I worked this afternoon. It started out as a wonderful shift, progressed into a terrible shift, and then got better. I wont get into what the first two parts were, but what made it better was really awesome.
I work in a grocery store, so I serve customers all day long. Today, I finished serving one lady that I had served before when she told me something absolutely wonderful.
She told me that she has seen this blog.
This tiny little blog right here.
She searched for loom knitters in Windsor, and found me that way. This put a huge smile on my face for the rest of my shift. Just knowing that there are complete strangers in my town that read this blog feels great.
Thank you, my wonderful readers. Each and every one of you
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Oops! I forgot!
I finished a scarf the other day.
I brought stock into Made In Windsor today.
Do you see the problem? I do.
There was no blog post in between. I guess you'll have to imagine an orange-y Homespun scarf, about 6 feet long. Super nice, in my opinion. But I could be biased.
I'm looking for suggestions for things I could knit to sell at the store during the warmer months. Socks are out of the question, I lack the required attention span to make two things that match. I would love if they were simple enough to make while I am reading blogs. And if they can be made of cotton, also a definite plus!
I brought stock into Made In Windsor today.
Do you see the problem? I do.
There was no blog post in between. I guess you'll have to imagine an orange-y Homespun scarf, about 6 feet long. Super nice, in my opinion. But I could be biased.
I'm looking for suggestions for things I could knit to sell at the store during the warmer months. Socks are out of the question, I lack the required attention span to make two things that match. I would love if they were simple enough to make while I am reading blogs. And if they can be made of cotton, also a definite plus!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Large scale baby blanket knitting
When I say giant skeins, I mean enormous. They are 330g (10.5 ounces). Which works out to 499 meters or 546 yards. I have nearly a kilometer of yarn here!
It's a very easy knit, I am just doing garter stitch for simplicity's sake. Two rows of each colour. I like doing striped projects because I can see my progress quite nicely.
I am going to work on weaving in ends on a few finished projects today so that I can get them ready for Made In Windsor. I still need to figure out what I am going to have in the store over the warmer months. I thought about doing more baby blankets, but I have yet to sell one there. Perhaps if I lower the price by a few dollars? I have to figure out something soon.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Lazyness, Finished projects, Mission 101 and Other Things
I have a confession to make. It is hard to say, but it is very, very true. I don't promise to work on it, it is just the way I am... I have been very lazy lately: not doing dishes, not doing laundry, staying in my pyjamas all day, and not updating the blog regularly. Among other things. I know Rick would have some things to say about my laziness, but this is my blog, and he has no say here.
I am very sorry, dear readers, for leaving you update-less for so long. As for sitting in my pyjamas and being lazy? If I don't have to work or leave the house in general, I'm staying comfy in my jammies, and usually knitting, all day.
I have been pretty productive with my knitting as of late. I finished a couple of cowls over the past week. There is a picture of those later on in the post.
I also think I finished a few dishcloths, but I honestly can't remember how many. I have a stack of nearly finished cloths sitting on my end table, waiting to have their ends woven in and to be sent off to Made In Windsor to find a new home. Part of the reason for this is that I am trying to use up ALL of my cotton as one of the goals on my Mission 101. I am also trying to use half of my silly novelty yarn. I have a lot of fun fur, eyelash and other "fluffy" yarns that I bought a while ago, and I want to get rid of it. I would like to have that room freed up in my storage area for other, more useful yarns. I know some yarn bombs will be fluffy, and tacky and plastic, but those ones are the most fun.
If you haven't seen my 101 list, please check it out! I have been making slow progress on some of the goals. I haven't started most of them, but I will get through this. I'm having fun so far.
These are my two newest neck warmers. The one on the right is my usual Thick and Quick yarn cowl. It was made in a 1x1 rib, and is 54 stitches. The colour is a little bit off, but not by much. It's a bit brighter in person. I made it a little bit longer than I usually make this type of scarf so as to use up the rest of the skein, and not leave a tiny ball of yarn, with no where to go. It can be worn with the top folded down, as shown, or with the bottom folded up. To visualize that one, either stand on your head, or turn your computer over.
