the knitting buzz

updates on the race

The Great Blanket Race is rounding a corner and the all three afghans are moving closer toward the halfway mark. 

 

Katie's Retro Crochet Afghan (above) - she is finishing up her 10th hank out of 23 hanks or 43.5% complete.

 
My Retro Crochet Afghan (above) - I have completed 9 hanks out of 19 hanks or 47.4% complete.

 

My Teal Blue Knitted Afghan ( above)  - I have just started my 4th hank out of 11 hanks or 36.4% complete.

 

I am actually pleased with how both of my blankets are progressing..... I know without the race its likely that I could  have been gotten distracted by other projects.  I  know how I roll. I really appreciate Katie being such a good sport in being apart of my race.

I will most likely update our stats at the end of the week.

Here's to the power of focus.

 

 

a good book

I really don't think of myself as a book critic.....really I don't.  But I thought it was only fair to share a newly published Stitch Dictionary that took a fresh approach. It's the "Super Stitches Knitting" by Karen Hemingway.

 

 

  This may not be the ultimate stitch dictionary, but don't let the cover fool you. It offers 300 different stitch patters and a refreshing approach to the understanding the knitted sample. It also has:

• clear pictures of knitted stitch patterns, that show that pattern details
• the author has taken a novel approach that shows how the stitch pattern sits on the needles, making it easy to see how the instructions relate to the knitted piece.
• the samples are knitted in light colors making it effortless for the reader to view the stitch pattern.
• a compact stitch guide that is easy to tuck into your knitting bag.
• it also has good basic information & graphics for the new knitter, as well as an array of stitch patterns to entertain a more accomplished knitter.

 

Bravo Karen Hemingway.....well done!

disappointing book

Have you ever bought a book with high expectations only to be sorely disappointed once you got it? 

That has been my experience with the "Vogue Knitting Stitchionary #5 Lace".

 

Granted, I am not a book critic or reviewer by any means, but I am a book lover, I love to knit and I love to knit lace. And I liked the previous Stitchionary series.

Here are my disappointments.....

• many swatches knitted in a dark yarn, making it nearly impossible to see the stitch definition.
• none of the swatches are blocked (this is incredibly important for lace) and again making it extremely difficult to see the stitch pattern.
• lacked newness, many of the stitch patterns were in the previous Vogue Knitting Stitchionaries 1 & 2. What's the point?
• lastly, on the cover it is tauted as "the ultimate stitch dictionary from the editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine". Really?

When I spend my hard earned money on a book of stitches,  I think its fair to expect that one should be able to see the stitches clearly......especially if its the ultimate. 

So perhaps I am a book critic or just critical of publishers who feel they can "pull the (proverbial) wool over my eyes".....pun intended..... I crack myself up.

And don't get me started on Debbie Bliss.

 

 

 

vital stats

The Great Blanket Race is alive and strong. and much to my surprise and inner glee, Katie was totally into the race idea and will probably give me a royal kicking. This will be seriously more fun than racing myself.

We're on! 

So here's how the blankets are stacking up......almost sounds like something from the "Princess and the Pea", with blankets instead of mattresses of course.

 
Katie's Retro Blanket  - She is working on her 8.5 hank of 23 and is 37% complete. Katie is not confined to a certain number of hanks and is making a proper afghan that is wider and longer. This gives me a fighting chance.  =)

 
My Retro Blanket, I'm working on my 8th hank of 19 and 42% complete.  I know that once Katie sees these stats, I'm toast..... she can be quite competitive.

 
My Teal Blue Blanket - I'm working on the 3rd hank of 11 and 27% complete.

 

Not too shabby. 

Stay tuned, I will report the latest stats after we get some weekend knitting and crocheting in.

 

 

 

the great blanket race reception

The Great Blanket Race was my "plan" to complete not one, but 2 two afghans, in a shortened amount of time. Self motivation or a method to rationalize knitting/crocheting and buying yarn for 2 afghans, we all have our devices.

My plan was to use Katie's progress on her blanket, not expecting her to be remotely interested in my race, as a guide for my own progress.

Well.....I mentioned it to her and she is all in. She loved the idea  and did I mention, she can be very competative....yikes....she is going to give me a run, that's for certain.  Actually, I think this will be tons of fun.  Race on!

