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I finally learned how to crochet a few weeks ago. Well... I technically learned a while ago, but it felt so wrong and so difficult. This time I was determined to feel the speed of crochet, so, I watched endless streams of videos on youtube and finally made my first granny square. Good stuff. The motion of hooking yarn and pulling it through is so comforting to me. Like I need to do this. Like I've been waiting all my life to pull yarn through loops with a hook. It's crazy. LUCKILY, I am not fond at all of the crocheted fabric, so, it looks like it'll be knitting for me (although I've been having these reoccurring thoughts of a crocheted throw blanket for my bed x_X).
I figure, if I just keep crocheting around.. it'll end up big enough to cover my bed?
In related news, crocheting takes up WAY too much yarn. I had to change the way I held the yarn because it needed to more freely flow through my fingers, any tension at all just messes it all up. o_O
Hmm, I finished my circular shrug. I'm still trying to find someone who can fit it so I can take a few pictures. ^_^ Hopefully I'll get one of my cousins to try it on come Sunday.
I CO for my sweater as well. My very first sweater. =) I had knit a gauge swatch and calculated how many I'd have to CO for like a month before I actually went ahead and started it. So far it's been moving pretty slowly... but quickly. In a matter of two days I had gone through my first skein of yarn (Cascade 220, btw) and my sweater only measured a bit over 6 inches. o_O So, my yarn is knitting up fast, but, I'm just not getting much length. The endless stockinette hasn't driven me insane yet, it's actually quite relaxing. I think my Harry Potter scarf could've easily been a sweater's amount of stockinette, and that only drove me crazy near the end where I rushed to finish. I'm just hoping to finish the sweater before it starts getting chilly.
The yarn is a little grey here... in real life it has a deeper blue color. So, it's a nice medium grey-blue. Good stuff.
Hmmm, my other WIP include the Branching Out Scarf which I rarely work on. I made a mistake the other day but luckily I had a life line so it's all fixed minus a pattern repeat and a half. The Noro scarf has seen even less knitting time, but, it'll probably end up as my travel WIP once the sweater starts getting heftier. And... that's about all. =)
Knit hard!
check it out.
Stitches Midwest turned out to be... interesting. SO many stores and SO MUCH YARN. Quite overwhelming. Luckily, with the help of ravelry.com I was able to create a list of projects I wanted to knit in the future. My list included the pattern-suggested yarn as well as alternative yarns that other knitters used. Oh ravelry, so helpful.
I brought my friend Danielle along. Out of the 3 people I've taught to knit she's the only one who stuck with it. She already conquered cables and knitting in the round... it took me over 6 months to get that far... I guess she's a really good student... or I'm just an awesome teacher. LoL.
Tangent. ... So... here's what I managed to find:
Mmm, silky wool. I brought my Branching Out scarf as my WIP to Stitches... I was really enjoying knitting it at the time (right now it's been waiting for me to finish my circular shrug--see below). I had already decided it would make an awesome gift so I decided to grab another ball so I could make another. I think the second one will be for my mom.
This yarn is a long story. =)
At the end of last winter I was at Coach with my best friend Lora. They had these beautiful cashmere blend scarves for sale. Sale to them was still over $200. x_X I decided, that I would find similar colors and a similar cashmere yarn and knit them for myself.
Finding both the same colors and yarn proved to be difficult... it wasn't until Stitches that I saw 3 of the almost perfect color ways. They weren't cashmere though... they happened to be 100% alpaca. We passed up the table and I kept them in the back of my mind. Finally, on our semi-second round of the market I decided to buy them. 100% alpaca is cRaZy soft... of course, not as orgasmic as cashmere, but, would definitely make a great scarf. So, here's to my Coach knock-off.
Mmm, sock yarn. ... I hate knitting socks. =( After my 3 separate attempts I still don't have a pair of socks that fit or match. Luckily, this skein of Lorna's Lace is for Eunny Jang's Endpaper Mitts. I've been eye-ing them ever since I fell into the world of knitting blogs. It'll be my first color work project, and, I'm quite excited. I, strangely, ended up with a very similar color choice to her original pair...
I just love the blue-brown combo.
Well, those were my purchases from this year's Stitches Midwest. I'm already looking forward to next year. Sadly, we didn't win any prizes, but, Danielle got a free mini-hank of Malabrigo lace weight. mmmm. I ended up getting my picture taken for The Panopticon's 1000 Knitter's Project--and I'm knitter 100!
We also felt some buttery soft cashmere... sadly the small skein was $46. Definitely out of my budget. It was so soft we went back after our initial round through the market to get a second touch. ^_^
I'll leave you with one last picture.
