New Blog to tell you about :)

http://ramwoolsnewsandnotes.blogspot.com/

Check it out... :) It will be worth it, really....

Ok, so, I've been taking a break from lace knitting - I shouldn't, since they are all KAL's and I do love them all - and new KAL's will be starting, and I need my needles back....

But when knitting isn't fun anymore, 'cause you're dealing with furry paw help reading charts...

So, I've been doing socks... working on a UFO sock (Bellatrix) and Yes, I started some new socks. Well, see - there was a good reason.... (aka I can justify any knitting project, lol)

Ok, so, people come into the store, and sometimes, they ask me about the Bamboo needles we sell. Now, I could only answer them based on what I'd heard - so, I decided, since I'd joined Sockamania and was going to give the December sock a good shot, that I'd buy the bamboo dpns to try them out. I like them (see post on needle review). So - I'm knitting some snowflake socks for me:

And I`m making some wool socks for DH:

That light coloured line of knitting in the picture - that is some pale blue yarn that I used for waste yarn to make the spot for the afterthought heel. Of course, since taking the picture yesterday morning, I`ve finished knitting on the foot, done the toe, and am halfway done the heel. So, you`ll get an updated picture of the first sock finished tomorrow....

Today, I have to move some stuff in my basement. I am getting a new dryer delivered tomorrow!!! If you`ve known me for long, or have been reading my blog for a while, you`ll know that a couple or nearly three years ago, my dryer decided it was going to try to burn down my house. Unfortunately, it didn`t figure on me being somewhat paranoid about fires, and also on the spot at the time...a quick dial of 911, and I`d foiled the plan....

Anyway - I`ve been doing the laundramat thing for a while now... it has its good points. A bit of a relaxing time during the day, knitting while I wait for the dryers to do their job. Getting all the laundry sorted and folded on a nice big table, instead of in my lap or on soft surface (carpet, couch, etc.) that is covered in fur.... Which reminds me - I haven`t shown off the progress on the scarf for a while:

BUT - it can sometimes be a pain - especially in this cold weather, or when it rained....

If I may, here - when I was taking apart the dryer, so I could get it out of the basement, I wanted to see exactly what started to burn. I`ve always faithfully cleaned the lint trap, etc. Well, turns out....

Between the drum and the vent chute, there is a gasket of some sort. This gasket broke down - so, instead of the lint going into the lint trap, it was going into the back of the dryer, against the heating element, and packing into the bottom of the framework...

I intend to be even more vigilant in keeping my dryer lint free from now on..... Just because there isn`t too much lint in the lint trap, it doesn`t mean that there wasn`t much lint produced, it might mean that the lint is going elsewhere.....

Now, back to happier news :)

This past weekend, we put up our tree. And, for some reason, the girls have been leaving it alone.... I don`t trust them one bit.... but for now, just the odd batting at an ornament or two, but nothing like a real attack.

You got the best picture first... I took several, trying to get the lights to show, me to not shake the camera, different settings...

You can see some of the kitty collection on the shelves behind...

The Diet....

The Problem: Too much yarn, too much computer space, too much paper,too many books.

I buy yarn whenever I find a "Must Make This" pattern. The pattern can come from the 'net, from a library book, or from my pattern stash - I do check that on occassion, as well as add to it...buying new pattern leaflets, the odd book, thrift stores are my friend, etc. So, I end up with the yarn, ready to make something, but no time to start it - or, I start, but then get excited about another project, or I've got multipe WIP's on the go.... So, I end up with a ton of stash.

I see patterns on the 'net, and instead of printing them right away, I save them to a folder on my hard drive. Later, I might see the same pattern, and download it (or try to) again - which tells me that I've got way more than I need, since I can't keep track of what I've already got!!

Sometimes, I *will* recognize a pattern, and not double download. Other times, I can't recall which folder I'd "sorted" it into, and it is easier to just go get it again....

Every so often, I try to clean up the computer, and will print out a whole whack of files - then, I don't have a way to organize or sort them, so I end up with piles of disorganized paper, and if I decided to make something, it is easier to print off a new one.... :(

I can't afford to buy a lot of books - but I *do* hang out at thrift stores and check the books and craft areas for leaflets or books that are a good deal - not to mention, yard sales, library used book sales, etc. I have bought the odd new knitting book.... And some craft magazines....

