Master Knitter - Part 1

Well, the Master Knitter packet Level 1 arrived the other day, and I tore into it.
It's pretty serious. There are sixteen essay style questions, a one-page report on blocking, and 16 swatches to knit. So far.....I have one swatch knit and the questions mostly answered in my head. The questions cover gauge, casting on, binding off, increases, decreases, cables, yarn size and type, and joining. Two swatches involve ribbing and basic stitches, one has seed stitch, three kinds of increases, three kinds of decreases, three with yarn overs and decreases, three with cables (including one you pick), and one using two colors.
Suprisingly, I'm having a really hard time with ribbing. I hate ribbing. I've hated ribbing for some time now. Not only is it irritating, it's not coming out neatly. No matter what I do, it still winds up coming loose between the ribs. Normally I would let this go, but I know they're going to be scrutinizing it, in exactly the way that a baby throwing off a hat I'd made them wouldn't.
Then, all of this has to be organized in a binder with page protectors and sent off to them.
And this is all only level one. It could take a while. Then add 4 - 6 weeks for review, possibly sending more than a few items back to be reworked.
Just as well. I can't afford level two yet anyway.

Marathon Lace Knitting

So I finished Cassie's wedding shawl a few posts back. Oh, I thought to myself, now I need a shawl too. And since I have more time, I can make something more interesting, in a yarn that really shows off the stitch pattern.
What the hell was I thinking?
Intricate = looking at the pattern every row
Shows off the stitch pattern = rip out every mistake
Luckily, I realized in time that I was going to have to finish it today to block and dry it before the wedding on Saturday. And when I thought I couldn't do another pattern repeat without throwing the shawl out the window, I took a break and made a little matching purse. Stockinette stitch in the round has never felt so good.
The shawl is soaking wet in these pictures, the purse is the color it will be when dry. And more importantly, it matches the amazing dress and shoes. The dress could look more flattering in that picture, but it's hard to take a picture of something while wearing it. It's actually strapless, those are the just the hanger straps. Just wait two more days before you start critiqueing. I'll post better pics from the event itself, including the wedding shawl in action.

At any rate, I'm incredibly glad to be done with it. I probably could have squeezed one more pattern repeat out of the yarn, but I'd hate to run out, and I'm too tired. I want to give this bad boy as much time to dry as possible.

The next time I plan to do something like this 1) slap me upside the head, and 2) make sure I give myself a little longer to do it.

In summary:

Pattern: Free Lacey Stole from Lion Brand

Needles: Size 7, in the collection

Yarn: Karabella Vintage Cotton (100% mercerized cotton), 6 skeins for shawl and purse at $6.75 a skein.

Total investment: $40.56 plus tax (the dress was only $9.99 from Ann Taylor)

Time: Two weeks of fairly hard core knitting, especially the last few days

Master Knitter

Did you know you can be certified to be a Master Knitter? Well I didn't, but I do now. I was hanging out at the local knit shop talking to people, and it turns out The Knitting Guild Association has a program to do just that. You join, pay a lot of money, then they send you instructions. You follow the instructions, mail back your samples, and get critiqued. When you pass each level, you get certified. And when you pass Level III, which involves designing your own Aran sweater and hat (and paying even more money), you get certified as a Master Knitter.
Now, I like a challenge. Especially a challenge that doesn't have a time limit and involves me doing something I'd do for fun anyway. I have offcially embarked down the path to becoming a Master Knitter. I also get to be a member of TKGA and get all four yearly issues of Cast On magazine to boot. Marvel at my newfound coolness. Part of me wants to recommend this to people, but I realize that's not realistic. It's just an absurd amount of money to be spending to have someone give you a pat of the back for knitting. While I know this logically, I'm still also really excited.
I have no delusions about passing easily. I know full well how capable I am of screwing up a garter stitch. Well, I know reasonably well. I'm sure I'll continue to amaze even myself with my own ability to mess things up in new and interesting ways. However, I do think this will make me pay a lot more attention to detail (something I have a problem with in all areas of my life) and think critically about my knitting. (Is knitting something you should think critically about? This is one of the critical issues to consider.)
Don't mind those screams you hear coming from the direction of my apartment. That's called progress.

