Learning to Unknit

Remember that blanket I started knitting back in June?  Er, yeah, still knitting it.  I can say I've had lots of good practice in unknitting as I'm not so hot at remembering to stop and count rows.  So, it's been a good learning exercise/practice!  I remember how frustrating I used to find unknitting - and how hard to remember, especially coming from crochet where you just take your hook out, pull your yarn until it's unravelled past your mistake, then stick your hook back in.  So easy.  Knitting, not so easy.  But I've got the hang of it now. Learning new stuff is awesome - one day something is frustrating and hard, you keep working at it, and then realize at some point that the thing that used to trouble you, you now do without a thought.

I will finish this one day soon!  It'll be interesting to see how even my stitches look after a wash and a blocking... I'm hoping that will work some magic. But in the end, it's more about the process than the product anyway, right?  I don't even have a recipient in mind for this blanket yet. 

Check it out - it's definitely come along:

Knitting

I'm still quite new to knitting, but I generally always have a project on the go, even if it takes me forever to finish it. Finishing things is a milestone to be savored, not rushed.

My latest knitting project is the concentric squares blanket. I saw the version Kim made and knew I had to try it. As I'm trying to use yarn from my stash, I, of course, had to do some math to adjust the pattern to deal with my thinner choice of yarn - otherwise I'd end up with a kerchief instead of a blanket. The pattern author was kind enough to message me back and forth on Ravelry with help on how best to make adjustments. I finally did start and it does still look like the blanket is going to be tiny, but I'm sure I'll find a use for it.

In other news - I don't know if I've ever mentioned on here that one of my hobbies is dancing. My husband-like-person and I started taking ballroom/Latin lessons a few years ago and we love it! It's loads of fun. (PSA: It's key to find a really good studio that knows how to teach, otherwise it'll be super frustrating. Our first attempt to learn was at a cheap place and we just fought all the time, it was terrible.) I'm very excited because there are two summer dance series happening in downtown Vancouver over the summer (at Robson Square). Friday nights will be ballroom and Sunday afternoons will be salsa! I love the idea of just going for a walk downtown, stopping by a public square and dancing for a bit. If you need me this summer, that's where I'll be. Starts in July and I can't wait!

Knitting - proof

I mentioned at the end of 2010 that I had taught myself how to knit (with internet assistance). I also had the good fortune to go on a week-long trip with a more experienced knitter, so I decided to tackle a hat project for my boyfriend, knowing I would have assistance on hand when I got myself in trouble (that turned out to be a good plan). So I proudly present my first knit hat, carefully photographed so as to hide the glaring spots where I knit instead of pearled and vice versa.

I'm currently challenging myself with this scarf, which is the "My So-Called Scarf" pattern that I have admired for a long time. It's tricky but I'm doing okay so far - except for the part where I buggered up and had to rip out a good 3 inches of knitting and then pick up all my stitches again... but that's all part of the process, right? I have to say - I do prefer crochet in that way, ripping stuff out is way easier since you only have to get one stitch back on your hook!

Knitting - a beginning

Last weekend I had some free time so I taught myself how to knit. Or rather, the internet taught me. Learning new things is so easy with the internet - tutorials abound, especially ones with helpful videos. I'm self taught in all my crafts and I remember how it used to be, back before high speed internet - you'd have to go to the library and get a book to learn. And if something in the book confused you, well... too bad - try another book. Now, you get stuck on something you just do a quick internet search and within a minute or two you'll probably be looking at a video tutorial that clears everything up. It's fabulous!

So far I've found knitting to be easy - a little awkward at first, but not as bad as I expected actually! I did knit when I was younger, but not very much. I remember I was a very very tight knitter so I probably got frustrated and gave up. But I wonder if that little bit of experience during my formative years at least laid enough of a foundation that I find the movements of knitting familiar. Muscle memory is a beautiful thing!

I finished my first knitting project - a basic scarf and have already cast on for a hat. It's perfect timing for me to get some knitting experience because on today I leave for a week of vacation (volunteering here!) with my friend Kim who knows how to knit - so I figure I'll work on a project while she and I are traveling and she can get me unstuck when things go wrong! Always helpful to have someone nearby who can figure how what you did wrong and get you back on track!

I believe knitting brings me up to 43 hobbies. What will be next? :)

Confession Time

So there's a little secret I've been keeping from Blogland. For the last two weeks, and for the next month or so, I have been, am and will be unemployed. At first I thought I was embarrassed about being unemployed, but then I realised that wasn't really the problem. I lost my job through no fault of my own, I have another job lined up, and I really hated my old job anyway and I'm glad to be moving on. I realised today that I wasn't embarrassed about being unemployed. But I WAS embarrassed about how little I was getting done. There's a lot of pressure involved when you self-identify as a crafter. Free all day with a huge stockpile of craft supplies... I should be blissfully churning out the goods. But I haven't been. I've been dabbling.
But you know what? It's been good. Yes I'm sleeping in, yes I'm leaving showering way to late, and yes, I haven't cleaned the cat box yet. But I'm starting to realize that this time has been really good for me and allowed me to jump into things that I was too afraid to before. For example:

A) I started some colourwork mittens.

Sure, in the beginning I was cursing because they were turning out way too small. But it turns out they fit my housemate perfectly. Yay for friends with tiny hands! And I had some issues with the thumbs, but I think I've figured that out too. (Knitting stranded mitten thumbs is much easier if you knit them inside out).