So - what I end up with, is a ton of stash of the SABLE proportions - Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy. And that means, both yarn and pattern, and don't forget - I do more than just knit or crochet...there is the cross stitch collection, the quilt collection, the tat collection (although, that one is not very big, since there isn't that much around), etc. etc. etc.....

What I need to do, is go on a pattern diet. Which means - I need to stop downloading every pattern I think I like. I need to stop saving every pattern that catches my eye. I need to stop visiting the craft book areas of the thrift stores. I need to stop browsing the library's collection of craft books.

And I need to weed out the patterns that I've already saved that I know I probably won't ever get to. Now, I know that there is such a thing as inheritance - I'm sure that one or more of the grand kids will appreciate eventually getting things passed down to them.


The Solution: Pattern Diet for 2008.

So, what are the rules? Well, firstly, any and all cat patterns are exempt. So are the KAL's (and CAL's) that I've already signed up for. Which means, groups such as the six sox knitalong group, I'll be getting five or six new sock patterns in 2008, the sockamania group will provide me with 12 new ones, then there are the mystery shawl or stole KAL's - they will get me new patterns, too.... Also exempt is Quiltmaker magazine - which is put aside for me at the local bookstore (along with Cat Fancy magazine)

Basically, instead of going to the 'net first to find a new pattern to make an item, I am going to go through the patterns I already have. I'm also going to go through them regularly anyway, to decide which ones I will truly never make. Those will be evaluated for "passing on" quality, and will be dealt with accordingly. They might even get organized in the process!!! Next, I'll try to avoid getting any craft books from the library. Just for a year....

I'm going to stay away from the used books sales. And the free handouts, leaflets, patterns, etc. that come from a variety of sources.

I will stop checking the daily free pattern sites, and saving three out of five (or more!) of them.

I will stop following every link to every pattern ever written on the net.

I will try to avoid buying all the cool Lopi pattern books at work. Or any of the other cool books/pattern leaflets we get in... This one will be the hardest, I think - I keep looking at some of the new-to-me booklets (designed for yarns I only recently discovered existed, lol) and some of the Patons pattern leaflets... Fibre Trends, Fiddlesticks, among others that we carry....

I will knit (or crochet, or quilt, or whatever) from the patterns I already have - I will finish up some UFO's, get re-excited about the patterns I have already been so excited about that I just *had to* print right away and buy stuff to make "right away".

I will try to avoid buying any new craft magazines, except for the Quiltmaker as noted above.

I will get busy writing up the patterns that I've designed and are still in note form.

Now - most important - this is a pattern DIET, not a pattern "fast". I will not beat myself up if I come across something totally unique or irresistable, that I *know* I don't already have...new patterns from Knitty.com, new Block of the Month quilts... that sort of thing. I'm just going to try to reduce what I already have, and try to avoid increasing the pattern stash exponentially...

Side benefit - if I start making for the patterns I have, then I also will be using up the yarn stash :) And heck, who knows - it might all start to get organized!!

Again - patterns which are allowed - any cats, any totally unique patterns that I don't have already, and any that I've looked for in the stash first but couldn't find. I am also allowed to browse for inspiration, but not save just for the sake of saving....

I'll look for or fix up something in the sidebar to keep track, too... and I desparately need to squeeze out the time to clean up and update the sidebar, one of these days.

Needle Review....

Well, I'm eating my words... I think. I have always stated that I love my Boye needles more than any other. I have tried some Bates brand needles and crochet hooks, and am not at all fond of them. I still own them, and occassionally use them - they come in different mm sizes than the Boyes, and sometimes that matters. I like the feel of the Crystallites hooks - haven't tried the needles yet but I'm getting tempted, seeing them at work all the time...

I have tried/own some "off brands" of knitting needles - plastic or plastic coated metal ones - usually sell outs from stores or whatever. Clearance, firesales, closeouts, promos, yardsales, etc. Some are good in a pinch, others make me wonder what the heck I`m hanging onto them for. I`ve tried some Lantern Moon needles - not bad, but I wouldn`t invest in more of them. I`ve tried Bryspuns - I am not too crazy about them. Way too flexible.

