Month: January 2007

Posted in Completed Projects, Knit Ramblings

Korknisse Army

Posted on by mslindz

I first saw this pattern on Elliphantom’s blog and couldn’t wait to knit up an army. Nick’s dad likes wine and had plenty of unused corks laying around for me to make into little gnomes. I finished all 16 in about a day.

Pattern: Korknisse
Yarn: various acrylic worsted weight yarns
Needles: US 3 DPN’s
Notes: This pattern is quick and easy way to use up bits of yarn. Plus they are cute and everyone will get one from me for Christmas this year. In total I made 16 of these little guys.

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In other knitting news, I pinned out my Shetland Triangle today:

It looks so much better all pinned out! I can hardly wait until it’s dry :o)

Yesterday I frogged the Monkey socks I was working on. They were too big after I got the heel flap and gussets done that there was no way they’d ever fit me. I first did these on US 1’s then went up to US 2’s because they were too tight on US 1’s. That didn’t turn out so well, though. I’m thinking that I may just use the yarn for a different pattern. Ah well… win some and lose some! This did give me the motive to start working on a Shedir hat for my sister (seen in previous post from today).

I have one Sock-ret Pal sock done and haven’t started the second. Right now I have only 2 projects on the needles: Shedir and Big Bad Baby Blanket. I think I’ll wait until Shedir is done before starting on sock #2. I think I’m going to end up giving the Big Bad Baby Blanket to my family’s dog, Duke. Because he’s cute and needs a blanket. Especially a machine washable one!

Posted in Knit Ramblings

Learning Photoshop

Posted on by mslindz

I came across this tutorial in a knitting community on LiveJournal on how to Photoshop a white background on your knitting. Those who read other knitting blogs may have seen these before. I have Photoshop CS2 and Elements on my computer, but truth be told I only use Elements to crop and resize photos. I know, I know… I should really learn more about it, but I have a difficult time just “playing around with things” to learn them – I need a really good book, person or class to teach me certain programs that are really in depth like Photoshop is. At any rate, I’m really proud of myself for learning something new in Photoshop! I took a photo of the project I started last night for my sister. It’s a hat. I’ve never gotten such true color in a photo and now I know how to lighten photos up (any photos) and get a more true color from a photo I took.

Here are my efforts:

From this:

To this:

Of course, this is only my first attempt and I know the bottom of the photo could use a little work, but because of the lighting in the original photo and the shadow it caused on the bottom it was really difficult to completely get rid of it. I just wanted to share this in case there’s anyone else out there with Photoshop that hasn’t done this before and wanted to know how to do it.

Posted in Knit Ramblings

Have I ever mentioned my love of Interweave Knits Magazine?

Posted on by mslindz

To the knitters reading out there…. have you seen the Interweave Knits Spring 2007 preview? Did you SEE those entrelac socks by Eunny??! Even if I didn’t like any of the other patterns in the upcoming issue, I would buy it just for that pattern and the article she’s written to go along with it (long awaited, I might add since I like reading her blog and recall seeing them months ago – plus I think she is a great knitter, writer, and pattern designer). I also wanted to note that there is a sock pattern from Grumperina in this issue as well. Both are patterns I can hardly wait to get my hands on!

I seriously need a subscription to Interweave Knits once we get settled somewhere.

Posted in Completed Projects, Knit Ramblings

Packag #2 from my Sock-ret Pal and an FO!

Posted on by mslindz

The second package from my Sock-ret Pal arrived a while ago at my family’s house, but since I was in Florida, I didn’t get to open it right away. I finally got to open it on Wednesday (but did not have internet access to post!). Wanna see? Of course you do!

My pal sent me some great stuff! It all came packaged up in a stocking, which I thought was really cute. Inside I found some See’s candy (oh how you woo me with chocolate and hard candies!), two sets of double pointed bamboo needles (neither brand I’ve tried before, so I’m really looking forward to it – plus I’ve been really wanting an extra set of 1 and 2 DPN’s), two fiber postcards (so cool!), a book – Zen and the Art of Knitting by Bernadette Murphy (looks like a great read!), a set of beaded stitch markers, a little sweater on a key chain, and two skeins of Koigu KPPPM (I love the colors and already have a pattern in mind!).