I will post pictures and progress tomorrow.

 

so blue

A very quick update! 

I have decided to put my other smaller,  blue projects on hold for the moment, so I can be at my competitive best in The Great Blanket Race. They may re-emerge, but for now they are on a "back burner".

And did I mention that I frogged one three times....OK ...so the truth is out.

Stay tuned for updated stats on The Great Blanket Race. =)

the great blanket race

Knitting or crocheting an afghan/blanket I have always avoided because of the time commitment and the amount of yarn reqired. 

With that being said, now that I have started two afghans at the same time (this sounds even crazier as I'm typing it), I decided to have some fun with it and measure the race in hanks or skeins.  I am going to race myself and race Katie too (she may not be game to this) but I'm going to gauge it like this to keep me going and to get these projects on my completed list.

 

So here are the stats to date:

 

Katie's Retro Crochet Blanket  working on hank 7 of 19* skein project -   36% complete 

My Retro Crochet Blanket working on hank 7 of 19 skein project - 36% complete

My Teal Blue Knit Blanket working on hank 2 of  11 hank project - 9% complete

 

*Katie wasn't sure at the time how many hanks she had but will confirm in the next update.

 And they're off!

 

Feel free to jiin in our/my fun and we can keep track together

feeling blue

Believe me I have noticed.  It seems like most everything I am knitting is a beautiful teal turquoise sort of blue....not that there is anything wrong with that.  Clearly I love blue, but not just any blue, its the greek isles, caribbean watery blues that call my name these days. 

Is it a gravitational pull?  Magnets?  Is it seasonal?  Do I want to go on vacation? (the answer to that question is always, YES!)  Who knows what draws us to one color verses another?  Oooo....I wonder if anyone has ever done a study on that.... I'd love to know more.

To make matters more blue, I have a couple more projects in the wings that are that same flavor of blue. Please endure, as I look onto my stash of pretties there is a lot of purpley chocolate browns in my future.  I love richness of that color too.

4 letter word

What's happening?  I just started to crochet an afghan with Katie in our retro afghan-a-long.  And then out of no where.....

I see a sign in the window ..... it speaks to me.... SALE .....and...... then it happened....

Those 4 simple letters S  A  L  E 

They have such power

Any sensible reason goes out the window....swish.....

Do I need it..... no

Do I need it...... no

Do I need it...... no

Do I want it ......yes

Do I need it ......yes

If you haven't guessed by now it is yarn.  It's always yarn.  But not just any yarn, its 50% Baby Alpaca and 50% Merino Wool, it a beautiful tonal shades of Tealing Blue, its Misti Alpaca Tonos.  Its 218 yards of soft goodness.  Sweet!

OK. Here is the part that normal reasoning may be questioned....

Normally, 1 - 3 hanks would curb the need for a hat and a scarf.  But noooo, I had to have all 11 hanks that remained because I HAD to have it to make ANOTHER AFGHAN.  Yes I did!  The last time I made was more than 5 years ago....hence not an avid afghan knitter or crocheter.

Now wait... it gets better.  I had to come up with a pattern and knit the first hank to make sure that 11 hanks would be enough to get the width and the length I wanted.  Or would I have to design it with some well thought out, planned and engineered stripes in a different solor to extend the yarn to get a blanket that just the right size, really a blanket that was not too small.

Here is the the start of blanket #2 =)

The yarn is beautiful... right?  You would have done the same thing.....right?  OK then. Here is the piece de la no-resistance.

And 11 hanks is perfect!

 

More later.....

 

what's old is new

My dear Grandma, who is responsible for teaching me to crochet (after much begging..... that's another story), made beautiful afghans that she churned out, she had them all around her house and her friends homes too.

I was so thrilled at the ripe age of 16 when she offered to make  one for  me (I think I may have even squealed) ... she even allowed me to pick out my own colors (this might have been a mistake on her part). I don't remember where we went to purchase the yarn, but it was her favorite place that carried a vast color selection of Red Heart, yes dare I say Red Heart. Red Heart is an acrylic yarn, its known for its durability but not its softness. Back then, wool was not as easily attainable as it is today and Red Heart was the obvious choice. Thank goodness times have changed.

