Clever Yarn [entries|friends|calendar] Clever Yarn [ website | Knitting Gallery - Photos Ahoy! ] [ userinfo | livejournal userinfo ] [ calendar | livejournal calendar ]

Robbie the Froggie: completed~ [09 Jun 2008|08:20pm] There. A little embroidery floss and this fellow is ready to roll. Pattern, yarn, and eyes come from roxycraft.com's little froggie kit. He's made out of a homespun neon green yarn, so he has a charming little shlubbiness to him. Not sure if the pictures convey it, but he's actually quite small - something like 5 or 6 inches tall standing. Still, I could not ask for a better mascot :D post comment

Oh, man, am I ever not dead [08 Jun 2008|11:51am] One day soon I would like to revamp and update the knitting site. I am thinking of just turning it into a gallery of finished yarncrafts, with links and things, and save all the "projects I'm working on" stuff for this blog. Also, now that mysky.net had its long overdue facelift, it sticks out like a sore thumb. This must change. ALSO, I just recently broke down and learned how to crochet. So the site needs to accomodate that. I have such mixed feelings on crochet - it is illogical and the devil, and yet... it opens up windows. Windows full of doilies and stuffed animals and afghans and grandma chic. So I'm slowly obsessively working to master it and turn it to my own ends, and as soon as I can get some doll eyes and embroidery floss, I'll have stuff to share. I don't have photos today, but projects in the hopper that I will photolink soon: Psychadelic Squares Quilt - I finally have a plan. I recently blocked out the head and foot of the quilt and I'm going to sew those blocks together to help determine how many rows I will need (since I suspect it will be either much smaller or much larger seemed, once the little edges get flattened). I think I'm at 38/64 squares, but that may end up as 38/80, we'll see. I will have so much acrylic yarn leftover it is madness. Crochet Practice - I'm doing some really simple stuff (dishcloth, coaster, basic doilie) I will need around the house to learn stitches. I'm lazy as hell about seaming them, though. Wingless Cthulu - Almost done, just eyeless. I may end up giving him wings afterall, now that I'm no longer startled by triple crochet. Robbie the Froggie - one of roxycraft.com's little frog kits. He is the reason I got suckered into the crochet stuff and he's the official mascot of my first published solo comic. He's neon and shlubby and fantastic, but he needs an embroidery floss mouth before I can share pictures. Son of Psychadelic Quilt - I am going to work on either a fan pattern or a granny square quilt to use up some of the COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF LEFTOVER ACRYLIC I will have in my stash. Especially the salmon-pink. Logic would say granny squares will use up the odds and ends more efficiently, but common sense says that after sewing 60-80 odd knit squares together I may be deeply sick of quilted patterns for a while. We'll see what happens. Lacy Blue - not started, but I acquired a boatload of awesome teal acrylic from Goodwill that must turn into some lace-covered knit throw. I may have a pattern, but this is bottom of my priorities. All this going on, you wouldn't believe I only knit once a week, right? post comment

Progress Report [10 Jan 2008|11:20pm] [ mood | accomplished ] So, I have to admit it, the Psychadelic Quilt is an official project. Two progress pictures I used to test my new camera: I got a lot of work done on this beast in December and I forgot how knitting is like crack - I jonesed for my squares while I was in Washington. It's tough being home, staring at them from across the room, to be restrained and healthy. I have to keep my hands idle, damnit. You can wait! Really! Anyway, the quilt itself. It sure has me giddy to work on a big project again, especially one in little tiny pieces so that I can feel accomplished frequently (finishing will suck, of course, when I sew them all together... but for now it's fun). I originally started this to use up scrap, but the more I work, the more I keep buying new acrylic yarns so that I have a healthy balance of colors (and then copious amounts of black, since they all have a black trim). I will probably need another scrap project, just to use up all the leftovers from this thing. ...but I'll get to that bridge when I get to it. As for size... I finally stretched it out over my bed, and did the math. To make a full blanket, I'm seriously looking at between 80 and 96 squares. If I cop out and I can't possibly go for the gold, I'm looking at 60 for a decent sized throw that would at least justify the project. Right now, I have 15 squares cast off and a freshly started 16th. Heh. Well, I'm either 1/4th done knitting it, or... 1/7th done. I'd like to get at least 60 done by the end of the year, but we'll see. I have a lot of art I ought to accomplish this year, too, and I don't want my arms to fall off. post comment

