August 23, 2004
Exploading Knitting Needles
Posted by brandy at 04:39 PM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2004
i am broke!
So I am broke now.. after paying the painter, money down on the new car, money to pay off the wedding dress, wedding supplies etc.. I had to transfer money from savings into checking. I still owe college 2k I am suprised they havn't called me and bugged me about it. I know I don't get my degree till I pay so I am not worried and I think they should not worry.. hehe..
So I was surfing the knitting blogs and decided to check out the back issues of Interweave Knits and the summer 2002 issue. I also liked the rowan 2002 and that year seemed to have a lot of simple and classy designs going around. Check it out, it's nice. I like the mens pullover. I'll allow myself to buy it once I finish moonbeam!
Posted by brandy at 02:04 PM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2004
Knitting and Knails (ehem..)
I went after work and had a Manicure/Pedicure. It was sooo nice I havn't done it in years. I am going to go every week until the wedding to get myself all set!
So they did my feet first so I pulled out my bucket hat. Oh my gawd, you would think I was queen of the prom! All the ladies working in the shop came over asking me how hard it was, how did I do it. Women getting their nails done across the room where staring.
At first I was all embarassed, then i realized they were like.. impressed! The lady next to me getting her toes done told me how she had taken lessons but never was able to make anything. They all smiled and talked to me and it came to conversations about her daughter and being irish and pale skin and all kinds of funny things! They complimented me on my pale skin (isn't that a funny thing, the ladies from Tiwann SP??? find pale skin beutiful, they want to make their skin lighter..) and my cute bright yellow hat. It was so weird and fun all at once.
It was just.. funny.. I felt like the queen of the prom driving up in a limo and everone wants to check the limo out, everyone even touched my hat! hah!
Click to view my Tiara!
Posted by brandy at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)
June 29, 2004
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 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 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 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.
Posted by brandy at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)
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)
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)
Unexpected Knitting - Creative knitting book
Unexpected Knitting by Debbie New.
Knitting the impossible - news article.
Posted by brandy at 01:56 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
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 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)
May 28, 2004
3 weeks along and I am already a teacher!
Well so today durring lunch I taught Sarah how to knit. I taught her a cast on and a knit stich. I thought she caught on very quick, she can sew so I think she will be fine. You just have to pay attention.
It was fun to teach her. I think I did good. She was about as frustrated as me when i first learned but she caught on quicker. But when I was leaning I had to watch my teacher show another student so it was all backwards and not one-on-one.
I have my last class tuesday. I wish I could get some people to read my blog to answer my questions. What will I do without a class? My teacher comes back to teach in August but I will have the wedding so there is no point in my even signing up. How can I go two months with no class?? I will need to find a fellow knitter at work or somewhere who can help me. Or I can just try to teach myself. I have a feeling I will need help with that sweater.
Posted by brandy at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)
May 25, 2004
knitting in the round..
I learned how to join when you start knitting in the round. It was an adventure. I did not mess up but I am having real problems seeing whats a perl and whats a knit on this thread. I like the baby alpaca better!! I am missing it.. I thought I had somehow wound up with 2 extra stiches so i decreased by two but now that I counted again I counted 168 (supposed to be 170) so now I think I will have to increase by 2. But I need to count a second time.
I am taking a break from it. I completed 1 full round. No wait crap did I do 1 round or 1 row? omg.. crap! it had two rows in one round. I think I marked that I did 2 rows on my counter thing which DANG It means only 1 ROUND! ARgh.. not as far along as i would like. Bascially its:
Row 1: Knit, Purl (repeat)
Row 2: K the K, P the P
Which really is just the same pattern a second time right? But that just say that second row different incase you mess up, you should just purl what you purled, even if you have somewhere that winds up with two knits in a row it will just be a thicker rib..
Does that make sence? I will ask at class on monday. I hope I don't have to rip it but I need to just accept that I may well have to, as in most of the blogs I read people are ripping out and starting over..
It was very uncomfortable to knit in the round at first, but I cast on to tightly. Once i got past the first row things went better.
Posted by brandy at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)
May 23, 2004
I taught myself to Bind Off (Cast Off)
I used this link to teach myself how to bind off. Go me! I tried to then bind off the fuzzy FX/Eyelash scarf I made but it did not go well, and I wound up having to make a mess and tear things apart.
However I am now almost done with my second project, though technically my first finish. I have two other scarfs (Boas!) to make for the flower girls in my wedding. I'll post pictures soon!
Posted by brandy at 06:49 PM | Comments (0)