Cute Overload

Go forth and discover the aptly named www.cuteoverload.com .
Warning: do not look at this in the office as people will wonder why you're cooing and speaking in a squeaky voice.

Quizzes

Inspired by Kristine's country quiz, I wandered over to bluepyramid.org myself. They didn't really get the country thing right for me, I'm so not Vatican City. (Anyone who knows me will laugh until they get stigmata from that one. ) However, it did totally nail the book quiz.

You're The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!by Douglas AdamsConsidered by many to be one of the funniest people around, you are quite an entertainer. You've also traveled to the far reaches of what you deem possible, often confused and unsure of yourself. Life continues to jostle you around like a marble, but it's shown you so much of the world that you don't care. Wacky adventures continue to lie ahead. Your favorite number is 42.

I am, in fact, right now, wearing my high school volleyball jersey. My number is 42.

I love internet quizzes. They make my insomnia worthwhile.

Gifts delivered

This weekend both my mom and Cassie got their respective gifts. My mom wore the T to work Monday. She put it on inside out at first and didn't realize it. I'm just not even going to comment further on that.
Now I'm working on a shawl for myself for the wedding to match my pretty turquoise dress (from Ann Taylor, originally $129.00, purchased for $9.99. I think I deserve a pat on the back for that one). I'm using a random lace pattern that I found online, but it's looking pretty cute. Íf I'm lucky, I'll have enough yarn to make a little bag too.
In the meantime, everyone should go see these patterns, because they're ridiculously cute. Hello Kitty has just the kind of cuteness that posseses my body like a demon and makes me speak in a high pitched voice and mispronounce words. You know what kind of cute I mean. The little kid in the sweaterset totally qualifies.

Mom, Don't Look

I mean it. Stop reading, and don't look at this picture. You'll get it soon enough. I had been planning on making this for my mom's birthday for a while, but this weekend I needed a break from tiny lace weight and made this tee in two strands of worsted. Ah, instant gratification. Out of curiousity, I timed myself, and I made this shirt in exactly three hours. And since it's knit from the top down with no seams, that included all the finishing, which just meant weaving in ends.
It's the ballet tee from Loop-d-Loop, which is an odd book, but entirely worth it for this pattern alone. This is the third incarnation I've made of this tee, and now that I realize I can do it 3 hours with a mere 400 yards of worsted weight yarn (see here in Classic Elite Provence Egyptian cotton), they will probably start mulitplying like rabbits. Or at least chinchillas. I've also made it in hot pink for myself (and wear it all the time) and a shiny beige for my mom before (so I know it fits). I also ordered her some matching flip flops from Teva, one of her favorite brands. Strange coincidence, actually. The book is by Teva Durham and the sandals are from the brand Teva. I totally didn't plan that, but should try to pass it off as if I did.
Anyway, in summary:

Pattern: From the book Loop-d-Loop, already owned
Needles: Size 15 circular needles, already owned
Yarn: Classic Elite Provence, two skeins at $8.50 each
Total investment: $17
Time: 3 hours

Wedding Shawl Finished!

So after some hard work and recorded TV shows this weekend, I finished Cassie's wedding shawl.
Even though it's not very wide, I'm still proud that it's thin enough to fit through a wedding band. Admittedly, it's a man's wedding band (my grandfather's, which I wear on a necklace), but I can still say I did it. Hopefully I'll be able to see her this weekend and drop it off. The finished product is a foot and a half wide and four and half feet long. I tried it on to see how it fit, I might have pranced around a little, and it wraps nicely around the shoulders. It's not so short that it falls off, but it's not so long as to get in the way of things.