A project? WHAT? [17 Dec 2007|06:15pm] So, my camera is dead and I can't share, but I knit a little (see February post re: masochist). I had this one tiny ball of fat multibrown yarn that, after about 4 attempts since February, turned into a tiny little ribbed scarf I have to pin to keep on. It's awesome warm. I also picked up my psychadelic blanket on a whim (this guy, from 2005) out of an intense urge to craft. I now have 8 squares out of 8 million done. I've missed knitting and it's nice, although having to pick between knitting and drawing is kind of awful. Anyway, that's all. But I did something, and if that ain't blog worthy, I don't know what is! Also, things I want to make someday, knitty edition: http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATTnautie.html http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTfairy.html http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTkate.html http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTmarleysghost.html 1 comment|post comment

dust off digital dust [12 Feb 2007|11:49am] Back at my old job, I would write things in my gmail drafts folder that were intended to transfer to the home PC or post to journals. I spent a minute cleaning that folder today and I found one meant for this here blog, to bump the "fuck, my hands" post down a bit. Back in April. Um. Oops. An excerpt: "Progress has remained pretty dead here on account of my wrists. I finished one last project a while back (a gift scarf for a former prof that I forgot to photograph), but since then it's been sans knitting in casa de sae. So in the meanwhile, until my health gets better, I'm just observing what everyone else is up to from a distance. I don't think I'm missing much. The last knitty isn't really my thing (with the exception of the awesome plushies, of course) and with the exception of Vogue, all the winter/springmags have been kind of mreh. Either they're too retro or they're too fitted to really work for me." I then go off to talk about how I've hoarded patterns and organized my unwieldy stash. Which is true, but that needs the update of "to avoid feeling bad about what I'm not doing, I have stuffed 75% of my now organized stash in the basement and put the rest in cardboard boxes under my bed. I have put aside all my hoarded patterns, and I will commence not thinking about knitting at all for quite some time." Well, I finally have a project in the works again, because I missed knitting too much and I am a masochist. (Also, lack of wrist-progress makes me figure "if I'm doing everything right and I hurt, may as well do it wrong and at least enjoy myself". Bad logic. If things do get worse, obviously I drop this like a hot potato.) I'm using up that faded plum that was going to be a neckwarmer and I'm turning it into a loose knit stubby lacey scarf thing (not sure on length, may turn into a placemat) using the pattern from the kimono shawl. It's going exceedingly slowly because my wrists do not like knitting (it's about 2 rows of 30 stitches a night, a few nights a week). I have at least 6 inches, I should photograph once I fix my camera. After that... well, I think I ought to knit some wrist wear, since doctors have me wearing gloves all the time. There's a cute lacey pattern in the latest Interweave Knits, and if not, I could toss some worsted into Generic Arm Warmers. We shall see. 1 comment|post comment

Well, fuck [14 Dec 2005|08:25pm] Hand problems. Have to abandon dad's vest, at least as a present. May not post here for a while ^^; post comment

written at work this afternoon: [12 Dec 2005|09:36pm] Written: at work Music: end of the movie (cake) Long time no blog! Or at least it seems that way. I've been collecting so many odds and ends patterns it's crazy, but at least that means I'll be reasonably occupied until doomsday, at this rate after Christmas? Knitty.com isn't helping. I'm in love with all their little random things - the sleeve cuffs, the fat kitty on the cover, hell, even some sweaters. What's up with me wanting to make garments, dude? That's not cool. Those take time. Speaking of holidays, the projects are going okay. I sent the Jayne hat off to Canada two weekends ago, so it should be arriving soon. Cast on for dad's vest last week and have been working furiously to try and get it done. So far I _think_ it'll measure okay (dad's so hard to fit) and the drape is lovely and the color is just right. So I'm thinking I'll push real hard, get it done, and then not weave in ends until he tries it on Christmas morning, so if it doesn't fit I can fix it? Or is that too ghetto? 8.5" down and it's knit in the round, so I stand a good chance of getting this done on time and still being able to seam in mom's clapotis. Hopefully. Crossing my fingers that my loose loose guage will also stretch the yarn useage out enough that I can do something with the leftovers. I could take my receipt and exchange them, sure, but... what's the fun in that? 1 comment|post comment