I have an addi turbo circular. I`m keeping it, and using it for a scarf (wonder if that is why it is taking me so long to knit the scarf?) but I don`t like it much and won`t buy more.

I started knitting a sock, for the 'Sockamania' group - joined it from Ravelry, and I`m having a problem trying to post to the blog for it, and I need to find time to clean up my sidebar here and include the link and all that - anyway, was starting a sock, and decided, just for fun, that I would give bamboo needles a shot. After all, I can`t really say anything one way or another about bamboo needles if I haven`t tried them. And, since I get a discount at work.... I bought a set of 2.75 mm bamboo needles, along with the yarn I`d need for the socks, and started them on my lunch break the other day. Well.... After lunch I had to buy another set of bamboos in 3.25 mm. Not because the 2.75 were wrong - but because I also plan to knit up a pair of heavier wool socks for DH, and need that size needle to do it.... In other words, I discovered that I *LOVE* the bamboo needles....

Yes, I still like my Boyes, but I think I might just be using a lot of bamboo needles in the near future... Might even pick up a bamboo circ for one of the lace shawl KAL`s starting in January....

Just to try it out, of course :)

Why I haven't been laceknitting....

It has been a bit crazy lately... I've been trying to keep up with emails, work, house, life... haven't gotten in as much knitting on the lace KAL's as I should.... Instead, though - I needed to take some time to make a Christmas tree skirt. See, this year, I finally managed to buy myself a new Christmas tree. Wanted to, and tried to, last year. But they were sold out of the tree I wanted....

Anyway - new tree meant, new skirt. I had an old one - that was bright red, with white trim. Storebought. Sort of a fleecy material, but cheap fleecy. It did its job for the twenty or so years I had it. When I bought it, it was a solid circle. I guess they figure you put it on the floor, then put the tree on top of it. Which, I guess, is fine - but I wanted to cover the ugly stand and hide the cords for the lights... so I had to cut it. Cutting resulted in the white trim ravelling over time....

This year, since I now have a white tree instead of a green tree, it meant, time to get serious about finding a blue/silver tree skirt. I have been trying to find yarn to make one - a few years ago, I had seen some blue yarn with metallic thread running through it, but didn't buy any then. Regretted it since, because I haven't seen it in the stores again. Found a close substitute last year, then tried to crochet a skirt. Remember, I blogged about it back then? Gave up on it, since it wasn't turning out at all. And, I think I would have run out of that yarn before it got very big, anyway.... Well, while wandering around tidying up shelves at work, I came across some discontinued yarn, blue, with glittery bits running through it.... Novelty yarn, eyelash type.... and there were five balls. I grabbed them - and, just in case, I also bought four more of another clearance yarn, that was white and sparkly eyelash yarn. Figured I'd alternate them, and see how big I could make it. Turned out, that I'd missed seeing there were more than just the five balls of blue... I bought two more while the skirt was in progress, and I now have one ball leftover. No problem, I love this stuff!!! I'll find something to trim with it... I also have nearly three full balls of the white... I had to use a few yards off one ball, to finish casting off with. Again, I love this sparkly white stuff.... I'll find something to use it on!!! Before I post a picture, though - I want to mention... I was also at the grocery store, and they had the tree skirts out - There was a gorgeous rich blue shiny one, with white and silver beaded snowflakes on it... I almost bought it and saved myself some trouble, except they had ruined it by putting a gold braid around the outside edge. Why gold??? I mean, they got the blue and silver part right on the main design - why not a white or silver braid? The gold just plain made it ugly. I know, I could have bought it and removed the braid, but then, what if there were threads hanging out? What if it showed up that I'd altered it? What if I had to try to find more braid to recover the spot? What if is became far more trouble than it was worth? Why not just carry on with knitting my own tree skirt? Which, of course, I did - so, without further ado:

Based more or less on the idea of a pi shawl, but done in garter stitch rows... 12 rows blue, 4 rows white, until "big enough" and following the increases as per the pi shawl. Knitting into the front and back of the stitches, rather than the yarn overs, for a more solid rather than lacey effect.