Knitted Browse

Because the world needs another knitting blog

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Hi, long time no talk. I’m alive, just crap at continuity *shrug*. Gonna try & be better. Have a video

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What’s The Haps *skids into blog* HAYOOO. Posting to pretend I'm doing something with my life, and you? Awkward, mm, savor the existential void. Salty! So. Now that we got that outta the way, wanna make a shawl? Sure you do. Pay attention. You like Hap shawls, amirite? Sure you do. Either a full one, square, or a half Hap, a triangle. Look them up online if you've not heard of them, I'm not your mother. Bored with the triangle shape? Hate folding a full Hap & having all that bulk? Try this half-pi Hap idea: Needed: Needles to get a good drape, yet warm fabric. Circular needles will be your friend on this, as you can make a big honkin’ yo mama mungus shawl with this. Yarn of choice, using up leftovers on this is a good stash buster. Lace to at least DK. Worsted if you're looking for something blanketesque, Boho-poncho looking shit. If you are indeed paying attention you will need: Ground Color yarn: a schwack thereof. This will be your base, and what separates all the other juicy colors you use as flair, if any. Call it approximately 500 yards. At least 3 other colors, juicy as aforementioned. Play with it. Contrast, matchy-match. Put neons with a neutral, warm with cool colors, you do you boo boo, etc. Call it 250-300 yards of each, at least. Use more for bigger shawl as you see fit, YOLO & all that crap. At least 2 (two) different stitch markers Kayso. Cast on 3. I'm not going to insult your intelligence telling you what cast on to use. Oh, Morrisey just came on, king of passive aggressive mopey fuckers, how timely! Anyway. Increase to 17 stitches in Garter stitch between whatever you deem appropriate for selvage stitches. Place markers at either end, 1st one of a different, distinctive color denoting not only the start of your knitting but the front of the shawl, because garter stitch. Work across 1st selvage, slip 1st marker. Double your stitches as you see fit for 34 stitches. KFB; YO, K1; K1, YO. Whatever rustles your jimmies. Now either: Work 4 rows garter Then 4 rows 2x17 stitch feather & fan stitch, see above. Total, 8 rows. Work across 1st selvage, slip 1st marker. Double your stitches as you see fit for 68 stitches. KFB; YO, K1; K1, YO as desired. Increase to 68 stitches as desired, work 12 rows. Either 4 garter or all Feather and Fan (4x17), swapping out colors each row set as you see fit. The pretty, traditional way they do it as far as I can see is dark/light/dark for a three set, which I like. Work across 1st selvage, slip 1st marker. Double your stitches as you see fit for 136 stitches. KFB; YO, K1; K1, YO as desired. Work 24 rows, maybe ½ garter, half feather & fan. Go nuts. Keep increasing at the end of row sets, 48 rows next, then 98 or until you've had just about enough of this Hap silliness. Bind off loosely after either tacking in a border or going sideways and tacking in a sideways border thataway. Remember sideways borders, though pretty, eat a heck-ton of yarn. A suggestion for sideways borders; Add one more stitch, which will be the one you use to knit the border together with the previous work. DO slip that first stitch going back OUT, AWAY from the shawl, it makes the border sit much more nicely against the work going the other direction. Have fun stash busting.