I had 2 distinct entries typed up and ready to go and forgot to post both of them [27 Nov 2005|03:50pm] And now they're both outdated so I will have to write from scratch. I had a big stack of stuff to block, but then I blocked it all while mom was out on Tuesday night. I had a week to knit something random until I got supplies for the Jayne hat and the Dad vest, but I got those yesterday while out shopping with kaitoujeanne. So. Finished the clapotis except for some seaming. Some sneak peek photos would be here and here. The first one features my beloved Snuggles The Fabric Softner Bear. He makes a good scraf model. The second one is an in progress shot, before I dropped all the stitches. I rather like the dimpled effect of the every-other-purling and I may have to use that on something. I also updated the website with photos of the finished Leafy Scarf and Silk Branches scarf. Neither set of photos do the scarves justice, but that is the nature of trying to photograph something long and lacey. One of my failed attempts to photograph Silk Branches came out kind of neat, though. I also started a between things project (For last week, before I could start my other Christmas knittings) and I am sad to put it down! The Psychadelic Squares blanket is crazyfun and is going to look crazyawesome with all this newfound acrylic in my posession. It's gonna take a year to get all these done and then sewn but... but it'll look so awesome! All this being said, I have to be very careful when I knit for the next little while. I blistered up my knitting/drawing/writing finger while making oatmeal this morning and it's going to hurt be cumbersome for a while until it heals. 2 comments|post comment

Still plugging along with my clapotis [18 Nov 2005|09:36pm] [ mood | exhausted ] I've discovered, through knitting my clapotis, that I have no sense of anticipation. All these photos I see on the net, people wait until they're finished to drop the stitches and transform a wedge of stockinette into stylish wavy shell shaped good times. I tried that. For about five minutes. Anticipation inevitably gets the better of me and I stop what I'm doing to catch up dropping any and all stitches I somehow left behind last time. Sigh. I am so weak. (To people who don't regularly stalk knitty.com, the thing I'm babbling about is here) The gift recipient asked for something long, and instead I'm doing something short and fat. I feel mildly guilty about that, and then I remember this is using 2 full balls of Cascade 220 and whatever I end up with will be really freaking warm and therefore she will be happy with it. (I have learned through much trial and error to listen between the lines to a family request, as family never actually wants what they say they want.) So, hope to finish the Clapotis off this weekend, then it's Thanksgiving week which is insane, and then the weekend after I have a tentative knit-store date with Jeanne so I can pick up the needles I need to start dad's vest and yeah. We're cooking. Not to self, next time I post: mention super cool photos sent down from Canada of knit gifts. Having gift recipients arrange photoshoots? Awesome! 1 comment|post comment

Yarnage [15 Nov 2005|08:00pm] Haven't done anything since my last update, but the urge is there. I have been very vocal at work about my love of knitting and apparently it's contagious. One of my coworkers is taking up the needles again to work on holiday scarves and hopefully sometime soon we can knit during a lunch or something. Simple joys, but hey. The update, however, is in honor of my freshly expanded stash. Mom promised to squirrel away stuff from gramma's garage sale in August (except for the yarnballer, which sold before she promised - alas!) and she finally brought it home. So we have a 30 year old plastic #10 circular, an unlabelled set of metal DPNs, and like 7 large balls of acrylic from various decades. Squee :D I may not use the 10 (though you know I will at least once), but the acrylic are AWESOME. I have the most perfect shade ofsalmon pink, a bunch of fabulous eggshell whites, and some nice varigated colors that I don't think exist anymore. I have to think of a worthy project! Because seriously, call me nuts if you want, but I adore handmedown acrylic. It just inspires play and invention. ...but first, Christmas presents. Is that you calling me, Clapotis? I'm a comin'! 2 comments|post comment