Thank you Sock-ret Pal!! You rock! :o)

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I also have an FO to accompany this post! The drive from Florida to Kentucky to New York proved to be a good time for knitting. I started and completed the We Call Them Pirates hat.

Yarn: Lamb’s Pride Worsted (85% wool/15% Mohair) in Clematis (M-56) and Creme (M-10) – yarn that has been in my stash for quite some time
Gauge: Not sure, I didn’t do a swatch, but it turned out just right
Needles: US 4 for the outer layer and US 3 for the inside layer
Time: Started 1/22/07, Completed 1/26/07
Notes: I think I’m going to block it and tack down the inside a little better. I think the pattern turned out well, but I would make some adjustments to the chart if I did it again. I think it’s hard to see the cross bones in person (they look okay in the photos!) with the little extra patterning in the chart. I know this would make some of the floats in the back quite a bit longer, but I think it would be easier to see the cross bones.

On with the photos!

Close up of the pattern/stitches:

Full view:

The top:

The inside:

On me:

That’s all for now! Stay tuned for photos of the Shetland Triangle soon because I’ll be blocking it this week!

Posted in Completed Projects

A Hungarian Hat – FO

Posted on by mslindz

Last night I completed a hat for Nick’s dad as a thank you gift for inviting us to stay in Florida with them this year.

Basics: double knit hat that I made up the pattern for as I went
Gauge: 6 rows and 4 stitches = 1 inch on US 7 needles
Needles: US 7 for the outside layer and US 4 for the inside layer
Yarn: an acrylic blend (50/50) and I’ll post about the yarn later. I used red, white, and green.
Time: Started on 1/20/07, Completed 1/21/07
Notes for myself: Used provisional cast on. Cast on 92 stitches, knit 18 rows of green, 18 rows of white, 8 rows of red then started decreases on round 9 every other round until it was knit 4, knit 2 together, then I did decreases every round. After the outer layer was done, I picked up the stitches from the provisional cast on on US 4’s and did basically the same thing for the inside. I secured the inside layer to the outside layer at the top of the hat. Just before I started the red on the inside layer, I did the embroidery.

I’m pretty happy with how it came out :o)

Look, you can’t even see where the new colors joined! YAY for hiding the jog! (yes this is the first time ever doing that.)

It has a kind of slouchy top:

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Next hat on my list? We Call Them Pirates!

Posted in Knit Ramblings

Missing

Posted on by mslindz

I just want to say that I miss having a place with all my things… my crafting supplies. There’s so much crafty-ness going on in my head right now it’s CRAZY… yet I don’t have ANYTHING but knitting and embroidery things here (without going out to the craft store and loading up on more things to take back with us, which I don’t want to do, nor can I afford to do).

It just makes me sad…. when I finally get this crazy idea and crafty streak going on, I can’t do anything about it.

Posted in Knit Ramblings

Oh my Sockret Pal!

Posted on by mslindz

I just wanted you to know that your package has arrived at my family’s place in Kentucky. My mom was a little confused:

Mom: “The package you sent arrived today.”
Me: “What are you talking about?”
Mom: “You mean you didn’t send this package? It’s addressed to you, from you.” Me: “OHHHH!!! That’s my Sockret Pal package!!!”
Mom: “Oh… do you want me to open it?”
Me: “NOOO!!!!” (Then I had to explain the whole secret swap thing.)

It was kind of funny. A little later, my sister said “There’s a package here for you!” (She obviously hadn’t spoken to my mom yet.) I explained it again, but she knew about the swap already because I’d explained it before.

