Ten years later...

 

And I'm still trying to get a handle on knitting. And crocheting!

Socks from the Toe Up Class approacheth!

McNeedles of Lacombe will be holding a two-session Toe-Up Sock Knitting class this month. After having a book for well over two plus years, I think that taking this class is going to be the impetus that will finally kick-start me into knitting socks.

I don't like finishing things. I like to pick a project, revel in the yarn, start it, get thisclose to finishing, then stashing the unfinished project away somewhere... there's got to be something in the DSM5 about that.

Well, as soon as I get into this class, I'll post more about socks. I hope.

Another year older and deeper in debt...

So. I've joined Ravelry and am currently loading all my yarnish activities past, present, and future into its database. I've put LOTS of my yarn in; I keep finding new hidden stashes in my room. CATALOGING, y'all. WHAT.
I'd say I've got 99% of my needles (straight, DPN, circular) and crochet hooks in there, too. I have loaned a set of Size US 8 (steel) to Sam so she can learn how to knit. She's a Whiz-Bang crocheter, so it shouldn't be too hard for her.

I did finally locate my old knitting binder and am re-arranging it to add all the newer patterns from the new binder. Because the old binder is BIGGER.

On needles currently? That damned Herringbone scarf.
On crochet hook? The Star Trek Travel Mug Cozy. In Science Blue.

Herringbone. Dear Jeebus, Herringbone.

I have been stymied by Herringbone stitch recently. Not because it is a difficult stitch (dear jeebus is it hard) but because I cannot do anything but chant the stitch under my breath while I am doing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP7N30Kxr2Q for much calmer version of what's being screamed inside my head.

I thought I would do a whole scarf of this. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahaaaaaaa ah.hah. Hee.
It takes me fifteen minutes to do just ONE freaking row, and I slowly curl into the knitting, holding my breath and crunching my shoulders in despair lest I drop a frakking stitch and have to frog the whole thing because, sister, THIS cannot be fixed once dropped.

After two months of this torture (four rows a night every other night,to recover from the painfully cramped hands), I have two sections done. One 6inch section in gold, one 6inch section in Burgandy. Photos to follow.

I am now going to begin vertical color stripes in stockinette stitch cause I'm a glutton for punishment. And because the superwash wool is so damned pretty that I can't STAND it. Photos to follow and points to those who figure out what the colors represent.

Stitch & Beach Cruise

So, since I'm not going to D*C this year (due to lack of reasonable hotel prices) and the money I would have spent on D*C is going to Japan relief, I realized I should start thinking about next year, instead.

So I think I want to take Debbie Stoller's Stitch & Beach Cruise.

It's almost less than the amount of money I would spend at D*C. And - A CRUISE! With Knitters! And classes! W00T!

So I'm going to steal an idea from Len Peralta and start knitting scarves. If I can knit some nice scarves and sell said scarves this fall and winter, that fundage can go towards the cruise, right? I Might even see about setting up an Etsy page and flogging the heck out of it on facebook.

I am also giving the info to my local Library Knitter's group- if a bunch of people go, we might get a group discount on the prices.

Any Ideas or suggestions?

Circular Knitting Needles...

Want the Addi Click Bamboo Natura Knitting Needle Set. Srsly.

But the cost, AI YAI! $179.00 USD. *slump*

Unless I decide to use my weekends for knitting goods for sale, said price is not worth it.

/Narrows eyes, tilts head./ YET.


On the other side of the coin, I did find a YouTube tutorial on the crochet Magic Circle (*DING*) that seemed to be follow-along-able.
After an hour of "wait! stop!! go back! PLEASE wait up!" (Did you know that videos won't wait up for you if you just screech in panic? Nooooooooooooo. You have to untangle your fingers from the hook and yarn and actually push/click things yourself. Bah.) and cold fear at my spastically jerking left thumb and fingers (and I may have to have that looked at- it was really startling), I managed to wrest my first passable magic circle from the yarn.

Not bad. Not great, but not bad.

So I'm going to try out a hat. We'll see how it goes. And I'll post photos of it here.

Look really closely at the linked gallery.

HOLY HOOK!
Now this is crochet!
GO HERE NOW.
Seriously. I'm so impressed by this fiber artist.
Whoah.