No, really! Please don't! I don't want you to hurt yourself. Ah, ok, good, now, back to yarn.
The one on the left is really neat. I made it with two strands of black sport weight (I think that's what it was. A little thinner than regular worsted) and one strand of BRIGHT! blue knitting machine yarn. I have a giant cone of it, that I got back at the beginning of December. Most of the colours are kind of "blah" but this blue is fantastic. Click the picture to see it a bit larger. As soon as it fell out of the bag, I knew I had to make something with it. This warmer is in seed stitch. That is something I usually stay away from, but the yarns needed a pattern a little different than ribbing to make the pop a little bit.
I just noticed an other warmer I made recently that I forgot to include in the photograph. It is similar to the butter yellow one I made a couple weeks back, but slightly smaller
I have started on yet an other cowl/neck warmer. This one is made from yarn I got back in 2006 from my then-boyfriend's mother, after she finished knitting an afghan. I am very close to the bind off for this one. I will probably have it done before I go to bed tonight, and blog about it when I think about it.
I am a terrible knit-blogger in this sense. So many blogs I follow have in progress pictures of all their wonderful knit items. I, on the other hand, take a less beautiful approach. I photograph an item, if I remember, once I have finished it. Rarely at any other time. I think the reason for this is that they are knitting huge! intricate! items! from patterns! And my items are usually made up as they are being knit: "Oh, I might run out of yarn a little soon, let's k2tog in this round" or "Wait, I thought this was supposed to be ribbing? Well, it looks cool in seed stitch, too, I guess." I would take more photographs of my items in progress if I was not so absorbed in the actual knitting itself.
I am going to cast on my blanket after the cowl is done. I would like to have at least half of it done before it gets too warm in the house to knit it. And then next winter, I would finish it, ideally. This will be photographed in the next few days, as long as everything works out right.
In other news, I recently purchased an iPhone. I usually get myself a birthday gift, and this year, a new phone was it! My contract with my previous carrier was very close to being up, and I knew I needed to change. I have downloaded a few apps, but I've yet to look for any that are knitting related. Is this a pointless search? Or am I missing out on some wonderful way to facilitate my knitting endeavors? I prefer free apps, but if it is essential, I don't have any issues with shelling out a dollar or two (and 99 cents, of course!)
(This post is 1005 words, and counts towards one of my goals!)
I am very sorry, dear readers, for leaving you update-less for so long. As for sitting in my pyjamas and being lazy? If I don't have to work or leave the house in general, I'm staying comfy in my jammies, and usually knitting, all day.
I have been pretty productive with my knitting as of late. I finished a couple of cowls over the past week. There is a picture of those later on in the post.
I also think I finished a few dishcloths, but I honestly can't remember how many. I have a stack of nearly finished cloths sitting on my end table, waiting to have their ends woven in and to be sent off to Made In Windsor to find a new home. Part of the reason for this is that I am trying to use up ALL of my cotton as one of the goals on my Mission 101. I am also trying to use half of my silly novelty yarn. I have a lot of fun fur, eyelash and other "fluffy" yarns that I bought a while ago, and I want to get rid of it. I would like to have that room freed up in my storage area for other, more useful yarns. I know some yarn bombs will be fluffy, and tacky and plastic, but those ones are the most fun.
If you haven't seen my 101 list, please check it out! I have been making slow progress on some of the goals. I haven't started most of them, but I will get through this. I'm having fun so far.
No, really! Please don't! I don't want you to hurt yourself. Ah, ok, good, now, back to yarn.
The one on the left is really neat. I made it with two strands of black sport weight (I think that's what it was. A little thinner than regular worsted) and one strand of BRIGHT! blue knitting machine yarn. I have a giant cone of it, that I got back at the beginning of December. Most of the colours are kind of "blah" but this blue is fantastic. Click the picture to see it a bit larger. As soon as it fell out of the bag, I knew I had to make something with it. This warmer is in seed stitch. That is something I usually stay away from, but the yarns needed a pattern a little different than ribbing to make the pop a little bit.