At the tender age of 16, I did not have much of a color sense but clearly I was in need of some pink in my life..... I chose baby pink, cotton candy pink, red and burgundy.  I watched her work on it (which thinking back now, my color choices were probably painful for her to work on) but I fell in love with it instantly.

 

It has been with me ever since, even though my color sensibility has matured (thank goodness), I will always cherish it.  It hasn't always been treated with care, it even has a fairly large  burn mark on it where it got too close to a space heater when I first lived on my own. Yikes!  I thought I died that day.... I ruined my precious afghan, the afghan my Grandma made just for me. Its been stowed away because it was marred, but not any more.....the burn mark is just part of the story.

So this past winter on one of those very chilly days, I pulled it out of the closet and my daughter saw it and said that she loved that afghan and wanted to make one. I have always thought it would be fun to make these afghans too, but really didn't know the pattern. 

Katie knows how to knit but has never crocheted, she signed up for Beginning Crochet lessons and we decided that to have a afghan-a-long, this is where we would both work on our individual afghans together. Katie now crochets beautifully, my Grandma would be so proud and I dusted off my skills and found the pattern that matched the one she made.

So we selected our wool, that's right, wool....since we are making heirlooms, we want them to be heirloom quality and Red Heart won't due, but rather some beautiful Cascade128 superwash merino wool.  We started are afghans at the end of winter but put them aside when the temps got too warm to work on a big and heavy project.  We have both pulled them out again to start working on them.   

Katie chose to make hers in three colors, a beautiful marine blue, a fresh spring green and natural. 

I chose to make mine mostly in a natural color with small accents of caramel.  

We are having such a good time, Katie is loving the idea of making a retro blanket and I am thoroughly enjoying the fond memories I'm having of my dear sweet Grandma while working on my new Retro Ripple Afghan. 

  

 

 

 

 

music box socks

Inspired by a music box......even I think this sounds a little crazy.....but here is the first pics of "Mira" (named after the antique music box I spied a couple of weeks ago.

 

I love knitting socks, but I have not knit as many lately as I used to.....so working on Mira has been a fun knit Cerulean (5637). The yardage is very generous and knits up beautifully and is available in 80 or so colors. Its 75% superwash merino, 25% nylon... a perfect workhorse sock yarn.

 

 

The pattern for Mira will be available on Ravelry tomorrow with more pictures.

May you hear music all day long.

 

garden inspired

 
Alas! I am finally able to publish my latest design, Villandry Lace Shawl.

I owe a big thank you from the students in my Intro to Lace Knitting class last knit. They showed so much enthusiasm for this design that I got it in gear and got it written and available for a pdf download. Thank you Lenora, Judy, Antoinette, Elizabeth, Sally and Michelle... =)

Villandry Lace Shawl was inspired by the breathtaking gardens of the Loire Valley and named specifically for the famous labyrinth and maze style gardens at Château de Villandry in France's Loire Valley.

 

 

This shawl was done in a lace weight yarn, specifically Jaggerspun Zephyr which is 50% extra fine merino wool and 50% Chinese Tussah Silk. The pattern is available on Ravelry as well as the rest of my design collection, Knitting Buzz Designs.

 

 

This was a really fun project and will work well in all weight yarns and could be adapted to a smaller scarf size or to a larger afghan size.

 

Happy Knitting

au revoir
!

much ado about nothing

While running errands yesterday opportunities presented itself all around me to wait.  And since I had the presence of mind to tuck in my music box inspired sock design in my bag, I was able to knock out a few rows here and there.......

So...... I got to thinking, knitting (or crocheting) is a no fuss, easy set up, sneak a few minutes in here of there hobby.  Lets say I have 15 minutes to kill or wait.... Scrapbooking? That won't work, to much set up time, lots of tabletop space required, lots of equipment and not to mention the time to pack it back up.  Painting? to bulky, to messy and lots of set up/take down time.......by the time you get everything set up, your 15 minutes have passed......the same is true with pottery, weaving, stamp collecting and many others.

Don't get me wrong.... I admire all creative hobbies and those who are skilled at them.  I'm just saying that knitting (or crocheting) is perfect for filling random minutes thru the day. Pick it up, do a half a row, set it down and easy to pick it right back up from where you left it. There is no mandatory minimum amount of time.

I will also remember that if I only knit 15 minutes a day, it may take me months to finish a pair of socks.