Back in the Saddle, again ......

I haven't had anything to say for a LONG time - I've worked my projects in silence, had no creativity going. The items I made I only made because someone had need of them.

But the weather's changing for me.  Here's a new one and I'm sharing!!



Raegan's Star Center

I'm always knitting or crocheting - those that know me well are used to seeing me with yarn and needles, and a crochet hook or two tucked in my hair behind my ponytail tie (oh yeah, my hair has REALLY grown a lot since I posted my photo).

Anywho, sometimes I use others' patterns, sometimes I just come up with my own. My own I have never tried to share before, so this is a new thing for me.

So here t'is: I just got done making a baby throw - started it Easter weekend and finished it today - YAY!

It's for my youngest niece-but-one, who is expecting her first child in August - a girl she plans to name Raegan.

When my niece was a baby I made blankets, sweaters and toys for her, and even let her help {SOB}. She loved my yarn winder SOOO much that she begged me to buy more yarn once: she'd wound my WHOLE stash and stacked it up in my living room. There was no where to walk or sit. Drove me nuts, but in a fun way :)

So she's expecting, and what's been surprising to me is that she still has some of the things I made her, and plans to give them to her little girl when she makes her arrival in August. I thought that was sweet, but then I saw her holding the first blankie I made her (she still has it!) and I cringed (after all, it's 20+ years old!).

I've taken pity on the baby and designed this new one for her. I'm quite proud of it and will posting the pattern on Ravelry  as soon as I can write it up!

Here's the link for this project page on Ravelry. You must register for a free account to see it.

 



How Do You Carry Your Project Directions on the Go? Think, "Cell Phone"

I like to take my craft projects with me everywhere in case I have some downtime to put to good use. But I always have a problem keeping up with my directions and instructions: they get creased, stained, torn, or just disintegrate from all the handling and folding. Sometimes project directions get let behind in the briefcase, the backpack, the car, on or under the conference table, lost under the table in the restaurant or coffee bar, or forgotten at home. In short, I've had the devil's own time keeping up with my project directions. I sure others can tell this same tale - we all do it.

My greatest project failure occurred because of misplaced instructions: I left the pattern for a knitted Chanel-type suit, printed in a rare, vintage European craft magazine, no less, in the airport in Johannesburg, SA, so there was no replacing it. I did try to work it from memory, thinking I could remember the pattern sequence I'd worked through for three of the five pieces to the garment - a disaster that I paid for with 3 hours of carefully ripping out 10 inches of work in a mohair blend yarn. I finally abandoned the project in despair.

But that doesn't happen to me any more - I stumbled on a simple solution that has worked wonders for my knitting on-the-go: I upgraded my cell phone.

Did you know you can use your smart phone to carry your project directions, mark up your pattern, and take notes? Well you can! 

It's particularly easy if the phone has a flexible operating system. The 'I just traveled a thousand miles and my pattern instructions are on my coffee table at home' revelation is one I have had one too many times and want never to experience again. It's annoying. and can be fatal to the completion of an otherwise wonderful knitting project. One way to get around it is to pack a laptop around, but that's extra weight, and another bag to carry on or check - can I get a 'no thank you'?

Here's the thing: I got a smart phone with my last upgrade, so I could keep track of EMAIL, access 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and keep a calendar. The phone's extra features, including expandable memory, were something I rarely used, except to feed my Sudoku addiction, or play music. Then, I started playing with the office document functions, and found the phone also had Adobe Acrobat and two eBook readers, along with a notepad application and calculator - and THAT's where I found my solution. 

I download patterns now, rather than handle paper, and scan printed patterns that I like into my computer so I don't lose them. Then I load the one I want to work on into my phone using a memory card. Now, using my smartphone, I can carry my crafting patterns and instructions for my latest projects on it when I’m on the go! And those of you with texting phones: this might work for some of you, too!

