Oh Where, Oh Where, Has My Motivation Gone?

Oh Where, Oh Where, Could It Be?
(Sung to the tune of Der Deitcher's Dog)

I haven't made that much progress. :-(  I truly expected to be done with Gwen's scarf by now. It will be spring by the time I finish this SCARFZILLA, which seems to be growing in size not only the way I intended, but sideways. I told Gwen it probably wouldn't be ready any time soon and she is such a kind and patient soul. Her response was, "Well that's OK it will be ready for next winter." She is such an awesome person.

Scarf or blanket? You decide.

We decided that the "official" size I will make a scarf now is 42 stitches with size 8 needles. You know life, the universe and all that jazz. Scarfzilla is, BY NO MEANS, 42 stitches. In fact I can't remember how many stitches I started out with. I think that may mean I am taking too long, or it could mean I didn't count them. Either way it is HUGE. I am going to be putting a lot more effort in to getting Scarfzilla done soon, so I can start something else. Oh, Yah, and so she can have the item I promised her so long ago.

I wanted you to see what she did get. Dearan made her a purse with the piece I "messed up". He used a little of the scrap from the dress he made my sister. All it needs now is a strap. :-)

Gwen's Purse

Close up of ceramic glazed button we got on clearance. YAY CLERANCE!

I love how it looks, but best of all Gwen loves how it looks. I am planning to pick up some leather strapping on Monday if I can squeeze it in between teaching a class and playing delivery girl for the last of our Girl Scout Cookies. OH, Yah I love me some Peanut Butter Patties. MMMmmmmmm. Really? No one else saw that bunny?

Another great deal I may not have needed. That is right you guessed it I got MORE yarn. Joann's sent out a coupon that read $5 off any purchase of $5 or more not including tax and items on sale. So I got a pack of REALLY nice yarn that was $5.49 for 53 cents. Come on I couldn't turn that down even if I didn't need more. It is made of silk and bamboo. It is SO soft and I am SO HAPPY. They sent one out for the next week as well so I have a total of 4.4 oz. Not sure how much that will make, but I am excited to try.

Sapphire. Ooohhh, Aaahhhh, MURmur murmur murmur

I SO need to try to figure out these labels. If I understand exactly what they mean I am sure I will be able to decide how much yarn to buy.  

I am excited because we are going to the fair tomorrow, wonder if I can knit on a ride? Hmmmmm... Something to think about and try to get away with.  0:-)

Follow your craft,
Michelle

Knitting All The Do Da Day

Knitting ladies sing this song, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
Knit, down the road, all day long, Oh, doo-dah day!

Today I knitted a lot of the day. I would say I got in a good 4 hours. Dearan drove and I knitted for an hour. Just as a PSA: Swerving and sudden stops + knitting = potential for car sickness. Then 3 hours of knitting and gabbing at Mom's Night Out. My hands are a little sore, but not as much as when I first started. Of course, I have relaxed the death grip I was using on the yarn and I'm sure that helped. I am kinda disappointed at how little I got done. I am also disappointed that even though I am only doing a simple pattern I keep messing up. I mean really, how hard is it to knit 2 rows then purl 2 rows and start over. I have a few rows being quite antisocial,  just hanging out on their own and some that defected and have 3 rows together. A few people have said that is OK and it is how you know it was made by a person and not a machine. I guess that is true, or at least it sounds good so I am going with it.

What I had done

Here is what I have done now

Defecting rows :-(

OK, now that I put them side by side I guess I am less disappointed. I have only been doing this for 18 days, so I guess I am going pretty good. :-) You know what they say, "You will never get there unless you start walking."

Follow your craft,
Michelle

NO, Yes, Kinda

So have you broken your New Years Resolution already? (Looking straight at you) NO! (Then hangs head) Yes. (Then looking up and cocking an eyebrow) Maybe. So there is a little yes and a little no in my answer and a whole lot of maybe. I have been knitting, but it seems that the Fates, my deceased Grandmother and or a toddler with scissors is plotting against me EVER making something longer than 4 inches or so.

