Knitting In Motown

Knitting at Comerica Park

I had a great time in Detroit this weekend. Went to a Tiger's game with great friends, enjoyed wonderful weather, saw the sun... And, I had time to knit during the game. They really don't do much of a security check at the gate - so my needles made it in no problem. I was a little worried, even though some of you commented that knitting needles are allowed. Anyway, the Tigers played the Minnesota Twins and won. It was a shut out meaning the Twins didn't get a hit - well, they did hit the ball but the guy batting was out meaning it doesn't count as a hit. So even though the ball was hit, it wasn't a hit, or something like that. Right. Back to knitting.

I also managed to finish the mittens I've been writing a pattern for. Please disregard the preposition at the end of that last sentence. I finished the first one, see mitten on the right, but didn't like how pointy the top was. So... I went back the the drawing board and knit up a second one. I changed the decreasing/shaping and got a more rounded top, see mitten on the left.

Pattern info coming soon.

Then, I ripped back the first mitten, re-shaped the top... and, viola! They are both more round. Here is a picture before blocking. I do love the way Noro stripes. I purposely didn't match up the stripes. The mittens are currently taking a Eucalan bath. I will post pictures once blocked and share the pattern.

Time to pick out my school clothes for tomorrow, iron, and snuggle up with my Kindle. Hope you all had a great weekend. I'd love to hear about what you're knitting, crocheting, crafting, etc., and reading. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment! ~ Christina

Can You Bring Knitting Needles to a Major League Baseball Game?

Blueberry Waffle Socks. Pattern info here: Ravelry.

Yikes! I haven’t blogged in a few weeks. Sorry about that. After finishing my Blueberry Waffle Socks, I decided to use up some leftover Noro from a sweater I frogged. Frogged, verb, a knitter’s term for officially giving up on a project and resigning oneself to unraveling and finding something else to make with the yarn. Take a deep breath because here comes a run-on sentence. I gave up on the sweater because I could get stitch gauge but not row gauge and the side had a curve thing going on and the pattern was written for numbers of rows not inches and I tried to wing it but it's very hard to wing a curve thing, blah, blah, blah... hence the frogging. Full-stop and breathe. The frogged sweater is in my Ravlery notebook if you want to have a look. I’m sure it would have been a very nice sweater. Anyway, here is the vest I made instead. It was also my first seam job - so please disregard the lack of perfection there.

Noro Design 4 Sleeveless Top. Pattern info here: Ravelry.

Since I have plenty of yarn left over, I sought out a mitten pattern. People in Michigan can always use another pair of mittens, and the way Noro stripes is really cool right, so why not? Anyway, I found a pattern but the ribbing was too big and it had seams. Why seam mittens when you can knit in the round? Sooo... I’m winging/writing my own pattern. Clearly, I did not learn my lesson from the frogged sweater mentioned above. 

Attempts #1 and #2 at pattern-writing. Color filter via Instagram.

I have one mitten finished. I’m not entirely happy with the way I decreased to shape the top: too pointy. For attempt #3, I’m knitting the second mitten and trying something slightly different at the top. If I like it, I’ll rip back the first a little and duplicate it. If it doesn’t work, I’ll just have two pointy mittens. Such is the life of a knitter who insists on venturing out on her own rather than just knitting from a pattern.

Mitten #1. Gorgeous color but kinda pointy.

Speaking of venturing out, I’m heading to a Detroit Tiger's baseball game on Saturday. Circling back to my title here, I used to be an English teacher - can’t help but circle back, does anyone know if you can bring knitting needles into a stadium? Hoping not to offend here, but baseball games bore me to tears. I know, I know, why go you’re wondering(?) I love Detroit, we are going with very fun friends, and people watching is usually entertaining. Anyway, I’m hoping to bring along something to knit. Signing off now to grade some papers. Let me know what you know about knitting needles at sporting events. Many thanks for reading and commenting my friends. ~ Christina

To Pom Pom or Not to Pom Pom?

While on vacation in beautiful Holden Beach, North Carolina I did a little knitting. I cranked out a dishcloth for a dear friend vacationing with us who was also celebrating her 75th birthday! Happy Birthday Beth!

Grandma's Favorite dishcloth: a classic.

I also knit a pair of footies. But, first a few obligatory vacation pics. Thank you for indulging me.

Are we there yet? (Aren't they so cute cuddling with their iphones?)

Typical day at the beach: reading, swimming, surfing with family and friends. 

My youngest: Where'd she learn to do that?!

Right, back to knitting. With leftover yarn from my Pettine Shawlette, I knit the Pom Pom Peds by Purl bee. 