Anyone who has a smart phone has access to something similar; nowadays, most do have something for document handling, even if it’s proprietary. The eBook formats used today originated with the Palm phones and PDAs, so it's a given that Palms are eBook-friendly, as are the Nokias, iPhones, Motorolas, or RIM Blackberries. WindowsOS phones have MSWord, of course, and probably Adobe Acrobat, and there are more and more apps available, daily for AndroidOS phones. As for those of you with iPads, Kindles, Sony, Nook, or other pad eReaders, this also applies - all you need is to get the pattern into a compatible format, (something I'll address later).

First, check the installed apps on your phone so you know what you can use. My Nokia smart phone gives me lots of choices: PDF, Mobipocket Reader, eReader and MSWord, for example. But if you can't find anything for document handling on your phone, you can get an app from several sources: if you use iTunes, you can search for an app there, Blackberry has its own app store or you can check the Crackberry site (love them both!), 

If that fails, you can go to the Mobipocket Reader site for a free reader and document creator (for formatting) - they support most of the major cell phone operating systems, as well as Win XP, Vista, MacOS, and Linux for your computer. As I mentioned earlier, I've got a Nokia smartphone (SymbianOS) - they have an app site at ovistore.com . There's also a free eBook software for the phone and desktop at eReader.com and they have a version specifically for AndroidOS phones. The Android Market (accessed from your android phone) may have additional options for you.

As for pattern formatting, the first thing to do, is determine if the pattern designer or publisher has an eBook version or if they furnish electronic versions of their patterns for download. If eBook formatted files are available, you're good, or if you can get an electronic version of the pattern in Word or PDF, and your phone can't read it, there are several ways to get it formatted so it CAN be read. For example, there's a website that can convert electronic documents to eBook formats: online-ConVert.com, You can save the converted document to your PC for transfer or Emailing to your phone.

For Printed patterns, you may choose to do your own conversions to eBook formatting, like I have. If you do, be aware of the publisher's and author's copy rights, so that you don't get yourself in a jam by posting altered versions of others' copyrighted material on the web without their permission. Knowing that, you can scan paper patterns and convert digital ones.

I have a scanner with high-end optical character recognition (OCR) at home, that I use  to convert paper patterns, using the procedure below

1. scan the pattern and run the scan through OCR, 
2. check the position of the figures and correct if need be,   

If your pattern is in Word or Word Perfect format, you can skip steps 1 and 2 above. In any case, once you have a digital copy, you can proceed.

1. build a PDF file by printing the file using Adobe Acrabat full version, or the free CutePDF writer with Adobe Acrobat Reader,
2. run the PDF file through online-Convert.com or the Mobipocket Creator app,
3. transfer the eBook to the phone on a memory stick, microSD card, or use the computer to sync it.

The results are … FABULOUS! I am happily crafting away wherever I go, and I always have my instructions at hand.

Well, Starting up again ....Adventures in Hat-Making

It's a sunny Tuesday morning in T-Town (but cold) and I'm back to blogging again. I'm in a much better place than I was a year ago. I’m still unemployed, and it's looking likely that it isn't going to change. I'm considered too old, you see. But that's OK, as long as I have my knitting, I'll be fine.

I've been making hats, and trying out several versions of Newsboy caps in knitted and crocheted versions. The thing is, I've found little issues with each one, so I'm using the best features from each of the three I like best, and adding little tweaks of my own, to make something I like. I’ve included a photo of my first completed hat, in crochet below. I still don't like it, but it's starting to get to where I want it to be.  

That said, I'll publish the finished pattern here, when I'm satisfied. I’m a lefty – so in deference for any right-handed readers, there will be two versions posted.

As for some of the patterns I'm testing:

·         On the Berocco.com website, there are patterns knit and crochet patterns available. You can reach the free knit version, KAP, by clicking here.  If you don't want to use a chunky yarn as they did, you can use double strands of worsted weight to get the same gauge, but your cap will be stiffer and heavier. Berocco’s crochet version is included in one of their booklets for purchase: #233 - the cap is called Newsgirl. I've knitted the sweater (shown with Newsgirl) in a slightly longer length than it was designed for – but I LOVE that one!

