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June 30, 2004

I can cable! w00t!

I am like umm.. 17 rows into the cable scarf. It's not very wide. I'm sure that has to do with the fact that I am using a slightly finer yarn and a size 8 needle instead of a 10. I thought it would work nicer with the Baby Alpaca. Whoo whoo!! It's so perty in this red. If all goes well I will give it to my sister, I got 3 balls which I think could make a nice long scarf.

I am considering purchasing a web cam and calling it the "knitty Bitty" cam and allowing people to watch me knit at night.. hehehe.. GEEK!

Click for a nice detail photo

The pattern mentioned slipping the stiches on the ends to make a neater edge but I don't know how to slip stich, I heard once how to do it but I get to nervouse!

Posted by brandy at 11:07 PM | Comments (5)

Stich Guide

StitchGuide.com - Video's and drawings for those of us that like simple and pictorial illustrations.

Posted by brandy at 04:40 PM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2004

Stress and Mother Natures

As mother nature is visiting me, my neck hurts, I'm hot and I'm irritable. The wedding stuff grates my nerves. I find thinking about knitting is a great relief. I am still concerned at the long term cost of this hobby. It uses up a lot of disposable income. But oddly I have had no urge to buy clothing in like 3 months so I suppose it works itself out. Even though I have no new knit clothing to wear..

As cotton is also annoying me.. and I want to attempt to learn some cables.. I have decided to return to that baby alpaca which I enjoyed so much. It seemed to show patterns well.. so I think it may work for SavannahChik Knits little pattern. I looked at the Nuro but it's so rough..

alpaca_01.jpg

I am going to use the cream to make that original pattern that was ribbed that I never finished in green, and the red to make the cabled scarf from.

Cheesey love would cost about $50 to make, which i was like "well I can't justify that" so off I wen't to buy the $7 a pop baby alpaca. Which of course I spent $40! Hrmm... I should have gotten the chessey love yarn.. (6 skeins of Cotton Fleece would be required). I am a yarn whore after all this cotton. I want something easy on the hands and fun to knit. I am dumb..

Posted by brandy at 04:34 PM | Comments (1)

k2togB - PHOTOS!

Click here for instructions!

Posted by brandy at 02:58 PM | Comments (1)

Tuesday I don't care about you, Wednesday you can have the flu.. it's friday I'm in love... lalalaaaaaa

I think I shouldn't have knit so much while my finger was recovering, or type.. it's healed a lot but it's still swollen which means probably still infected. I hope it finishes healing soon..

Vera is slow going.. Bucket-Up hat is slow as well, once I get past the rim I am sure it will go faster. Knitting double with cotton is just no fun.

Also, I have begun my search for cheesey love yarn, and for an alternate pattern to the hearts!

Posted by brandy at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2004

Photos and such..

Sophie with her zipper (sorry it's a scan, would look better photographed). So you can really see detail here.. would look better if you couldn't :) Click to see larger detail view.

Can you tell I felted her twice? Maybe I did it wrong..

Bucket cast on..

I don't think I join in the round properly.. I just go ahead and knit.. I think I need to use another method so the bottom round isn't un-even.

Posted by brandy at 10:16 AM | Comments (3)

June 26, 2004

Weekend Report

Wow Sophie is done. The zipper looks SOOOOO cool from the outside. I did better sewing the second side on then i did the first. It was a great project to learn i-cord and sewing in zippers on.

Lesson #1: When using a variated yarn and selecting a zipper that is not the same color as the rim, remember to match the thread you sew with to the RIM color, not the zipper color!

Despite this bad selection I managed to hide the stiches under the cast off-rim.

I have started the first row on my Bottoms-Up Bucket hat. I do wonder how is the rim being made if you knit in the round with the stiches growing in the center? I'm just gonna go for it but I wonder how it will turn out. Also it said I needed about 180yard of yarn yet I am double stranding. I do hope it really is 180yrds. I will as they say "trust the pattern".

I also am gonna cast on the cat bed tonight! Woot! Pics to come tommorow or monday!

In yarn news I went to Joanne's and SHE HAS NO COTTON EASE EITHER OMG?? IS GEORGIA COTTON-EASE-LESS!?!?!? They all seem to carry Red Heart cotton only. And Wool-Ease only.. GAH!!!!! I have no where to get cotton-ease except the internet. As I mentioned above the yarn came today so I am makin the hat! I really like it better then mission falls. I felt and saw the Sugars'n'creame and BLEH its sooo sticky and dry!!

In finger news it's still bothering me.. I am crossing my fingers (ouch) that it gets better soon! I gave up on addressing the invites and shipped everything to my mother this morning. She and my Aunt say they WANT to address them all plus they have pretty cursive.

I tried on my wedding dress today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!()*@)(*#)(@&*#*@^$&*^@ It fit perfectly! Well of course it will after CHA CHING alterations.

