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[oyceter]

Joy! The new issue of Knitty is up!

I may have bought even more yarn. Um. Yes. Despite the fact that I am still working on my first sweater and am only halfway through, I seem to be finding even more patterns I want to knit!

(this post is interrupted because free breakfast has appeared at work, along with fresh coffee! I am perpetually amused at how people will immediately spread the word and descend like vultures on the hapless pastries. Not that I would ever do that, of course ^_~)

But they had some balls of cotton yarn at Michael's going for 97 cents a ball. That means I can knit up a cute tank top or t-shirt for 10 dollars! I'm going back tomorrow afternoon to pick up more, heh heh heh.

I am also in two knitting circles, which are actually incredibly fun and relaxing, one of which is with some people at work, which is really nice and a good way to get to know people.

I'm just really enjoying this, even dropping stitches or trouble-shooting other people's mistakes. For some reason, I like the mathy bits of converting patterns from one gauge to another, and I like figuring out how all the stitches fit together so I can figure out what happened to make a hole in the fabric.

Since there are only so many scarves I can knit for myself and foist off on my family, was sort of wondering if anyone would be interested in assorted knitted pieces. Hats, blankets, random whatnot that I may like knitting but not wearing... Still sort of wondering if they would be sell-able for a teeny amount or to cover shipping, or as presents or whatnot.

Aaand, this is all counting-eggs-before-hatching, given that I haven't even finished my sweater yet!

Comments

[chi-zu.livejournal.com]

Lucky! I'm friends with my LYS owner, so I try to support her (and she gives me a discount), but man is it pricey. Sometimes I'm unfaithful and pick up cheap sordid yarns at walmart.

Huh, that makes me less anxious to subscribe. (lack of notificaton)

Weighing in on the crochet thing, I find that it's easier for me to make up things in crochet, but much harder for me to follow a pattern. Go figure. I'm not as into it as knitting personally, but I like knowing how to do it and every once in awhile I'll crochet something like a hat.

However, if there's any incentive to pick up crochet, it's this (http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/patterns/poshponcho.php) pattern. It doesn't look so great on the sullen girl in the picture, but my mom made one for me out of whatever Lion Brand's suede yarn is and I love it! I get many compliments on it. And it's so fun and swishy to wear!

[oyceter]

Mmmm LYS! Yeah, I figure I'm going to try to knit more prettily before going all out for the nice yarns ;). Unless they're on sale of course...

I really like some of the crochet stitches, which is why I keep eyeing it! Plus, I think I have to pick some up anyway to finish off my hooded sweater jacket, so why not? Also my friend has this gorgeous afghan than her mom knit for her.

Actually, I also want to try knitting lace sometime... the branch scarf in the latest issue of Knitty is gorgeous, and I have a ball of fuzzy pink yarn that wants to be used ;).

[chi-zu.livejournal.com]

Squee! So glad you talked about the lace scarf because it made me want to re-check it out. I didn't realize it was made from silky wool. I just bought a whole sweater's worth of it awaiting a project. But I also bought one skein of kathmandu (similar to silky wool) in this awesome green color. I've been wondering what to do with it and that scarf is PERFECT! I am so unbelievably excited! And I've been looking for a new portable project too.

Maybe we could do a mini knit-along. Not to lure you away from your sweater or anything. Mwahaha.

Crochet is fun and there are indeed some very pretty things that knitting cannot do. If anything it's really great for delicate pretty borders on things. Vogue has a little mini book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1931543429/qid=1113136956/sr=2-1/103-2918118-4550264?v=glance&s=books) on crocheted scarves that is absolutely gorgeous, kind of like the crochet equivalent of Pam Allen's Scarf Style (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1931499543/qid=1113136885/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/103-2918118-4550264?v=glance&s=books&n=507846).

[chi-zu.livejournal.com]

I couldn't wait, I posted this, then went and cast on. I think i've done 4 or 5 repeats now, it's so much fun! And addictive. It's definitely a good first lace project. I think this is my first official lace project, I've tried knitting lace swatches before, but they never went anywhere. I think you should definitely put it on your to-knit list!

For awhile I was afraid there was a line in the pattern missing, or that she'd gotten the increases/decreases flipped, but then I realized that the picture I was looking at showed the scarf upside down from how it knits up. As far as I can tell, there aren't any mistakes.

Yay lace!

[oyceter]

LOL you are so funny! I'm going to go try and borrow my boss's set of Boyes interchangeable circulars, because I'm debating buying a set, and then I shall go attempt more short-term projects than the hooded sweater.

We so should do a mini knit-along some time!! I want a set of interchangeable circulars, because I'm lazy and want a zillion needle sizes at my fingertips whenever, but I'm still deciding between the Denise set and the Boyes set.

[chi-zu.livejournal.com]

Heh heh.

I was a total dork and knit like crazy on the scarf yesterday and almost finished the skein. It's a quick knit if you can memorize the pattern. I sort of have it memorized, not very well though, so sometimes I have to rip back. But it's just complex enough to be interesting and short enough to keep my attention span. I have a couple of feet of unblocked scarf now (lace is usually a must block, and then it grows). I think I'll another skein though, so much for it coming out of stash!

I know nothing of the interchangable sets of needles. I'd love to own one, but I haven't had an opportunity to experiment. Plus I have a feeling I'd find a way to need like, three of the same needle at a time or something. One thing about my LYS is that she lets me check out needles.

Our accountant at work said his mom might have tons and tons of needles she doesn't use anymore that she'd want to unload. They're probably lots of straights and either heavy metal or plastic (I don't really like plastic needles), but needles are needles! Especially free ones.

[oyceter]

Haha, I have grabbed needles from my boss! Much fun shall be had. I've actually found a way to use my size 10s for my last four projects, amazingly, so I actually only have two sets of needles, period!

And I am jealous of your potential stash of free needles ;).

[oyceter]

Ooooo, I have a question on the scarf! (I just started it up yesterday, mmmmm) Do you read the pattern backwards, from top to bottom? Otherwise it's not quite making sense to me...

[chi-zu.livejournal.com]

Oops! I missed this comment somehow. You seem to have since figured it out, but just in case...

If you're following the written out instructions, you want to take it in the order that it's written. Otherwise, you have to follow the chart from the bottom up. I'm not sure why knitting charts are like this. I think it's because you knit upwards, as opposed to the other way around, so it actually ends up being more intuitive.

Hope that helps.

[oyceter]

Hey, no worries!

I eventually figured it out... I was counting all the YOs as a stitch, when in fact they're not really, so I wasn't sure how it worked out.

But got it now (with the exception of all my mess ups, sigh).