·         Here's another nice knitted newsboy cap at suite101.com . I didn’t like it at all when I finished it; I’m not sure if it was the yarn, or if I just need be certain that I changed some things in the directions correctly – I’m left-handed, and I have to remember to switch how dec and inc, cables, etc. are made to get the same outcome, because all published patterns are right-handed. It took a while for me to get that, which was not until I made a one-way patterned sweater that was very specific about which sleeve (both unique) went where. the sleeves were knitted in the round, which meant I couldn't just swap them; I had to re-knit them,

·         There's a cool-looking crochet hat on the Lionbrand.com website: pattern #50768, also in a chunky weight yarn. You'll have to register, first, on their site to see it. You'll not regret registering, however, because there are some wonderful patterns - free - on their website.  Lionbrand doesn't take down patterns for which the original yarn has been discontinued, either - something I love. I like to modify the patterns to expand the size range, or adapt for figure flaws/details anyway, so yarn substitution is a piece of cake. I use a lot of Lionbrand's patterns, and have never had an issue substituting other yarns for theirs if I wished, therefore. Sometimes, I want to use bamboo, corn, silk, or hemp yarns that Lionbrand doesn't carry. 

·         Finally, this is the pattern I started off working with, at Hook, Yarn, and Needles (HY & N). I'm a tight crocheter, so it took a lot of trial and error (and another new ball of yarn) before I found the right combination to get that look.  Even then, I didn't quite like how it turned out, so I've developed my own design, working from that base. I've given the second generation hat away, so no pic, but here's the original from the HY & N pattern, as written, after I got the gauge and sizing 'right'. I'll make another Gen2 with the changes I've made and post it.  Below is the hat made from the HY & N pattern, without the ridges.

I can share these changes incorporated in this hat: 

• Instead of using cardboard for the hat brim, I tested buckram (traditionally used to make and stiffen hats), Peltex Ultra interfacing, and plastic canvas. Plastic canvas or cardboard are the preferred stiffener in most patterns, but these are problematic for washing your hat or dry-cleaning. The buckram made for a nicely shaped, flexible hat brim, but it can lose its shape if washed. The Peltex is thicker and stiffer than the buckram, but is washable, and takes dryer heat well. The drawback there is that the brim is thicker that I had anticipated, so I'm reshaping the brim to accommodate it. That’s all for now, but there’s more to come. Stay tuned!

I'm Baack in the Saddle again ...

Whew!  My life went all wonky summer of 2008, and it's taken me a long time to get back to this. Not much cooking lately. I recently completed a cardigan in yellow cotton, where I DEFINITELY did not have enough yarn to complete the project, and the yarn manufacturer had gone out of business.

SIGH.

But not to worry, I made pretty good substitute buying a corn-based yarn and mixing with in Egyptian cotton in two slightly different shades of yellow. The effect was quite wonderful, if I MUST say so. Pics will be forth-coming on another occasion. I sew, also, and have been experimenting with tailoring to fit the BODY, for those of us who wear a size larger than size 12 American. I am no longer worshipping at the pre-printed pattern altar. I have gotten acceptable results (not great YET, but they will be!). 

I'll get my form designed, and y'all can weigh in.  I'll tell you what we're up to in another post.

TTFN.

Hobby or a Way of Life?

Knitting is a lifestyle, rather than a hobby, really. By the time you acquire the tools and develop the skills to a high degree, you've probably spent thousands of dollars, and thousands of hours to get that first, never-exactly-the-way-you-wanted-it, piece of wearable art you were aiming towards.

Your friends and family get used to you trailing a tote bag, strings and tails of yarns in all colors, the furrowed brow, the hunching over half-finished sweater pieces of blankie squares ... Sound familiar? I'd love to hear from you- what's your knitting quirk?

Please share, and I'll share mine, soon!

Reasons to Start Knitting?

Knitting is one of those activities that you take up, that can be, at once soothing and useful. The rhythmic clicking of the needles (pins to the European readers), the repetitive motion of throwing the yarn, the back-and-forth of working rows or rounds - one can get into the 'zone', and it's not unlike meditation or yoga in the calming and centering effect it can have. And - COOLNESS! - unlike meditation, one ends the effort with a one-of-a-kind piece of wearable art.