The pattern calls for the top band and a pom pom to be knit using a contrasting color. Well, I just happened to have some leftover Noro Taiyo sock yarn laying around. I think I’ve covered my Noro love affair/obsession in previous posts. I’m not yet seeking therapy, but writing about it does help. Moving on. The yarn was leftover from my Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah Fettig, which was the second sweater I knit. It’s a great pattern and I wear it often.

Featherweight Cardigan. Click for pattern info Ravelry

Back to Hamlet or the question at hand. The whole time I’m knitting my footies, I’m thinking about how cool the pom poms will look. A Noro pom pom! Can you imagine the possibilities?! Sorry, calming back down here. Anyway, as I was getting ready to make what could possibly be the most cool pom poms ever, I started thinking about washing these babies. I know. Every now and again, I let my practical side out to play. I machine wash my hand knit socks in Woolite on the hand wash cycle and dry them flat. If I pom pom, using the term as a verb here, I think I’ll have to hand wash. And, I’m worried about how the pom poms will look after repeated washing. So, to pom pom or not to pom pom? That is the question. 

What do you think? Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice. ~ Christina

Brazilian What?

Yep, teaser, more on that later... 

Pettine Shawl Project Details Here: Ravelry

I finished my Pettine shawl over the weekend. It became rather large after blocking (69.5" x 25"), but I am very pleased with the results. I’m still working out the blocking with wires thing. I seem to make extra loops in places where I don’t necessarily want them. I’ll have to surf YouTube to look for a video which will help me sort it all out.

Took this with my iphone and used Instagram for the fancy lighting effect.

I finished my shawl at the beach, where there was a pole vault competition on Saturday. Very fun to watch and great to see so many people enjoying the ever beautiful Lake Michigan.

See, I really do knit at the beach almost every weekend.

I have quite a bit of sock yarn leftover from the shawl. About 90 grams to be exact-ish. So.... I decided to actually knit footwear with it. Crazy, I know. I found a free pattern from the Purl bee for footies with pom poms, click here.  And, I have Noro Taiyo sock yarn left over from my Featherweight Cardigan, click here, to use for the contrasting color. I was also spot on with gauge. Since I’m using leftover yarn, I'm calculating the cost via the voodoo economics method and telling the hubs they are free. Not to worry, he doesn’t read my blog. 

Plenty of yarn AND gauge!

About that title... Those of you who know me personally, know I have been cursed with naturally frizzy hair. No, I’m not exaggerating. And, my frizzy tangle is not really beautiful ringlet curls that are to die for. I wish. Those who only know me from pictures, have seen me after much time has been spent with flatirons and anti-frizz products formulated by scientists from MIT and Harvard. Not an exaggeration there either. Check out the No Frizz product line by Living Proof: http://www.livingproof.com/

For years I’ve said, and I quote myself here: “Scientists can return shuttles from space and protect them from burning up in the atmosphere, can they not tame frizz, seriously?!” Well, apparently now they can. Finally, a salon in my sleepy little hamlet started offering the Brazilian Blowout (some sort of keratin and formaldehyde cocktail applied with a blowdryer and flatiron). I am, for all my complaining, way too lazy to drive to the bigger city 45 minutes away to tame my frizz. Here are my before and after pictures. The results are amazing! I actually hugged the salon owner, who is a complete stranger, when I saw and felt my hair. The real test will come next week as we head to the lovely, but humid state of North Carolina for a week on the ocean. I’ll report back on the status of the frizz.

Before (and somewhat behaved)

After: Can't believe that's my hair!

Thanks so much for reading. Am off to pack and find a few projects for the trip. Keep in touch. I sincerely enjoy reading and responding to your comments :)

 Signed, Christina with well-behaved hair for the next 12 weeks.

¡Mexico, mi amor!

Huatulco, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love your semi-tropical climate with eternal warm winds and hot days.

I love your nine bays home to turquoise water and tropical fish.

I love your coarse sandy beaches where seashells roll to and fro with the rhythm of each wave.

I love your majestically brown mountains.

I love your spiked cacti reaching up to greet an azul sky.

I love your musical language and sensual food.

I love your beautiful people.

Mostly, I love your ¡hay no problema! way of life.

I’ve been on vacation and so have not blogged. I took a vacation from the US, my smart phone, and knitting. Yes, even knitting. I needed to rekindle an earlier love - reading. For 6 days I sat by an Infinity pool nestled between the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and just read. (See picture above.) Well, in between aquarobics, snorkeling, and walking the beach, I read. I finished Dr. Zhivago - a Russian classic I’ve longed to read. Not much to say about the book: it’s Russian and it’s a classic. Two qualities I love in a book and well worth the challenging read. I also consumed a book called The Yellow House, written by Patricia Falvey. This historical fiction novel takes place in Ireland before, during, and after World War I. As I followed the life and loves of the main character, Eileen, I learned about the history of the violence between Protestants and Catholics on that island nation and its struggle for freedom from the British. To say I was sucked in is an understatement. If you love historical fiction and a strong female character who is flawed but lovable, you must read this book!

