Feb 12 2010

Flame On! (aka: Knitting Olympics)

Category: Crochet,Internettage,Knitting — Mistress Rows @ 3:34 pm

Personally, I have no attachment to the Olympics. I do admire athletes for their dedication, physical excellence, and their ability to inspire others. Still, I’ve never had a burning desire to watch athletes on the television at any time in my life, aside from dancers or ice-skating. Music is a game changer for me, apparently. The nationalistic medal tallying aspect doesn’t resonate with me, but again… to each their own. Go forth, be excellent! While I have no plans watch the Olympics myself, I will be participating, in a fashion. Enter the Knitting Olympics.

For those of us who are part of the online fiber community, you’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard of either incarnation of this fiber-focused challenge. It started in 2006 with the Yarn Harlot’s creation of the Knitting Olympics. I was a relatively fresh knitter then, and I loved the idea of it. Thousands of knitters, all across the world, all casting on for a personally challenging project at (or nearly after) the opening ceremonies, and (hopefully) finishing before the closing ceremony. Little did she know that it would be covered by major news outlets, and become a ‘thing’. My challenge was to knit my first lace shawl in a thicker yarn, and finish it, including blocking, before time ran out. It was epic, and I loved every minute of it, finishing two days ahead of schedule.

When Ravelry came on to the scene, come the Summer Olympics in 2008, a new version was born. The Ravelympics expanded on the idea include themed events that could encompass knitting, crochet, and spinning. It went all ‘splodey from there. I don’t know how many people participated, but with hundreds of thousands of members even then, you can be sure the number was huge. I didn’t participate that time around, and I’m not sure why.

Long suffering Tilt.

This year I’m counting myself as a participant in both, at least in spirit. My goal is multi-phase. To start, as part of Team Suck Less on Ravelry, I will finish my Tilt sweater. You know, the one I almost gave myself an injury trying to finish for Rhinebeck. There’s still plenty of winter left here in NY, and I want to get some use out of it to ward off the chill in our little house. Should I finish that, and depending on how much time is left, I will pick up my hook and finish off the only other UFO I have in the house… my Prarie Star Afghan. Oh Prarie Star, I have not forgotten you! The afghan is purely the icing on the cake, there’s still a lot of work to be done, and if it weren’t for the fact that I want the sweater more, I’d focus on this instead, it’s that epic.

Longest suffering Prarie Star Afghan.

These are good goals. If I manage both I will be 100% entirely up to date on all projects. Nothing’s lurking in a corner anywhere, no skeletons in my Wall of Wool. Coming out of the Olympics I’ll be the owner of my third sweater, a beautiful afghan, and will be ready for the upcoming design projects I have planned.

Now, as soon as I’m done plying that bobbin and dyeing fiber tonight…

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Jan 22 2009

All Wrapped Up

Category: Crochet,Designing,FO,events — Mistress Rows @ 5:41 pm

I still don’t have any good action shots of me wearing my new shawl, but I do have some nicer shots of it off the blocking board. It’s amazing what you can do with those last few minutes of light as you’re walking in the door. These photos were taken just as you reach my front steps, part of the charm of living in an old brick “Victorian” are the little details that you can’t afford or find in newer homes.

Wrap in repose.

Wrap in repose.

The shawl is probably 8 feet long, after blocking. Part of that is the effect of gravity, the weight of the shawl pulls it longer – which has the unfortunate side effect of making it narrower. It’s about as wide as your average wrap, but not as wide as I’d hoped. I’m sensing a theme. Next time I design one of these things I’m going to make it at least 25% wider than I think I should. Then again, if I’d made this particular project wider I’d have run out of yarn, or at least cut it VERY close. The length of the shawl is actually perfect, in that I’m able to toss it over one shoulder and saunter about my workplace feeling very elegant. Well, as elegant as one can be in tailored chinos and combat boots.

What’s really excited me are the comments I’ve gotten, online and off, as to offering the pattern for sale. I feel weird about it because the pattern involved a bit of “fudging” which is a familiar term to those who designs their own crochet patterns. Crochet is very free form, and it has an organic quality to it that’s hard to explain if you don’t already crochet. You can literally stitch any shape, wander off in strange and unexpected directions, and literally create almost anything you can imagine. Not that you can’t experience freedom in knitting, but it’s much more immediate in crochet, for me. So, what I’m getting at is that I feel odd saying “fiddle with the stitch count until you have this many filet crochet boxes across, generally skipping every other stitch (or more as needed). I’m going to sit down with a pen and paper this weekend to see if it’s as awkward as I think.

