Knitter's Logic

The Power of Suggestion, Or a glimpse into how my mind works.

I’m knitting away on a sweater – things are going well.

Decide to listen to "Cast On" to help the time go by on a loooooong stretch of stockinette.

Brenda mentions a bag I’ve been coveting for some time.

I put down my knitting,and pause the podcast to check out the bag’s website.

I resist temptation- pick up my knitting, and resume the podcast.

Brenda mentions her “Color Affection”. (a wildly popular shawl pattern-some 6,0000 or so projects posted on Ravelry)

“That sounds like fun…”

“I really should make one of those”

“I’m going to make one of those.”

Hmmmmm……

I remember I have a sweater on my project page – a fingering weight cardigan I know I really don’t want to finish- maybe that yarn could be repurposed –I really like that teal blue.

I bet I have some other sock yarn in my stash that would go with it-

No- nothing I have really appeals to me….

I know- I’ll go to the yarn shop with the blue I have and treat myself to two new skeins of sock yarn.

Follow the logic there- I’m using one skein from stash and justifying buying two new- this my friends is one of the most common ways  stash grows. (Since it  looks like I’ll have some yarn left over of not only the blue but the two new skeins as well  –  you can see  depleting the stash is not going to happen any time soon.)

I did eventually finish the sweater despite the Color Affection detour- and I’m just about done with the Color Affection- picture taking session this weekend.

To Rip or To Tink

I was seriously in need of some mindless knitting over the weekend. So I picked up my long lost but not forgotten Ingenue.

I had finished the collar and raglan shaping for the arms and was ready for the body, which includes some pretty straightforward waist shaping.

Somehow I missed the line that read do 10 rows straight before the waist shaping. It was after about 20 rows that I realized my mistake thinking, “Wow that waist shaping is pretty high….” I mentioned I was in need of some mindless knitting right?

So I needed to erase 20 rows to get to the pleasure of 10 straight rows.

Do you rip back boldly with no fear of picking up those live stiches?

Or do you slowly and methodically tink  (knit backwards) meaning to take the stiches out one by one- embracing the meditative process- no murmuring allowed…?

Me – I tinked the thing because there is mohair in this yarn and it wants to catch and knot when pulled. I confess to just a little murmuring.

Do you have a "mindless" knitting project on hand that you can pick up when that mindless knitting mood strikes?

Be--- Like A Cat

Been feeling kind of scattered so I took a very restorative walk out back this morning. When I got home Shadow was relaxing in the sunbeams on the kitchen table.We both (meaning Shadow and I) know he shouldn’t be on the table, but...

I’ve had many cats over the years, but Shadow is the best- 

and he knows it.

Scary Bunny

During the airing of the stash a few weeks back I found a small baggie of angora bunny fur that my neighbor Kris gave me ages ago. The fur belonged to Martha the classroom bunny. I knew at the time she gave me the little baggie of fluff, that there was no way my spinning skills were up to the challenge.

It was a happy coincidence that around the same time I found my little bag I noticed that a few other spinners in the Ravelry beginning-spinners group were going to jump in and tackle some angora,and so I decided to pull up my big girl panties and get to work.

I decided right off the bat that I was going to blend the bunny with some very fine first fleece Shetland.

I also decided to mix up some fresh dye and revisit microwave dying. I spent a few days squirting dyes and nucking fluff and ended up with this…

I wasn’t 100% crazy about the color of the bunny but after five or six passes through the carder I was ok with it. (trying to quiet the critic and embrace beginner mind here)

I decided on a roughly 75% Shetland, 25% bunny blend . The whole bunch weighed  1.3 ounces.

I then divided it into three clumps for spinning- shooting to distribute what I had as equally as possible onto three bobbins. My goal - a fingering weight 3 ply. I ended up with about 65 yards of 3 ply.

The Shetland really helped hold things together and even with just 25% bunny- the yarn has a wonderful softness and halo. The color of the yarn a misty lavender. You can see a few of the reddish neps of bunny fur… I’ve decided I actually like that.

Now I’m knitting it up along with some Lorna’s laces Shepard Sock into a Baktus shawl/scarf that I’ll be giving to Kris - in remembrance of Martha. She was a nice bunny even though she made(makes) me sneeze.

PS- the rather scary looking pink bunny in the photo is actually a vintage cotton ball dispenser. I’m sparing you a photo of the back where the hole is because I have no cotton balls at the moment.

Knitting Bag-Spill It

I recently shopped for a new purse- funny how a knitter shops for a purse.  I wanted something not too big, and not too small, with a separate space inside big enough to hold a sock project, my tin of notions and small notebook. I also wanted it to go with just about everything – so not too fancy- not too casual. Anyway this grey Vera Wang bag from Kohl’s has everything going for it in my book. The center clasp opens a roomy compartment perfect for knitting and there are deep poufy compartments on either side for all my other stuff. All this thinking about what I carry with me got me to thinking it might be fun to spill my must have knitting notions. So here goes….

1. tin pencil case
2. something to clean my glasses with
3. nail file
4. cute little ruler
5. crochet hook
6. pencil
7. little crochet hook with pointy end
8. cable needles
9. favorite darning needle –my one and only
10. tape measure
11. broken needle gauge
12.  bird scissors
13. post its
14. resq ointment
15. row counter
16. Pokemon card from David about 10 years ago
17. band aid
18. another Pokemon card
19. stitch marker in a box- (note I hate that I have to buy a package of mixed size markers when all I really want are the small ones- Please Clover- come out with a pack of just the small ones-please. These are my favorite markers.)
20. small plastic sheep
21. point protectors
22. spare size 2 needles for sock knitting on the go

 All  21 items fit into my tin. Most of these things have been with me for a very long time. So many cute notions are available out there, but I remain true to these. I hold onto my favorites and work from just this one set. I’m loyal that way…or maybe just set in my ways. What do you carry with you? Anything missing up there? 