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Adventures In Maybe Knitting Mori Capelet, Aiken Part 1 Stash busting as a sort of cold sheep/stash busting maneuver. Also trying to be more committed to the blog. Going for the Mori look. Less twee/infantilism than most of the styles I've seen, none of that ding-toed, infantile looking such of a muchness. Join along if you like! Currently: 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Nature Spun Fingering, Ash (Main Color). 2 skeins same in Butterscotch (Contrast Color) which is actually more of a Verdigre color, in my opinion 0’s, cable needles. I’ve started with 20” ones, I would say 40” ones at the largest would be needed to finish this project. This is a very light fingering/heavy laceweight yarn & rather hard to find around me locally. Leaf motifs all over the shop. I want to, after the collar, move to not only rss w/cabled leaves/vines, but some lace for the vale (vent? Idea what the proper fashion term is for the piece) that I want to put in the back for ventilation as I run hot. Pattern thus far: 3/21/17 Long tailed CO 88 over doubled cable needles by folding them in half, needles side by each & facing the same way. Place markers at 10 st after beginning/before end. This is 68 stitches 4 repeats of a 17 stitch version of Feather and Fan Stitch. Gently & carefully remove one of the cable needle ends so that the needle is free to start knitting the pattern. NB: I am a very large woman. If you are a smaller/average person, only cast on 34 stitches between markers, which is 2 reps of the 17 stitch Feather and Fan pattern. See previous blog post for chart Knit 6 rows GARTER stitch slipping the first stitch of each row PURLWISE, wyif (this will be for entirety of pattern, BTW) *Set up for knitting texture/short row shaping pattern: Slip 1st stitch purlwise Knit 9 garter In between markers = 68 (34) stitches, 4 (2) reps of the 17 stitch Feather and Fan pattern At end of texture pattern: Knitwise: First pass: YO, left leaning decrease of choice. I use slip 1st stitch knitwise, 2nd stitch purlwise & knit both together through the BACK of the loop. I've found it much neater. Turn work Purlwise Slip 1st stitch purlwise wyib, work back across row (purl) to 1st marker Slip 1st marker, YO, slip 1st stitch knitwise, 2nd purlwise, purl together as normal for a p2tog Turn work Each row, short row shaping Move forward one stitch past last YO, i.e. Work stitch that was YO last row in pattern YO left leaning decrease, kwise or pwise Turn work Slip 1st stitch purlwise wyib Work stitches back to markers in pattern either knitwise or purlwise as they present themselves This comes out to 7 stitches for 3 rep of the pattern, 12 rows total At the last knit row of the pattern, work last YO/decrease after marker, knit to end Turn work, slip 1 pwise wyif Work 9 st garter to marker, purl across feather & fan pattern work last YO/decrease after marker, work in garter, knitting to end. Knit 6 rows in Butterscotch/Contrast color, INCREASING four (4) stitches evenly between markers Collar done, 24 rows including short row shaping from 88 to 92 stitches total I will try to put up the collar chart for the short row shaping when I can

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Trying repeatedly to post this, and doing everything exactly as it says to do. Made the pic/chart in Concepts App which I love working with.

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Swatching the Horizon

I'm alive, nothing's wrong. Well, other than me havering between beavering away at different cast on ideas with which to wow you & kicking balls of yarn around the apartment when they don't work. I'll be back shortly, talk amongst yourselves. And thank you yet again for all the likes/reblogs of my Punto Reverso cast on. So kind *blows kisses*