I am knitting using yarn I got from my mom who got it when her mom passed away. It is really nice and beautiful variegated colors. I am using this party fun with lots of colors in it. I was knitting and I reached the end of the yarn. Mind you this is what the yarn looks like now after LOTS more had been taken off of it.

I said oh well no big deal and just kinda weaved it in and went on. By the way I am not sure exactly what you are supposed to do in this situation, that is what I did. 

The next day I went out to the movies at a dine and watch type of theater with some great friends. Of course I brought the knitting, because that is what you do when you are going out with your friends right? Bring along your knitting. OK so maybe it is just me. I did refrain from knitting during the movie, War Games. Though it was bright enough in the theater that I sure could have. Come to think of it my friends would have probably appreciated it because I did seem to talk during most (They will tell you to read that as ALL) of the movie. I just couldn't help my self. I felt like I was in the middle of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 with a bad movie and I needed to shout out my observations. I mean come on when the guy was crawling through the tunnels he so looked like he was someone on board The Enterprise trying to escape in a Jefferies Tube. Then the WOPR had to go and sound like the Warp Core when it is having problems. And yes I do think I may have been exposed to too much Star Trek in my youth. OK, that was a pretty bunny, but I am so far off track from my story.


After the movie we cleverly avoided the mob of people waiting to kick our butts, for talking so much of the movie, by hiding in the bathroom.Then went to Steak and Shake to catch up and just hang out. I brought my knitting box in and it took up a large part of the table. I so need to get a knitting bag or basket or something with handles. If you are going to commit to taking a craft thing out on the town you might as well show it a good time. After we ordered I begin knitting at the table. At which point my dear and loving friends poke fun at me, mercilessly. Once all avenues of dork and getting old jokes had been explored one says she doesn't like knitting and the other is mesmerized by my hands. That so didn't come out right, but it is what it is. I am talking and knitting right along when I realize I have messed it up. OK, who said "Again"? I try in vane to fix it, but there was nothing I could do. I decided to cut a long tail and just sew up the sides and keep it, I have not idea why I am keeping it. So I said to myself, "Self maybe you are having so many problems because you don't have a clear goal." I have been told that If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.

So I cast on again and this time I decide to make a scarf for Gwen, because she really wants one. I knit at Steak and Shake, then I knit at home, then I knit some more in the park with other friends while the kids practiced. One of Gwen's friends really liked her Knittie. I told this sweet child, who did not make fun of me for knitting, that I would make her one as soon as I was done making Gwen's scarf. We get home after a very busy day and I am sitting in my comfy chair knitting when I realize I am no longer attached to the ball of yarn. All together now, "AGAIN". So I took out a needle, because I thought it would be easier than the twisty tie, and ran elastic through the open stitches on the needle and made another Knittie. Who hoo at least one person will be happy with me when I see them this week. I will let you know how she liked it.  

End forcing the Knittie. BOOOOO

A quick up do to test it

Now I find myself right back where I started a few days before starting over on Gwen's scarf. I had her choose out of the wool we got on clearance. She chose a steel blue with a lighter blue twisted in. It is very pretty and I am SURE there are no loose ends in the ball so if it runs out again I will begin hunting down the toddler with the scissors.

Speaking of the toddler with the scissors. I don't know how many of you know this, but wrapping a ball of yarn is very hard when a toddler is in the room. Rowan thought it was awesome and wanted to help. When the ball was all done he wanted to bounce it and was very offended that I wouldn't let him play with the ball "WE" made.

Gwen's scarf so far.

 
As you can clearly see I have been a busy little bee knitting, though getting almost no where, but where I have failed is bringing this wonderful story (read as these inane ramblings) to you in all it's pictorial glory. So to recap: knitting, check; blogging, fail. Well, at least it wasn't an epic fail.