 

If I do end up getting to where I’m comfortable then I plan to offer it as my first pay-pattern. I’ve already got one pattern up for free on Ravelry, strange that both involve crochet on one level or another.

I planned on starting mom’s wedding shawl, with commercial yarn, when I realized that I’d bought the wrong yarn for the pattern. I had it in my head that the pattern called for 1,200 yards of lace weight, so I purchased Knit Picks Gloss Lace. Turns out it needs fingering weight yarn, I had it half right, but I should have bought the regular Gloss. Damnit. And I really want to get started on that so I can pick up and put it down over the course of the year till it’s done. Steve’s sweater is also frustrating me, but instead of a project I can’t start, this one I can’t finish! The local stores don’t have the yarn in stock right now and since my order total is under $25, I’d have to pay as much as the single ball is worth in shipping… plus tax! What kind of nonsense is this? Grrr. I’m not sure what to do, to be honest. JoAnn’s is usually no problem for me.

Lastly, I’ve had some really nice feedback about the Stir Crazy Stitch & Spin online and off. I’m hoping we get a nice crowd, I’ll be putting flyers up locally starting next Tuesday. Oddly enough, my announcement drew a “disagree” on Ravelry, could it be because I asked that all children be closely attended by an adult? Hopefully no one takes offense, but it’s important to me that everyone be able to enjoy themselves. Spinning wheels are not only potentially dangerous to little fingers, but they’re also very expensive. I’ve seen, more than once at public events, a child anywhere from 8-12 years old just sit down and start pulling or pedaling roughly at the wheel. I love kids, I really do, but I’m trying to think of everyone. Hopefully guests will understand. Anyway, if you’re local, I hope I’ll see you there!

Mood: Content
Listening to:  Disturbed – Sacred Lie

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Jan 18 2009

On a Roll!

Category: Crochet,FO,Knitting,WIP — Mistress Rows @ 9:07 pm

Come Friday I was amazed that it was the weekend already (again) and now, come Sunday, I’m mystified as to how it’s just about Monday (again). I live in a time vortex, I swear. 

HOWEVER… I can feel absolutely, 100 freakin’ percent pleased with how much I’ve accomplished in the last few days. Let’s start with the Sweater of DOOM, shall we? As you can see, I have re-knit the bottom. What you can’t see is that it’s a simple seed stitch border. The reason why you can’t see it is because I refuse to take a close up until it gets a bath and block. Let’s just say ramen yarn isn’t particularly attractive. I’ve got high hopes that the bath will do much to even out all that nonsense. It does look much nicer on him now, that I will say! Skimming ladies, skimming. 

Tweedy grey sweater of MADNESS.

Tweedy grey sweater of MADNESS.

Our next picture shows just how close to the end that I was before I ran out of yarn. Oh yes, sweet, sweet denial. I kept telling myself I had one more ball of yarn. What I should have kept in mind instead was the undeniable truth of the universe. My husband has monkey arms. I think he has monkey arms just so that he reach things on high shelves, have enough length to wrap around my largeness, and to drive me mad whilst knitting him a sweater out of the deep well of love in my heart. 

Cruel fate, so close yet so far.

Cruel fate, so close yet so far.

That last part might just be the melodrama in me talking. I don’t really believe he has monkey arms just to spite me. 

Now, on to things of a much more thrilling and satisfying nature! With great fortitude and strength of spirit, I crocheted my little heart out on Saturday and finished my Maja Shawl (new name yet to be found) in time to wear it to Steve’s company dinner at a VERY posh restaurant later that evening. Even unblocked it was gorgeous, though a bit more like a really wide scarf, but still servicable as a wrap. Steve, sweetheart that he is, pointed out several times that I had made it myself since all his coworkers know that I knit, spin and crochet. He’s a keeper, that one. Totally makes up for the monkey arms. 

If you only knew how BADLY she wants to be laying on that mat.

If you only knew how BADLY she wants to be laying on that mat.