So, I can think of a lot of reasons anyone who can, should learn how to knit. Let me start with the reasons why I started and how my passion evolved. My hope is, that in this story, you'll find something that may appeal to you and get you started!

I am buxom, zaftig, top-heavy: and sweaters that fit in one place bagged like a potato sack in others when I bought. Frustrating. In addition, I'd been sewing my own clothes since the age of 9, and am an accomplished seamstress, so I wasn't altogether sure why, other than the fact that I'm left-handed, I had had a terrible time learning my way around a pair of knitting needles.

Then I found a friend to knit with, and knitting became a social activity as well as a learning experience for us both - Saturday morning coffee runs with my knitting buddy became my guilty little pleasure. In return, I got sweaters that fit my non-standard body well, and looked well on me. We added a third to our group with her fiance taking up knitting and joining us, and my boyfriend, who wasn't interested, was good enough to tag along and eat. We gradually attracted other novices and knitting veterans, and became a knitting club.

The truth is, you meet interesting people while knitting. People you don't know, want to see what you're doing, want to talk about it, then they want to try it!. I've used knitting in public to reach out to children, the mentally disabled, little old ladies in purple (!), and have even had 'big, strong, manly men' come up and want to give the needles a try. In fact, the last knitting group I was with, in upstate New York, had two gentleman members - one came with his fiance. He was, by far and away, the better knitter.

The other gentleman in our group confessed he started knitting as a gimmick to meet women, and then HE got hooked. PAY ATTENTION, GUYS: he designs and makes his own sweaters, and makes shawls and shrugs to gift the women he dates they LOVE IT and they love him. He's very popular. He confesses that he's using knitting as a 'chick magnet' still, but he's really doing it for the love of the craft, or so he says.

As for me, I started knitting in earnest in graduate school. Graduate school made knitting look VERY attractive: I began knitting in self-defense, to keep from plotting the assassination of my thesis advisor. I'm NOT kidding, either.

I was freezing my tushie off in South Bend: I had moved to the land of 'ice and snow'. So during that first LONG LONG winter, I started my first project with Lopi yarn, thinking, 'Ski Sweater' (following a Vogue Pattern), then I made a vest, and found my passion. Now for those of you who don't know, LOPI yarn is a thick wool fiber that knits up on big needles (2-3 sts to the inch). The yarn is slightly less than 1/2 inch in diameter. Knitting became stress relief for me, during this period. I had a deal with my lab mate: he would teach me Tai Chi, and I taught him how to 'KNIT 1, PURL 1'. He went home and taught his wife. She made him socks, and a layette for their new baby.

As I got better at knitting, I discovered that there were blankets to be made and shared with friends and family (CHRISTMAS-BIRTHDAY-SPECIAL OCCASION), and that many charities were begging for assistance. The first charity knitting group I joined was knitting caps, scarves, and sweaters for kids, as part of the "Coats for Kids" initiative - I bought coats at Good Will, repaired them and knitted matching scarves and caps, and gave them away. Then, I joined a group that was supplying chemo caps for cancer patients. That morphed into knitting baby sweaters, buntings, baptism layettes, baby blankets, and pouches.

So here's another reason to start knitting: knitting is a skill you can share with others and propagate by teaching young children how to do. I have taught children as young as three to knit, as well as girl- and boy-scout troups wherever I've lived. My youngest niece knits as well, now, as I did at 25. I started her at three (she's 15), because she REFUSED to stay out of my yarn basket. I got her some short, stubby plastic needles, and found an old Mattel Knitting machine for her and she entertained herself for hours. I helped her assemble her projects, and she still wears one of two, once in a while.

I have made wedding presents, and what I call 'Marriage Afghans' for family members and friends: they're big enough for two to snuggle under :). I am currently making squares for baby blankets to gift hospitals around the globe, and am making knitted accessories for the girls' Barbies.

