Urge to comment on lace knitting and pattern UPDATE

If you just want the UPDATE, scroll to the bottom of this post-

Ok. I have a twitter thing, but don't recall my user name on there or the password... So, I've pretty much abandoned it.

Instead, I post some of my short one or two line ramblings on Facebook. But, this comment - well, I'm not sure it would "fit" on FB. And even though it is craft related, I can't think of an appropriate group to post in on Ravelry. So, I thought I'd post here.

See, I think I'm getting spoiled. I mean, I get it that some people are nervous about learning new techniques, and sometimes you gotta sneak them in.. Like, when I first started crocheting pineapples. A former* friend who has crocheted all her life was working on a project using pineapples. I hadn't been crocheting that long at the time, only about ten years. Well, she insisted that "pineapples are really difficult to do", and only an *experienced* crocheter could handle doing them, that I shouldn't even attempt them. (*long story, really a dead issue, but with friends who do things like that who needs enemies?) Unfortunately, I bowed to her "wisdom" and resigned myself to never being able to do them, despite liking how they looked. After all, I wasn't a "full-time" crocheter, like she was, I do other crafts too. So I'd likely never have time to get to the experience level she had... Anyway - I've moped about my self esteem issues before. What ended up happening was, I crocheted a bookmark, that was called "Crystal Tear Drop". Turned out, once I really looked at it, it was a pineapple. I was tricked into finding out that pineapples aren't at all difficult, and I now have lots of gorgeous pineapple doilies in my house. :)

Anyway - lace is the same thing, really. Not difficult at all. Knitting with holes in it. I was shying away from lace, until I realized that a shawl pattern from Lionbrand, using Homespun yarn, was really a lace pattern - nothing to it!! Just knitting, plain and simple... it still uses knits, purls, yarn overs (which are just "pretend" knitting and purling) and some decreases. The only difficult part for me was reading the patterns. But that is no real hard thing - just read and follow one step at a time. (I personally found charts much easier to read, but again, had to get over that "fear" before I learned them - much shorter process though, and now with much more experience, I no longer fear any new knitting technique)

Now, for the spoiled part....

When I started knitting lace big time, I started out using an acrylic yarn, not quite baby weight, but not worsted weight (something referred to on the label as "baby sport"). It was sold for making lighter weight baby afghans. Cheap enough, and I knew I could find something afghan-like to make if I bombed at "real" lace.

I like that first stole - even though it is acrylic. I keep it for around the house use. And it looks pretty good, really... I now use thinner yarns, almost exclusively. Though, lace doesn't have to be limited to shawls and ethereal creations. It can be used to "dress up" a workhorse item such as socks, a sweater or even an afghan.

But what I always do now, is to use wool or wool blends, (though cotton would work too) so I can block the lace. Blocking makes the difference. I learned that early on, when I was crocheting all those pineapple doilies. An online friend convinced me that blocking wasn't hard to do, didn't need fancy equipment (though the equipment can help) and transformed the doily into something beautiful. Same is true of knitted lace. Blocking really turns a saggy baggy piece of knitting into a work of art. Really shows off the lace stitches and patterning, and helps to even out the stitches so your knitting talents can shine!

So, why the urge to write this today? I'm spoiled by the blocking of lace... Every morning, I check several websites that offer or point to a free pattern, that changes daily. It is all part of my morning wake-up ritual. Some people have coffee and read a news paper, or watch a TV newsy show, or read a spiritual or inspirational passage... Me, I hit the computer while I have tea...

Anyway, this morning, http://www.dailyknitter.com/day.php which points to a free pattern somewhere on the web every day, pointed me at a Caron freebee. http://www.caron.com/projects/ss/ss_ashley_vest.html Now, that vest might be to someone's taste - just not mine. That is fine- not what the issue is here. I mean, I don't have to like every pattern every day, and sometimes, I find things that I might like but never would have thought to look for... if that makes sense... Anyway, sometimes, even though a style may not appeal to me, a stitch pattern might, and I may go ahead anyway and keep the pattern because I might adapt the style or use the stitch pattern in something entirely different. But, today, I looked at that vest, and used the zoom/magnifier thingy, and discovered it was a relatively common lace pattern (different designers often give them different names, so I tend to forget that part, just recognize the stitch patterning). The only problem - they used their Caron Simply Soft yarn. Nothing wrong with the yarn itself - but... It is an acrylic, worsted weight, and even softer spun than the kind I normally use. So, rather than blocking out nicely, it is draping all soft and saggy and baggy.... The vest suits that sort of drape; but it kind of spoils the lace for me....