Now on to the other aspects of my vacation. We stayed at a resort called Dreams in Huatulco, Mexico. 

Dreams Resort

Huatulco is a region in the state of Oaxaca (near Guatemala) developed by the Mexican government to be a tourist destination. This was our second trip to the resort and I highly recommend it. Not many Americans have yet discovered this region. The staff speaks little English, but knows enough to meet your needs and is endlessly patient as you recall and practice your high school Spanish. The tourists at the resort are largely Mexicans, with Canadians and Americans comprising just about half. The sound of Spanish fills the pool areas and restaurants and the general attitude regarding anything you should need: it’s no problem. I think I could live there!

 Here's a picture of our room at the resort.

Lastly on to knitting, since I’ve been home, I finished my Ericka Scarf. Pattern details can be found here: Ravelry. 

Here's a picture of my scarf before blocking.

I’ll leave you with just a few pictures of beautiful Hautulco. Adios mi amigos ~ Christina

 The girls at one of the Infinity pools overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The ruins at Copalita, about 2000 years old!

 Shelby and me all snorkeled out!

 Tropical fish - underwater cameras are a blast!

Stash-Bust I Must

Wow! Another gorgeous week in West Michigan. The temperature was in the 80s a couple of days here in Grand Haven. To celebrate this summer-like weather I have decided to knit a scarf. Yep you just read that. Actually I’m stash-busting, which in the knitting world means using yarn you bought once upon a time either for a project you never made, or because it was sooo soft, or because you were in a new yarn shop and had to buy something, or because the colors were too beautiful to pass up, or because it was on sale and yarn is NEVER on sale, etc. You get the idea. On a side note to the definition of stash-busting, the knitter’s significant other may know about the stash but usually has NO IDEA how much cash is tied up in it. There is no need to disclose this information. Think of how upset he or she might become. There is no need to inflict this sort of anguish on a partner. Best the knitter suck it up and carry the load alone. It’s the right thing to do, really. Sometimes, ignorance really is the kindest way. 

 Here are a couple pictures of my scarf. Click for pattern information: Ravelry

My scarf is knitting up nicely. I started it on Thursday and am probably about halfway finished. The colors in the indoor picture are the most true, but I had to get outside and enjoy this weather, so why not take a picture in the backyard? I am loving the way the colors are coming out, and yes, the yarn is Noro. Silk Garden Sock to be exact. Imagine me having “extra” Noro laying around. All I can say is it’s hard to let go of your first yarn love. I’m using size 5 needles with sock yarn so the texture is coming out lace-ish or meshy. The colors and texture will make for a great Spring scarf, assuming Mother Nature lays off the fast forward button and we have some Spring weather.

Of course, I had to buy a book of patterns with which to stash-bust. Such are the mysterious nuances of knitters and their stashes. My new book is titled: Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders edited by Judith Durant. The book contains 101 patterns using sock yarn. There are patterns for everything from socks to baby sweaters to bags to mittens to shawls to home decor, etc. I’m using the phrase “home decor” loosely here, some of those patterns are a little out there. Anyway, I picked up the book at my local yarn shop and as you can see have several pages marked for future stash-busting projects. I even color-coded them by type of project. 

Here’s a picture of the book should you want to pick up a copy.

Finally, this fine weather is bringing some May flowers before they've had their  April showers. I am joying see crocuses (or is it croci? too lazy to consult a dictionary) in bloom, which I never see due to the abundance of rabbits and deer in my city. I guess the weather is confusing the wildlife too...

Here's a picture of crocuses/croci in bloom.

Back to knitting for me, then off to bed. It's a school night after all. Have a great week and keep in touch :) Christina

Why Don’t You Just Say What You Mean?

I’ve heard the knitting term selvage before. And, to be honest, I’ve never paid much attention to it. Until now. I just finished knitting a pattern that called for decreasing at each end of every 8th or so row. Being the literal person I am, I either knit 2 together or slip slip knit, depending on which way I wanted my decrease to slant, the first or last stitch of the appropriate row. This works out just fine... except... when you need to seam. I couldn’t get a straight line for a seam as every 8th row the line moved. This left a very crooked and unacceptable seam. See below.

Here’s a picture of my bad seam before ripping out and re-sewing 900 times.

So... rip out, sew, repeat - until you get something that looks better. In desperation, I googled, and I discovered the importance of selvage. When increasing or decreasing at the end of the row, you should do this inside of the selvage. An apparently implied direction that would have been helpful in print form. Why, oh why, doesn’t a pattern just say that if that's what is meant? Anyway, after ripping out my seam and some of my hair, I did manage to salvage my sweater in spite of lacking the proper selvage required for seaming.