I will have a 9 point french bustle (omg its so gorgouse with 9 points). Taking in the straps a wee bit, taking in under the arm for the chest width a wee bit to make the boobs pop. Adding in a little tie for tieing the low back bra down to keep it from sneaking up durring the festivities ($24 bra, score!) and the bra makes my boobs like look soooo nice (I am so small!). THen of course the height must be taken up and because the whole bottom is lined in a gorgouse beaded trim it cost like $170 for that alone. Everything else was like $9 or so (bustle is $75 but only because its 9 points). I will have pictures of those in a week or two because I didn't take them so I can't control how fast you see them! I will have to do a link so Jesse doesn't see.. :)

Posted by brandy at 08:08 PM | Comments (2)

June 25, 2004

Fab Friday

My O' so exciting plans for my friday are:
Nuke a can of refried beans and cheese and eat with heathly chips (dinner!)

1) While I knit my first i-cord and finish Sophie
2) While learning proper cursive
3) While addressing wedding invitations

My fiance will be at work, working and probably going to a pub, or playing video games with the boys (aka his co-workers).

A Corona may be in order (post invitation addressing).

Posted by brandy at 05:06 PM | Comments (0)

I found my DPN's!!

I lost them last night and I wanted to finish Sophie (i-cord time baby!).

I have no clue if I did the bind-off correctly. I think i did it to tight.. It didn't really tell you what to do after you put the stiches on a marker, so i just used the yarn and kept on knitting which would make the handle kind of bunch-up/stick-out on the sides.

I tried to knit the knitty felted clogs but knitting those first cast on stiches in the round was impossible. I may try again with DPN's. I hate when instructions don't tell you if your supposed to use them at which point. Also the picture apears to be a stockinette st, yet it tells you to knit in ST ST, which in the round would turn out as garter you know.. I don't trust the pattern.. bleh.

Click for larger..

I adore Cascade 220 though. I like it even better then Nuro. It's sooooooo easy on the hands. The Mission Falls is a bit rough but I probably knit to tight with cotton.

Posted by brandy at 11:36 AM | Comments (4)

June 24, 2004

Cotton Ease


(I wanted the lighter bannana to make a stripped one but it was out of stock)




I got that cause it comes with a big needle counter and my LYS only sells the little clover ones.


I always wanted the little sock needle protectors!

All in all I spend $24 then $6 shipping. Thats enough yarn to make 2 stripped hats and one solid OR like 5 hats cause each ball is enough for one hat.

Posted by brandy at 11:40 AM | Comments (0)

I gave up on my k2tog-b. I havn't even started addressing the wedding invitations (don't laugh but I dont know the whole cursive alphabet and I need some erasable pens). I'm on some kind of new Jacked-Up "Z Pack" uber strong anti-biotic as of yesterday and I felt HORRIBLE and MEAN and EVIL because of it. I wanted to Yuke, and my mouth was dry and I was hot. Okay enough of that crap.

I knitted a wee bit. Didn't mess anything up but didn't get very far. Attempted to do invitations when realized they have to be in cursive and hrmm its AWFUL HARD TO WRITE with my current finger issue. Jesse has horrible hand writting. No time to hire someone they MUST go out NOW! Jesse was stuck at work past 11pm and was supposed to pick up a cursive book and erasable pens for me but he wound up not (I could kick his butt, seriously..).

Not to mention earlier in the day I went to Mike-hells and walmart to find cotton ease, neither of which carry it (my MIKES SUCKS ASS). This was BEFOFE I knew I needed erasable pens or I would have gotten them myself..

On the lions brand site is $5 a pop! Yet on othe sites its as low as $3 each. Some have a $30 min order, some dont have my color, others are OUT OF MY COLOR.

JKSDHKJSHDI*HNO#$()FUI^S&*)(POILJKN

Posted by brandy at 10:32 AM | Comments (1)

June 23, 2004

no pics yet..

I had to stop knitting last night because I accidently bled on Vera! (EKK!) but today I go to the doc for my sucher (sp?) apointment where they check the healing progress. It doesn't hurt to knit or anything, my finger was just angry and I'm not supposed to wear bandaids. 10 more rows till I can test out k2tog-b. Yeah I know you're tired of hearing about my finger.. but it will be better soon! :)

On row 17 of sophie (row 17 of the sides) and I am only going to like 40 so I am halfway done with that.

Started my swatch for bucket-o-chic but I think the yarn is to thin and I may need to go get some cotton-ease. Does walmart of Mike-Hells sell that?

Posted by brandy at 11:27 AM | Comments (2)

June 22, 2004

Stich How To: k2togb, k2tog-b, k2tog behind

One reason it's hard to find info on this little stich is because it can be written 3 different ways!

Insert the needle into the back loops of two stitches and knit them together as one stitch.

I'll post pictures tonight!

Posted by brandy at 03:00 PM | Comments (1)

Knitting while distracted

So I was on a very long call at work, had my headphones on (yay for headphones vs holding the phone up with my shoulder and getting a cruck in my neck!) and I pulled out Vera to knit a row or two while on the call. So there is a lot of talking going on in the call and it starts to concern me so I start to pay close attention and at the same time I am knitting nearly at the end of the row (ohh i get anxious near an end..) and then i hear my name from behind.

