Tag: Knitting

UFOs are Landing!

Yarn Balls Rolling!

What was supposed to be a two-week interim stay by my brother turned into five months.  We moved the guest bed in my husband’s office into my studio so that Josh, who telecommutes, would not be kicking my brother out at 5:30 a.m.  All the stuff in my studio, where the bed landed, migrated to the former bed space in my husband’s office.

Last night I dove into the knitting projects which had begun piling up there.  Some people live out a suitcase quite tidily – I admit, I do not – and using borrowed space is sort of the same.  The result was a treasure trove of lost needles (more than few, and lots more than several), projects, yarn.   In the mix I found two sweaters which need finishing up, like weaving in ends, that I had neatly folded into a bag and promptly lost.  Also, a beret or two or three or four in various stages of design and failure.  The list grows.

Paint Brushes Ready to Escape!

The remaining items include the tansu which stores my suzuri and varied painting supplies, rolls of paper, and a box full of ink-painting supplies (mostly sumi and hake brushes) which I have been hoping to sell here on Ink, Yarn & Beer, to see if anyone might be interested in a few specialty items. My light table is also in there and who knows what else!

Photoscaping is Happening!

And while I am at it, a wonderful, easy-to-use, free program to edit digital images just released an upgrade.  Photoscape is a fantastic product.  I use it for quick editing of jpg files (it does not support raw files, as far as I know), especially those with color issues, such as being too red.  For those red ones, I decolor the image to -3 or -4, depending.

Now it has frames!  I used one of the gradated ones for these.  Check it out – there is a bit of learning curve, but I have found it quite easy.

And?

It takes time to re-organize after such a disruption. Available space is different than it used to be as the bed is staying in the studio.  The best part – hooray – is I can paint with far easier access to supplies.

Ciao!

Marsan Watch Cap

This is, by far, a favorite pattern of mine.  Designed by StacyJoy Elkin, you can find it here.  It is not a typical watch cap pattern, but has an interesting construction, as well as a long evolutionary history – StacyJoy has modified and improved it over the years.  I’ve made it a number of times, and the recipients have really enjoyed getting it, wearing it, and having it forever.  The knit-in-back construction seems to make it particularly strong – certainly, the stitch doesn’t get lost after numerous washings.  So, if you need a hat for a special guy (or gal, I wear one, too!), this is one worth doing more than once!

Tommy’s New Year’s Hat

We last saw our friends Jerry and Raka over a year ago when they came in from Japan for a post-wedding reception in the U.S.  Raka was about five months pregnant at the time, and in December 2009, their son, Tommy, was born.  For the Christmas season, they all flew in to spend the end of the year with family and friends, many of whom only got to meet Tommy for the first time.  Within a few days of arriving here stateside, Tommy got the chicken pox – kids don’t get that vaccination until they are a year old.  When we saw them, Tommy was pretty much recovered, but still all spotty.  Poor kid!

In Japan, red and white are colors of good fortune for the New Year.  And, I happened to have some red and white Wool Ease in my stash, so it seemed to be a perfect color combination, not only for welcoming 2011, but also for the Christmas season as well.  So this pattern is dedicated not just to the now-recovering Tommy, but to our friends Jerry and Raka, and to a happy, prosperous 2011 to family and friends, one and all.

Man Sweater, a.k.a. Josh’s Cardigan

I’ve done a lot of swatches, and the fact is the yarn I have for Josh’s sweater is simply too weirdly plied to allow for any texture to come through when knit up.  The end result is pretty awful – a lot of work and nothing to show for it.  However, this does not mean this yarn is not worth knitting up – it really is beautiful, has a soft feel to it when washed, and so the design process will ultimately be very simple – but not without adventures.  I may do diagonal slash pockets and saddle shoulders.  That should keep me busy!  Cast-on is done, and 1×1 ribbing is commenced.  This will carry up the button bands as well, with stockinette in between.

Boyfriend Sweater vs. Man Sweater vs. Dogosaurus Rex

Once upon a time I had a boyfriend.  He liked the idea of my knitting him an Aran sweater.  He wanted to design it.

And so he did, and I began to knit.  And knit.  And knit.

He decided he wanted to make some changes.  So I ravelled.  And then I knit.  And knit again.

The design was not to his liking.  “Let us change this, and this, and this,” he said.

I dumped him.

Now, many years later, I have yet to endeavor upon another sweater for a member of the opposite sex older than three, but since I’m now an old married woman, perhaps it is time to reconsider.  It is a gamble, as the esposo doesn’t tend to wear sweaters.

“What would you like?” I ask.

“Oh, anything is fine,” he says.

“Do you want a pullover?”

“No.”

“A cardigan?  Cables?  No cables?  Pattern stitch?  Nothing stitch?”

“How about a cardigan, and Nothing certainly sounds Perfect.  You know me, I like Dull.”

And I know me, I don’t like dull.  But I do like simple, and tailored.  I also like color, but I am the magpie, not he.  He likes dull.  Not even slightly shiny.

So the search is on for something which will not bore me to death, and will not offend the esposo’s need for dull.  I am considering ribbed cables, knit through the back loop.  Attractive, tailored, flat, won’t put me to sleep in the process, and I can do while listening to an audio book.  A pattern tailored in appearance.  I am also considering an incredibly simple rib, but one with a slightly different edge to it, one which is vertical, simple, and with a wee amount of texture.

The yarn is from a fleece I had spun into a medium-weight two ply.  I have tons of it, and the color is a lovely chocolately brown.  (Mmmmm.  Chocolate.)

Swatching is begun; the design process is percolating.  One piece knitting, cutting?, saddle vs raglan sleeves.

On the other hand, knitting for the other main man in my life, Wicket, would be easy.  He would gladly wear the Dogosaurus Sweater, but I’m afraid that when I get it done, he will die. Wicket is very old, and I am superstitious.