Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Dear Knitters

The hat was frogged. It was frogged because it was jumping around on my needles. I cannot stitch ribs because I haven't the patience to figure it out. I hope, in time, this shall come. I cannot finish said hat because the yarn was not appropriate, even though Guru Knitter at LYS assured me it would be. And so: The hat has become a scarf. It would appear that this will either be a very short scarf or I will have to just go and get another ball of this stuff. I'm having a blast with this scarf, though, because it is of my own imagination. I'm YO'ing, SKSing, and drop stitching to my heart's content. It's random, crazy, and a heck of a blast to make on my new Addi Turbo needles. So, all is not lost, fellow knitwits. All is not lost.
The good news is: In the hat department, I have renewed faith, as I have purchased four skeins of this gorgeous Kuryeon alternative, which shall make TWO hats. Now. I must buckle down and practice rib stitches. I'm good with K1, P1, but not so good when we get into multiples. Much like fourth grade math, I seem to lose attention, and how! Ah, well, the yarn is soft and the colors are beautiful, and I have enough. By the by, my yarn stash moved from one bag to two and half in under a week. This is a problem. A very serious problem.
Do not be dismayed! Progress is being made on the mohair shawl. Yes, it is quite simple: I'm just doing 1 YO on every row and then a garter stitch. However, my excuse for such ease is the fuzziness of mohair. Any pattern would be lost in this fabu fabric. Ah! You can also take a peek at my gift from fellow Stitch N Bitcher. It's that thick and quick wool, easy to practice on and soft as a baby's head. I'll practice ribbing, I think. Yes. Ribbing. That's it.
I am finding that my cat has the same passion for natural fibers as I do--when I asked her about a wool cat harness, though, she simply looked at me askance. Little brat.

Yours,
Fritz Posted by Picasa

Monday, May 29, 2006

Dear Knitters


Crisis Situation.

I've ribbed. Yet, I've seeded. Yes, it has all gone to seed. Or something. Because there ARE no ribs. It's just...blahech.

I would take a picture of this hat, but I'm too embarrassed. And how is this one ball supposed to take care of the whole hat? I READ the gauge. I READ the yarn measurements. No-i-did-not-do-a-test-swatch-for-gauge--just hush. Anyway.

I need another job to support my new yarn habit.

(PS: Sweaters scare me; I think I will live by scarves, alone).

This is a rib stitch


This is a moss stitch

And this is my brain on knitting. Any questions?

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Dear Knitters

I am coming to understand something.
I hate ribbing.

After viscerating a hat* nearly a dozen times (pattern from Caps and Hats Two, Vogue) I believe I have figured out the sequence of K4, P4. Of course, if it were only that simple! No, no, knitwits, we must make sure they ALIGN properly, and don't add any stitches while we're at it. My eyes have gone cross with staring at 'v's' and 'bumps'. Michael has been relegated to cleaning out the garage while I repeat my rosary aloud: "KNIT (one) KNIT (two) KNIT (three)..."

I suppose I am beginning to understand the rite of contrition with all this. There is a somber, meditative quality to praying aloud to the Knitting Gods. However, that peace is blown when I get to the end of a row and it doesn't match with the last. So back I go, casting on all 106 stitches again.

This is the first time I've worked with Noro's Silk Garden yarn. I've heard rave reviews about this stuff. I don't know if it's my needles, my taut yarn, or my grip on the slack but I HATE THIS STUFF. It seems far too stiff. Not forgiving.

All is well, dear knitters. When my eyes extricate themselves from their sockets, I will simply put this hat down and go back to the Mohair shawl. It's much more mindless and soothing.

For now, though, I leave you with my mental mantra...
(PURL one PURL two PURL three PURL four)

*hat: a loosely defined term for approximately four rows of knitting that took Fritz over two hours to achieve.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Dear Knitters

I couldn't afford the therapy so I picked up the knitting habit.
Let's blame it all on Stuntmother; I kept seeing her fantastic work over at Two Sharp Sticks. So I picked up some yarn, and have unravelled into a mess of a knitter.

This was three weeks ago. I'm simply hooked.

But enough with the crochet-cliches: as this is my new knitting blog, I'll begin by underlining a wishlist. Because I'm new at this. So, I need stuff.

Addi Turbo Circular Needles
My Own Yarn Stash
(Because I never know where I am at any given moment...) Stitchmarkers
Loop-d-Loop by Teva Durham
Begin a cult like The Anticraft*
Needle Holder
and just about any yarn from
The Whole Nine Yarns (my local LYS**)




*(theoretical? yes. but totally within keeping of my character)
**trendy knit speak for 'Local Yarn Shop'. I'm allowed to use these kinds of acronyms because I am a knitter. Most usually, I frown on acronyms, emoticons, or excessive use of any punctuation...except the eclipse. And that, I abuse.