Follow your craft,
Michelle

Knit One Purl One

OK so I can knit. I can cast on and do the knit stitch. So I am moving on to the purl. I read the instructions and it is the knit stitch backwards. The needles go in front and you turn it the opposite way. So I think "Great I can do that". Now I am sitting here after working a row wondering why is it so hard to do the same steps in the other direction. I couldn't get the needles in on the front side. SO I started slipping it in the back and rotating it to the front. It worked, it came out and looks cool, but I still need to work on it because I don't think you are supposed to do that.

I have an official project. I am making a scarf. Really, you didn't see that one coming? Gwen asked me to make her one so here I go. Knitting a row then purling a row just to practice. Not sure how long a scarf is supposed to be, there isn't much call for them here, but will let you know how it turns out.

Follow your craft
Michelle

A Great Deal And A 37 Pound Monkey

We went to Joann's to get some green yarn because Rowan really wanted a green Crochetie. (Anyone come up with a better name?) I am going to have to make another one.  :-/  I was really hoping to avoid this, but he really loves it. While I was there they had a bunch of wool yarn on clearance at 50% off. I also had a 20% off your whole order coupon so I only payed 2.38 for 3.5 oz of wool yarn. I think it was a good deal. I am not sure I would have bought the colors if there were other choices, but they aren't hideous. They feel so soft and cozy.

 
 I was knitting too tight. So a friend recommended that I use a larger needle to cast on then knit as usual and that should give me the room I need so I am not struggling so much to get the needle in the stitch. It seems to be working, but it is so loose and looks sloppy. Of course it could be that I need more practice. I am going to finish and see how it turns out. 

I haven't gotten very far because knitting with an adorable 37 pound monkey on your chest isn't very easy.

Kinda looks like he is falling off, but he didn't

How did I end up knitting with a monkey? When we got home I wanted to get a little knitting done. I am not sure what I am making, but I won't let that stop me. Rowan was really tired, but didn't want to go to bed so asked me to hold him. Since he is usually running like crazy and trying to hack stuff with his foam swords and then is disappointed when only the sword breaks, this was a nice change. I am sitting there when he drifted off to sleep and I was done looking at how cute he was, I wondered if I could knit with him there. I was successful, but I kept tickling his ear with my yarn and he would wiggle and knock stitches off the needle. Oh well, if that is the worst thing that happened in a day, then it was a good day.

Follow your craft
Michelle

I Wanna Learn How To Knit, Ooh Look - A Bunny!

It is January 7th and I have already been distracted from my new years goal to learn to knit. What could distract me you ask. My 3 year old son is jealous of my daughters Knitie (still working on the name) and wants one. Of course he doesn't have enough hair for something like that so I thought I would knit or crochet around a hair band and see if that would be good enough.

I turn to Google and it didn't let me down. I found an eHow video on Crocheting a hair Scrunchi. We will call this one the Crochetie, rhymes with machete. OK, that name needs even more help than the Knitie. Anyway, I watch the video and think GREAT I can SO do that. Very soon after I start I realize I was totally wrong. I did exactly what she was doing on a hair tie we had laying around and it kept leaving a huge loop where it was supposed to be close and flat.

 The yarn he chose was NOT sliding well and if felt all plastic and weird and gross might I add. So I found another yarn hoping that was the problem and not operator error. When I started again it was the same. I started pulling the knots tight with my hand. It looked very nice, but was very slow going putting down the hook to tighten every stitch by hand. So I just didn't pick it back up and started doing the whole thing by hand. It was much faster and the finished product looks like hers, except my stitches aren't as regular.

Mine

Hers

 I was so bummed that it wasn't as easy as it looked in her video and am thinking she may be related to wonder woman because no matter how hard or carefully I pulled on that knot using the hook it still didn't sit right. Oh well it is done and I think he will like it. Hopefully I won't have to make him a knitie, but you never know. Oh, I just had an even worse thought. What if she wants a Crochetie? *CRINGE*

So what about the bunny that I promised. Sorry to disappoint you there is no real bunny. Yes, I know, very sad.