In summary:
Pattern: Feather and fan lace, free from Sheep's Clothing, and a little bit of math
Needle: Size 10 circular, already owned
Yarn: Two skeins of Kid Silk Haze (75% mohair, 25% silk) at $15
Total cost: $30, but totally worth it for a good friend's wedding
Time: About two weeks, including the time I was moving apartments

Attention Bloggers!

You! Yes, you! All of you!
Start posting.
I know I've been lazy, but I'm making an effort. Time to step up, people.
I'm bored and need something to read. I'm making it your responsibility.

Evil Stores

So I moved this weekend. That's not the exciting part of the this post. I was back in South Bend finishing up some business, and I happened to pass by Erica's. Despite being mostly a quilting store, they have a very nice little yarn section in the back. I was going to resist going in there one last time, I really was. Then they had a sign out front that said everything you could fit in their bag was 20% off. Everything. 20% off everything.
It's evil, I tell you. And it's going on tomorrow still if you want to get sucked down too.
So I picked up Modular Knits, which I'd been coveting for a while, and a nice pair of size 8 rosewood needles. You wouldn't think rosewood needles could be so nice. Especially not for the price you normally pay for them. But at 20% off, who could resist just one little pair?
In essence, this is really a victory. I made it out with a book I'd been planning to buy eventually and one pair of needles. Believe me, I wanted to fill that bag full of yarn. They have Manos del Uruguay, Noro, some basic cottons and wools, some interesting novetly yarns, etc. All of these could have been mine for 20% off. But moving really puts the size of your yarn stash in perspective. Three enormous boxes is probably enough. For now.

Wedding Shawl

No, it's not one of those wedding shawls. I don't have the concentration or the year out of my life to make one of the fabled Stonington shawls thin enough to pass through a wedding band. However, I do have a long time friend getting married this June, and she's going to wear it at her wedding reception. Let's face it. It's quite an ego boost to have something you've made be a part of one of the most important days of someone's life, especially when it's someone you really love.
I sent her these WIP pics so she can match it with her outfit. I wish I had the time to make something at least a little more intricate, but at least it looks pretty. It's about a foot and half wide, and should be a little over 4 feet long when I'm finished.
It's two skeins of Kid Silk Haze (70% mohair, 30% silk) knit in feather and fan on size 10 needles. I had never done feather and fan before, and it's amazingly simple. (But don't tell the non-knitters that, I want them to be impressed.)
Here's how it goes:
Multiple of 18 stitches, a garter stitch bottom is nice (I did 4 rows)
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: * (K2tog) x3, (yo, K1) x 6, (K2tog) x3, * repeat from * to end
Row 4: Knit
Repeat until desired length. Amaze and astonish your friends.
Now the trick is just getting it done before the June 24th deadline.

FOtos

Okay, I've been a bad blogger recently. But here, to make it up to you in one big post are several pictures. I haven't been lazy. Well, yes I have. But I've also managed to knit a few things as well.
For mother's day, my mom got two shawls. One was going to be for her birthday, but I'm not very good about keeping presents once I've finished them. The crochet shawl in beige is the Sweet Pea shawl from the Happy Hooker. She's actually posing, so you can tell she likes it. Look at the close-up.
It's huge, and took a little while, but it was far easier than the other one. So of course she likes it better.
The other is the Sheer One-Piece Shawl by Iris Schreier. I really like the whole modular knit thing, but this had a lot of stitches and took a long time. Luckily, I had a lot of presentations to sit through while I was knitting it. I'm tempted to buy the book, but that requires money.
And rounding things off is the Big Bad Baby Blanket from Stitch and Bitch, made on commission for one of my mom's friends. She's very feminine, so I added some pink ribbon.

Everyone go see Amanda!

One of my friends just started knitting not too long ago, and she's already seriously addicted. So go see Amanda at amanda-knits.blogspot.com .
Mother's Day shawls were knitted and crocheted, and I'll have to bug my mom for pictures because I forgot.

