It's not that I don't want to blog. It's just that I am rarely near a computer when I have an idea I am itching to write about. And by the time I am at a computer (like now), I completely forget what I was so excited about and meant to write about.
So my ideas are just floating out there in the ether somewhere, because I frequently say out loud that I need to blog about something, but never do, because I forget.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I have seen the future, and it is PINK!
Ok kids, let's take a few minutes out of our day and talk about color choices, or how more does not equal less.
The next time you think that adding barbie pink yarn to bright rose pink-on-medium pink-on-just-lighter-than-barbie pink twist yarn will somehow mute the pinkness, remember, THERE IS NO WAY TO MUTE PINK. Not real pink, anyway. Baby pink doesn't count, since it's already muted, probably so as not to sear baby's eyeballs with its pinkness. But adding pink to pink, well, I've made enough wrong turns into the barbie aisle to (you'd think) know by now that pink + pink = PINK.
I am currently working on an item I have dubbed The Pink Panther scarf. For anyone who remembers the cartoon, I mean that sort of pink. Now, I love pink. But I'm almost appalled at how pink this is turning out. It's not 80's neon pink, or let's-play-princess-pink. It's PINK. I don't think pictures will do it justice. And this is a custom order, for which I picked out the yarn, after makingan attempt to describe it on the phone, completely forgetting the above equation in my excitement. I have told the recipient that if she does not like it, I will gladly remake it in colors that are either more (eek!) or less pink. I'm not worried about being stuck with this one, because as soon as I put it up for sale, I know some pink loving soul will snap it up and love it forever. But it will come with a warning that colors may be brighter than they appear.
The next time you think that adding barbie pink yarn to bright rose pink-on-medium pink-on-just-lighter-than-barbie pink twist yarn will somehow mute the pinkness, remember, THERE IS NO WAY TO MUTE PINK. Not real pink, anyway. Baby pink doesn't count, since it's already muted, probably so as not to sear baby's eyeballs with its pinkness. But adding pink to pink, well, I've made enough wrong turns into the barbie aisle to (you'd think) know by now that pink + pink = PINK.
I am currently working on an item I have dubbed The Pink Panther scarf. For anyone who remembers the cartoon, I mean that sort of pink. Now, I love pink. But I'm almost appalled at how pink this is turning out. It's not 80's neon pink, or let's-play-princess-pink. It's PINK. I don't think pictures will do it justice. And this is a custom order, for which I picked out the yarn, after makingan attempt to describe it on the phone, completely forgetting the above equation in my excitement. I have told the recipient that if she does not like it, I will gladly remake it in colors that are either more (eek!) or less pink. I'm not worried about being stuck with this one, because as soon as I put it up for sale, I know some pink loving soul will snap it up and love it forever. But it will come with a warning that colors may be brighter than they appear.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Rippit Rippit
Ok, usually I love frogging. The pop pop pop of stitches coming undone, the zzzzzzziiiiiiippppppp of the yarn, the almost hypnotic pattern as the yarn moves from side to side.
But frogging something of beauty hurts. I learned this. A friend, we'll call her "Tracker", hand-dyed some fluffy (yes, fluffy) Icelandic wool into beautiful shades of pink and green and blue. She did it with fades, and it came out so well. And when she knitted it (plain garter stitch in ridiculously perfect stitched), it patterned itself, the colors in a sort of repeating serpentine pattern. And.........she decided to make something in stockingette that will be more useful than skinny scarf. And thus started the frogging, and I had to watch this lovely item zigzig its way back into a ball of yarn. Sigh. She decided to so a different stitch pattern on the redo, and while the stitches themselves were lovely, I still liked the first one better.
Note to self: If you are frogging something lovely, just don't watch...