Clapotastic [12 Nov 2005|10:30pm] [ mood | accomplished ] [ music | Ghost on TV ] My knitting life promptly got all dull as soon as I got this blog. Figures, yeah? But the holidays approach, and all my knitting time from now 'til then is squarely set on holiday knitting (which I really should get hopping on if I want to mail something to Canada...). Finished the Branching Out scarf last week during an especially nasty bout of system lag at work. It is shorter than my usual scarf attire, but long enough to function. Plus I hear this has an accordion type expansion when it's blocked? I am curious to see how that works out once I get over my lazy self and sew in seams. So now I'm in Clapotis country. It's slow going, added to by the fact that I can't actually work on it during commute hours because the gift recipient and I share a commute together. Oops. So it gets furtively brought out in the evenings during Daily Show reruns, and today I had a nice long spurt while mom was gone. I figured 2 balls of Cascade 220 would be ample for a scarf, and I just finished the first after my 7th repeat of the straight section, so, I'm in good shape. Must try and get on that soon, though. Have aforementioned Canadian knitting and a man's size vest for dad, and that should keep me pretty occupied until the holidays. (Am I slow knitter? Why yes I am!) post comment

meme from Jeanne (you know, to make it official) [01 Nov 2005|09:33pm] What is your all time favourite yarn to knit with? The stuff I'm using for my Branching Out scarf. I don't have the label anymore, but it's a merino-silk that feels luscious on the fingers and I keep petting it rather than knitting it. It has the elasticity of wool so it's easy on my wrist and frogging is not an experience from hell. As for yarn I actually use on a regular basis? Cascade 220. If only because it has less ends to weave in and wool is so easy to work with. The worst thing you've ever knit? That horrible, horrible shrug attempt I made using the pattern from Magknits. I have no excuses really, other than I was young and stupid and (a) had some major math trouble with the pattern for some reason (b) had no sense of "what looks stupid when I wear it". This lives in purgatory until I find some better use for the yarn. No photos. Ever. Your most favourite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it...but it was the most fun to knit) Most of my knitting is geared around multitasking so the patterns are deliberately kind of simple. But I have this secret love of lace - it's pretty, it's fun to make, and if I give it my attention it's good to me. I think my favorite of those has beeeen the falling leaves scarf I did. Really simple, really small, really delicate. Most valuable knitting technique? The ability to randomly make up notions to suit a project. Like the various features of the chicken hats, or the taught-myself-fingers hand sculptures. I suppose this would truly be a wonderful skill if I could ever remember the math enough to repeat it. Best knit book or magazine? "The Knitting Directory" by Alison Jenkins. Mom got it for me cheap one year for Christmas and the glossary alone is already well thumbed. Your favourite knit-a-long? Never done one. Um. I like reading the Branching Out one when I'm at work? Your favourite knitblogs? I like knitblogs that link photos of finished garments. I like some of the chatty ones with wicked sense of humor, too, but I want to see what you're making without fishing through archives. Any specific names? Mm, not yet. Your favourite knitwear designer? I... am not actually consciously aware of them yet. Still too new to the "I'm making a garment someone else made and have to swatch it, oh noes!" stage The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!) During my senior year I got super mileage out of the animal hats (koala and godzilla especially). Now that I'm in "the real world" I don't wear much of my knitting at all! It's tragic! Just the new collar when it gets cold and some unphotographed fingerless gloves. 4 comments|post comment

I christen thee knitblog [01 Nov 2005|09:17pm] Not that I don't have a knitting website or, for that matter, a normal online journal, but I got the craving for a knit blog. Just feels more natural, a dedicated knitting blog - I can blab all I like about yarn and knitting and not fret about, you know, spamming the friend's list. And with the onset of my shiney new job and all the knitting inspiration that brings (I visit people's knitting galleries when the server is slow and I have huge chunks of minutes begging to multitask)? I have wanted to be yarn-spammy. So. Right. Blog open! Now to fill it! post comment

navigation [ viewing | most recent entries ]