Yeh For Knitting!

End of a Dry Spell

2009-02-02T20:34:00.002-05:00

For much of last year, I just didn't knit much. The dry spell probably started off because I was studying for the bar and I had too much to juggle as it was. Then I started knitting a sweater for myself, and without a deadline, it was hard to finish. I'm excited that I've been hit with the knitting bug again, especially with some new babies that have just arrived, and some on the way! So in the meanwhile, I've put aside the sweater for me, but I really am hoping that I finish it . . . and relatively soon.

Child's Placket Neck Sweater

2009-02-02T20:24:00.008-05:00

I knit this to give to my older nephew S for Christmas last year (2007). It's the child's placket neck sweater designed by Joelle Hoverson, from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish

Here's the sweater in progress:

Pattern available at:

http://www.purlsoho.com/_gr/our_books/childplacketsweater.pdf

Pea Pod Baby Sweater Set

2009-02-02T20:16:00.004-05:00

I knit the Pea Pod Baby Sweater set designed by Kate Gilbert last year, but never posted it! I made this for my nephew S-E.

Yarn: Cashsoft

This is the sweater where I went button-hunting.

Oh, and this is the sweater where I accidentally used yarn from 2 yarn lots, and it really made a difference. One arm is definitely a different shade of green. By the time I realized, I had gone to far and just thought I'd go with it. My nephew still looked cute in it!

My First Adult Sweater

2007-12-02T10:45:00.000-05:00

I knitted this sweater last year for KG as a holiday present -- except that I didn't finish it until almost the end of winter (in early 2007)! She picked out the sweater (which we saw in the Webs catalog), and the colors are the same as the pattern in the book. I revised the patterns so it has buttons all the way down, instead of just one button up top.

Sorry I couldn't get the best pics on this -- KG keeps the sweater in her office, so I took the photos there.

Here is the pattern book I used:

Yarn:
Tahki Dakota (olive green) -- Stretchy so it's hard to keep a consistent gauge, but very fluffy and soft!
Tahky Bunny Print -- also very fluffy and beautiful colors

Baby Hats and Booties!

2007-11-18T19:16:00.000-05:00

After the Circle of Friends blanket, we had some leftover yarn, so I decided to make a hat and booties. In a hat, the colors looked pretty bold and lively . . . and also looked like an outfit for Outfest! The booties also came out huge, as if the new baby would be the next Big Foot. That's because I used a thicker yarn and didn't bother adjusting the pattern. Still, it was a fun project, and KG and I included them in our gift to the couple during the second baby shower thrown by friends and family, along with some cute clothes and a contribution to their second parent adoption fund.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran

Pattern for Hat: Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson --basic hat template #2, modified for stripes

Pattern for Booties: Simple Knits For Cherished Babies by Erika Knight -- "classic cashmere booties" (p. 33), modified for colors and added tie.

THEN . . .

It turns out a co-worker of mine is also having a baby! I had hoped to make a baby blanket but I got caught with an intense deadline . . . so a hat and booties were calling me again! We had planned surprise baby shower, and the night before (which was the day after the deadline), I stayed up late knitting these:

In fact, I had to finish sewing up the last bootie (booty?) during lunch, at the pizza place near my office.

My co-worker and his wife didn't want to know the baby's gender ahead of time, and he had also commented that he was tired of green and yellow, so I went again for some bold colors: red and orange. This time I went through the effort of doing the math to adjust the pattern so the booties wouldn't be so large.

Yarn: same as above
Patterns: same as above, but booties pattern adjusted for size, both patterns adjusted for stripes and color blocks.

Circle of Friends Baby Blanket

2007-10-27T12:39:00.000-04:00

At KG's work, there is a Stitch n' Bitch group that gathers every week at lunchtime to knit together. A couple we know are having a baby, and both of them both work at the same place that KG does, so she organized the Stitch n' Bitch group to work on a blanket together. I have always wanted to knit the Circle of Friends blanket from the book "Last Minuted Knitted Gifts" and here was the perfect occasion!

Each person knits one strip (we had seven strips). Then another person seamed it all together. KG and I shared knitting a strip. Here's ours:

Here it is placed together but before it was seamed:

And here is the final product!

The colors look a little different in real life (better I think -- that dark color is a deep purple, even though it looks black on the screen).

We had knitters of all levels working on the blanket. I missed the baby shower where they presented it but apparently one of the moms-to-be cried when they got the blanket.

Pattern: Circle of Friends Blanket from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran
Pattern modification: size 8 needles, 22 stitches across for each row per strip, 42 rows (for a 5" x 5" square)

Scarf for a friend

2007-10-14T20:18:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had a time when you did something and you weren't sure why, but later it all came together? About a year ago, I found some neat novelty yarn at A.C. Moore that I couldn't resist. I thought I'd make a scarf, even though I wasn't sure who I would give it to or if I would keep it. This was the perfect scarf to knit on buses and public transportation.
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After I finished it, I was invited to a very dear friend's 80th birthday party. I've only had off and on contact with her over the past few years, but I do think of her often and with great fondness. I was deciding what to get her when I realized this scarf would be perfect! It was like the scarf knew that it had to be made, even if I didn't know it.

