July 23, 2004
yarn..
I picked up some yarn to mix with one of the boa's I am making my flowergirls. The first one I made was so nice looking I didn't think it fair the other two be so plain.
I don't like Cast on Cottage as much as S&S for sure.. today when i went in one of the ladies working at the counter was yelling into the phone (apprently some guy who was doing work for them or selling them yarn was being stupid) so she was yelling and trying to get off the phone with him. She should have just hung up. I litterally walk into the store and she said something and then repeats it like 3 more times getting more evil sounding till she's yelling, then hangs the phone up and huffs.
Only person who said anything to me was the owner once she said "finding what you need?" and that was it. Everytime we walked by each other (close quarters) I was forced to get out of HER way.. um.. yeah.. I actually like the yarn they have their but S&S was so much more open, had way more kits.. also CoC has crappy knitting books if you ask me, none of the ones we all reference in our blogs as our favorites.
Okay I'll stop b}tching. I only spent $11. I wanted to buy more but I found nothing I liked (no patterns I would be caught dead in). I don't think I am being a pattern snob.. well.. maybe I am..
Posted by brandy at 02:03 PM | Comments (1)
July 09, 2004
Over the river and through the woods..
.. to the yarn shop we will go...
Tommorow after school I can go to the yarn shop! I may go to S&S again because I think I love the baby cashmerino (DB) so I can allow myself to buy enough for the whole tank.
I have several yarns I am going to put up for sale here. I tried to make the hat in that flat cotton, bleh.. then there is that cotton i have from the original chickami i was gonna make, bleh.. then the mission falls. All nice quality yarn, but I hate cotton!!!
So tonight its swatching, homework and class tommorow! YAY FOR WEEKENDS!!!!!!!! I hope they have THE DPN's I BADLY NEED!
Posted by brandy at 04:54 PM | Comments (0)
July 03, 2004
Strings & Strands - Atlanta, GA
Today I went to "Strings & Strands" in Atlanta to see if they had different yarns then the other place I go close to work. I called ahead and was pleased to hear they carried Rowan, and also Debbi Bliss which really I could have cares less about. I read once on a blog that her patterns have problems so I kinda wrote her off.
For the Rowan tank I want to make I purchased 4 types or yarns to try out and see if I liked. Jesse and I came up with the plan that from now on I won't do any project over $20 until I buy ONE ball of yarn to test it.
You see as it turns out I don't like Missions falls, or 100% cotton at all.. it's dry and it bothers me and it's tough to knit "hard on the hands" as some say. Below are pics of my tester yarns. I am tempted to make a bucket hat our off them! heh.. I really like the colors though you can't see well with my webcam.
It was my first time in S&S and I have to say they are super nice. Not a good needle collection from what I could see but they carried Crystal Palace which I tend to like just fine (I didn't see addi's but I wasn't there for needles..). The lady who owns it, she has owned is 14 years and her mother was their in the shop as well. I really liked her, she was soo helpful and just nice. I have to say its now my favorite yarn store! The owner was *all about* debbie bliss so hey I'll give it a try.. can't hurt. And I got the oh so lovely Rowan Calmer that I hear so much about.. $10.. bleh.. :) Nice yardage though..
I think Vera is dead. I would love to swap out my Mission falls yarn with someone who has some cool yarn they also don't want! I think they where $7 each but I can't remember..
Posted by brandy at 10:53 PM | Comments (2)
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..
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)
June 25, 2004
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)
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:
- Felted Cat Bed
- Buckets-up Hat x's 2
- Felted Clogs
- Vera Tank
- Felted Sophie Bag (50% done)
- Brett's Sweater (35% done)
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 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)
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?
Soon to be on my needles..
Posted by brandy at 11:27 AM | Comments (3)
June 10, 2004
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)
May 26, 2004
yarn trunk show..
Well there is going to be a yarn trunk show of sorts at my LYS. I am going to take a lady from work who is thinking of taking classes with me soon. There is going to be wine and cheese and it will be a good time!
I am excited because knitknacks is the first fellow blogger who has put me in the little links to fellow knitters that most blogger have on their sites. Whoo hoo! I want to make some virtual knitting buddies. There seems to be a real community here, also maybe people will start answering questions I ask in my blog!
On a personal note (oh i almost spelt note as knote..) my wedding dress has come in and I get to go try it on when I get a chanse.. I get my bachlors in August (2 weeks before the wedding?? AM I INSANE!!?? Yes..) and I need to do homework very badly. When I get home I just want to knit, watch TV or walk. I need to correct the invitations, order my Kettubah (sp?) and pick out my song to be played by flute when i walk down the isle. Oh and I need to pick out the men's suite's.. etc.. ARGH!!!!!!!!! PULL OUT MY HAIR TO MANY THINGS TO DO!! There are other things but I dare not think of them.. like for instance getting the final guest list. Getting that from either set of parents is going to take some time.. :(
Anways, I would rather not think about all that. I probably won't write to mucha bou the stress crap because really I would prefer to pretend it didn't exsist!
Posted by brandy at 02:17 PM | Comments (0)
May 25, 2004
Photos - click for larger verions!
The first thing I ever knit! A scarf for one of my Jr. Bridesmaids:
The yarn for my ChicKami:
2 rows (1 round) started on the Kami:
My ribbed baby alpaca scarf in progress:
Fancy expensive yarn that I have no idea what to do with:
2 skeins, I shouldn't have bought them but they had me hipnotized..
More expsensive yarn (1 skein = $18):
I was told I can make one scarf with the one skein.
It's a thick ball I forget how many yards..
Cute sushi needle holder I got from ebay:
That's Toby, my son. He get the hair from his father.
The inside:
Posted by brandy at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)
to much money..
Well I had knitting class again last night and I spent way to much money on yarn again.
I am disapointed that my size 15 bamboo needles have little slits on the end so I can't use them for eyelash or any special yarns (the whole reason I bought them) and the LYS won't take them back. I found that disapointing. I may write to Crystal Palace and let them know, funny enough another lady who was working with the same novelty yarn had the same exact problem with hers. I noticed only one of my needles in the pair was doing it. She said she thought both of hers where.
So far I love my smaller bamboo ones. Hopefully they won't fall apart. I have spent atleast $50 bucks on needles alone. I have two size 8's, one 7, one 6, one 15, and size 3 and 6 circulars. All these freakin needles!
Last night I bought two really pretty novelty yarns for myself. I think I will keep them in my stash for a while. One of them was just $18 for one skein. I think it's enough to make one scarf. The other was $13 each and I got 2. I'll post pics once I get all that organized.
Also last night the needle holder that I bought on ebay arrived. It was cute the women that made it did a good job and she included really cute little lady bug stich holders. nice and light and cute.
So my teacher says I am doing very well. I am still working on my baby alpaca scarf and last night I *think* I cast on the 170 stiches for my ChicKami. I need to count them when I get home.. then I can start on the bottom ribbing.
So Jesse is mad I spent another $50 and told me I am not allowed to spend anymore on yarn. But I do need to go to the craft store and pick up some cheap 15's so I can make more scarf's with the novelty yarn. No more big bamboo needles for me!
Posted by brandy at 09:27 AM | Comments (0)