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Showing posts with label links. Show all posts

6/12/20

WIP Report

As promised, a WIP report. I finished the knitting for the cardigan

and the hat.

Just need to finish the booties and blanket. I've also finished the body of the snow set.

I cast on for the first sleeve, twice. I had trouble understanding the instructions until it dawned on me it's supposed to be knit in the round. Suddenly, it makes more sense. So, I've frogged it again and started over. It's correct now.

Drops patterns (patterns by the Drops yarn company) are what I call bare minimum patterns. The bare minimum of instructions are written, and not always in standard notation, so you need to be an experienced knitter who understands how knit garments are constructed to do them. Even then they can be hard to understand. With this particular pattern, it is clear to me it's been translated from Norwegian into English, and lost a bit on the way.

Speaking of being on the way. At the beginning of the year I decided I was going to make a fairisle sweater in fingering weight yarn for myself in my continuing quest to master fairisle knitting. I chose my pattern, and ordered yarn.

I had been seeing ads on the internet for the Hobbii yarn company, which is located in Denmark. I decided to try them out because the prices are so good. I ordered some sock yarn first. It arrived in 3 weeks and I'm very very pleased with the quality of the yarn, so I decided I was going to order the yarn for my fairisle sweater from them. I chose their Universe variegated yarn for one of the two yarns, which is on sale as a clearance yarn. I fell in love with color number 08 which is purples, pinks, and coral/salmon colors.

Universe 08

However, when I ordered it, I accidentally ordered 18, which is similar but without the coral/salmon.

Universe 18

When my order arrived I was kind of horrified at what I'd done. I logged on and went to the site immediately to order the color I actually want, but to my dismay they were out of it, no chance of getting it because it's a clearance yarn. So I resigned myself to using what I had.

A couple weeks before the Covid 19 Stay at Home order was issued by our governor, I happened to get in contact with someone in the customer service department of Hobbii and told him of my plight. I asked if he knew of any way I could get the color I wanted. Well, a couple weeks later I got a notice they had more Universe in stock, including color number 8. YAY! I ordered it right away. They shipped it to me the next day, it arrived in US customs a few days later and has been there ever sense.

I received na email from Hobbii this week letting me know that it is taking up to 8 weeks for orders to get through customs. So my plans to have the fairisle sweater done before the North Idaho Fair are shot down. Oh well. Best laid plans and all that. I have to say, though, that I've never had as good service from a yarn company than I have with Hobbii. They reordered a yarn they wanted to clear out so I could get my color. That's really something. Hobbii.com

Live long and prosper. \\//

8/5/08

Just Popping In

I'm busy knitting, doing laundry, cleaning house, and fighting a migraine. It's one of those days. It's also hotter than hades outside. The fellow who invented the air conditioner in my dining room window should be given a Nobel prize.

Stash enhancement has occurred. I will post pics later this week. Scrumptious sock yarns have arrived.

Found some interesting web sites:

Trees grown in the shape of people.

Something fun-yet strangely disturbing

Last, but not least, a humbling video.

That is all.

Have a great day.

6/4/08

No WIP This Wednesday

No WIP Wednesday photo today. I've been finishing a lot of things. Only knitting WIP to take pics of is the shawl, and though I've added 2 more repeats of the current stitch pattern, I don't really feel like taking pics of it right now.

Went to bead group Tuesday and got a real shock. It was our last Tuesday Bead Group meeting! Cindy and Bill decided last Saturday to retire. Everything in the shop is clearance priced, and the last day is June 27. I was stunned, even though I knew this was coming eventually cos they've been talking about it for 2 years or so. I think I was more stunned by the fact that she didn't call me to give me a heads up before the meeting than anything else. It hurt a bit. No, it hurt a lot.

Anyway, I didn't get much beading done cos I was in a state of shock. I did start my first french beaded flower, following the beginner instructions in my book, The Art of French Beaded Flowers. I'm making a Poppy. It's going to be a little more difficult than I thought. I will need to practice practice practice before I can make flowers for Sarah's bouquet, so I've decided I'm gonna make a floral arrangement for me first-probably Dogwoods. I love Dogwoods. They're my most favorite flower of all--thus this months Blog theme.