I'm getting spoiled.



UPDATE: if you are still with me, that is. Sock pattern has been written, and is currently being test knit by several volunteers from the Sock knitters email group. It should be up by the end of the week.

Another finish for 2011

I finished another pair of socks!! These are the ones that I made a slight mistake on - not really noticeable. In fact, even though I knew roughly where it was, I have trouble finding it...

I also discovered, while comparing foot length to the first pair I made using this pattern, that I had made a slight boo-boo on those, too... Oh, well - guess it is just one of "those" patterns, lol. I still love them. (In fact, I'm wearing the new socks today!) Finished them off last night. I was working on them two at a time on one circ, and had to make a bit of an adjustment when I worked the heel, but otherwise - I finished one toe day before yesterday, and the second toe yesterday. Wove in the tails, and took the pic, 'cause I knew if I didn't do it last night, it wouldn't get done, 'cause I knew I'd want to wear them today :)Well. So far this year I've started and finished: worsted weight socks called "hills less travelled", two pair called "sixth sense" socks, a pair of "spring lace" socks, these "Victorian lace" socks, a crocheted hat, knit gloves, crocheted net-book tote, and a knitted prayer shawl. All of them are projects that I started since Jan. 1 of this year...

Of course, it would be better if the finishes were UFO's that had been started before...

Now, I need to work on that sock pattern I'm writing. I have rewritten the tricky bit, but now need to knit the tricky bit, and maybe take a couple pictures while I do - just in case. I'm going to have to find a test knitter or two, to see if I need to add pictures or if I've explained myself well enough. :) Then I can share it! Well, maybe I should finish knitting the foot, too, lol...

Need to make another prayer shawl, then work on finishing that baby outfit, then I can maybe concentrate on some other finishes and maybe treat myself to a new start or two...

I went stash diving, (ok, honestly it was an attempt to do some organizing and tidying) and discovered that I already had the "perfect" yarn for a shawl project. It was one of my rare "must have this yarn even though I don't have a pattern yet but it can always become socks" moments. Fleece Artist yarn, merino 2/6 combined with a mohair referred to as "angel hair" that were both dyed to match... Several colourways of that yarn called to me while I was working at the yarn store, and it was a great price even before my discount.... the Merino 2/6 stuff could easily become socks, and since I've been dabbling in shawl designing and collecting other shawl patterns, I was sure the mohair would eventually come in handy... which it did :)

The colour is a beautiful pastel browns/blues/greys/greens, which remind me of a peaceful forest. And the shawl that I want to make has a forest theme.... Watch this space for future updates on it. :)

My mother's day present from my son was a miniature rose bush to plant in the yard. The weather isn't quite nice enough at night yet, so I've been putting it out during the day and keeping it sheltered at night...










Well, that's about it for now.

Needing to get some more organization done.... really seem to be getting motivated a little more when I hear of disasters - I know, that almost sounds terrible, but with all the floods happening close to home, and the fires not far (1/3 of a town turned to ashes!), and terrible tornadoes a little farther... I start thinking, why am I keeping so much stuff? What does it matter in the big picture? And if one of those disasters happened to me, it would all be gone anyway - I could save some, but not all... And what good is it sitting in boxes buried in the garage or basement?

Sure, I'm still keeping some stuff, but I'm also finding it easier to let go of others... for example, I have a lot of books on bugs - I may not like bugs, but I like to learn about them. Well, I don't have enough shelves, and they are all in boxes in the garage, and if I really need to know something, I have google.... So, I'm passing on most of the books to either my niece who could probably make better use of some of them, or to one or another of my favourite charities for fund raising efforts. :) I have a stack of boxes to go to Salvation Army thrift store tomorrow, and a box that is nearly full to go to the shelter that my beloved Delko came from - they are having a yard sale next month, and they also operate a thrift store.