New Thoughts

Yes, I know you want shiny, pretty pictures of knitted objects, but I'm going to disappoint you once again. The only thing I've (mostly) finished is a crochet shawl for Mother's Day, and even it still needs fringe. I've been working on unimportant things, like final exams.
However, something occured to me today, and I think it might need mentioning. (I'm probably wrong, but am going to mention it anyway.) In the Yarn Harlot's first book, she talks about all the tape measures she has lost over the years and estimates the number of tape measures that much be hiding in each room of her house. I totally understand, and except for being younger, have probably lost nearly as many and still have no idea where they're hiding. They're probably in the same place that socks in the laundry go. However, what disturbs me more is the number of little yarn scissors that I've lost over the years. If, for instance, you lost a knitting item in the couch, wouldn't you much rather it be a tape measure than a tiny pair of absurdly sharp scissors? Sitting on a tape measure would cause a lot less injury to the person and the tape measure.
Think about that the next time you sit down. I've probably lost something at your house too.

Because I'm feeling a little self-absorbed right now

Go to Wikipedia. In the Search box, type your birth month and day (but not year). List three events that happened on your birthday. List two important birthdays and one interesting death. Post this in your journal.

Events:

1871 - Four major fires break out on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois, Peshtigo, Wisconsin, Holland, Michigan, and Manistee, Michigan. The Great Chicago Fire is the most famous of these, having left nearly 100,000 people homeless, although the Peshtigo Fire killed as many as 2,500 people making it the deadliest fire in United States history.

1939 - World War II: Germany annexes Western Poland.

2004 - Martha Stewart goes to jail.

Births:

1890 - Edward Rickenbacker, American pilot (d. 1973)

1943 - Chevy Chase, American comedian and actor

Death:

1869 - Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States (b. 1804)

Note to Self

Next time you try to sneak out before a seminar, make sure you're not wearing an ankle bracelet with bells on it.

Stuff On My Cat

Wow. I've found an incredible new way to waste time. Check this out: www.stuffonmycat.com .

Kids these days...

What is the with the number of people having kids these days that don't want to know the sex of the child? Two of my friends are about to become uncles for the first time and neither, I repeat, neither family wants to know. I mean, sure, miracle of birth, blah blah blah, but there are purely practical concerns here. What color do you paint the nursery? What kind of clothes do people buy for it? And more importantly, what am I supposed to knit?
Well, luckily I'm clever.
Even varigated yarns tend to have pink or blue in them, and if parents are picky, it might look more masculine or feminine. I don't like green, at least not baby green, and it tends to look boyish anyway. Yellow is safe, and I have a thing about ducks, so I made this little fair isle duck hat. I charted the little duckies myself. This would become my standard "I don't know what I'm having" baby hat, except for a few small issues.
I can't give both friends the exact same hat because one, that would be lazy and wrong, and two, they're roommates. Luckily, Kristine was around to make a few suggestions. She said she uses a lot of white for babies. Since the hat pattern I like to use is pretty simple, I knew I needed a little more to it. She suggested making it with an eyelet row and weaving in the appropriate color when the baby is born. I need to pass these off before the kids are actually born, though. I could have sent it with a plain eyelet row and let the parents weave it in, but I'm pretty sure that's the last thing new parents would want to so. So, and here's the clever part, I wove in both pink and blue ribbons. That way, when the kid is born, they can just pull out the wrong color. It's a lot faster, and also sort of fun and destructive. I think even new parents can handle that. This would also work with just about any kind of baby item, so I now have a solution when these new-fangled parents get crazy ideas in their heads.
If I spawn, I'm so finding out what it is the minute I can. Technology is here for a reason.

