot a lot, and plus, I don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't been posting much lately. These past couple of weeks ahve just been sort of ugly, what with a stomach virus and finally getting the right yarn for the stockings and so on. So, finally, I give you my Monday weigh-in:

169!!! That's right -- I've lost 11 pounds since I started. That means that I get to have one of those yummydelicious coconut bars on my birthday! Yay me! It also means I need a safety pin for my pants.

And here's a quick Becky fix:

posted by Laura Y. @ 4:55 PM 0 comments

A little stress is good for the soul, right?

I sure hope so. I've been through 5 different yarns and probably three times that many swatches to try out different needle sizes and patterns as I try to find the Perfect Yarn for Puss' Magical Stockings. So far, no dice (except for the overlay -- I got that yarn right away, and oh, I have to totally give a shout out to Knit Nouveau in Alabama for shipping to me super quick. She's not even an online retailer, but when I called her up to ask if she had this particular yarn in this particular shade, she shipped out to me right away and only charged me cost for the shipping. So go there if you're ever in Birmingham -- they rock.). So I've one more yarn I'm waiting for to try, and I'm really hoping it's the one. If not, I may just throw myself out a window. Probably I'll just settle for one of the not-quite-perfect-but-still-lovely yarns, though. Especially since I now have exactly one month to knit a pair of knee high stockings. Erp!

The good news, though, is that I've started two of those pesky Christmas presents, so at least I'm getting some stuff done. And I've been able to experiment with different toes at the same time. So it's not like I'm not doing anything on the stockings...it's just not, well, actually on the stockings, if you see what I mean. Everything's due March 15, and I'm actually taking two days of vacation March 13 and 14 so Kit and I can pop down to AC (that's Atlantic City for those not in the tri-state area) to catch the Dropkick Murphys (punk with bagpipes -- sweet!). I'm looking forward to the extra knitting time that close to the deadline, but I predict that I will be knitting my little fingers down to nubs. You think they'll let me knit at the concert?

posted by Laura Y. @ 6:24 PM 0 comments

Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays are for teaching

Not posted until Sunday due to technical difficulties.

Hey, it starts with a "t" at least. This week, let's talk about one of the most basic building blocks of a successful finished item: the gauge swatch.

Gauge is the number of stitches and/or rows per inch you knit. It varies with yarn, needle size (and sometimes brand!), and stitch pattern. Gauge is important because it determines how big your finished item will be, and you can adjust it to meet your needs by changing needles, yarn, or both. You should also be aware of hand`, which is how the fabric drapes. Sometimes, in order to get gauge, you will have adjusted so far one way or the other that you have a fabric that's way too loose or one that's stiff as a board. One of my favorite sweaters to knit is one of my least favorite to wear because I worried more about gauge than hand and it's extremely stiff. I'll talk next week about what to do if this happens to you.

This is definitely one of those "do as I say, not as I do" kind of lessons. Sorry about that. I truly hate gauge swatches. I rarely do a full one. However, this has led to many a too big sweater, lots of wasted yarn, time spent on knitting badly fitting sweaters, and a whole whack of other frustrating things that could have been avoided if only I had taken the time to properly swatch. To (hopefully) save you from making the same mistakes I have do, I shall describe the proper and correct way of making a gauge swatch.

First, your gauge swatch needs to be reasonably sizable. Most books will give you a guideline of 4"x4", but I think it really depends on the yarn and pattern. A better way to determine how big your swatch should be is to consider what you need to find out: are you just looking for stitches and or rows per inch? Will you need to wash this swatch to see how the yarn behaves (always a good idea if you're working with a yarn you're not familiar with)? Are you swatching a lace or cable pattern? Will you be knitting the item in the round (many people get a different gauge when they knit in the round than they do when they knit flat. Has something to do with their purling. Also, gauge is often different on DPNs than circulars.) I think a better place to start than 4x4 is 40x40 -- 40 stitches by 40 rows (not including a garter stitch border of 4 rows top and bottom and 4 stitches on each side to keep the swatch flat...and now that I think about it, I'm not sure I agree with this, either. I feel like adding the garter stitch makes the stitches in between behave a little differently than they would if they were bordered by, say, 1x1 ribbing. So, garter or not as you choose. Experiment. One of the beauties of knitting is that if you screw up or aren't happy with what you've got, you can almost always reuse the yarn for something else.).

Now, if you're swatching a lace pattern that has a 12 stitch repeat, you can choose to do 36 st or 48 st -- the knitting police will not come to your house and count the stitches in your gauge swatches. If they did I'd be rotting in the Black Hole of Calcutta. If you're making a swatch specifically to find out how it reacts to washing, a larger swatch might be in order, especially if you're using a fine yarn. If you're knitting in the round on circulars, you may need to cast on more stitches (obviously, you won't include the edge garter stitches here, just the border on the top and bottom, if that's how you roll). Remember not to substitute DPNs for circulars, as your gauge may well be different on the two types of needles.

Finally, you should have a large enough swatch to measure over at least 2 inches. (Most sources say four. I disagree, especially for very fine yarn in stockingette stitch. YMMV.) Don't fudge when you count -- a half stitch is a half stitch. It doesn't seem like it makes a big difference when you're swatching, but it can add (or subtract) several inches from your final product. Use the stitches in the middle when you're measuring -- they'll be the least distorted.

Other stuff:

I'm in the process of fixing up Chez Knot. You've probably noticed the fancy progress meters over on the side there, and I'm going to be adding a third column over on the left that will be a Becky gallery. That way you won't have to wait until the next post to get a Becky update, and I won't have to wait until I have Becky pics to write an entry (which I do, lots). That should be up and running over the weekend sometime soon (I hope).