Danielle and I decided to do our own mini knit-along. We chose the Circular Shrug pattern, and, we've been working hardcore on it since we started. So hardcore, in fact, that we both claim the project is sucking the life out of us. Hopefully it'll be done soon so she can wear it and I can take pictures and gift it.
Knit hard!
I've been trying to find something 'nice' to knit for my old boss--the one who taught me the ways of knitting. I was considering another Clapotis... but, I don't really remember enjoying the process very much. o_O I've been eye-ing the Branching Out scarf for a while and on Ravelry.com it's one of the most knitted projects, so, I decided to go for it. I ended up going with the recommended Silky Wool.
It's such a complex pattern. I've even learned 3 new decreases. Branching Out is also my first lace pattern. I think I remember reading something from the Yarn Harlot about a lace project she as knitting... and how it started off as something really messy and how she regretted knitting it... but then once she blocked it then the magic started. That's sort of how my project is looking right now. I can definitely see the leafy pattern, but, blocking will DEFINITELY make this look better. I can't wait to finish. ^_^
This lace knitting takes up 100% of my concentration... so I can't knit while "watching my stories" like I can with most of my other projects. I decided that I needed a mindless WIP to have while traveling and sitting in front of some DVDs. That project ended up being a second Noro striped scarf.
It's still so magical to me... all the colors and the transitioning. Hahahaha. I was working on it yesterday and I ran into a few rows where both of the balls turned into brown-ish colors. o_O I didn't know what to do... I was considering cutting out the brown section on one ball, but, I really have difficulties ripping or frogging.. so, I just let it go. Hopefully the beauty of the rest of the scarf will drown out this one muddy patch.
I also wanted to share one of my only purchases from the Fiber Arts Fair thing from a few weeks ago. I ended up getting a skein of Briar Rose - Buff Beauty. It's a THICK single ply yarn. I seriously have to force myself not to try to take a bite out of it. o_O it's so springy and delicious.
I decided to knit a length-wise scarf with it. The recommended needles are a 13... but, after my first row I found it to be too tight. The resulting fabric was quite stiff, so, I switched to a 15. Of course, I didn't restart.. I just kinda switched right in the middle of my 2nd row. o_O But, you know me. I'm a bit afraid that my scarf won't be thick enough now... but, we'll see.
I'll be going to Stitches Midwest on Sunday. Just for the market... no classes for me. I'm gonna take a guess and say I'll be the only shaved-bald Asian/Filipino boy there, if you see me say hi! =) I'm not sure which project I'll be bringing to work on... I'm leaning towards the Noro scarf though.
I knit up the Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet the other week. It was really quick, took about 3-4 days at about 2-3 hours a day. I used a yarn from Joann's Bellezza Collection. Starts with a "D"... very thick and soft. I didn't really have anyone in mind for the capelet, I just wanted to prove to myself that I could knit an actual garment--something that wasn't a scarf, hat, or accessory. I had my friend Lora try it on the other day and it fit fairly well so she will be the recipient once I wash and block it.
I originally began knitting with wooden straight needles (my favorite) but they soon became too full to hold all the stitches, so, I switched to my next longer needles which were aluminum. These were just toooo slippery for the yarn and it made knitting a bit of a challenge, but, in the end it was a fairly easy project.
That's my Tenorikuma... his name is Latte. Obviously an attention whore. A friend was telling me about a new Sanrio character months ago who supposedly was related to coffee (knowing how hard of a coffee addict I am). I finally hit up Gurnee Mills and stopped into the Sanrio store and fond the Tenorikuma... who supposedly work in coffee shops. The "leader" is Latte... who has a heart in his ear to distinguish him from the rest. Of course, I had to buy him.
On the subject of purchases... I FINALLY bought an interchangeable needle set. I'm so stubborn. I always said to myself that I wouldn't buy one because I love my wooden needles AND I prefer straights over circulars... but, in order to knit my current WIP I needed a size 9 circular with a relatively short cable. Of course none of the 4 stores I went to had any so I binged and bought a Boye set.
I'm surprisingly REALLY happy with my purchase. They are unbelievably useful and I feel like I'll never have to buy needles again ... well, except for maybe completing a set of DPNs. The case is great too, very not-girly which many knitting related supplies tend to lean toward... and it's all small and compact and well organized. I love it. =)
My current WIP is Coachella from knitty.com. It's part of my growth towards a full-on sweater. I actually feel like I'm ready to knit one. Ouuuu, big step. Coachella has been a breeze, a VERY easy to follow pattern. I've been working on it for maybe 5 days now with Lion Brand Cotton Ease. I'll hopefully be finished knitting by tomorrow or the day after.