Buttons Again!

2007-10-04T17:42:00.000-04:00

After I talked about buttons, it became a topic in the Knitter's Review Forums:

http://knittersreview.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=84805

It has some links to places I might try next time, if I decide not to go with a local store or the Button Shoppe.

Update on Buttons

2007-09-24T18:45:00.000-04:00

I found the perfect buttons!

I can't give more details, but I found the buttons that I wanted. I purchased them from a store called The Button Shoppe, located in Carmichael, California. They have a great website that you can peruse, and have buttons of all types. Very reasonable prices and shipping costs. They don't have a check-out page, so I was a bit wary, but I went ahead and called them up (the old-fashioned way) to place an order. Several days later, I got the buttons in the mail! And no fraud or identity theft issues : ).

http://www.buttonshoppe.com/

Finding the Perfect Button

2007-09-18T18:02:00.000-04:00

Most things that I've knitted have required buttons, it seems. When it comes time to find the right buttons, I find that it always turns into a quest.

Here in Philadelphia, my favorite spot is Karlins, an old-fashioned fabric and trimmings store, and very close to my office. They have great service and the people who work there are very nice. They have a wide assortment, and you can look through the books of buttons. Unfortunately, the store itself is a bit rundown, like it hasn't been updated since the 1960s. It's also in an unfortunate location, right under an overpass holding up a parking garage, so it's on a dark and dirty street and it probably doesn't get much street traffic. A lot of the other storefronts on that street are empty or look similarly old. Still, I try to support them as much as possible since their prices are good and they're so nice. Their selection is pretty decent, although they don't have a lot of the cutesy novelty buttons.

I also troll the various yarn shops: Rosies, Sophies, Loop and the Tangled Web, if I can there (it's a car drive away). They tend to have more of the cutesy buttons, but their selection is more limited. With one of the yarn shops, I might find something I like, but then they only have 1 or 2 left . . . grrr.

As an aside, for my first buttons search, I went to one of these local yarn shops and saw these beautiful glass buttons all together on a strip of cardboard marked $3.50. I thought that meant that all of them cost $3.50, but when I went to pay, each one cost $3.50! I didn't feel like spending $20 on buttons so I put them back. And I felt dutifully embarrassed.

I've also checked out A.C. Moore and haven't had much luck.

I'm looking for some buttons right now, and I struck out at all of the above. Actually, I did find some cute ones at Karlins which I bought, but when I put them against my project, they blended in too much.

So I've resorted to the Internet. I found a website with a wide selection and the perfect buttons! But they don't have one of those online forms, and you have call and give your credit card number over the phone. I'm a little leery, but I just broke down after thinking about it for 2 weeks and I just placed an order. I figured that pretending to sell buttons isn't the usual lure for a scam or identity theft. The woman who answered the phone was pretty nice so I felt more comfortable. Once I get the buttons in the mail and there are no weird charges to my credit card (crossing my fingers), I'll report back!

Needle Choice

2007-09-16T10:24:00.000-04:00

One often discussed topic among knitters is the choice of knitting needles--wood v. metal, circular v. the traditional 2 long needles, etc. It's an important decision that does change the experience of knitting.

My favorite knitting needle is the circular vintage nylon/plastic needle by Susan Bates. I'm not sure if it's because I first started out on those, but for some reason, they suit me. I've tried bamboo and metal (including the top of the line Addi Turbos), but I still prefer the vintage nylon ones. Bamboo is too slow and has too much drag while metal is too slick, but nylon is just right! You can't buy them in the stores now, and they're no longer made by Susan Bates : (. Luckily my mother gave me a full set : ), and I've also bought extra from Ebay.

The exception is when a pattern calls for double-pointed needles (DPNs). I usually opt for circular needles when I can -- it doesn't fall off when I'm storing it, and it's easier to knit on public transportation. Sometimes though, something is too small and needs the DPNs. In that case, I do prefer wood or bamboo, since it's less likely stitches will fall off on the other end.

Recently I was looking at the new Harmony needles from options, their new wood needles. For some reason, they've decided to make them this bright combo of color which I personally find . . . distasteful. One comment on a forum likened them to "clown barf." Others love them. I guess it's a love or hate type of thing. I thought maybe in person they wouldn't be so garish, but at the yarn store the other day, a customer had them. We all gathered around to take a look, and yup, I still think they look garish. But if you like their pointy tips and interchangeable system, then maybe you can look past it. I think I'll give it a miss for now.

Knitting Genetics

2007-09-13T10:52:00.000-04:00

While growing up, each of my parents had a talent outside of their work. My father loved photography while my mother was always creating something beautiful through sewing, knitting or beading. Both also have a love of music, and in particular, Chinese classical music. They're still involved in leading a Chinese orchestra that my grandfather founded decades years ago.