A lady at work wants to show me how the tree outside looks like its about to get tossed across the lawn becaues of a very loud thunderstorem that just popped up.

So i have the noice of the storm, the muffled words of the lady showing me the swaying tree, and then the call which is about to be something i may need to respond to. I forgot the phone at that moment was not on mute and as I try to turn around to look at the lady/storm my second needle falls out of my hand. 2 stiches are now free! The other needle is pulled down or jerked I can't remember and some of those stiches become free and a mutter "shit". Opps phone isn't on mute! I am sure someone heard me but no one say anything, so i hit mute. Try to untangle from the headphones cord which is caught on my chair and scurry to salvage my stiches. Shew.

I put Vera away promptly.

Posted by brandy at 01:14 PM | Comments (0)

June 21, 2004

Pattern time!

Alrighty well it's 11pm so I am stopping (heh) and I frogged Vera and got right back to where I was and then some. I am 5 rows into color B. No mistakes!

Pattern help please! :)

Work Straight in SP (Stipe pattern) for 8 rows. Continuing in SP, shape sides by decreasing 1 st at each edge of the next and every following 8th row 4 more times as follows:

(so this means once I hit my 8th row I decrease on each END? and do that 4 more times (5 total)?

k1, k2tog, k until 3 sts remain.
k2togb, k1 (71 sts).


Okay thats telling me to decrease by 2 so if i did that 5 times thats 10 sts left and sence I started with 81 i would in turn end up with 71. Okay makes sence. I think k2togb means knit 2 together BEHIND so I think i can find that in my books cause my teacher showed me so I have some inkling.

So at that point I will have knit like.. a lot of rows.. atleast 8x's 5 which is like 36 or something... so then next..

I'll stop at there for now..

------------------------------------------------

In other news my finger is doing better. The issue that happend a day or two ago where I really messed it up again kinda made it better now because.. well there is no way to say it without being gross but anways its looking better!

I went postal last night when i spotted the painter got paint on my brandy new, first item of real furniture in my new house, solid wood, mahagony finish, 2 thousand dollar dinning room table (well that included 6 chairs). I actually got a migrain I got so upset (I harldy ever get headaches) and I think it was partially post party hosting stress.

Well he tried to deny it on the phone last night (hence my anger) but I worked from home this morning and he was ALL nicet nice to me when he came over to fix another small issue(thats cause I'm a smart girl and hadn't paid him yet) yeah mr you want your check DONT YOU!@ MUHAHAHA NOT TILL YOU FIX MY TABLE!! So he sat for like half an hour till he got the table fixed (though there is still trace amount of paint there but no one would notice like ever). So I am happy again even tho it should not have ONE MARK ON IT! :)

Posted by brandy at 10:57 PM | Comments (2)

Anti-Progress - My scanner rocks!

Here is a pic of my Vera progress. This is my second attempt (new needles which I adore - Turbo's from Yarnlady.com for $9 and no shipping!).

Click for more!


I am going to frog it again as you can see that one weird mistake. I was going to let it go then i spotted a small hole (again, thats what I get for knitting past 11pm) but that's okay. I do better when I frog at the beggning and it lowers the chanse of my having to frog farther on down when i mess up again. Practice make perfect and this cotton is kinda sticky.

Also it was my first attempt at changing colors, I just knit it right in, no tying or anything. It was a little wonky and loose but I paid attention and I think it turned out very nice. So I'll frog when I get home and go at it again. It knit up faster then I thought it would so I think i can make some good progress tonight. The pattern confused me some but I'll wait till I get to the first 10th row to ask questions!

Here also is Sophie. Over halfway to the top!

Click for close up!

I use the bag as a yarn holder and counter holder heh!

Posted by brandy at 02:22 PM | Comments (2)

June 20, 2004

Massive Mess (of yarn)

That cotton stuff i bought came in a skein or whatever you call it when its not in a ball. I thought "well, I can just work from it like that no big deal". BIG DEAL. It's a massive mess. I found a Royal Wool Winder for $30 on ebay which they are $45 at my LYS so woot after shipping I saved $10. Jesse will be my yarn holder. This sucks I have to spend the next 4 hours (i already spent more then 1) attempting to unravel it so I can make my bucket-o-chic hat for Fluffa's Bucket-a-long.

Jesse was all mad when i told him i had to get one but he saw the mes of yarn in fact he was there when it became a mess. He said "I can't belieive how many tools you need to make stuff! What did they do back in the day?? This is reicoulous!"

Well back in the day I bet that had fewew needle sizes (my guess) I mean like 200 years ago or so. Atleast I bet unless you worked for a queen I bet it was simple stuff. I also bet when they made a skein of yarn they didnt ever seel it unless it was in a ball or I bet it wasnt so hard to use without REQUIRING you to make it into a ball. Maybe they didnt sell ANY balls. I dont know but I bet you that it was consistant in how it was sold. Unlike how we have balls, cones, stuff that is longer then a ball but like a ball but not a ball. Its gratting my nerves.