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Full Frontal Knittery Back, again, heyyyy, hello! Doing some swatching for a steampunk shawl, see above. The yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr, 50% Merino wool & 50% Tussah in Suede. It's a subtle dun-tan color and the silk gives it the vaguest frisson of a metallic sheen. It's my favorite lace weight yarn and I want to eat it with a spoon, even colors I don't like, even though it's 50% merin-ugh wool. It jumps through every hoop I've ever put it through, drapes like a narcoleptic snake and shines like a good deed in a evil world. *Happy, satisfied smile and sigh* Look at that glorious bastard. Love it. Tennyrate, I'm swatching it on 0’s, 1’s & even 2’s. I am a very loose knitter and usually choke up pretty hard on my gauge. I can, and happily do put Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool on 2’s. Yes, really. I want this shawl to sing, sing like a diva, so needs must I find the gauge that'll be best for the lace, twisted, traveling and cable stitches I intend on putting in it. All the stitches, baby. All of them! *maniacal laugh* I've got 500 yards to swatch with & 1000 yards for the actual tester shawl. Details: I started with a long tail cast on at first and got through the 0’s section before my inner knitter started clearing her throat pointedly & fidgeting that the cast on looked kinda choked. After sighing at myself for getting in my own way yet again, I yarded the first part of the swatch out and started again with a knit cast on. Look at it. So sexy. My lace section is 40 stitches, with a four stitch garter selvedge front and back, slipping the first stitch of every row purlwise. The actual lace repeat is two rows, a multiple of 2: ROW 1: *YO, K2togtbl; rep from * to end. ROW 2: *K2tog, YO; rep from * to end. When one remembers to use one’s row counter, it comes out to a lovely, open, simple netting. I only do twelve rows, which is more than enough for me, in my opinion, to get a feel for what the stitch was going to do. I did the 0’s section on metal straights YET AGAIN, after the swatch decided to eat shit and take a screaming noser off the needles during the 2’s lace section at a local coffee joint. My own fault for using circular needles under 24” for a flat piece of work. I knew full fucking well it'd bite me on my copious tuchis and it sure as shit did. The 1’s section was done on square metal straight 1’s, which I love. I'm pretty sure the tester and final shawl will be done on 1’s, but I'm continuing on with the 2’s sections, because a) aforementioned yarnsplosion, and b) my gauge has changed significantly over the last year & I don't want to be 20 rows into the tester and change my tiny little mind again. For the solid pattern of the swatch, I like to do a simple set of reverse stockinette, a 4 stitch cable between it on either end with a section of stockinette in the middle. Usually about 20-24 rows to show how the cables are gonna act, easy like Sunday morning. In personal knitting; I'm making myself an earphone pouch in some leftover sock yarn in which I made my mom mittens. It's several different shades of yellow *delicate shudder* which I personally can't stand. But it's an easy color to see, and losing my earphones drives me nearly as nuts as misplacing my friggin debit card. I saw a pattern floating around here on tumblr that looked easy enough to reverse engineer, and a quick knit. I need to buckle down and work on that outline for knitting world domination, I'll probably poke at it later today, or start it at work tomorrow night. I do so like making outlines and lists, them break things into little bits so I don't get all panicky and wind up doing nothing I intended to & hiding in bed in a welter of self loathing and frustration. All right, knitters. See you next time with more random updates, hood design ideas and silliness.

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Rough Me Up So here are some basics of the Capelet idea in the previous post. I'm leaning towards the 2nd design as it's a little less harsh in its line, more feminine. I do want a cable detail in the collar, which is why I love lace weight and fine fingering weight for knitting. Cram as much detail per square inch as friggin possible. I also have an idea for a lace collar, definitely more froufrou. We likes the froufrou, YISSS.... Just a matter of hacking it out. More details as I sketch them out, honest Abe. This is actually to also test the new drawing app I bought, Procreate. Hopefully the pix won't be ginormous, but we'll see, hang on.

