I know, I’ve been gone a long time. By way of vague explanation, let me just say that I’m working through some depression at the moment and I hope it’ll be gone soon. It’s not the I’m so sad and blue kind, it’s the sit there like a zombie all the time kind. I don’t really need sympathy or to talk about it, but I feel like I owe it to explain why I’m not around. I’m a clam-up-and-deal kinda girl. I want to make a concerted effort to post more because I think it would help get me moving again, but I can’t really promise much at the moment. Anyway, here’s a post!
I have started a bunch of stuff:
The Luna Moth Shawl (direct pattern link or Ravel It! )in Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere, which was a gift from Claudia.
This is knitting up very quickly. Or it would be if I hadn’t tinked the row I’m on like eleven times. There’s nothing wrong with the pattern, I was just caught up reading a drama thread on Ravelry while I knit the last couple of rows and am reaping what I sowed there. The truth is that this is a super simple lace pattern that would be a good starter project for a new lace knitter and it doesn’t require much yarn. I’m using laceweight, but it’s patterned for DK or worsted and you could probably even use it to stash bust. Here’s a little sample of how it looks:
Does the softness come across in the picture? It’s like knitting with whipped cream. This stuff is heavenly and I gotta say it’s held up well to repeated tinking. I’m impressed.
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I’ve also been sewing. Did you know I could sew? I can, I used to do a TON of it. I used to sew the way I knit-obsessively and every day.
That’s the Amy Butler Weekender Bag, for those who want to know. It’s probably larger than it looks from the picture. Not purse size, more like oversized tote bag-it’s meant to actually be a weekend bag and for light packers or heavy yarn toters, it would work well. WARNING, RANT AHEAD!! This needs some tweaks and a NEWFUCKINGZIPPER and a lining before I can call it done. Putting in zippers isn’t my favorite thing, but I don’t find it terrifying, either. The reason I’m swearing so much (you didn’t hear a lot of it, but trust me, I’ve been swearing at this zipper A LOT) is because a) I used to have an impressive sewing and notions stash and I could find what I needed by going into the sewing room even though I lived near many fabric stores and even a fabric district, but now I live millions of miles from any decent fabric store and I severely reduced my sewing stash to move here and I never have what I need and even when I do, I have to search for it in the attic. b) it took me TWO HOURS to find this zipper. It was zipper by the yard, of which I have a few yards left in the stash, but I couldn’t find and then properly apply the goddamnedmotherfucking zipper pull to it. c) I finally got it all fixed up and I sewed it in neatly and properly the FIRST TIME and the cocksucking zipper SPLIT ON ME. END OF RANT, ACTUAL INFORMATION RESUMES HERE. The fabric, because I know someone will ask, was from Hobby Lobby. It’s not Amy Butler fabric because although there are a couple of prints of hers I do like, they don’t come in the colors I wanted. Also, I think her fabrics are way overpriced, : whispers-much like her patterns : That said, the pattern is very well written and if you knew how to work your sewing machine you wouldn’t need much pattern following experience because she lays this out to the tiniest detail. This bag might be a tad over-engineered, but I think I like it. I’m actually contemplating knitting something similar. For the record, I’m not using timtex because I don’t know where to get it, but just a very stiff and heavy interfacing from Hancock’s.
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Next up, we have an item around whose genre we must tiptoe.
This is the word Jen does not say with regards to knitting, but it’s used to cover and warm a baby and is not an article of clothing. It rhymes with “wank it”. (Yes, I know what wank means. Why do you think I chose it?) There is a baby boy due into the family this summer and for reasons still not clear to me, I opted for this type of gift. The colors were chosen based on colors that I know his mother likes and they happened to be in my stash. Well, to a point. I’ve run out of yarn and need to order more, but I did probably 1/3 of this in one sitting. The color combo reminds me so much of everyone’s Saturday Sky pictures, that I keep thinking I should call it Saturday Morning-but why a plain fracking baby _______ needs a name, I’m not sure. I’m not using a pattern, but it looks a bit like this without the eyelets. I have been thoroughly enjoying this wankit, too. Can’t believe I’m starting to manage the trauma of the queen sized LBHomespun project of death!
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Oh, guess what? I FINISHED something! I should do the old FO-post, but look:
Stats:
Pattern: Tunisian Lace Ascot from Interweave Crochet Spring 2008 (Ravel It!) by Ellen Gormley
Yarn: Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill, Inc Color: Pink, 100% wool 275 yds
Hook: Size H Afghan hook, Susan Bates (also pink!)
Mods/Comments: This was my first Tunisian Crochet project ever. TC is also sometimes referred to as Afghan Stitch and it’s done with either a very long or a double-ended hook. It’s sort of a hybrid between knitting and crochet, as you work back and forth in rows rather than with only one stitch on the hook. I found a great tutorial site with lots of very good video of both regular and tunisian crochet, if you’re looking. Some interesting colorwork can be achieved with this technique but I’ve only dabbled at that. As for modifications, I worked until I ran out of yarn which resulted in a scarf (or scraf, as I prefer to call them) rather than an ascot, and I used wool instead of bamboo. I also began with 35 stitches and everywhere it said ch1, I chained 2 because it kept the edges straighter. See? Even on my first try at a new technique I just have to change something. Why? For the record, I did consult La before blaspheming the yarn she sent me as a gift and she approved it.
Oh and yes, to those of you who were surprised that I can crochet-I can! In fact, I’ve been crocheting since I was quite little though I’m very rusty on the names of the stitches but I can execute them. The first FO I truly remember was when I crocheted a very lacy-scallopy-shelly-pastelly baby sweater for my aunt who was having a baby and that baby is actually getting married next month, so I’ve been crocheting for a lonnnnng time, I just don’t do much of it now because I now prefer knitting.
So… what else is going on my life these days? Weird weather. Lambs are growing:
Actually, the horns are longer than that now, that was last week. If I could get the little bugger to hold still so I could take a good picture, you’d see the little wool tufts embedded in the tips of them, but he’s too busy untying my shoes and sweat pants or climbing on me or eating my hair for me to get a proper picture. He’s so full of character and he’s my favorite, which is a shame because he’s a ram and I’m not supposed to really get chummy with him despite he’s the only one of the lambs who’s chummy with me. Isn’t that typical?
Flowers are popping up. I have a few anemones:
Techmology is kicking my butt again. I have a brand new phone (with a 2.0 megapixel camera-my first real digital camera had a 2.0! And it does video and goes on the innarnedts and has a radio and an MP3 player SHEESH) which apart from being pink and I love that very much, I haven’t begun to figure out. I upgraded the WordPress to 2.5 and the dashboard interface is all needlessly new and weird. I love the ‘add media’ function, but the part where I can align my pictures just by clicking the proper box DOESN’T WORK. Every picture in this post was center-aligned using that feature and where are the damn pictures? If all this doesn’t paint a stupid enough picture, let me paint you a better one:
We’re trying really hard to be green and waste less, so we installed a solar clothes dryer:
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Hahaha. Old school! Well, it took me numerous attempts to OPERATE THE CLOTHESPINS for cryingoutloud. I’m sober, I swear! In fact, I’ve had almost no alcohol in the last month. I sure hope I can lay this on the doorstep of a rough April and the stress of trying to fix some seriously effed up tax issues rather than early onset alzheimer’s. Maybe I need to sit outside and knit more to clear my brain? Less rubbernecking on Ravelry? More protein? Anyone?