B) I started socks!

And not just any socks but cabled socks, two at a time, toe up with heel gusset and flap socks. And they're for a specific person (husband) and I have a deadline (birthday). These have been causing me a LOT of frustration, but I think things are starting to come together.... (Pictured is my fifth attempt.)

C) I've been getting to spend lots of lovely, outside, sunshiny time with this guy:

We've been doing SOME training. But mostly just stinky beach exploration.

D) I actually BAKED some stuff. Including BREAD. That uses YEAST. This is something that I was afraid of for a long time. And I won't lie, the process was stressful. But the goods have been turning out not bad at all.

You gotta start somewhere right?

It's about time!!!

Ok so I think it is about time that I finally post!! I am the long lost member of Maked, the one that is usually off somewhere and comes back just in time to take all the credit!! I know I sound like a total jerk but sometimes I am able to make a fine contribution here or there!!!

Today I am here to tell you all about the lovely and talented Rhi!! She has made me some gorgeous arm warmers and her latest feat was the cutest little outfit for my best friend's baby. The little ensemble included a little toque and jacket with lovely buttons that I had found at a flea market in japan!! I think she wore the thing the whole time we were together, which was about 4 days, so there you go Rhi, she is already getting lots of wear out of it!! Everywhere we went people were commenting on how darn cute she looked in her little ball of yarn. Ok without further ado here is Rhi's masterpiece!!!



















She is always dawning an adorable toque (beanie to anyone not from Canada) so I fear that she may never grow hair but I'm ok with that!!!




















And here is the full outfit she looks a little bit like a little emperor. I love it to bits!!! Thanks Rhi you're a peach!!!!

Wham, Bam, Thank You Cosy

Just a quick post to show off a recent knit.



I followed the general idea of this pattern in that I knit a short scarf in garter stitch and then seamed it up wonky. I love how this makes a little triangle that sticks down and covers that little V of exposed skin without adding any bulk under my coat. And although a pull-over style probably isn't best for a super finicky hairstyle, I love just plonking it on and not worrying about buttons coming undone or the ends hanging down and getting in my way.

I've been wearing it all day and think it may be more suited to in-office and spring wearing. When I'm outside I find myself wishing it was a smidge warmer. I probably should have knit with smaller needle to make the fabric denser, cast on more, and knit a couple less rows. Of course then I'd have a scarf for outside and nothing for my chilly, but not as chilly as outside, office. But, I have some yarn left, and re-knitting would use it up... Argh. It's these things that can make knitting stressful for me. These silly decisions that don't really matter but I end up thinking about them all day. And I don't why it bothers me so much to have yarn left over. I want to use it ALL.

I should mention that the yarn I used is a gorgeous handspun merino/tencel thick-and-thin 2-ply from Cosy. I love it and I'm having trouble letting any of it go to waste.

I wonder if this pattern would look as good with the garter ridges going horizontal as opposed to vertical. Then I could cast on enough to go around my neck and just keep knitting until I ran out yarn. Maybe I'll try that with some of the other yarn I got from Cosy.



hmmmmmmmm. I don't know. Decisions, decisions.

But it's all good cause I'm cosy in my new knit.

BSJ WIP

Dear Megan,
I thought I'd do a little post updating you on how those knits you wanted are coming along.



The sweater is almost done. Aside from sewing on buttons, the only other thing I want to do is fix up that neckline a little. I'm thinking I'll do a crochet edging to even it out. And as for said buttons, I've got a couple that might work but I thought I'd get your input. It's times like this I really miss "Button, Button" (a button store downtown that was awesome but had to close b/c of soaring rent). I'm thinking something woodsy...

I've finally made some decisions about the hat and got going on it during my trip to Toronto. I've started with a little I-cord knot on top (like the Stitch N Bitch Umbilical Cord hat). Once I'm done the increases I think I'll throw in some garter ridges (kinda like in this hat) to pull it together with the sweater.

Also what I need to do is figure out what size baby the sweater fits and make the hat so that it fits the baby at the same time.... hmmmmm. If only there was a coordinating BSJ hat pattern that would just say "using same yarn and needles, cast on this many stitches."

Anyways, let me know what you think so far!

UGHs

OK, if you're not on ravelry yet, get yourself an account. Even if you're not a knitter. You need to join me in my latest obsession. Browsing UGHs (ravelry link). Basically, anyone can flag their projects as "ughs" as in uggo knits gone wrong. And then the rest of us can browse through them and laugh (a knowing "I've been there" laugh) and shake our heads.

To induct your project into the hall of ughs rate it with the sad face.
To browse ughs, instead of coming here for the link every time, got to the "people" tab. Next to the the link for "a random assortment of favorites" there's a smaller link that says "bah, show me the ughs".

Sorry, picture embedding isn't working for me. You're just going to have to trust me on this one.

For Kalin ...

Youkou in New Dress, originally uploaded by knit_purr.

Kalin brought up miniature knitting and I just had to contribute...

If you're at all interested in mini knit and crochet there are two great Flickr pools: miniature knitting and tiny ami

The first person to get me into miniature knitting (and still one of my favorites) is Knit Purr. She has some amazing work. And if you're at all interested in Blythe dolls or Momoko dolls, then you definitely have to check her out. The picture above is a Blythe doll wearing one of her hand knit dresses. I picked this one because I know Kalin likes Blythe dolls and mini knits. Plus, I think this doll looks like her.