The Cotton-Ease is interesting to work with. The yarn itself is very firm and thick and it holds stitch definition quite well. The drape seems to be a bit on the stiff side for a top, but, I'd actually like to see the garment on a person and then judge the drape for real.
I had this hat from H&M that I LOVE and I've been wanting to try to knit it, but I've never been able to find the right yarn. This Cotton-Ease is the perfect match. =)
get out of the way!
That's how it's going. So, I still have to share my trip to the Folk and Fiber Arts Fair thingie from the other weekend and my collection of DS Lite cases. ^_^
Knit hard!
I managed to finish my Harry Potter scarf in time for the movie. I spent Monday and Tuesday frantically knitting, trying to surpass my one-stripe-a-day record. Tuesday night I passed out, exhausted with one and a half stripes remaining. I finished these on Wednesday morning, spent two hours weaving in ends o_O and tossed it in the washer.
I blocked it for a few hours and once I felt it was holding its shape I threw it in the dryer for a quick spin. I then began the surprisingly painful task of tassels. I pulled the last one through minutes before I had to leave for the movie, but, my scarf was done. It's seriously one of the best things I've knitted.
On a sad note, I ended up not wearing my scarf. The hardcore fans went at Tuesday, midnight... and none of the people in my packed theater were dressed in any HP garb. I felt a bit embarrassed. PLUS, my scarf is the older movie scarf... hahahaha. Oh well, I'll definitely be modeling it when it gets colder.
On the subject of FO's... I knit a Noro scarf a month or two ago. I saw brooklyntweed knit one and, as usual, I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
The striping and color changing is seriously magic. It was awesome knitting it, but, since I bought the Noro on-line I didn't get a good feel for the colors and I'm not too fond of the different combinations. I definitely plan to try this one again.
Ahh, Noro. This was actually my first experience, and, what a great experience. Well, ... it was surprising how many little twigs and things I found caught in the yarn... and Noro is definitely NOT the softest yarn, but, the colors are phenomenal.
Recently, after being doubly inspired by knitensity (http://knitensity.blogspot.com/) I finished the Anthropologie Inspired wrap/shrug deal... my first ever garment. It was REALLY fast, took about 3 days. AND, yesterday I cast on for Coachella.
Being that I'm not a girl, I'm having difficulties deciding on sizes, but, I have a few friends in mind. =) Pictures to arrive soon. Soon I will conquer the vest and ultimately a sweater.
It has definitely been a while since I last posted. Summer has been extremely slow. The job hunt has been slow, knitting has been VERY slow, photography has been even slower, and the lack of any activity is now apparent in my blog. Sorry!
Hopefully things will start moving again.
I have much to share, but, for now I'll show you my current and most important WIP.
A Harry Potter scarf!
A few weeks ago I decided I'd knit a Gryffindor scarf for the opening of the new movie. On Saturday I had been working on the scarf for a week and a half and I was exactly half way done with my scarf. Pretty exciting. I checked my calendar and calculated that I had a bit less than a week left: 6 days to be exact to finish my scarf. I'd definitely have to up my pace, but, I figured I could do it.
While surfing the net I ran into an ad for the movie that said it opened on Wednesday the 11th. ... yeah... so, today being Sunday I'm left with only 3 more days to knit the second half, block, and add fringe. I'm a liiiiiitle scared.
I've decided to dedicate the rest of tonight towards knitting the scarf and hopefully I can get about 3-4 stripes done per day. I'd ideally like to finish the knitting by Tuesday so I can block overnight and add tassels on Wednesday before the movie. Hmm. I'll have to hope for the best.
In other news I was tagged for the weird things meme. Here's a quick list of mine:
1. This hasn't happened in a while, but, through most of HS and a few times in college I'll have a day where I have intense urges to make things on my body symmetrical. If I had an itch on my left ear and scratched it, I would have to scratch my right ear as well for balance. If I accidentally hit my left foot on a door frame I'd make sure to hit my right foot as well. It would just go on and on. During these days I'd also have a desire to touch certain points on the line of symmetry of my body. Mainly, the top, center of my head. The point between my nose and lips. My adam's apple. And somewhere near my xyzphoid process. o_O I'm glad those days are over, for the most part.
2. When I'm in bed I can fall asleep within 5-10 minutes. I've had this on-going "story"/"soap opera" in my head since my sophomore year of high school that i relive most nights before I knock out. It's my belief that I've subconsciously associated the fantasy with sleeping. 9 or so years later, all I have to do is pick up where I left off in the story the night before and a few minutes later I'll be asleep. Needless to say, the story doesn't get very far and I have a tendency to repeat part of the previous night's episode.