I just noticed an other warmer I made recently that I forgot to include in the photograph. It is similar to the butter yellow one I made a couple weeks back, but slightly smaller
I have started on yet an other cowl/neck warmer. This one is made from yarn I got back in 2006 from my then-boyfriend's mother, after she finished knitting an afghan. I am very close to the bind off for this one. I will probably have it done before I go to bed tonight, and blog about it when I think about it.
I am a terrible knit-blogger in this sense. So many blogs I follow have in progress pictures of all their wonderful knit items. I, on the other hand, take a less beautiful approach. I photograph an item, if I remember, once I have finished it. Rarely at any other time. I think the reason for this is that they are knitting huge! intricate! items! from patterns! And my items are usually made up as they are being knit: "Oh, I might run out of yarn a little soon, let's k2tog in this round" or "Wait, I thought this was supposed to be ribbing? Well, it looks cool in seed stitch, too, I guess." I would take more photographs of my items in progress if I was not so absorbed in the actual knitting itself.
I am going to cast on my blanket after the cowl is done. I would like to have at least half of it done before it gets too warm in the house to knit it. And then next winter, I would finish it, ideally. This will be photographed in the next few days, as long as everything works out right.
In other news, I recently purchased an iPhone. I usually get myself a birthday gift, and this year, a new phone was it! My contract with my previous carrier was very close to being up, and I knew I needed to change. I have downloaded a few apps, but I've yet to look for any that are knitting related. Is this a pointless search? Or am I missing out on some wonderful way to facilitate my knitting endeavors? I prefer free apps, but if it is essential, I don't have any issues with shelling out a dollar or two (and 99 cents, of course!)
(This post is 1005 words, and counts towards one of my goals!)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Hand cramps and other knitting injuries
I have been knitting a lot lately. If my hands are not busy typing, doing dishes or sleeping, they are probably knitting. This has gotten me some pretty strange sensations in my forearms and hands.
I have had weird pinching pain near the inside of my elbows if I knit with large needles for too long. I get hot, burning pain near my pinky and ring fingers if I knit with small needles for a while.
I also get cramps from the elbows to the tips of my fingers if I knit too long, period.
The only remedy I have for this is to take frequent breaks and change what I am doing often. It is not uncommon for me to have two or three knitting projects on the go at once, all on different sized needles. I will knit 10 or so rows on one project, then take a break. I will then clench and unclench my hands a few times before picking up a different project.
I really don't know of any other options.
Do you get this sort of pain? What do you do to fix it?
I have had weird pinching pain near the inside of my elbows if I knit with large needles for too long. I get hot, burning pain near my pinky and ring fingers if I knit with small needles for a while.
I also get cramps from the elbows to the tips of my fingers if I knit too long, period.
The only remedy I have for this is to take frequent breaks and change what I am doing often. It is not uncommon for me to have two or three knitting projects on the go at once, all on different sized needles. I will knit 10 or so rows on one project, then take a break. I will then clench and unclench my hands a few times before picking up a different project.
I really don't know of any other options.
Do you get this sort of pain? What do you do to fix it?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Three more finished items
The second item is the Homespun cowl. It's knit out of about a third of a skein of Buttercup. This is a little different from the T&Q neck warmer. It's knit on the same needles, but it is just straight stockinette, instead of the ribbing. I also reduced a few stitches along the length of it in order to give it a bit more shape. I started on a similar cowl in Deco (a nice off white) before leaving for work this morning. I need to find a looser bind-off method. I have a hard time with this sometimes.
Any suggestions for a looser bind-off?
The third item is the dishcloth. That was the last of that skein of blue/yellow/white. I am slowly but surely moving through my stash of cotton. I have enough for probably 50 more cloths, if not, many more than that.