Sorry typing bad, busted open my sore finger so its all awful now. BLEH! Other then that I had a WONDERFUL weekend cause I was in a good mood yesterday. Just had to clean our butts off and get the house ready for his family earlier we had a lunch party of sorts I was very stressed to get everything nice as it was my first time hosting people at our house.

Posted by brandy at 05:29 PM | Comments (2)

June 19, 2004

Crack House

The first time I walked in I heard them coo "it's a crack house; you won't be able to stop". I heard it but I thought, that's silly, no one could be addicted to something like that.

So a week past and there I was with an urge to go to the house. So I went. No problem, a small purchase is necessary. I need it.

Again I heard them purr and coo over the latest shipment. Their favorite supplier was there in the house and was helping them select from the variety of flavors.

2 months pass and hear I am. I have sence gone to the house many times. Today however, having woken up at 2am and written 2 papers (one which was 17 pages long) the need was strong because I was weary and tired and needed a pick-me-up. After all I had just done all of my homework and had my finals (today), I deserved a reward. So I went to the house, and I bought some crack. I purred and I coo'd to.


Plymouth Firenze in Purple.


Cascade 220 in a vibrant dark blue. (felted clogs)


14 Ply Wool Pak pure New Zeland wool. Hand died in dark purples, sage greens and a dark lavender veriated stripes. (Cat bed..)





Cotton classics from Greece. (2 bucket hats, one in yellow, one in aqua)

I am a yarn whore.


I highly Reccomend yarnlady.com as they don't charge shipping! I got some nice turbos for $9. Yes indeed the ones for creating my vera have arrived!

Photos to come when I have more energy.

Projects I now have yarn for:

Also I found a much nicer felted clog pattern pattern I like better then the free knitty one. So thick its like a real shoe!

And I leave you with this:

Posted by brandy at 03:11 PM | Comments (1)

June 18, 2004

Knitting Needle Quiz

First time:
pink aluminum

You are pink aluminum.Retro, straightforward and fun, you love classic things. If they're 99 cents at Goodwill all the better! You are moved by striking colors and tasty morsels, and you like a stitch-n-bitch session in the sun. Just remember, while you're being kitschy cool, don't get too cold. Ice cubes are best kept in your cocktails, baby!

What kind of knitting needles are you?

Second time because realistically I would not knit in the sun (the beach one) and the ball one had me confused.
bamboo
You are bamboo. Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and
enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You love the craft and beauty of traditional things, and you value the comfort and
experience of knitting as much as the results. But while you are reveling in your warm cozies, don't get stuck. Warm is wonderful, but so is the whole wide world!

What kind of knitting needles are you?

Posted by brandy at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2004

Wool hurts!

I am getting like a burn/sore on my left index finger from knitting with the Nuro (re-doing the sophie!). It's the finger that holds the thread. I hold it with the yarn going over my index and under my middle finger, holding it tight in between them. OUCHIES! Anyone else get wool burn? hehe.. oh and I bet I will wind up with a calus on my right index finger from pressing the point of the needle with each stich to pull the stich up and over.

Posted by brandy at 04:31 PM | Comments (4)

Spinning AKA Fiberarts in Georgia

I did some searching..

Peachtree handspinners guild
Fibre Guilds by state
Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild
Fiberarts.org
Fiberarts Market

Posted by brandy at 01:55 PM | Comments (0)

Christopher Walken on his wife..

'In his 36th year of marriage, Walken says young actors ask him more about the secret to that longevity than about acting. "You have to be lucky," he offers, adding: "There are some people who like to be married." And he's one of them. It helps that his wife does certain things much better than him, and vice versa, meaning that for them: "One and one is more than two."'

He always creeped me about, but not in a bad way. Rodney Dangerfield creeps me out in a bad way.

Posted by brandy at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2004

GAH!

I had to frog the WHOLE sophie bag (well not like it was alot but I mean for a newbie it felt like a lot!). I don't feel like working on the baby sweater tonight.

I am going to start over tommorow night at the "Atlanta Area Crafting Group". I think Melissa will be there and she has completed one already! Help! :)

In other news.. I'm tired!

Posted by brandy at 09:57 PM | Comments (1)

I knit all night and I want to knit some more!!

Well I finished up the other side of the baby sweater!!!!!! GO ME!!!!!!!! FIRST finished object. I know its not ACTUALLY a finished object but in my mind it is!

I do believe that I did the shoulders wrong. Meaning I put the ribbed shoulder for the buttons on the incorrect side so I must have messed up at the part where it told me to face the RS or the WS. I can't keep it straight. So I have to make sure when I do the front that I re-adjust or make the same mistake again.

I suppose I couldn't get all the way through my first thing without some sort of a mistake but it doesn't ruin the sweater. No one will know but me!

My finger held up okay. I cast on for the sleeve then went back to my sophie bag. I am now picking up the stiches to work in the round. It didn't say to use the DPNS but I used them because it was to hard to see if I was picking them up even it it was pulling to the side. I am not sure I am doing it right but I am having fun.