Here’s a picture of my sweater before buttons and its Eucalan bath.

This really is a cute little sweater knit from Noro Silk Garden. If you want pattern information follow this link: Ravelry. I am looking forward to picking up some spectacular buttons to draw attention away from my less than perfect seams. Now onto knitting a pair of mittens for my mom whose birthday was in January. Thankfully she’s a patient woman, and we’ve had a mild winter!

Thanks for reading. And, if you're a knitter, I hope I've saved you some possible frustration and spared some of your follicles by sharing my mistake ~ Christina

Bits and Pieces (Randomness Disclaimer)

Working on finishing up a sweater, the yarn for which was a complete impulse purchase. In my defense, itʼs Noro, my first yarn love, and it was 20% off. Gorgeous colors! And, itʼs silk garden - so soft. 

I just need to finish the last sleeve, pick up stitches at the neck, block, and sew. I love that its short sleeve so I can wear it right now. My classroom is very, very warm all year. If my boss is reading this, donʼt mistake that comment for a complaint. Iʼd rather be hot than cold. Anyway, now that I can sew seams, Iʼm rather excited to finish this up. 

Next in line for the needles are a pair of cabled mittens for my mom, a coca leaf bag for a friend who does not chew coca leaves but needs a pouch for an iphone and earbuds, and a pair of socks for my Aunt Karel. Projects are not necessarily listed in order of priority, sorry girls. Excited to make the socks the most. I recently lost my grandma and this is her sock yarn that Iʼm using to make a pair of socks for her daughter, my aunt. 

Coca leaf wristlet for my non-leaf-chewing friend

Didnʼt get much knitting or blogging done this weekend, although I did manage to Pinterest. It was Winterfest here, so we were busy having dinner with friends, watching cardboard sled races, and hanging out with friends. I was going to say partying with friends, but does one still say partying with friends after age 40? And, is it considered partying if said 40-something is home by 7:00 pm? Let me know what you think. This is an awkward age - too old for Old Navy but too young for Talbots! 

Believe it or not, these sleds are nothing but cardboard and duct tape (and maybe a little wax for speed).

On Friday, I stopped by a local antique mall. I was on the hunt for vintage buttons and earrings I can repurpose. I have no idea how to do this, of course, but am feeling very craft-confident after figuring out seaming and knitting a hat that fit perfectly on the first try. Not much in the way of those notions, but I found some knitting books from the 1960s for about 2 bucks each! 

I want to knit some of the mittens, and some of the sweaters are back in style - who knew? 

Well, I better do a little less virtual yapping and a lot more needle clicking if Iʼm to make any progress tonight. Thanks for reading my random prattle ;)  Christina

Why Put off Until Tomorrow What You Can Tackle 3 Months From Now?

First, a glossary of knitting terms:

Frogged, ing - realizing a project isn’t going to work out and/or you’re in way over your head then completely ripping it out to use the yarn for something else

Hibernating, ed, ion - a project that is mostly finished but there is something hard left to do that you don’t feel like dealing with, so you avoid it

Now onto my post. 

I started knitting a jacket with... ahem... $96 worth of Noro Chirimen yarn, please don’t judge me until you’ve knit with this yarn. Noro is a Japanese yarn famous for its unusual color combinations. In layman’s terms it’s very cool. Anyway, I couldn’t get row gauge and the jacket had this curved front - for which you really need to get row gauge - so I frogged it. (See glossary above.) Sigh! Shortly after frogging, I found a pattern for a vest that would work with my yarn and off I went. Relieved, I mentioned the cost of the yarn right(?), I cast on and knit the front and back of the vest in no time at all. Before long, however, I realized I really don’t know how to seam. And, this was a pattern that had to be sewn together. Another sigh! So, the vest sat in my craft room, which used to be my oldest daughter’s bedroom but she’s been away at college for four years so I figured it was fair game, in hibernation (again, see glossary above) for three months.

Here’s a picture of my un-seamed vest hibernating.

Not sure what got into me, but yesterday I decided I was ready to tackle this seaming situation. I consulted a few knitting books, Youtubed and Pinterested, yep those last two are verbs now, and started sewing. Leave it to me to try and learn a new skill like sewing a seam with yarn that is nubby and with a pattern that increases at the sides. Anyway, within four hours or so, I completely got the hang of it, and, discovered it’s almost soothing.

Here’s a picture of my beautiful seam. See the colors and how the stripes don’t line up. Classic Noro.

I started this vest October 20something, 2011 and finished it today, roughly three months later. I guess if there is a moral to this post, and I’m not sure there is or should be, it’s that I think it’s ok to let a problem hibernate until you are ready to deal with it properly. 

Can’t wait to wear my vest to work tomorrow, although in hindsight it may have been faster to do a load of laundry ;) Thanks for reading! ~Christina