Follow your craft,
Michelle

Bored and Kinky Knitting

So now I can knit, not well mind you. If all the dropped stitches were on the floor I would certainly trip over them. Luckily for me, and hubby, it just makes a huge hole in the project and not a navigation hazard on the floor. I got through 4 whole rows without dropping a stitch and was wondering what I should do next. I was kinda getting bored. Of course I could have just went back to TLC and looked for the "Binding Off" page, but no. I had some 1/8 inch elastic and a twisty tie lying on the table next to me. I am sure everyone knows that several rows of unbound knitting + elastic + a twisty tie =

You got it a Scrunchi. What you didn't see that coming? Well, I guess that is a brand name, so it is a Knitie. Still working on the name. I am very sure it would have taken me a lot less time to figure out how to bind off, but I am also sure this was WAY more fun. The best part my Daughter thinks I did it just for her and is supper happy with it. How can you beat that?

Knitie in progress

Please note the twisty tie

That covers the bored, but I can hear you asking "What about the kinky knitting?" I start again this time intending to Cast on, knit a few rows then practice binding off. I am knitting and watching TV so I asked hubby to please print the instructions for biding off. Shortly after I realize that the working string, attached to the ball, is getting tighter and tighter. I tugged a little thinking it was stuck on something, but it wasn't. I looked down and I had knotted my hand in the thing. I tried to get it out, but was not successful. I finally cut it off, the knot not my hand, and this is what I got.

A kinky knotted mess

Because I know you all wanted to get closer to that kinky mess

Even after cutting it off the needles so I could slip the end in and out it still wouldn't come free

I am not sure what I did, but I am thinking it is probably not common to knit your self to your project twice in 3 days. So I am above average, right.? OK, you can stop laughing now.

Follow your craft,
Michelle

The Hunt!

Last night I watched a video on how to knit. Then I realized it was going WAY too fast. I asked my hubby look for instructions because I am search engine challenged and he seems to always find exactly what he needs in a matter of seconds. So he prints out the instructions from TLC (The Learning Chanel) which really helped. I used the second method on the "How to cast on" page. It was easy to cast on because the second method seemed a lot like crochet that I learned a small amount from my Grandmother. I have attempted to learn to knit before and didn't have much success, past casting on, because I kept having the stitches fall off the end. Someone, and for the life of me I can't remember who, suggested I use wooden needles because they said it held the yarn better. Then a piece of advice in the "learning the knit stitch" really helped me. It said there are lots of different ways to knit and lots of ways to hold the yarn and I should find one that was comfortable for me. So I used the method my grandmother spent a VERY long time teaching me to hold the yarn.  It worked much better than the last book that told me to do it a certain way.

I was holding the thread kind of like this, but with it around the palm of my hand as well and of course the knitting needle in my hand instead of just the other hand.

 
I was very relieved that it seemed MUCH easier with these two improvements. I had to read the instructions about 5 times, but did manage to knit. I am SO proud of myself, even thought I dropped several stitches in the first few rows and it has big holes.

Here is the first PIC with a few rows

This is how far I am now

 I am going to work on it a little more before bed, but my hands are really starting to hurt.  :-(

I did however have one incident that made me, and the friend I have already told laugh, so I thought I should share. I was concentrating on trying to push the needle through, wrap then pull it back in the right order very intently. So much so, that when I went to put the work down for a few I had a pain in my head. Then I realized I had knitted my hair into the stitches. I got most of it out, but in the PIC you can still see the hair.

Of course after that I made sure to put my hair up. Oh well, the little things you don't think about when you are starting something new.

Follow your craft,
Michelle

What the heck am I doing?

Why am I starting a blog? I like to make things and want to share my journey. I am embarking on a quest for the new year of 2011 to learn how to knit and perfect my sewing skills. LOL I am also going to continue to carve stamps, and paper craft. I love to share and this seems to be the place to so it.

Follow your craft,
Michelle