I keep a cup of ice water near by to dip my finger in ever once in a while. It feels so hot! owey owey!

In other news I found this adorable well written free Fair Isle pattern I may one day attempt:
Link to pattern and wonderful photo instructions.
Link to bloggers version in wonderful colors.

Posted by brandy at 09:51 AM | Comments (2)

June 14, 2004

More pattern help needed!

Progress on the baby sweater.. I was able to cast off one shoulder. I did a damn fine job if i do say so myself. Though I didnt totaly cast off the last stich correctly but hey its the BACK of the sweat you do first right? hehe..

My book came today - The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques

What do you know but I used it this very day in order to learn how to do a cast off in pattern (k, p). I had to concentrate hard. Kicked Jesse out of the room because he was on the phone jabberin away. I was so excited I have wanted to be at this part in the back side for well over a week! But I am still not done.. who wants to help me with this next part?

Looking at the RS I have a section of cast off stiches (shoulder I assume) then they decrease down a bit and then on a stich holder is many stiches. So I need to make the center of the neck and the other shoulder.. (I assume).

brett_02.jpg

---- <- cast off
    \
     \
      ------------ <- on stich holder

With RS facing

working on rem 45 sts, slip 19 sts onto a sitch holder.
Um well they are all on a stich holder?? So I need to put the non-19 back onto a needle.. which ones? center ones? right ones?

Rejoin yarn to rem 26 sts and pattern to end.
Rejoin with what?? The new yarn I need to bring in?? How does one bring in new yarn??

Posted by brandy at 10:55 PM | Comments (2)

June 13, 2004

Weekend Report

My finger is bothering me so I stopped and took a nap from like 4pm-9pm. :(

Turns out my 7 and 8 size needles are to short to work on vera, so I ordered some Clovers online. But then after working on the Addi Turbos for the sophie bag I am in love. Do they make straight needles of that same light metal? I know the thick mission falls cotten would work really well on it. I don't want to buy circs because the straight part isn't very long so i would want normal single pointed ones in that metal.

Click photos for larger version!

Mission Falls Yarn (Sea & Fog) - The fog is way more green then I imagined and the Sea is more navy then I imagined.

Nuro Kureyon - Sophie bag cast on!

Brett's Sweater back ALMOST complete!!

My socks, HOW DO THEY LOOK?? Am I doing it right?? lol!

Yes those are my legs/knees.

My patterns/mags etc..

Posted by brandy at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2004

Mission Falls Yarn is here!

Much like Burnt-Orange I am disapointed by how any photos of this yarn online just arn't true. Worse, the contrast between two colors online is different from the same two in person. Which makes picking out colors for a 2 color stripey tank hard!

Still they are really beutiful colors and despite the fact that I have a teal/navy blue and a very light aqua-green-foggy color, I have to say I love them both. I just sat in bed for like 2 hours working on my baby sweater. I am still kind of slow as I try to count rows and figure out where I am in the 14 step pattern. I am only about 6 rows away from doing something new, putting some stuff on a stich holder and working a portion of the stiches.

I did all this while with this hurt hand of mine! It is very difficult to wash your hair with one hand, but I managed.

It's hard to select which project I want to work on.. the sock (which now seems to go much slower), the boys sweater (which I am anxious to get through this one back peice and finish my first "piece") and the Vera tank which I am VERY anxious to start because now I have confidence from the baby sweater.

Yay! But right as this yarn arives I am *forced*, yes I said *forced* to take a bath and get ready to go to dinner and see Mr. Potter again. Who is forcing me? Well.. me!

I'll post a picture of the yarn tommorow. Oh and maybe pictures of the inside of my house FRESHLY painted! Yesterday when Jesse came home from work I was all bubbly wanting to show him the rooms. I was damn near giddy. He just smiled and walked away like I was a kid with to much candy. When I came home from school today HE was the giddy one. Haven gotten some sleep and woken up to go get coffee, even his weary eyes popped and googled at how NEW our house looks! So I was very pleased to see him feeling the same way. Makes it feel like its truly worth it.

Posted by brandy at 06:00 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2004

Sockotta....

Well so I hate and love socks. As I left the house this morning I tried to figure out how I could get the working sock into my bag and not mess it up. But thats to many needles to risk leaving in a bag. I simply didn't want to leave the house without the socks. No reason to think I would get to work on them. But I wanted them.

I take my knitting with me to work every day. Why? I dunno! I don't really get to knit unless I am on a long call where I can't work on the computer and listen at the same time. I guess in the off chanse something happens (fire-alarm) I just want to have it. JUST IN CASE! hah.

Alison has been an inspiration to me for the Sophie bag and gave me nice instructions on how to create the cute smaller zipped up bag she created. She also is making a Kardi Raye which was on my to-do list. Its a free Phildar pattern. I adore phildar. So I think sewing the zipper to the bag will be a good intro to that because the Kardi involved a ribbon that looks complex. I won't get to that for a while though. Still waiting for my Vera yarn and my Rowan book with the nice ribbed tank. I also ordered the finishing book Becky reccomends (Alison does to!). So I am again not allowed to buy more till I complete something.