If you haven't yet, please check out Knit, Nicole, Knit! Rick put a lot of work into this, and I'd love for more people to be able to see it.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Two Finished Objects, One Picture.
As part of my 101 project, I have set myself a few knitting related goals. The first is to knit 101 scarves and neck warmers. I also have yarn bombing related goals, and I would like to use up all of my cotton yarn.I finished a rainbow dishcloth last night, and added it to the pile of other cloths I have floating around the house. I still haven't gotten bored of knitting the same cloth over and over again, but I am considering mixing things up a bit. I will probably start making some other basic cloths in the near future, depending on how all of my other knitting goes.
I have sold a couple of cloths at Made In Windsor, which is great.
The other awesome knitted item in the photo is a neck warmer. It's made from Lion Wool Ease Thick and Quick in Black. I think 8mm needles, 56 stitches. It's just a K2P2 rib, but I think it makes this yarn look fantastic.
I've started an other neck warmer, this one in Hazelnut. Everything else is the same.
I will keep updating with pictures as often as possible. I know I am a horrible photographer, but I am hoping to improve, at least slightly, with time.
I got paid from Made In Windsor the other day. This payment included most of the days leading up til Christmas, and I made quite a few sales. So many, in fact, that this payment was larger than all the others combined! If you purchased something from me, I really hope you, or the recipient, are enjoying it!
Monday, January 4, 2010
An important announcement
I mentioned not long ago that I would have some important news for everyone at some point in the new year. Well, here it is:
You may have guessed this because of all the changes with the URLs for all my blogs. It was all made by Rick, over the course of the past few weeks.
I was a pain in his rear at some points, I'm know this, but he got it all done, and it was launched shortly after midnight, January 4th, 2010: my 21st birthday, in conjunction with the start of my 101 in 1001 challenge.
Please check it out, and let me know what you think! If you happen to find any glitches, do let me know! There is a contact form on the site.
!!!I have my own domain!!!
You may have guessed this because of all the changes with the URLs for all my blogs. It was all made by Rick, over the course of the past few weeks.
I was a pain in his rear at some points, I'm know this, but he got it all done, and it was launched shortly after midnight, January 4th, 2010: my 21st birthday, in conjunction with the start of my 101 in 1001 challenge.
Please check it out, and let me know what you think! If you happen to find any glitches, do let me know! There is a contact form on the site.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy 2010!
I hope you all had a great night, and not feeling too horrible today.
I spent the evening with my boyfriend and his family. We ate delicious food, laughed and really just had a good time. It was a nice quiet night, nothing too exciting, just how I like it.
Rick has been spending a LOT of time on something for me, which is also something for all of you. The first thing you may have noticed is the change to the URL here. It has gone from a sub-domain at Blogger, to being on my own domain.
This is huge for me. Something I have wanted to do since about 6 months after I started blogging.
There are all sorts of new things coming up, and all sorts of new blogs to follow. I would love if you followed some (or all) of them!
Knit, Nicole, Knit!
DistillingWater
I Love Etsy!
My 101 List
It's My Money
The Recipe Box
All sorts of new things will be happening in the next few days, and I hope I don't lose any of you in the shuffle. Everything should be good to go by Monday (my birthday!!!)
I spent the evening with my boyfriend and his family. We ate delicious food, laughed and really just had a good time. It was a nice quiet night, nothing too exciting, just how I like it.
Rick has been spending a LOT of time on something for me, which is also something for all of you. The first thing you may have noticed is the change to the URL here. It has gone from a sub-domain at Blogger, to being on my own domain.
This is huge for me. Something I have wanted to do since about 6 months after I started blogging.
There are all sorts of new things coming up, and all sorts of new blogs to follow. I would love if you followed some (or all) of them!
Knit, Nicole, Knit!
DistillingWater
I Love Etsy!
My 101 List
It's My Money
The Recipe Box
All sorts of new things will be happening in the next few days, and I hope I don't lose any of you in the shuffle. Everything should be good to go by Monday (my birthday!!!)
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