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Swatch Out, Here She Comes Swatching. What a galloping pain in the ass. But if you don't, Lana, Our Lady of the Fleece will reach right down & jerk a knot in your project and your aforementioned derrière. Yea, verily, she has slapped me, lo, these many times. When I say, “Fuck it, I'll just throw something together.”? That usually means I'll cast on at least three times, change my mind five times, and the project yarn will lay down in a boneless cat-tantrum & do booshitdiddly, knit how I may. My tester swatch nowadays consists of; 48 stitches, with the cast on I'm going to use for the project, with a mirrored set of seed, reverse stockinette, 4 stitch cable and stockinette. I slip the first stitch of each row purl wise, I just like the way it looks. Sizing up on needles, another 2016 demi-semi-hemi New Yarns’ resolution of mine isn't necessary in this instance. This yarn is gonna need 0s for any kind of structural integrity and warmth. Brown Sheep Nature Spun fingering. A nice yarn, of what I call a ‘workhorse’ variety. “Does what it says on the package”. Good solid yarn, holds up pretty well under a lot of frogging, as long as you're not yarding it out like you're hauling in the Lusitania. The colors I have from the sadly defunct Windsor Bead & Button are Butterscotch & some variation on a theme of oatmeal. I haven't the faintest what the second one is named, but if you make anything butterscotch that's the color of the yarn on the left, needs must I satisfy my sweet tooth elsewhere, kthx. Old brass would be a closer description, though it's probably not considered twee enough a name. Whatevs. The ball bands says to use 3s, at which I scoff mightily. You want a cozy fishing net? Go for it, sez I, and more power to you. I, however will be working it on 0s, as the swatch sacrifice to Lana shows above. Best thing about swatches is once it's blocked and measured, yard that shit out and use it, don't even snip it from the ball. So I'm looking to make a capelet of this, two skeins of the butterscotch, three of the oatmeal. I will be using the butterscotch as my contrasting color, for the collar and trimmings I have in mind. The capelet will be subtly steampunk, with cabling & texture delineating wrenches and graceful cogs. Light enough not to put you into a sweat indoors at cons, heavy enough to be a nice addition for early spring/fall days. I'm contemplating a hood, but the crisp, military look I'm going for precludes that. I have a thing for hoods, I can indulge it in other projects. I'll be using the capelet as a design tester for seaming as well. Where I am a fat woman, I do prefer to make accessories, not only for accentuating all figures gracefully, but sparing the pocketbook as well. Also, I can put in motifs and designs around open space that can be increased or decreased for each individual’s personal sizing. Enjoy bonus pic of my knitting supervisor, Lord His Grace, Tizwoz Calcedony Belvedere-Gordon. And stay tuned, next post I will probably be posting design sketches, and speaking of my pattern making process!

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New Yarns Resolution

Well, we’re coming up on 2016 fast as the clappers, so I’m gonna squeak in at least this one more blog before then, maybe another one with some drawing, too.

My parents got me some lovely carbon fiber DPNs in 0s & 1s and they are fabu. I snap the hell out of wooden needles that thin. Metal needles bruise my fingers because I get a little tense when I knit that small *kof*. Bamboo needles just curve under the strain of my mighty talons, and curved needles work my nerve. Therefore, carbon fiber needles, FTW.

Our glorious leader at my muggle job deigned to throw us a bone ($50) to keep us from hanging him from a lamppost in righteous revolution and weakly make up for no raises for going on FOUR FUCKING YEARS now. So, like a responsible adult, I’m going to spend it on yarn for pattern projects after the bank opens Monday, WOOO. I shall try Jimmy Beans Wool instead of Webs for this order. Their prices and selection seem a little better & I want to see how their delivery turnaround is. I wasn’t too impressed when Webs took a friggerty week to fill my order last time. I’ve been in that place, it ain’t as impressive as I was first lead to believe. Nice, mind you, but I don’t want them thinking they’re the only game in town. Play hard to get, I always say. Well, I do nowadays, anyway *shifty eyes*.

So, the things I want to work on in the new year:

Publish at least 2 new patterns for actual factual sale. The Punto Reverso freebie pattern I posted here, already. And I thank everyone who like and/or reposted it. You have NO earthly idea how much of a boost to my heart & ego that was. I need to get my list of project ideas and get cracking. I will list them in (very loose) publishing order, with the steps I need to perform to get them done & published. I have to break things down into bits or I get overwhelmed.

Seamed projects. There’s no getting around it. I’ve several ideas for steampunk pieces that are of a military cut/style. The clean lines and crisp edges of seaming will make these pieces sing, so I need to learn to seam. I’ve a basic grasp of how it should go, but research, baby, research. For anything other than knitting I would be whining like Bordeau about this.

Speaking of design, I wonder. Would it be feasible for me to start posting drawings of design ideas? I know I’d very much like to, if nothing more than that I love to draw, lol. But the way big name fashion designers have been outright stealing people’s ideas and artwork or aboriginal artwork and designs gives me due pause. I’m not saying I’m going to come up with the next fashion smash hit. But to have someone gank my designs would make me right ugly. Thoughts?