Whats on my needles?

  1. Brett's Sweater

  2. Sockotta Socks

Soon to be on my needles..

  1. Sophie Bag

  2. Vera Tank

Posted by brandy at 11:27 AM | Comments (3)

June 10, 2004

mmm socks..

There is something oddly thrilling about working with that many freakin needles.

It was a very frustrating start, I have no idea what I am doing and I started out trying to knit with the 3 needles then realized I would wind up with everything on one needle that way, so i got the 4th needle and tried that way. I THINK I am doing it right but I am not sure...

Gafilta fish, Veggi soup and the MTV music awards (and sock needles). What could be more relaxing?

So far I have done 2 rows. I won't take a pic till I get a bit further along. I want to cast on the bag but I think I'll just keep going on the sock. I hate to have 10 things cast on 2 rows. Seems silly.

Socks 101

Posted by brandy at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)

YARN!!!!!!!!!!

Way to much money later.... *ehem*

Noro - Kureyon #102

This is for the MagKnits.com bag.


Valeria di Roma Cinta #455

Click to enlarge. For the Bucket hat MAYBE. I can't find yarn at the LYS that I want for the hat so I may wind up getting it from online.

Plymouth Sockotta Sock Yarn

The bottom left. This isn't a good picture.

I got some Addi Turbo's I needed for the projects and some DPN's. I spent more on the needles then on the dang yarn. BAH!!!

I don't like cotton twist. 75 yards in a skein is crappy and I dunno the ladies always point me to it but I don't like it. Anyone else dis-like cotton twist, the solid colors?

Posted by brandy at 03:12 PM | Comments (2)

About 2 be bad..

I am going to go to the yarn store a little after 1. After my adventures in W-mart and M-hell's I need to see my LYS again. It's been AGES! (Well about 2 weeks..)

I am going to get yarn to make 1 bottoms up bucket had for Fluffa's summer bucket-o-thon. Then I will get some multi-colored yarn to make a Sophie bag (free pattern from magnits) to see if it will be a nice brides-maids gift. I was inspired by another blogger who made one in purple/pink with a cute pink zipper top. I liked the zipper top. Looked more.. finished..

Of course this involves more needles.. go figure. I probably will grab sock yarn as well. I am not sure how much longer my knit-buying binge can last before Jesse yells at me.

Wanna know something gross? I can see my finger rebuilding itself.. ewwwwwww.. but kinda cool to think about.. sorry.. I am far to honest!

Posted by brandy at 12:49 PM | Comments (1)

Nasty things u dont want 2 know...

Okay well yesterday I had hand (er.. finger..) surgery! Minor surgery mind u. I am typing crappy and shorter words because of it. Having a wee bit of trouble typing but not 2 bad.

I am supposed to leave it exposed but its getting nasty.. Whats cool is it doesn't hurt much at all. Basically they took out a large part of the side of my finger so it will grow back normal. This is A) to fix the issue so my finger doesnt hurt anymore and B) so i can get nails done for the wedding. I still could have but it would have hurt.

I feel like I am putting myself back to normal. College is rough, it took a toll on both my fingers and my teeth. I had braces for 4 years but didnt wear my retainer so now I have a new retainer I wear all day to fix my 2 front teeth. I am a mess! But most people dont notice these things, but they annoyed me.

The painter came today!! The whole inside of the house is being painted (cept our bedroom and jesse's office cause we have to much crap). I am excited. Our new house will look new again. In its 5 years and 2 previous owners it was never painted. Bleh.

Okay its to hard to type much more. I managed to knit 1 row last night when i had the thick banadage on. I was in bed unable to do much and bored out of my mind and on pain killers :)

Posted by brandy at 09:55 AM | Comments (1)

June 09, 2004

Red Cross Sox Box

Cool vintage Sox Box, or "Knit Kit" as it is called.


Link to blog with photos of the inside.

Also here is a link to Kinetic Knits - I wish they sold the patterns to those.. wow.

Posted by brandy at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)

More pattern questions..

End with a WS row.
Okay I know which is the WS but how do I know if I have "ended" on one. Does that mean if I have the wrong side facing me I should then knit it as the last row, or do I want the right side facing me once I am all done.

Work 10 rows more.
Does this mean in the patt?

Shape Neck
Next Row. Patt 26, turn, leave rem 45 sts on stich holder.
Okay so I do 26 sitches in my pattern. What does TURN mean? I understand about the rem 45 going onto a stich holder. I have never done that before, new stuff!

Working on these 26 sts only proceed as follows:-
Next Row. Patt, (is this one full row of 26 sts in the pattern?)
Work 2 rows dec 1 st at neck edge in ever row. 24 sts. (then after that full row above I do 2 more rows decreasing... somewhere..)
Work 4 more rows without shaping.
(without shaping I assume means no decreases..?)
Cast off in Patt.

Posted by brandy at 09:50 AM | Comments (3)

June 08, 2004

Walmart and Micheals stink!