I titled this picture "MY ball"....

Crafting update and some life bits

So. I got a net book for Christmas. I used it on our trip, so that I could access the 'net to keep in touch, and so that I could take along some patterns to work on projects.

I've also been using for the same basic purpose at home - I have my current WIP's (W orks I n P rogress) on it, and I sometimes check stuff on the 'net in between working on the WIP's.

I also used it recently to share some pictures of the trip with a friend when we met for lunch. Figured it would be easier to see than my camera.So, basically, the net book is my "travelling computer" now. Which meant, that I needed a nice way to carry it. Most laptop bags are big - too big really to be useful for a tiny net book. So, I made one.I didn't find (didn't even look, really) for a pattern, I just made one up as I went along. Kind of what I've always done with crochet - if I can't find a pattern, I just make my own. So, I did a long rectangle that was as wide as the net book, and long enough to wrap around it, using the Tunisian Crochet technique. It was my excuse to give my Denise Interchangeable Crochet hook set a work-out :) Then, I crocheted an edging of single crochet around the whole thing. I then crocheted a handle, by starting at the base, and slip stitching each row to attach to the sides. When it was long enough to wear not as a shoulder bag, but as a sling (not sure of the proper technical terms, but I carry my purse on my left shoulder, hanging down at my left side - shoulder bag. The new net book tote I will have the strap on my right shoulder, over my head, the bag hanging on my left side - like one would wear a sling to hold a broken arm)I then made a pocket on the front, by picking up stitches and sort of working back and forth to give the pocket dimension, then making some decreases, then a chain across the top and finished off by working the front of the pocket in the round, decreasing to a small "hole" in the middle. The pocket holds the power cord.Finally, I added a flap - I still need to find "the perfect" button to hold down the flap, but for now, gravity works. :)I've finished one pair of socks, and am working on another - glad I know how to read my knitting. The socks have a lace pattern, and I'm knitting them two at once on a circular needle (fortunately!). After the heel turn, the lace continues down the top of the foot - well, I managed to mess up a bit. Not quite sure how, since I was making notes on which row of the pattern I was working on the net book (I set up a text file for each project I've got going, and label it with the name of the pattern, so I can keep track). Anyway, a lot had to do with the four stitch repeat, but the sock top starting part way through the repeat. So, I managed to mess it up a bit. It won't be noticeable to the "naked eye" on the finished sock, and they aren't a gift or anything, so I didn't bother to rip. But, it has made it so that I might be on row 4 of the pattern, but doing row 6 directions.... If that makes sense... It is an 8 stitch full repeat, four stitches of purled lace, four stitches of a sort of mock cable type stitch pattern. So, the mock cable portion is right, the background lace is a little off...

I have been neglecting a baby outfit (fortunately, making it for the 1 year old size), and neglecting a celtic cape knitalong, but have been working on socks. I'm writing a pattern for a sock I'm designing. It is a fairly simple basic sock, really, but still... When it is done, I'll be offering it free. I need to rewrite a part of the directions so that they make sense, and maybe add a picture, then I just have to finish off the knitting. Won't be long :).

And, I'm also avoiding another knit along pair of socks - may just abondon that one all together. I thought the pattern grabbed me, but in some ways, it really hasn't excited me. And the next pattern choices for that particular group not only don't grab me, but repel me.... I'll give it another month, then maybe decide not to bother at all. It's a Ravelry group - a stash busting type. Since I have sock yarn to last me a very long time, I thought it might be a good thing. Not that I need any more sock patterns either, between the sock books I've bought, and the patterns I design myself, and the plain vanilla socks that I tend to work on for portable mindless knitting... Maybe I'll just go over and leave that group now....