I haven't said much about yarns and tools, because these are things you should explore for yourself as you evolve as a knitter. I have my preferences and can make recommendations, but the fact of the matter is, it depends on your tastes, and most projects, anymore, are very specific about what they want you to use. Even so, the vast selection of yarns, tools, and techniques, and discussing other peoples' experience and preferences, are another, important reason to learn to knit. Everyone's tastes and focus will be different, and there's information readily available on the web, to meet those tastes and focus. There are blogs, chat rooms, online magazines, pattern sites - the sky's the limit!

For example, I love yarns and textures, and 'designing' stitches and patterns, so I spend a lot of time grazing on the internet, hunting down vintage knitting mags for old stitches (I'm making new swatches and writing new directions for a how-to), and building my stash. There are a million knitting sites on the web with specialty yarns, to explore. There are sites out there that teach you how to tailor your knits if you don't already know how, and computer programs for push-button design.

If you're a beginner, you can get overwhelmed with all that's out there, so I suggest you stick with Hobby Lobby, A.C. Moore, Joann's Fabrics, or the like, to experiment until your skills and style develop. These all have a decent selection of fibers, both synthetic and natural (cotton, wool, linen, alpaca, banana, silk, soy silk, bamboo), and appropriate pattern selections for the yarns they have.

These also stock a broad selection of the basic tools. There are lots and lots of free patterns, and how-tos so that you can develop your design skills, and experiment in the stores, also. The fun of finding out what works for you, and developing your style, and talking over what you learn with your knitting peers, is a joy not to be missed, in my opinion.

Finally, knitting can save your life; it saved mine many years ago: I knit in bed (when I'm not reading in bed!), and some years ago, there was a robber-rapist operating in the area. I also had a dog who slept with me. One particular night, the dog woke me just before my front door was kicked in; the dog got him from behind and I defended myself with my knitting needles. He jumped out the bedroom window and ran screaming down the block, my dog in hot pursuit (didn't know she could jump!). The police picked the guy up, jabbering about demons and witches :). I understand he had about 20 puncture wounds in addition to the dog bites. Tee-Hee. Therefore, knitting and my Scottie saved me.

In conclusion, everyone SHOULD learn to knit it's good for the wardrobe and good for the soul. It can appeal to the social, the charitable and the practical impulses of anyone who decides to take it up, certainly, and you can knit for yourself, your dog (cats don't take well to sweaters), your family, your friends, your community, or the world. There's always someone who'll be grateful to get your extra projects. I personally find it a relaxing, and soul-nourishing activity. I hope you will, too give it a try.

Progress Report

Hi - it's late, and I'm knitting myself to sleep. I have a habit or working three projects at once - meaning all three take longer to complete than they would otherwise. I'd like to show off a couple of things I've already done from my own designs.- for example, the afghan above is my own design - I'm really proud of this afghan. I made it for the daughter of a friend of mine, for her 14th birthday. I also made an 'afghan for two' for my friend and her hubby - in jewel tones. I am sorry, now that I didn't take pics, but it's OK - I'll probably make another sometime. In lieu of that, stay tuned, I'll post patterns for both designs - soon.


So here's what I'm doing RIGHT Now:

I'm working MADLY away on a semi-fitted jacket, in Forest Green based on the Lion Brand Matinee Swing Jacket Pattern. I have the right front panel half done, also, and I've got this FABULOUS button to put on it - it's got faux rhinestones and pearls and it's two inches across. Sounds gaudy, I know, but wait til you see it! That's for a later post, though ...

I'm switching to working on my second project a scrap yarn sweater of my own design. I made my niece a 'marriage' afghan - big enough for her and her new hubby to curl up with, based on a 3x3 expansion of Lionbrand's Circle in a Square Throw (picture of the work in progress is attached in blues, golds, and purples, bottom left). I am using those leftovers, with Lionbrand in discontinued Country Green. My third project = well, perhaps I'll finish it this year. Yellow lace and cable cardi (cotton) - 3/4 sleeves.


Well, it's late - more later, when I have more progress to report - in fact, if the scrap sweater ends as well as it started, I'll be posting a pattern.