Well okay so first I stopped at Walmart, no double pointed knitting needles and no sock yarn. I expected them to have atleast 1 full row (2 sides) but no it was just 1 side.

Then I went to Micheals, which you know of course I don't like anways. They have some Boyle double pointed and they only had size 3 and 6. I couldn't find any sock yarn. How did knitters survive before the internet?? The REASON knitting has become more popular again is because people actualy can GET the TOOLS they need and the YARN they need. THEY COULDNT BEFORE!!

So yeah I got diddly, but when I came hoome I was suprised to see the "Mission Falls - In Living Color" pattern book has arrived! /taps her foot while waiting for the yarn. So well yes now I get to wait, but the pattern is soooo simple. Really nice. I think I'll be brave and try out the XS which is 34 inches which is normally a small for most of the patterns I have seen.

So yeah, sucks that the yarn store closes at 5 so I have no way to buy yarn anymore. I used to buy iot in class which was after the store closed.

Posted by brandy at 08:00 PM | Comments (2)

I am anxious for my yarn to arrive!

I am so ready to cast on my Vera. Whats worse is I will get the pattern book and yarn seperate so probably I will will get the yarn first and be forced to stare at it for a day or to waiting for the pattern.

I think i will be bad (again?) and venture into walmart and see if they have sock yarn and sock needles. I don't feel like buying more expensive bamboo ones just yet. I see all these purses and bucket hats involve double pointed needles so maybe I can venture into sock land and learn a thing or two. While I wait for my vera, and work on the sweater. The only thing that doesn't make the sweater boring is the pattern. But I think I would prefer to be bored, it would probably go faster!

30mins till I can go look at yarn! It's weird not having knitting class today (or yesterday, it was normally on mondays). I feel like their is something wrong.. I should be going somewhere.. (even though I only did it 4 times).

Well it's better because I would have just wound up spending $50 on yarn I didn't need. I still havn't used half of what I bought. But now I know better.

Posted by brandy at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)

slow going...

well I have gotten maybe like.. 6 or 7 rows done over the past 5 days. The weekend was very busy, school, wedding, rennisance festival.

Jesse and I purchased hand crafted pewter wine goblets for the wedding!

No mistakes on my knitting tho so no frogging which was a nice thing. I am waiting for my Vera tank pattern and the yarn I ordered.. and still working on the baby sweater! Thats all. Nothing to exciting.

Posted by brandy at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

June 04, 2004

Twisted German Cast On

Good photo tutorial for a more elastic cast on (for socks).

Posted by brandy at 04:58 PM | Comments (0)

Sweater Progress



toddler2.jpgVery close to being done with this one side! Ohhhh nelly, then I gotta do more pattern stuff I am not familiar with!

I accidentaly did 2 rows the wrong way again last night. Go figure I always seem to start to screw up around 11pm or 12am. So I frogged them last night and was very determined, instruected the dog to not sit on the pattern or the yarn and went to it. Not a smart thing to attempt at 11pm but hey, i was determined! And I was successful and then did 2 correct rows for good measure.

Posted by brandy at 04:27 PM | Comments (2)

Unexpected Knitting - Creative knitting book

Unexpected Knitting by Debbie New.

Knitting the impossible - news article.

Posted by brandy at 01:56 PM | Comments (0)

Phildar Cardi Raye

Something else I want to knit? I have gone mad! Link to the free pattern with enligh translation. Here is a site for knitting translations. Here is a link to the orginal Phildar pattern. Here is also a link to a blog with a womens adventures in finding yarn and learning the pattern.


YarnGirls.com is having a knit-a-long, or had a knit-a-long.

Posted by brandy at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)

Mo' Money

Kaleidoscope Yarns is out of the "Sea" yarn so now I have to order from The Handworks Gallery & Goddess Yarns. While I was there I also ordered Rowan Magazine Nr. 29, becuase I liked;


I believe that bathmats are a really cool thing to make and would make excellent presents for my family!


Along with pillows as well, I know my mother would love a pillow made by me.

See.. I liked so many things I thought it would be a good idea to buy the book! It's from spring 2001.

Posted by brandy at 10:50 AM | Comments (2)

June 03, 2004

Mission Falls - Vera Tank


Click to view pattern details and book details.

I am doing it in these two colors (Sea & Fog):
sea_fog.jpg

This cost $48 with the pattern book and 7 skeins of the yarn. Jesse won't be happy but we won't tell him now will we! I don't think he knows I have this blog.. :)

I ordered it from here.

The yarn store I go to I just never can find a pattern I like that meets all these requirments. A) Not knit in the round B) They have the exact yarn for it in the store C) The alternate yarn they suggest is something I like.

I don't like cotton twist it has a little twist of a silky thing in it so I can't tell which strand is which, same goes for the Denim DK i got for the ChiKami. I can't see the stuff very well cause of the teeny white bloches.