It’s waiting there for me and I should be able to open it next weekend when we return from our vacaion :o)

Posted in Current Projects, Knit Ramblings

Shetland Triangle and Watercolor Painting

Posted on by mslindz

Here’s my first attempt at watercolor from the class I took with Nick’s mom on Saturday, Jan. 6th:

I think it came out pretty good for my first try!

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I’ve completed the knitting part of the Shetland Triangle. I won’t be able to block it until we get Ohio, but I’m pleased with how it looks right now.

Other than that, I’ve been working on other things I’ve got on the needles. Working on another Shedir, Cable Net socks, Monkey socks, and a Big Bad Baby Blanket. I’ve taken to reading the last few days, which cuts into knitting time (hehehe), but I enjoy it :o)

Happy crafting!

Posted in Knit Ramblings

Update

Posted on by mslindz

I totally need an army of these little guys!

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Tomorrow I’m taking a watercolor class with Nick’s mom. I’m pretty excited. I’ve never done watercolor before (well probably as a small child, but I’m talking a REAL watercolor painting with the special paper and tools and everything!). Nick said that if I like it and it’s something I want to get into he’ll get me all the stuff I need and more classes if I want. I told him I’m thinking about learning some more One Stroke painting stuff because that was fun to learn last week and I like doing it. I’m also considering an ATC class. I’ve been wanting to do them for a while, but I don’t feel very artsy most of the time. Maybe I just need something to get me started. Nick’s mom is going to be taking a class later in the month and I’m thinking about maybe taking one after we get settled in Dayton, OH (you know, get a house, jobs, unpack… after all that).

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I’m still knitting. A lot. The Shetland Triangle is nearly done. I have one chart left to do and I’ll be done with the knitting portion. I won’t be blocking this until we get settled in or at least have a place to live so I have space to block it. I love how it’s come out so far and it’ll be bigger than the one in the book after blocking and all (I think I added 2 or 3 more chart repeats of the body chart). It took a while to get used to the silk yarn, but after a while I got the hang of it.

The Cable Net socks are coming along. I finally made the chart easier to read which sped things up quite a bit. Still have a LONG way to go, though!

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Hope all is well with everyone. Keep crafting!

Posted in Completed Projects

Where I talk about lots of FO’s!

Posted on by mslindz

Alright, here’s a bunch of photos from Christmas FO’s that I wasn’t able to post when they were done (they were all wrapped up and I didn’t want people to know what they were getting should they happen upon this here blog!):

My mom got a pair of Mrs. Beeton’s:

Both my sisters got pairs of Fuzzyfeet:

And Nick’s mom got Branching Out (made with Soy Silk! Sorry, no photo of her with it, but there is one of me from when I finished it in the car on the ride down to Florida!):

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And since I’m posting photos of finished things….. I finished a modified (two cables instead of three) Irish Hiking Scarf yesterday made out of Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk yarn! Finished length is 60 inches and I completed it in 4 days. Florida is great and all, but there’s not a lot to do sometimes except knit (of course!).

The Shetland Triangle has also seen some love since we’ve been in Florida:

I’m on the second ball of yarn and it’s progressing well.

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I don’t know if I mentioned it, but Nick’s mom taught me to paint! Here’s the bag I painted:

Nick’s mom is a One Stroke instructor and she gave me a little lesson and I panted this bag. I love how it came out and I think I did pretty good for my first try! This coming Saturday we’re going to a watercolor class together and I’m pretty excited about it :o)

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Since we ARE in Florida, we’re going to Disney World tomorrow. I’m pretty excited about it since I’ve never been. Me, being the knitter that I am, know that there will be lines to wait in and I will be bringing a small portable project: a sock! I’ve been dying to work with this fall yarn I bought a long while ago and decided that Monkey would be the perfect pattern for it. Just enough pattern to keep me from being bored and not so much that it won’t do the hand dyed yarn justice. Good choice, eh?

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Happy New Year everyone!

PS. I know I haven’t been blogging too much lately (limited net access here), but I’m doing my best to keep up with everyone!