One benefit of the shocking news was I saved quite a bit of money yesterday. With everything being half off, I didn't spend as much on beads as I was planning. I bought lots of beads for making flowers. It takes a lot of them. For just 2 snapdragons, with some leaves, the arrangement takes 5 hanks of beads (3 for flowers, 2 for leaves). Whew! Now to find the wire I need.

The weather is dreary and bleak (goes with how I feel). Rain and grey-for the next week. I just need to keep saying to myself "at least it isn't snow". I've just about given up on planting the garden though. It's still a muddy mess out there. I don't know, maybe I'll go wallow in the mud. Is that okay to do? Plant seeds in the mud? Never done it, so don't know.

Have my Knitwits meeting today. That should be fun. Ruth starts her job too. Exciting! I'm planning on visiting the yarn shops in Coeur d'Alene to post flyers up about the WWKIP day in Post Falls. Also planning on stopping in Michaels, in hopes they have the wire I need for the flowers.

Some interesting links for you. There are folks out there who knit using 8 ought needles and size 12 perle cotton and make miniature knitted clothing. I'm talking-two gloves will fit on a quarter size, complete with fingers, thumbs, and intricate fairisle patterns. There are sweaters with intricate scenes done in intarsia. Fascinating to look at, but I wouldn't want to do it myself. Visit these two sites if you want to be amazed and astounded!

Mimi-Mum

Bugknits

Have a great day.

8/18/07

Surfing Around

Don't have much going on. Worked some on my mystery sock. Got 2 pattern repeats in the leg done. 2 more to go and I'll be caught up for clue 3.

I've decided to hand wind my lace yarn. I really don't want to divide it into 2 separate balls. This will take some time, so I will put on one of my favorite DVD's when I do it.

No moose sightings in the last 24 hours, but we know they've been here. There are branches and leaves missing on my Japanese Willow.

The air is thick with smoke this week. I'm not sure where it is all coming from. I know there's a big fire down south, near Lewiston, and a couple smaller fires north of us (less than 200 acres each). It has to be the latter cos the wind is coming from that direction. I've had 2 small asthma attacks and my eyes and nose are itching me into insanity. At least they won't be burning the grass fields this year.

This morning I decided to sit out on the deck and knit while I drank my coffee. I opened the big umbrella over the table and there were 3--thats THREE yellow jacket nests under construction. I finished off the can of wasp spray. I have been stung enough this summer.

While surfing the web, I've come across some things I have found interesting and/or amusing. Click on the bold underlined stuff to see them.

First is what I call "The Sock": a blogpost on YoYo Knits about some adventures of a small sock that was knit by her very cute husband. It's quite humorous.

A tutorial on the Twisted German Cast on: I've heard of this cast on before, and one of my employees even showed me how to do it once, but I forgot. It's supposed to be very good for socks because it's so elastic. I decided to try it on my mystery socks. I love it. It will be my cast on of choice for all socks in the future.

Ever wondered what happened to all those old beige office phones of the past? I've found the answer.: if you are a fiberholic like most knitters, spinners, and crocheters are, you will LOVE this sculptural artwork.

I call this "Someone Has Way Too Much Free Time": Actually, my oldest told me about this site. They have knit a GIANT pink wool bunny. I'm talking HUMUNGOUS!!! You can practically see it from space. Even with several knitters working on this project it still took 3 years to make. It's 'artwork' in Italy somewhere. My question is "Where in the heck did they get that much pink wool in all one dyelot??????"

Then there's the "Bad Sweater Project" : a fellow was given 25 sweaters by a friend who was cleaning out the closet. The captions for each sweater are pretty funny. Unfortunately, I actually found a couple of the sweaters rather pretty. What does that say about me???

I found a Blog that is so funny I couldn't stop reading it for 3 hours straight yesterday (and I was supposed to get some housework done-sigh). Behind the Counter : it's written by a gal who works in the customer service department at a Walmart in Florida. I was SO able to relate to her experiences with customers, having had some of the same things happen at my shop. You start wondering is the world really that full of stupid people??? The sad answer is---yes.

Last but not least, I've entered a blog contest. If I post a link on my blog to it, my name gets entered again. So in the interest of self interest, here's the link: Golden Purl contest.

Have a great day.

5/8/07

New Ring

In my continuing quest to learn more about the Internet, I have started my very own web ring for bloggers who like to bead. Click on the button below to find out more and join. Let me know if you have any problems. (I'm still not quite sure I got the code right-yeeks!)