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Here’s my first socks. Toe up, magic loop, on Addi Sock Rocket 00 needles. The yarn is Fiber Optics Footnotes in the Once in A Lifetime color way, in lovely chartreuse & a thick, rich blue. I’m just winging the pattern, measure as you go type dealie. I’m thinking I shoulda got the 60" needles, these 40" ones are nice, but I think it’s going to get kinda crowded by the time I get to the top of the calves (going for knee highs), because my calves are…girthy.

I enjoy using the magic loop, because second sock syndrome ain’t foolin’. The only thing I don’t like about magic loop is those first and last stitches on either side, you gotta lock them bitches down like Panama. I’m using what *I* call lifted increases, in which I take the yarn between stitches (strand from previous row) lift it up on the left needle with the right-hand “leg” of the stitch in front of the left needle and knits through the back of the loop. I’m sure there’s several different names for it, hence my thorough description.

Yes, that’s a Pretty Cheep project bag, I can’t remember who makes them, but they’re nice. I could make my own, but I can’t be arsed right now as I have more than enough knitting pattern ideas to get through without throwing sewing projects in, too.

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The stitch gap is one of the main reasons I knit in the round with two circs. The gap goes away, and I don’t end up flailing around with all the extra cable.

Socks are magic- wait until you turn a heel! :D

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I know, I can't wait to get into that chartreuse yarn again for the heels. I'm going to probably do an afterthought heel as a cop out, I can't quite wrap my head around most of the other heels quite yet.

I'm inktellectual over on ravelry, btw 😚

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This. Also, That

Back again! Needles. Let's talk about needles for a minute. Much like everything else in life, sadly, it's a divided camp. Us, them, we, those. But, again like life, there's really actually room for everyone. I know I like all of the different kinds I've used so far, and honestly go by moods. I can start a hat on circular needles and finish them off on DPNs. Or do the whole hat on DPNs. The rustic feel of knitting a scarf on straight needles, metal for really crunchy yarn so it doesn't try and actually eat or bond with wooden ones. Long circular needles for magic loop, so you know you've got precisely enough yarn for your project and both items, sock, mitts, or mittens are both the exact same amount of rows. I have a tendency to freehand patterns and this helps me stay on track immensely. I do have to say I *prefer* bamboo to wooden needles, especially DPNs, but that's only because I snap them so easily. I learned how to do double knitting, single fabric & I love it for making thumbs for mittens. It's actually what you're doing when using my Punto Reverso Cast On, as it employs this method for the first part, before you switch to multiple needles. Per the book The Principles of Knitting, you could do an entire project in this manner, including increases and decreases. I can see how the increases could be done, by just timing them in the rhythm of knitting and slipping stitches, but doing decreases in it seem like they'd be a big ass pain of moving stitches back and forth entirely too often to make it worthwhile. But you could, if you wanted *shrug*. Steampunk. Let's get cozy and discuss, shall we? Most of my pattern ideas are, quite frankly going to be of a steampunk bent. I love the Victorian aesthetic of “more is more”. But how far does one go before entering costume/performance territory in clothing? Some people live in that zone every day, and honestly, I'd like to be one of them, and am working on it, slowly. I do live in a Podunk town on the east coast which tends to lean towards the liberal-but-actually-conservative. Kinda like the people who have a library of gardening books but hate to actually get their hands dirty. Anyway. A Victorian walking costume with parasol and reticule would garner more bullshit from the mundanes than I personally care to deal with. But one can add elements, and slowly build up an understated theme that waves one’s freak flag, but tastefully. Mostly my projects/patterns will be steampunk in the motifs more than the styling, though I will attempt stylistic effects as well. I will be making a list of projects, maybe with steps to be finished, to give myself clearer goals to work towards. This random flailing shit hasn't gotten me very far, and I just do better with breakdowns so I don't get overwhelmed. Speaking of overwhelmed, I am going to go with dropping patterns all throughout the year instead of just Autumn through winter. That way both you and I won't be pressed for time and we can both work on multiple projects without feeling pressured. Thanks again to everyone who liked and/or reblogged my Punto Reverso Cast On. I really appreciate it.