A dangerous new addiction

So last week the 13th anual Fleece Fair in Greencastle, IN. I say that like I know, but it was my first time anyplace like that. It was pretty impressive. There were three big fairground buildings full of wooly goodness. I expected to buy a lot of yarn, but I actually wound up buying a lot of things to start spinning. I bought three different kinds of roving, and two drop spindles. I had the first 6 oz. of roving spun and plied withing 24 hours. If I were a good blogger, or had some self control, I would have documented this process by taking pictures along the way. Well. I also knit it right away. Here's a little picture of the yarn left over. And here's the little purse I made out of it. Not bad for a first try, if I do say so myself.
Unfortunately, I'm now hooked. I've been eyeing spinning wheels for while, but I got to try some out at the Fleece Fair. I'm still madly in love with the Kromski brand (it's just so pretty), but after playing around I think I want the castle style instead of the other kind (whatever it's called).
The stuff I made first is bulky, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I am going to try to spin a little bit thinner next time. I also got this purplish-pinkish-with-some-white roving and some electric blue. That picture may look like a Care Bear barfed on my floor, but trust me. I'll spin it eventually.
The spindles are cute too. I had tried spinning on a bottom whorl spindle, and it didn't go so well. It turns out that the top whorl is actually easier. This wooden one is painted like a night sky with stars and a crescent moon. The little one is made of fimo clay and is really psychedelic. I think the blue is going to look so cool spinning on that.
It is becoming increasingly clear that this is not so much a hobby as an addiction.

Bad Blogger, Bad!

So I really haven't posted in about a week. It's not that I haven't been making things. I've been making way too many things. I've just suddenly become too lazy to take pictures. And right now I'm trying to avoid doing homework, which is pretty successful, really.
I took a trip home and passed off an awful lot of things to my mom. She got a crochet little handbag, a big crochet bag that just needs handles, a scarf, and a corset style belt. I made her promise to take pictures, but I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen.
It's surprisingly hard to take pictures of yourself, so please enjoy these pictures of Hello Kitty wearing a shawl and a hat and scarf set and a monkey wearing a scarf. The scarf is really cool, look at the closeup. It's recycled sari silk yarn, which I adore but really can no longer afford, and it's in a modular knit pattern. The pattern was so fun to make I'll probably do it again, which is pretty rare for a scarf. Although I think I'll use much cheaper yarn. This little bag is exactly like the one my mom got, only hers is in denim blue. This one has an extra eyelet row that's going to get a little white ribbon as soon as I stop being lazy.
Another advantage of the trip home was that my mom bought me some books. I generally try to support the LYS, but when my mom is paying, I'm not going to complain about where she gets it. Besides a couple of Jane Austen books (don't ask, I'm just in the mood), I got two knitting books. First, was the Yarn Harlot's new book, Knitting Rules. I was expecting another book full of rants about knitting, but it turns out, this one has some practical knitting advise too. She has basic patterns for hats, socks, and scarves, and funny justifications for why you should knit them all. I read it cover to cover the first day I got it. The other book was Posh Pooches, a kit that has tons of patterns for dog sweaters, polo shirts, etc. and comes with needles with little dogs on the ends. It's incredibly cute and silly. I was immediately commissioned to knit sweaters and scarves for my parents' dogs, Bob (full name: Wild Bob the Nerf Herder), a Welsh corgi, and Bullwinkle, the world's stupidest Weimareiner. I made the first scarf that night for Bob, and it looks pretty cute. I've been promised a picture, but we'll see how that goes. It's a cute little scarf, actually. It's an oblique rib pattern, so the ribbing goes on the diagonal. It's so much better than regular ribbing, which generally makes me want to stab myself in the eye with my knitting needle. It's also got a little keyhole so it stays on (fairly) well. I'm making a matching scarf for Bullwinkle. They want me to make the sweater for Bullwinkle that's based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi shawl. I've been meaning to try a pi shawl for some time now. It figures that the dog will get the first one.
Anyway, back to work with me. Look at some pretty pictures.