But frogging something of beauty hurts. I learned this. A friend, we'll call her "Tracker", hand-dyed some fluffy (yes, fluffy) Icelandic wool into beautiful shades of pink and green and blue. She did it with fades, and it came out so well. And when she knitted it (plain garter stitch in ridiculously perfect stitched), it patterned itself, the colors in a sort of repeating serpentine pattern. And.........she decided to make something in stockingette that will be more useful than skinny scarf. And thus started the frogging, and I had to watch this lovely item zigzig its way back into a ball of yarn. Sigh. She decided to so a different stitch pattern on the redo, and while the stitches themselves were lovely, I still liked the first one better.
Note to self: If you are frogging something lovely, just don't watch...
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Design Elements
So I've been pecking away at this scarf for about a month. Lamb's Pride Worsted in a varigated brown colorway. It's a pattern I made up. Please forgive me as this is the first time I am writing out a pattern. Cast on 22 stitches. Row 1-4 k2p2. Row 5 k22. Row6 p22. Row 7 k22. Row 8 p22.* Repeat rows 1-8 until it is as long as you want it.
This is not a rocket science pattern. This is not intarsia, fair isle, or lace. It has no color changes. It doesn't require DPNs or stitch markers. There is no cableing. It completely lacks increases and decreases. It is a beginner's pattern. Right?
So you can understand my frustration when the right side becomes the wrong side and vice versa. Ok, in one part I know what happened. I did purl rows when I should have done knit rows. Fine. But then even when I got it right (and I swear I got it right) the right side still became the wrong side. Then the right side for a few repeats. Then the wrong side again.
I have ripped back and tried again. I have had other people rip back and try again. And it's still wonky.
I'm calling it a design element, because I really don't want to rip back two feet of scarf I have worked very hard for.
But really, either I'm stupid and cannot be trusted with a beginner's pattern, or the yarn just hates me. I know it hates starbucks, because that's where it acts up the worst. But last night, it started rebelling at B&N. What's a sort-of knitter to do?!
This is not a rocket science pattern. This is not intarsia, fair isle, or lace. It has no color changes. It doesn't require DPNs or stitch markers. There is no cableing. It completely lacks increases and decreases. It is a beginner's pattern. Right?
So you can understand my frustration when the right side becomes the wrong side and vice versa. Ok, in one part I know what happened. I did purl rows when I should have done knit rows. Fine. But then even when I got it right (and I swear I got it right) the right side still became the wrong side. Then the right side for a few repeats. Then the wrong side again.
I have ripped back and tried again. I have had other people rip back and try again. And it's still wonky.
I'm calling it a design element, because I really don't want to rip back two feet of scarf I have worked very hard for.
But really, either I'm stupid and cannot be trusted with a beginner's pattern, or the yarn just hates me. I know it hates starbucks, because that's where it acts up the worst. But last night, it started rebelling at B&N. What's a sort-of knitter to do?!
Felting
Let's talk for a moment about one of my other fiber hobbies, felting, specifically wet or flat felting.
Wet felting involves laying layers and layers on animal fibers on each other, then soaking them and squashing, pressing, rolling, and beating them until they form a piece of fabric. Theoretically, thick felted fabric is waterproof and insultating. Theoretically.
So here are a few tips if you decide to enter the wonderful world of beating-the-heck-out-of-a-pile-of-wool-until-it-gives-up:
1. When making warm, soapy water, remember that a shampoo is sudsy. A little goes a long way. Too much means you are scooping piles of soap suds off your workspace while more spill out of the pitiful pile of wool you are abusing. Too little and the wool just laughs at you and refuses to get felty.
2. When covered in aforementioned suds, your partner will laugh at you from the safety of the sofa.
3. The person you are teaching to make felt will have no such soap issues whatsoever.
4. Felty when wet can mean poufy-like-a-pillow when dry. Unless you are the person in #3, for whom felt takes the WYSIWYG path.
5. In some cases, no amount of beating/stomping/rolling/mashing the fiber will cause it to get all nice and solid. Unless you are once again the person in #3, who manages to produce good quality felt with a few twitches and presses and rolls.