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Who the what now?

So, wait. Knitting the heels on socks you just basically increase to double the stitch amount set for the heels, minus two, usually. Then go back down again, slipping the end stitches as you go? Shit, I can do that. Screw the after thought heel, I got this *cracks knuckles*

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Twisted Stitches And Random Yarnovers

So, I’ve not posted in several day, for which I apologize, all my fucks are currently on backorder.

Let’s get this outta the way first: I really, super, don’t even kind of a little teensy bit appreciate knitted cables done in self striping or variegated yarns. The clash of the two just makes my fists itch. And? And? Gradient projects that go from light to dark instead of dark to light as nature, nay, the gods themselves intended, gives me fucking fits. I’m not OCD, but both of those things deeply work my fucking nerve. *sigh* I feel somewhat better, and now I can let it go. Not my knitting project, not my row counter.

NiFNiT: (notes for next time): I am NEVER knitting another frigging sweater. Jesus crapping Christ, what a fucking black hole of yarn suck. I’m only on like the fourth repeat and longing for insanity to finally wrap me in its warm embrace. I’m going to cast on for the sleeves today, cuff up and 2@at, so I’m not found at the top of a water tower with a high powered rifle and a package of gummy bears. Also, if any project has a deadline, set up a goddam schedule and insteada diddlefucking around with pattern ideas and what direction I’m knitting, just pick one and go. Re: first time socks. They’re socks. Round and round in delicious, tasty, rich colors. Ooh, and something apparently tumblr won’t just come out and say; if you want to post pics within a text post, you hafta go on the website to post, not the app. Which, I ain’t even mad, but having to take two weeks to figure it out, despite tumblr instructions saying otherwise? Not a good business model, guys.

Devious plans for world shawl domination: I got Barbara Walker’s third pattern book from the library. I copied patterns for some stuff I’m designing and they gave me several new ideas, so I’m pretty stoked. There’s a Hamsa shawl I’m designing, previously mentioned. I still dunno which of those gorgeous blues I’m going to use, though. The dragonfly fibers is good yardage at 870 yd, but I could get really ornate with the 1375 yd. It’d be easy enough to swap out, since the place isn’t selling anymore. However, something so ornate only, like, 5 people buy it? Again, not a good business model nor a good first pattern to drop. That reminds me, I need to make a friggerty list as to what order I’m going to release patterns.

Working on two cast ons that I’m quite excited about. Gotta do the usual stash diving to find a good, clean, neat wool to take step by step pics, but I should have that those hammered out shortly. I then have to set up the PayPal & Ravelry & so forth. That last sentence makes me queasy, because I have a stupid paperwork phobia that makes me just about faint around tax time. But I’m sick of being poor, and paperwork is necessary for getting in that sweet, sweet fundage.

