I have finally gotten around to improving my grammar posting a link about the penguin sweaters, although they are sadly no longer needed. (Sadly because I would love to make one, not because I’m hoping for more penguin-killing oil spills.)

Yes, what with the ongoing move, the impending (still!) sale of my mom’s house, my ten millionth sinus infection of the year and a trip to pack for, the only thing I have to blog about are penguins.

I’ll get around to a real post sometime soon.

2 Comments || Topcs: General, knitting

I know that in announcing my intention to crochet an ipod holder, I’m veering dangerously close to the kind of bad judgement that could make me end up here, since (as today’s post demonstrates), the site does include bad crochet as well.

I can’t stop looking at this site: It’s a good thing they only post published patterns, because I’ve made some really bad things in the past that would be fair game. (Yes, Jim, I’m thinking of the baby bathrobe that even I had to recognize was going to look like a baby bathmat. But at least I didn’t design it. Mike, Cherokee, you never saw this–I hope–because you would never let me knit Holden anything again, ever, if you had. If I caved and showed you the yarn, which I might have, you are good people to let me anywhere near your child.)

I’m actually kind of surprised that there aren’t more crochet patterns on the site. Since crocheting doesn’t lend itself to garments, even the best attempts to crochet sweaters (even for your dog) turn out bad. And the tendency of crocheters to make cozies for everything (toiletpaper, lighters, toasters), it seems like there would be a never-ending source of bad designs.

Please tell me y’all will intervene if it ever gets to that point.

Though, for reasons unknown, I may have to make this:

I just can’t get that hat out of my head.

4 Comments || Topcs: General, knitting

(Thanks, Jim, for posting the pic.)
I finished my first lace project–it’s called the Dayflower Lace Scarf, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I still have to block it, but after I do that the pattern will be much clearer. (I’m actually surprised that it’s as clear as it is pre-blocking.) I used a heavier weight yarn and different fiber combination than the pattern called for, so it may not be as wavy as it should be. It was a fun scarf to knit; I learned how to read knitting charts, which is something I screwed up the first few times I tried. (I didn’t know that you read even rows right to left and odd rows left to right. No wonder my first attempts were frustrating.) I still find the idea of purposefully putting holes in a scarf perplexing, but I think the woman I made it for will like it.

Yes, I know it’s still pretty warm out for scarves, but I’m getting a head start on Christmas presents.

3 Comments || Topcs: knitting

(The only reason that this photo exists is that I was so tired that I couldn’t convince Jim just to take a picture of all the yarn. I’m going to try to swap it out when I get home today.)

I spent four days working for a vendor at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I ended up with the job because I had complained about poor service last year. M., the owner sells pretty high priced, high quality yarn–we’re talking $30/skein for the cheapest, and between $50-60 for the best-selling yarns–and I thought I got treated crappily last year because I wasn’t buying armfuls of yarn. So, after hearing me out, she invited me to come work for her in exchange for yarn. I thought it was a pretty fair deal, considering that my original email to her was embarassingly self-righteous. I’ve reassessed the situation, but more about that later. Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments || Topcs: General, knitting