6. Abstract felted designs are not appreciated by partner-on-couch, despite the fact that they truly believe a white piece of canvas painted white is art.
7. There is no cure for UGHly.
Wet felting involves laying layers and layers on animal fibers on each other, then soaking them and squashing, pressing, rolling, and beating them until they form a piece of fabric. Theoretically, thick felted fabric is waterproof and insultating. Theoretically.
So here are a few tips if you decide to enter the wonderful world of beating-the-heck-out-of-a-pile-of-wool-until-it-gives-up:
1. When making warm, soapy water, remember that a shampoo is sudsy. A little goes a long way. Too much means you are scooping piles of soap suds off your workspace while more spill out of the pitiful pile of wool you are abusing. Too little and the wool just laughs at you and refuses to get felty.
2. When covered in aforementioned suds, your partner will laugh at you from the safety of the sofa.
3. The person you are teaching to make felt will have no such soap issues whatsoever.
4. Felty when wet can mean poufy-like-a-pillow when dry. Unless you are the person in #3, for whom felt takes the WYSIWYG path.
5. In some cases, no amount of beating/stomping/rolling/mashing the fiber will cause it to get all nice and solid. Unless you are once again the person in #3, who manages to produce good quality felt with a few twitches and presses and rolls.
6. Abstract felted designs are not appreciated by partner-on-couch, despite the fact that they truly believe a white piece of canvas painted white is art.
7. There is no cure for UGHly.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Swap-o-spoilage
Swaps are wonderful things, especially when you realize that while karma can be a beeotch, she can also smile upon you in the form of lovely cable knit scarves with matching hand warmers, balls of Noro Kureyon, and rubber duckies.
Coffee Shop people
Inspired by a post by Franklin on Panopticon:
1. Knitters can be snooty. There were five of us in a Starbucks one night, and not three feet away at another table were three people actively knitting, talking about knitting, helping each other which knitting, and they would not even make eye contact with us. Not that we wanted to be their best friends, but an acknowledgement that we are all KIP knitters would have been nice.
2. People pray loudly at Starbucks. People also cuss loudly.
3. Starbucks' baristas like a challenge. Come up with something wildly exotic and order it with a smile, and chances are they will come through like champs, taste your drink, and never ever forget you. Of course, they probably also laugh at you when you leave.
4. No matter what hour of the day or night, at some point during your visit there will be a herd of cackling teenagers, plus two sorority-type girls that need VACANCY tattooed on their foreheads and two painfully metrosexual guys.
5. Starbucks, home of poser musicians with more hair product than good taste.
6. Remember my last post, when I said knitting was a great way to get people to leave you alone in a crowded place? This does not apply to Starbucks.
7. Stay until closing time, and then ask if they have any iced coffee or tea they are going to throw out. Chances are they will, and you will be caffeinated beyond your wildest dreams.
1. Knitters can be snooty. There were five of us in a Starbucks one night, and not three feet away at another table were three people actively knitting, talking about knitting, helping each other which knitting, and they would not even make eye contact with us. Not that we wanted to be their best friends, but an acknowledgement that we are all KIP knitters would have been nice.
2. People pray loudly at Starbucks. People also cuss loudly.
3. Starbucks' baristas like a challenge. Come up with something wildly exotic and order it with a smile, and chances are they will come through like champs, taste your drink, and never ever forget you. Of course, they probably also laugh at you when you leave.
4. No matter what hour of the day or night, at some point during your visit there will be a herd of cackling teenagers, plus two sorority-type girls that need VACANCY tattooed on their foreheads and two painfully metrosexual guys.
5. Starbucks, home of poser musicians with more hair product than good taste.
6. Remember my last post, when I said knitting was a great way to get people to leave you alone in a crowded place? This does not apply to Starbucks.
7. Stay until closing time, and then ask if they have any iced coffee or tea they are going to throw out. Chances are they will, and you will be caffeinated beyond your wildest dreams.
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