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Knit Check, 1-2, 1-2

With warm apologies to Sir Mixalot. My friend Lisa came up with the first stanza and asked for assistance. Then this happened. Baby Got Hanks GIMME A BLEAT! I like big hanks and I cannot lie You other knitters can't deny When you find that yarn with the right amount of twist And get the needles in your fist You cast on Wanna knit til the break of dawn Cuz these projects just go on Deep in the stash I'm flailing Find the right yarn and off I'm sailing Oh, baby alpaca I wanna take your picture And retweet ya My knitters tried to warn me But that blend you got makes me cast on, whee! Oh, Romney You say you wanna get on my needles, With the gauge I twiddle? Well pull me, lull me Cuz you ain't that average wool, see I've seen you on sale For weft and wale That Corriedale Soft, strong And the put up is so long I'm tired of magazines Saying Merino is the thing Take the average knitter And ask them on Twitter Boys, girls What's the best to knit & purl? You gotta have big hanks So knitters (yeah), knitters (yeah) Have your hanks got the yardage (HELL YEAH) Go on and skein up (skein up), skein up (skein up), Skein up that lofty hank Baby got hanks I like ‘em lace weight and fingering And when I'm considering What to cast on I just can't help myself; I'm acting like a vandal Throwing aside the bands of balls Now here's my scandal; I wanna take you home and ooh, double ply, ooh, ohh! Ain't talking about Charmoise Cuz that sheep is bred to broil I want hanks real plump and wooly And maybe that Bison, so bully! Knitters in the store Looking for just one Hank more A knitter’s in trouble Not finding Kid Silk Haze to cuddle So I'm looking at yarn reviews With ever so much to choose You can keep those knock offs Keep that inferior flock, I scoff! A word to the great yarn twisters I won't flounce or dis ya But I gotta be straight when I say I wanna do a long cast on A lotta knitters won't like this rhyme Cuz those peeps don't have the time Got Xmas knitting Getting through quick mittens To the lace knitters I belong, And I'd rather cast on For a stole so long So spinners (yeah), spinners (yeah) Have your skeins got the meters (HELL YEAH) Go on and put up (put up), put up, (put up) Put up that plumptious hank, Even crocheters gotta say thanks Baby got hanks!