I'm trying to discipline myself not to start another project until I get some of these others done or caught up. Otherwise, I'd be starting another sweater. Don't want to talk about how many half-done sweaters I have, stuck into boxes during a cleaning sweep of the living room. Which I guess is a segue... Bad habit, that - related to the short attention span thing. I mean, I try to keep down to just a few projects started at once, so that I can have the variety to keep me interested, plus the variety so that I don't get carpal tunnel, but when I need to speed tidy the room, I tend to box up or bag the projects, move them "temporarily", but while they are out of sight out of mind, I find new projects to do.... *sigh*.

I"m working on improving things, though. We've had an especially unpleasant cloudy winter/spring, but finally had a few days of sunshine. I've been hanging around outside - does nothing to improve the shape of the house - and going through a lot of boxes of stuff in the garage. Some of the stuff I've been trying to get to for years, other of it can be tossed. I've been making lots of progress getting rid of unwanted junk that I've been hanging on to for various reasons, including because I just never got around to sorting it proper before. Some of it was career oriented, but is now no longer useful due to changes and/or improvements over the years.

So, some went to recycling, some went to charity, and some just had to go in the garbage. Other stuff just got re-boxed for further sorting.

I've also got to spend some quality time with the doggies - and it is really showing with Lady's behaviour. :) She is turning into a really great dog!!

pictures of recent finishes

I'm trying to behave, and not buy more yarn or start more projects unless it uses stash - I try to only buy yarn for projects, not just buy yarn because it is pretty - except for sock yarn. That I bought because it appealed to me, but at least knowing that I could always whip up a pair of "plain vanilla" socks. Unfortunately, it means that I dont' have very much solid colour sock yarn, so once in a while, I've still had to buy more sock yarn to make a specific pair - like the ones for the Six Sox Knitalong group from Yahoo groups. I finished them the other day, and wore them yesterday:A bit of a complex knit, but nice socks :)

I also mentioned working on a prayer shawl. It was a Lion Brand pattern using their Homespun yarn: Called, if I recall, Splendid Triangle.I really like how it turned out :) I might just have to make another shawl for me, in a different colour... hmmm.....

So - those are the pics I have to share for now. I am going to try to get going on a pair of socks for DH, a "plain vanilla" pair using one of the stash sock yarns; I also have to remember where I stuck some Briggs & Little Tuffy I picked up to make him some heavier socks - the ones I made him a few (6) years ago wore out rather suddenly and beyond repair, so a remake is in order. He loved those socks.... I also have a pair of lace patterned socks on a needle for me, about half finished. And, I am going to make a pair for a Ravelry group sock knitalong. Then, I have to get back to the celtic cape, and I have to finish up the rest of the baby gift I started - I hate seaming up stuff....

Oh, and then there are my own designs to get cracking on.... Wow, and that is all for the month of May!!!! We wont' talk about the pattern stash organization, or the gathering of yarns and sorting them, or the housework (which I've pretty much given up on, with such a wet spring we've been having and two rambunctious doggies...)

socks socks shawl dogs

Well, I needed to take a picture of the socks I'm working on - I needed a progress pic, and when I'm done, I'll need a pic of the pair. So, I have the progress pic:This is sock 1 just about half way down the gusset. I'm now finished the gusset on sock 2.

I'm also working on a pair of victorian lace socks, but didn't take that picture. I'm ready to knit the foot on them, too.

I did take a bit of a break, though - someone DH works with is currently in hospital undergoing some nasty cancer treatments. So, I suggested that I make a Prayer Shawl for her. Used a pattern from Lionbrand and some Homespun yarn, and I'll take a picture today. I love how it turned out...
A few years ago, I'm sure I posted a picture of a "not dog". Spud (RIP) had gone outside, and lay in the yard like the couch-potato she was, and got snowed on - I took a picture of the void in the white stuff where she'd been.

Well, the other morning, (about a week ago) there was a nice layer of frost on the ground. Delko went out, and lay in the yard....
Later in the week, it warmed up a lot, and we had a beautiful day on Thursday. Unfortunately, it rained all day Friday and Saturday, and snowed on Sunday. Yesterday and today the sun is shining, but apparently it is supposed to rain again for the rest of the week. Oh, well.... At least the puppies got to play on Thursday - here they are, waiting for Daddy to throw the ball.