Puzzles

When I want to knit, but don’t know what I want to knit, and am too weary to think about what I might want to knit, I knit what I call socklets.  I have found these the perfect little sock to wear with clogs. It’s a very plain and simple and soothing pattern.  I have been puzzling about them though since when I wear them without shoes- say to bed - they slip off in a most annoying manner. Could it be the cuff needs to be longer? Or is it the heel flap? Or is it the length of the foot itself?  Yesterday I was skimming the Yarn Harlot’s chapter on socks in Knitting Rules and noticed her table for shoe sizes and foot lengths, and lo and behold I have been knitting these socklets too short…according to the chart about 1 ½ inches too short. Then today I happened along a pattern from Purl Soho for   "Pompom Peds" and a photo grabbed my attention.

Can’t believe I’m going to admit this…. To measure  I think I lay the tape down starting with one - ignoring the fact that you need what comes before one to make the first inch. So in reality those socklets I’ve been knitting are actually 2 ½ inches too short. My brain is so fuzzy right now thinking of the many, many projects I may have measured in this goofy way.

I think I’ll  go sit in my corner and cast on another pair of socklets.

xxxooo

I headed out to JoAnn's with my 50% off coupon to pick up a size 7 circular needle. I know I have one somewhere ...just can't find it. On the way in I saw this wreath marked 90% off. It was $39.00. $39.00 I Don't Think So...$3.90 sure. It came with the yarn wrapped styrofoam balls and sprays of buttons. I added $4.00 worth of felt cut outs and some vintage pink Knitting needles and Voila!

The ancient secret of happiness

I was visiting around and crashed what looks to have been a really fun Valentine’s Day Tea hosted by Sue. You can check it out here http://suknitwitty.blogspot.com/2011/02/we-love-to-knit.html . I saw the brownies and couldn’t get them off my mind. And there was mention of Chocolate Tea. Yum! Well as it turns out I was out shopping for treats for the boys and found this…

Red Velvet Chocolate Tea made by the Republic of Tea. It’s described as a caffeine free herb blend with Rooibos, Chocolate, Vanilla and Beet root. They claim its rich in antioxidants. I have to say it really does taste like chocolate cake. The most fun part… the tea with milk added is the prettiest pink color. A little sugar – heaven. Forget the brownies. They can’t claim antioxidants.

Wisdom from the side of the tin...

Drinking tea desires deminish and I come to see the ancient secret of happiness: Wanting what I already have.

getting to know you

If you're in the neighborhood this summer you need to stop here...it's the best - just saying.

I have food on my mind...
Katie tagged me and invited me to join in on a little get to know you quiz- so here goes...

1. What’s your staple meal? (i.e. What meal do you cook most often when you can’t be bothered to be adventurous?) Crackers and cheese and a glass of wine…that covers all the food groups- right?


2. What do you want to be when you grow up? I don’t plan on growing up.

3. What book are you reading at the moment? “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver (actually listening to this) Nightstand reading- “The Collected Gastronomical Works of M.F.K. Fisher”

4. How do you relax? I focus on my breath.

5. What color are the interior walls of your home? Our living room/dining room is a pale ocher, the kitchen is white and our bedroom is pale blue.

6. What is your guiltiest pleasure? Grilled American cheese with peanut butter and jam.

7. What time is bedtime and getting up time? Early to bed and early to rise for me. I Love the morning!

8. How long do you spend reading blogs per day or per week? I probably spend about an hour a day here and there checking in on blogs.

If you read this and you'd like to join in leave me a comment with a link to your blog so I can get to know you too... go ahead...it'll be fun.

Nonsense

It’s been such a great day! I finished my Tea Cozy sample for an upcoming class, and took it out teapot shopping.(Raveled here) Drove down to one of my favorite antique/collectible shops in Fenton . We tried on three pots – a turquoise squat pot with a swirled finial, an apple round, glossy coral pink number, and finally settled on this Hall Yellow Squiggle.

It’s big- holds 64 ounces. It’s sturdy- not too precious, with just enough gold decoration - to put it over the top. Sweatered in the cozy- ah perfection… My favorite part- the way the gold paint is gently worn on the handle.

This Pot has seen some tea.

The cozy fits like a glove…

Checking out some of the Cozy related groups and conversation on Ravelry, I was reminded of a small figurine I found hidden in a box of Red Rose Tea someone left in the kitchen at work a while back. I brought the cute kittens home thinking I’d keep my eye out for boxes advertising this free giveaway. Well - have to say I’m a Lipton Girl- old habits are hard to break and so the kittens have stood alone, but while shopping for the Pot I spied this….

A poodle in a blue skirt – another Red Rose, Wade figure. $2.00 and I don’t have to feel bad about not liking or drinking all the tea. Poodles in skirts and tea cozies- oh my…

It seems I have a little wrinkle forming.

I might have tried to tell myself it was from squinting because of the sun, but we just don't get that many sunny days here in Michigan. No- truth be told I think its a worry line. I know in my head that worry does us no good....and I'm trying not to worry until I know exactly what it is I need to worry about. Staff reductions and cutbacks are in the air......so I'm distracting myself with little mittens for now...