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The Heartbreak of Starteritis WIPs: (For n00bs or the ilkniterate {those not up on knitters' terminology}, Works In Progress) Mom's Sweater - Um, so, yeah. I did neither boo, shit nor diddley on it last night or night before last, as I quite frankly didn't feel like much of any knitting, really. I'm a process knitter. Sit me down with good music and a drink and I will march right along, row after row. I love knitting this sweater, now that cabling doesn't make my wrists sweat in terror, and I hope she loves the sweater, but...it'slike a book report. Even diehard book junkies know what I mean. You find a book you can really dive into, one you want to hand out on the street. But the minute the teacher tells you to write a report on it, NOPE. You're all "ugh, here's *this* bitch, *AGAIN*." With accompanying drama flailing and you just don't wanna. I promised, however, and I'm quite behind, so knit on, bitch, knit on. Also see: dad's gloves *nonchalant whistling*.... Noro Armwarmers - See pics above for progress, also note a pair of stitch markers in the wild. Beautiful plumage! Ok, so, dig if you will, the picture: Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool, eve of, 2015. I was knitting away in a delightfully grotty hotel, trying to get this project done to wear the next day. Knitting so hard I had a bruise at the base of my middle finger. I get them done, they look aces, and they're warm. But blocking Noro Silk Garden sock yarn? They got pretty loose up at the top, as I was knitting them freehand as I am wont to do. And that slumpy shit only looks good on bony little Harajuku girls. It makes me look like I pick fights about circulars versus DPNs at the LYS. Très shady. Meh, no big, I picked out the bind off and dropped down *mumble* rows on both (see freehand knitting confession above) and went back up, tacking. In a lot more as I went. And it's been giving me fits. I HAVE ENOUGH YARN. In the actual leftover picked out yarn, actually, factually attached to the knitted pieces themselves, I have enough. Tell that to my thrifty Yankee hindbrain. "YOU'RE GOING TO RUN OUT! WOE, WOECAKES WITH EMO SAUCE!" my inner knitter wails in a nasal Downeaster judgypants voice. *sigh* "Bitch, not only do we still have enough yarn STILL ATTACHED, I have two cakes left over from the original knitting big enough to make mittens. Calmst du die titten, kitten." I snap back in my ersatz, redonk German while my wrists get damp. Ugh. So I get back up to where I think the ribbing should kick in, and proceed to do so. "You need to go down a needle size for proper ribbing." murmurs my inner knitter, adjusting her rhinestone cat's eye glasses. "You should've done it the last time, too, by the way." "Shut it. I just wanna get these friggerty things done." I mutter and lean into the second row. "You know I'm right." she huffs and fidgets, watching me hit the third row. "You're going to regret it, and be pissy and blame ME-" "FUCKSAKE. FINE." I bark. Sighing, I look at the ribbing and cut my eyes at the 1's they're currently on. "Fine, you're right, I'll bring 0's tomorrow and pick up stitches again." "Told you." my inner knitter gloats, straightening her powder-pink Peter Pan collared sweater on its froufrou gold-effect sweater chain. "Don't make me get a prescription." I hiss back. And did I bring 0's last night to finish with last night? No, I did not. Fuckity snap. I'll get them done tonight, anyway. I've been invited to a friend's family Thanksgiving and I wanna dress to impress. Which usually means I'll be wearing gravy or a staining beverage in that certain piquant Je ne sais quois manner by seven pm *eyeroll*. First Time Socks - I am digging these socks. As some who just likes to knit knit knit an don small needles, these are aces. The colors are delicious, and when I'm done knitting, they'll both be done. I can't imagine doing them one at a time and just hoping everything comes out even. I'll be doing an afterthought heel on these, probably a reverse hat heel, picking up stitches (seeing a theme?) and reducing evenly (hopefully, she sighed) to eight stitches to bind off. Speaking again of glorious colors, see those blues above? Wanna stick them in your mouth, don't you, you dirty thing? Tough cookies, they're mine. The teal is Dragonfly Fibers, www.dragonflyfibers.com, Squishy Lace in Highgarden, 870 yd. teh smokier blue is Sliver Moon Farm in Denim, 1375 yd. Both yarns are Merino, but what're ya gonna do. The farm isn't producing yarn anymore, as the spinner has passed away. RIP, and may there be ball winders in her version of Paradise. So these two yarns are going to be shawls. I love shawls with a deep passion. They fit everyone, there are thousands of combinations to make. And that's my problem. So. Many. Choices. I have ideas for shawl themes: Steampunk, Egyptian, Pirates, Dragon/Bat. And that's not adding on all the other ideas for cool accessories I want to design as well, mostly Steampunk because I love the aesthetic. But starting on them while trying to clear out my obligatory, pleasure, and necessity knitting? As well as getting over the conditioning that creative endeavors aren't financially sound and artists are penniless twits flakier than Kellogg's entire oeuvre? I have a work ethic. My parents raised me to bust my ass for my dollar. But there's a big lead cannonball in the middle of my creation center that tells my my ideas are stupid and worthless & it takes a conscious effort to DO something creative. And it makes me so angry that I've been indoctrinated to feel this way about something that's a part of who I am. But here I am, creating.

[knittedbrowse]

It’s not you, it’s me.

So. Merino wool. Nice stuff, huh? Soft, little shiny. It’s pretty much everywhere.

I don’t actually like it very much.

(Pause for breeze of drama gasps to go by)

Yeah, I know, I suck. I also heard if you don’t buy merino wool, Russell Crowe will come to your house and hit you with a phone. That may or may not be factual, but I don’t care.

“But merino’s so SAAAWFT!” I hear its proponents wail. Merino pills up like Liz Taylor, Lindsey Lohan and Amanda Bynes combined. There, I said it, I feel better. I want something that’s gonna last a long time but not feel like twine.

So I have to research. I’m sure there’s dozens of wools out there that are just what I need, but Big Wool is running things, and merino’s the cheapest game in town, short of the no name wool that some brands put out. The alpaca market apparently shit the bed recently, we shall see how much longer Merino kicks around. Anyone for mutton?

[knittedbrowse]

Upside down and round and round

When following a charted pattern for your mother’s sweater, it goes a lot more smoothly when the chart is fucking right side up. Ugh.

ETA: gotta remind myself to use the Elizabeth Zimmerman trick and haul up the seam stitch when I get to the armpit gusset on this bitch. Kind of a structural support, kind of a detail element.