I am IN LOVE with this shawl. Everything about it makes me happy. The yarn has a bit of texture due to it being essentially a thread plied single. It is incredibly soft, yet durable because it’s a wool/acrylic blend, about 56% wool if I remember correctly. The pattern for the body is very easily memorized, and the lacy border was a fun break (and took way longer than you’d think). I truly enjoyed every bit of designing it, though fudging the fit so the different pattern counts would work makes me wary of writing it up for others. I think I’ll design another shawl in the same style in the future, with the aim of offering it for sale. 

Oooh... purty...

Oooh... purty...

All told, do you wanna know how much it cost me to crochet this stole? I used 6.5 balls out of 8 and they cost me $1.50 each on sale. Yes, I made a generously sized stole (in crochet!) for $9.75. Crazy! And what really makes me smile is that unlike sometimes, this was sale yarn that actually fit my needs exactly. It isn’t languishing in my stash, a guilty purchase that has no future. I made KICK ASS-NESS with it! I’m all about the kickin’ of the ass. I just wish the light were still good so I could show you what it looked like when it was done drying… it blocked out perfectly and I lurves it very much. 

Gothic-y goodness!

Gothic-y goodness!

Lastly, I have started a pair of mittens in the same yarn as my mom’s cowl. Since I never posted on the old blog about mom’s cowl (that I remember) I’ll make a nice combined post when they’re done and share all the love at once. For now I will show you this much, though I am actually far enough along that in a few minutes I’ll be decreasing for the top of the first mitten. 

Mom's been asking for them, and I am happy to oblige.

Mom's been asking for them, and I am happy to oblige.

 

Listening to: Guns ‘n Roses – Welcome to the Jungle
Mood: Inordinantly Pleased

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Jan 03 2009

Really? Really!

Category: Crochet,Designing,Knitting,WIP — Mistress Rows @ 7:12 pm

Despite a seeming complete and utter lack of knitting and spinning content on this blog during the holidays, I can tell you wtih all honesty that yes, indeed, work has been done! And lo, work has picked up on the husbeast’s sweater! It better pick up, the damned thing needs to be finished by January 11th, his 35th birthday. 

Lo! A sleeve!
Lo! A sleeve!

As you can see, there’s a sleeve there. The sleeve has since been finished and I am happy to say that I have a couple of inches of the second sleeve done. I am NOT so terribly pleased to note that I despise the cabled bottom when actually worn by the husband in question. It’s neither flattering on his “man’s body” nor is it at all what I was hoping for. *le sigh* So, I will have to rip it out and redo it with the simple 1×1 ribbing I did on the cuffs. Boring, but the tweedy yarn doesn’t allow for the cables to popl like I wanted. Everything looks muddy and overstretched. 

My other current project is a shawl for myself that I am crocheting. I titled it Maja when I started it, since it’s my working women’s shawl, functional yet pretty. Imagine my surprise when the winter Knitty published and there was another shawl by the same name. Crappers. Bah! I am safe and secure in the knowledge that I named mine before that one was published, but since mine’s still a work in progress I suppose I’ll have to rename it. 

 

 

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Curled up, about four feet long right now.

Curled up, about four feet long right now.

The yarn is Stellina, by JoAnn’s, and I’m very much enjoying working with it. I bought it when they put it on super sale, instead of $6 per 50g ball I paid $1 or $1.50, depending on what day I bought that particular batch (I went back for more). The yarn isn’t discontinued, they just “clearanced” it for some reason. Now it’s back in stock like nothing happened. Anyway, the yarn is 54% Wool, 36% Acrylic, 10% Nylon, roughly sport/DK weight with a nylon wrap. It’s similar in construction to Lion Brand Homespun, for reference. 

 

I see the shawl becoming a slightly frilly wrap that I can use to keep the back of my neck warm at work. Since my hair is so long, and I am so lazy, when I wash it I end up going to work with a wet head. Said wet hair has to be put up, but the cold air still falls on the back of my neck and really gives me the chills. Having something durable, but still mostly wool to wrap around myself will be very welcome. Plus, it’s the kind of thing that transitions from work to afterhours easily. I can see myself wearing it with a nice dress to a great restaurant in a heartbeat. 

There’s spinning as well, but I’m going to save that for it’s own FO post. I haven’t been doing nearly so much as I’d like, but I did get a challenge done, to spin up some of the roving I bought at SOAR. This one’s a real beaut too! I really enjoyed spinning it, and it was a bought from a brand new vendor (to me). 

Hope you’re having a great weekend, I’m spending mine with the hubs and The Doctor!

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