3. I like to shelter myself. I already know what I don't like and I'll do whatever I can to prevent myself from experiencing it. For example, I used to love getting scared watching horror movies in the theatre. But now, I know that not only will I be scared in the theatre--I'll be scared for at least the next five days. So I've stopped watching scary movies. I'll close my eyes and cover my ears if a preview for a horror film is on TV. If I'm reading a book and it is the least bit spooky I'll stop.
I also don't like to be sad or realize how twisted some people can be... to prevent myself from experiencing/realizing I don't watch the news.
Those are just two of many examples.
4. I don't mind doing things alone and in some cases I'd prefer it that way. I'm always eating alone in restaurants, watching movies alone, going shopping alone. Once in a while it would be nice to do those with someone, but, sometimes no one is available and I'm a big believer of indulging in your desires at the instant you have them. I hate grocery shopping with other people though. hahaha. Especially comparison shoppers. On my list of things I've done alone that actually made me feel lonely or self-conscious (meaning I'd rather not do them again) include going to great america alone AND riding rides, and going to the art institute alone.
5. When I'm nervous or uncomfortable I'll start finger spelling. Sign language, you know? Most of the time I don't even know what I'm spelling until I actually look at my hand or focus on what I'm doing. The word always comes from something I hear--maybe on the radio or in a passing conversation. I never spell words with double letters like "spoon" or "letters" or "moon" etc. unless it's an "L" like "hello". And it's mostly nouns or verbs but never proper nouns (aside from my name which I tend to finger spell even when I'm not nervous).
6. When I write in notebooks I never use the first two pages (sometimes even 3). This started originally from wanting to design a cover page and also form a table of contents after the notebook was filled. When I'm taking notes in a class, if any of the first 3 lines of the page looks messy or ugly or poorly written I'll restart my notes on a new page. If it gets messy further down in the page I ignore it.
7. If I'm eating something small that requires taking bites... like, a chicken nugget I have to finish what I start. If I take a bite out of a nugget put it down and it falls on the floor I have to pick it up and finish it. I freak out if someone else eats something I've taken a bite out of. With something big, like a burger, I can share... but I'd rather the person take a bite from an area that I had not previously taken a bite from. If I'm eating something smaller like, a potato chip, the chip that is in my hand moving towards my mouth must be eaten by me. If it falls in the mud I have to eat it. Crazy? Probably. I actually have an explanation for why I do this... but... explaining it would make me appear even more insane. Has a lot to do with un-fulfillment and mouth shapes.
So.. that's some randomness about me! I'll tag... whoever wants to share some of their craziness. ^_^ Now to my Harry Potter scarf.
It's been over a week since my last post. Not too many FO's. I finished one Dashing in Malabrigo. It's part of a set I'm knitting for my cousin.
dashing in velvet grapes
I LOVE Malabrigo. A friend of mine had a birthday party over the weekend. She really liked the pair of Dashing I had so instead of yet another pair I decided to try Fetching. I went to Wool & Co. to get some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, but, they didn't have any. They did, however, have an ample supply of Malabrigo, so, I bought some in Pink Frost and Verde Adriana. I ended up knitting Fetching in the Pink Frost colorway with a few changes--the main one being I made the gloves significantly longer. Sadly, I was weaving in the ends as we were driving to her house so no pictures. =(
It was really sunny yesterday so I decided to take pictures of yarn I've recently acquired.
I bought this from the JoAnn store near my house during their huge closing sale. It was 50% off. It's Sensations: Bellezza Collection. It's so soft and luscious. I thought it'd make a decent pair of Fetching, but, I'm not sure about the gauge. I only have two balls so I'm a bit limited in what I can create, but, it's wonderful yarn. Wool, nylon, and cotton.
This is Bearfoot sock yarn. I lost the label for it so I went online to look up its information. Turns out you need US 1 or 2 needles. o_O I have no idea what "inspired" me to pick up this yarn, but, I'm very afraid. Four is seriously the smallest size I've used and the smallest size I own. Hmmm. I'll definitely try it, though. I wouldn't want it to go to waste. ^_^
And finally, my Malabrigo. This is my current Malabrigo stash in its entirety. The Verde Adriana is all the way on the left, you can see the leftover Pink Frost in a sad little heap on the right. Slightly above the Pink Frost is Saphire Magenta Gold. SO beautiful. The moment I saw it I had to buy it. I love the really contrast-y variegated colorways. I believe the rest have been featured on my blog at one point or another. =) It's good stuff, that Malabrigo.
There are a few more pictures on my flickr. You can see close ups of Verde Adriana and the Saphire Magenta Gold among other things.
I actually have nothing on my needles right now, but, on my to do list is the other Dashing, and the other sock (it's been so long, I forgot what size needles I used x_X).
Knit hard!