My sister grew up learning to play various instruments. In other ways though, I thought I took after my dad, being that we're both very practical minded and I love photography. I remember getting one of those flimsy Kodak cameras as a kid. When I lived overseas in the Kingdom of Tonga and then traveled around the world, I loved taking photos and capturing moments in time through the lens. When I arrived back to to the States, I took photography classes (I even got an A+ in one of them!). In New York, I would frequently rent a darkroom to print out my photos.

While my mother showed us how to crochet and knit when we were very young, it didn't really catch on. I loved what my mother created, but I always thought it was her talent. Then my sister started knitting. She gave me two gorgeous scarves: one was the leaf scarf designed by Annie Modesitt, and the other was a clapotis. Wow.

My mother retaught me how to knit, and I had an impetus to try something more bold than a garter stitch scarf -- people close to me started to become pregnant. Also, my sister's scarves blew me away. If she could learn, then I should try too. So I made my first blanket (talked about below) and all of a sudden, something clicked! In my mind I could now see possibilities through this combination of knit and purl.

Through the Internet, I could watch knitting videos when I got stuck. Through email I could ask my mom about complicated stitches. And some friends who live in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia showed me the basics of using different colors while knitting.

I learned that I pick up things quickly, and that I love knitting!

Now my mother, sister and I have a defacto international knitting circle (my sister lives in Denmark). We'll email each other about interesting knitting books and patterns.

And I've learned that indeed I am a combination of both my father and mother. That makes me happy and proud.

The Boomerang Gift

2007-09-12T22:16:00.001-04:00

In case you think that I only knit baby things, here is a sweater I knitted for my sister.

My sister gave me this super soft yarn that she bought on Ebay, and I thought it would be fun to make something for her with it. The yarn is hand dyed, so every skein was different -- if you look carefully, you can see the sleeves are lighter in color. I used a pattern from one of the Yarn Girls books.

I loved the yarn so much that I checked Ebay daily for weeks, drooling over the yarn sold by seller 100purewool! I haven't bought the yarn yet, but when I have the right project, I'm definitely going to. It's very soft and not itchy at all -- normally I find wool very itchy when it's next to my skin.

The yarn "pooled" at the bottom of the sweater. I actually liked the look, and then later I learned that people prefer the colors to be spread more evenly through the sweater. To me, though, it reminds me of trees.

Yarn: Merino wool, from ebay seller 100purewool

Pattern: Yarn Girls

Material: Merino wool

Baby Love

2007-09-09T23:43:00.000-04:00

Here's the second sweater I knit for D. After knitting one sweater, I thought I could do this quickly, but it still took longer than I thought it would! But it got done before she was born, and was fedex'ed over.

I used a pattern Erika Knight's book "Simple Knits for Cherished Babies." When I saw the photo in the book, I didn't realize that it was short sleeves. I lengthened the sleeves, but unfortunately, I made the sleeves rather tight. D got to wear it but quickly outgrew it.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss cashmerino
Material: merino wool, microfibor and maybe cashmere

Pattern: "Simple Knits for Cherished Babies" by Erika Knight

Date: September 2006

A first sweater

2007-09-09T23:35:00.001-04:00

Here is the first sweater I ever knitted. I knitted this for D, KG's niece. I got it done just in time for the baby shower, but it was close! I stayed up late the night before the shower to finish the seaming.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss cashmerino (love this yarn, even though it's had its share of controversy)

Material: Merino Wool, microfibor, and cashmere?

Pattern: Knits for Babies and Toddlers, by Fiona McTaque

Date: July 2007

Monkeying Around

2007-09-09T22:59:00.000-04:00

I know this is a knitting blog, but I had to post this. KG and I kept seeing these really cute baby onsies with felt applique in various boutiques. I couldn't help but think, "I can do this!" So for my nephew's birthday, KG and I decided to create an applique T-shirt. Somehow, we ended up doing pants too!

The reward for our labors: my sister told us she thought it was cute and when she checked out the label to see who had made it, and realized we had made it ourselves!

T-shirt and pants are from American Apparel.
Date: June 2006 (for S's 2nd birthday)

How I got hooked on knitting . . .

2007-09-09T22:54:00.000-04:00

KG wanted to knit something for her niece. I decided to help out, and now I'm addicted! (In case you're wondering, she never finished knitting her first project. In fact, she outsourced it to her mom, who finished it up . . . and ironically is Indian : ).

Here are some photos of the first baby blanket that I knitted for my childhood best friend's daughter. I didn't want to make the traditional pink color, but instead picked a soft blue-green that reminded me of the ocean. It was supposed to be baby blanket size, and even though I dutifully knitted a gauge swatch, the blanket turned out to be much bigger than baby size!

This isn't my first project (I've knitted scarves before, with some guidance from my mother), but this project really captivated me. i guess you could say that I'm now hooked!

Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun
Material: 100% acrylic
Pattern: Basketweave

Date: Spring 2006

P.S. I also knitted much of this blanket during my first introduction to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when I watched the whole first season in two days, courtesy of DVDs lent by KG's colleague.

My new blog!

2007-09-09T22:50:00.000-04:00

I tried to start a knitting blog before. I posted once, but then I forgot my username and password! And I couldn't figure it out. So here's my second try : ). I'll be copying my first entry into this blog.