I can't wait to get this in the mail! I like the name of the yarn even. I'm going to wait and see if any of the LYS in Atlanta carry Phildar so I don't have to pay shipping. I just love that red sweater, but I still need to finish the kaki one. So no rush, and it's a new pattern book and I know of a website that I can order it on!

Posted by brandy at 12:42 PM | Comments (3)

So I must be crazy...

Last night I decided to attempt to sew in an end of the bottom of my sweater back (a break from purling) and I have to say, I LIKED IT! I liked the feeling of making it disapear like magic and flipping it onto the right side and not being able to at all see where it went through. I figured it would be visible on the other side when I looped it in but it didn't! It's like Magic! I dunno why, but I liked it.

I am about to order my Phildar pattern and yarn!!

Posted by brandy at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2004

Phildar Pitchoun Spring 2004

Just lost a whole entry.. I want to make a sweater fluffa made for her son.

Only place I could find to get it is from www.knitntyme.com It only comes in french and google does not like the word "Pitchoun".

Phildar.fr has pictures of all the patterns which is nice.

It's the red one on the right:

They have such adorable patterns for kids, and adults. To me they far surpase most of the US pattern books.. (sorry!).

The Aviso Yarn can also be found on that site (and looky it has a pic of that same sweater!). I think I would get it in 056 (Marine).

Posted by brandy at 07:42 PM | Comments (0)

Toddler Sweater Progress!

Well I think I can post progress on my sweater. The last few nights I kept messing up on it. Frogged it back perfeclty and then last night dropped a stich AGAIN, but this time I picked it up okay and it's only a TEENY little error which isn't noticable.. no way I am frogging again for that.

So without further ado, here is the pic:

Not to shabby for having learned to purl 2 weeks ago! I scanned it at work that's why the photo is kind of odd.

Posted by brandy at 02:13 PM | Comments (2)

June 01, 2004

Something I want to knit..


Click to view the whole book and info..

I imagine it would cost a pretty penny to make that. Liya knit in Berroco Jewel FX and Mirror FX.

I wonder if I can mair iy in something else. Bah. I like the shape of it mostly and it's not knit in the round. I can't handle 180 stiches right now. I already tried one thing. I didn't get past 2 rows!

Posted by brandy at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)

wipes brow... and sighs..

wow.. I did it and I didn't mess up. Last night around midnight I was over halfway done with the height of the back so I kept going, to my dismay I had dropped a stitch somehow. I picked it up and could only make it be a knit looking stitch but no hole so I thought "oh well who cares" with a little tug at my heart. Jesse said. KEEP GOING no one will notice! Then *I* noticed further down on that row some other weird kind of stitch, not dropped but it was weird it wasn't in the fold so to speak.. it was like it wasn't knit but it was still connected to everything.

So today during a conference call at work (I have a groovy headset that I adore) I pulled out 3 rows back to the mess up row and slowly began putting it back on the needle. I got it on near perfect. The last stitch I think needs to be purled back and then put on the needle. I will ask my teacher in class to make sure and show her with pride A) the amount I have done on my own (ehem.. with the internets help!) and how I frogged it successfully without breaking it all (on the baby alpaca frogging forced me to rip the WHOLE thing cause I couldn't catch them on the needle).

so YAY I ripped it without ruining the whole thing and *cheer* its perfect again.

What is NOT perfect is my teeth. Oh oh oh the ache!!!! I wore braces for 4.5 years when I was younger. then in college all but forgot my retainer. Then slowly over the last 5 years my left front tooth creeped over my left front tooth and came forward. In pictures they looked perfect still but it was getting worse and worse. So off to the ortho I went. I had the choose between a retainer and braces. He also said I had an overbite and I figured well ONE day I may want to fix that and I am NOT going to have braces 3 times in my life so lets just go for a retainer! So I got a spring aligned funky retainer. It hurt at first and then I got so used to it I got a headache if I didn't wear it.

This is all in vain of the wedding mind you, must have perfect teeth! I also had a mole on my neck removed (you can't imagine how cool it is to feel it and it's not there!! gross yeah but I am the honest type and it wasn't an ugly mole.. just a mole.. ONLY ONE I had on my body.. ALL GONE NOW!!) and so today he adjusted the retainer to pull my tooth back (the last 3 months it has pulled the tooth to the left to get it off of the other one). So OWE OWE OWE OWEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! I am about to get a headache.. BAD!!!!!

Next up comes my getting a weird virus on my finder removed with *minor* surgery. I got it in college. it's like a wart but it's not a wart. (if your still reading, wow I am amazed cause my sister won't even let me tell her these things) and I got it from dry hands and being on public keyboards all day in college. So This one on the side of my finger simply won't go away. No one noticed, but I DO I DO!!! And I can't get my nails done with it like this and I haven't had nails on in 5 years (what did college do to my hands and my teeth!?!?) and I know I want it for the wedding and always I need to fix it because it can only get worse over the years.

It's going to be very painful! I'm set to go next week and I imagine I won't be able to knit for a week.. bleh.. so yeah okay enough about my nasty personal life.. lol

Posted by brandy at 01:38 PM | Comments (0)