Speaking of Becky pics:

posted by Laura Y. @ 10:32 AM 0 comments

I did not have knitting relations with that yarn!

My current knitting makes me feel like I'm cheating on my husband and my boyfriend. No, I do not actually have a boyfriend. But sometimes Kit and I make out without our rings on, so that's sort of the same thing. It started out as just a little swatch. You know, for variety. Then I thought, well, it's really not cheating if I can't knit my regular project, right? Besides, it's only a few stitches. It's not like I'm casting on for a sweater (though I have been thinking about it...I've also got a shawl in mind to design/knit from some of my Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca/Silk...oh, and the Subway Sweater I need to finish...). And if I am going to cheat, I should be doing it with one of the many Christmas presents I have yet to finish start. But no.

Those of you paying close attention may have noticed that there's a new WIP over there in the sidebar...the famous Fetching fingerless mitts from Knitty Summer '06 (modified to include fingers and maybe a mitten pop-over). I originally planned to make them in this, but alas, my wool allergy has reared its ugly head and the beautiful soft wool makes my hands feel like they're on fire. (UTA: I just went and looked -- it's Merino! Merino doesn't usually trigger problems for me becaus of the low guard hair count. See, what usually happens is if it has guard hairs, I get a rash and also it doesn't feel good, but if no guard hairs, no problem. Hmmmm. Maybe in this case it's actually a reaction to the chemicals used to process it. I'm going to try reskeining it and washing it. Hope springs eternal.) Also, I wasn't getting gauge but I was compensating for that by adding a few stitches. They were going to be lovely. Sniffle.

However, I do get to use this lovely Navy (capitalized because it's the official name of the color but doesn't describe the shade at all) Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted that I picked up awhile ago at The Point (must remember to call them today and see if they have the yarn I need for the stockings in stock)...and that means these can be my Project Spectrum project! Wheee!

Now I know you're dying to ask why I'm not going blind and arthritic knitting stockings out of Seasilk on size 0s. Well, I'll tell ya. I swatched this weekend in every imaginable combination of stitches and yarns I could think of and nothing works. So we're going to plan B. Again, I'm not sure just how much detail I can give, but the end result is that I have to wait for more yarn before I start the stockings.

But what about all those Christmas presents you still have to knit, Laura? (Yes, I can hear you thinking it. It's okay. I've been thinking it to myself a lot lately, too.) Well, um, well...Oh! I know! If I knit these now, I can get the Christmas presents done faster because I'll be able to knit while I walk again! Really! No, seriously! Yeah, that's my justification and I'm sticking to it.

posted by Laura Y. @ 7:31 PM 0 comments

kNerd

If you read my husband Chris' Kit's blog, you know that we spent much of last weekend geeking out. It was our first Con (that's a Convention, for the non-geekly), and this particular one was RPG (role-playing game -- think Dungeons & Dragons, though there wasn't that much of that particular system being played there) themed. I had never even really played an live tabletop RPG (the distinction is for the geeks. See, there are computer game RPGs, which I have played lots of, and then there are tabletop, or "pen and paper" RPGs, which you play with a bunch of other people sitting around a table -- go here for a satirical example that's actually pretty dead-on -- and then there's the LARP, which stands for Live Action Role Playing and is when you dress up and act out the RPG), even though I had always really wanted to.

I was a little leery, because just as people in MMORPGs (Dude, look it up. Geeks have more acronyms than knitters. We'll be here all day if I keep having to interrupt myself to explain what things are.) are a little annoyed by and snooty towards inexperienced players (n00bs, in the vernacular), I figured the people at a gaming con were likely to be pretty experienced and not happy about finding a complete neophyte in their midst. It's not like knitting, where converting teaching muggles is almost a mitzvah. People want to play and not have their game interrupted by a bunch of stupid questions (yes, Virginia, despite what your teacher told you, there are lots of stupid questions).

Chris headed off and played a game in the afternoon with Frank (Erica's beau) (yes, Erica of the comments) and Erica and I sat in the bar and drank chatted. So when Chris finished up and he and I headed up to the sign up room (I had somehow gotten it into my head that signing up for a miniature painting contest would be a good idea -- common sense won out on that one, thankfully), I was pretty open to his suggestion that we sign up for a spot in one of the games that had been really highly recommended by Frank and Erica (and also their friends Terry and John, who are just tres cool). So we did. I came clean with my n00bness right from the start and everybody was really very cool about it and nice to me, so that was fine. I ended up having a totally fun time...and I got to be king! Which means I "won" the game. Yay me! (More about the game itself here -- note that there's a system for debate, called a "Duel of Wits!" I was totally geeked out!)

And now I start knitting my fingers to the bone. I've already: fought with the yarn to get it properly wound into balls (a hint from me to you: Seasilk hates being in center pull balls. It tries to eat itself. Not pretty.); knitted 2 swatches, both unsuccessful for different reasons -- 3 if you count the partial one I knitted whlie I was still fighting losing the center pull ball battle; and determined that I will be knitting these on, sigh, size 1 needles. Or possibly size 0s. Goody. I'm off to the LYS now to see if they have wooly nylon or possibly a laceweight merino I can knit along side the Seasilk to lend it some elasticity. Okay, wait, I'm having a thought. See, I have been thinking of these as fine stockings. So doubling the Seasilk and knitting on 2s, while much faster, gives a considerably chunkier (and not at all fine) hand to the fabric. I like it though, because it's nice and soft and cushy. And much faster. So if I just start thinking of them as socks instead of stockings, I'm finding I really don't have a problem with the chunkiness. Hmmm. Something to consider.

posted by Laura Y. @ 10:41 AM 5 comments