a new app and some projects

May 10, 2013 by 4 Comments

the app

For those knitters with iPhones (and maybe other smartphones too), there is an app that takes your specific measurements, yarn, preferred design elements, and gauge and comes up with a customized raglan sweater pattern.  Here are some screenshots from my phone:

raglanify screenshots

Pretty neat, huh?  It’s a lot of information to put in, sure, but I bet it would be worth it for a perfect fitting sweater!  The app, “Raglanify,” is $0.99 in the app store, which is great for what it does, I think.

the new project

After thinking about my last post, wondering whether or not to attempt the Wonder Woman sweater (which I would alter), I decided against it.  Can’t afford the yarn right now in anything but acrylic (and I don’t want an acrylic sweater), and our CAL is coming up so I’ll be plenty busy without a sweater!  However, I do happen to have some rather patriotic themed yarn in my stash:

spaceinvadersyarnMan, it’s hard to get good  coloring in my pictures lately!  I swear that’s navy in the back, and a true red as well.  This is Berroco Vintage, a worsted wool blend that has been gracing my stash for years.  THIS is what I’d make a sweater with, but that would be expensive.  Anyway, instead of a sweater, I’m going to use this yarn to make a few hats with the space invaders pattern by Arne & Carlos that I also mentioned in my last post.  Wish me luck — they’re for some boys with large heads (literally) and since my head is small, the size will be a guesstimate.

the finished project

And speaking of Arne & Carlos, I made the first Christmas ball in the book:

ornament1*sigh*  It’s a real red, not magenta.  Cute though, right?  I plan on going through the whole book, making almost all of them (some are a little weird, like the outhouse one, but I’ll definitely be making the pig one, hehe).  These will be Christmas presents and I can’t wait to give them away!  I’m thinking of getting some cigar boxes and wrapping them in pretty contact paper, then putting 4 (maybe 6) ornaments inside.  The ornaments are a bit large, though, so I might have to think of another solution… I can’t remember exactly how large cigar boxes are.  Anyway, the ball is a bit lumpy, and I’m not sure why.  I tried to leave plenty of give in the stranding on the back to keep it from puckering, so it’s probably uneven stuffing.  Next time I’ll try smaller bits of stuffing instead of using a few big pieces.  That should help, right?

other stuff…

On another topic, I’m going to Pineville/Charlotte tomorrow to apply for jobs at a couple of malls.  I’m getting no bites for counseling positions, and I’m still refusing to apply to anything that involves doing intensive in-home work (that’s where you go to a kid’s house by yourself and try to counsel them there with their family and pets and TVs and bugs and nasty smells all around you the whole time).  Doesn’t sound fun or safe or very effective.  Tomorrow I’ll be certain to hit up Aerie, Barnes & Noble, and Sephora, amongst other stores, and maybe even a few at the fancy-pants mall where all the rich people shop.  Hmmm…  If I apply at the frozen yogurt place do you think I’ll get free yummies?  Hehe.

I’ve started reading “A Game of Thrones” again.  Last time I only got a few chapters in and all the characters got so confusing that I put down the book in frustration.  After marathoning the whole 2 1/2 seasons of the TV show in 4 days, I understand and am going back to read the book.  It’s weird knowing the ending already.  After watching the first episode on TV, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue, to be honest — it’s an HBO show and therefore full of very explicit things — but following through I found that the story is very good.  I can thank Yoona for inspiring me to give it another go… it might have been due to all those good looking guys she mentioned.  Now I’m obsessed too.

Well that’s all for today — this post is long!  Thanks for stopping by!

Filed Under: knitting Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

DPNs vs magic loop method

April 9, 2013 by 12 Comments

dpnsvsmlThis is my review on which method I prefer for knitting in the round: DPNs (double pointed needles) or the magic loop method (using circular needles).  If you’re new to knitting, maybe this post will be helpful!

For those who don’t know exactly what each method entails — both can be confusing — KnitPicks has beaten me to making a good explanatory video on how to knit both ways:

And I know it may look like it, but I’m not sponsored by KnitPicks… I just like their needles and they had the best video I could find.  That video also includes knitting with two circulars, but I’ve never done that so I don’t have an opinion on it either way.  Let’s get started.

double pointed needles

Double pointed needles (DPNs) have been the traditional way of knitting small-ish objects in rounds for a very very long time.  Think socks, hats, mittens, Easter egg decorations, whatever small tubular things you can think of.  Let’s look at some pros and cons:

pros:

  • Most patterns for circular small-ish objects are already written for DPNs because that’s the traditional way.
  • You don’t have to deal with the “wings” of the magic loop method.
  • DPNs are available in very small needle sizes.

cons:

  • DPNs can feel like you’re wrestling with a pointy wooden spider, especially when you’re just learning.
  • Because there are more transitions between needles than with the magic loop method, there are more places where your tension could be off, potentially leaving ladders of loose stitches all the way down your project.
  • DPNs often aren’t available in the larger needle sizes.
  • There are many possibilities for your yarn to slip off the needles, since they don’t have ends.

Not looking too good, huh?  Let’s check out the other one:

magic loop method

The magic loop method is a very new technique, so many patterns do not have specific instructions for it.  Sounds bad, but let’s see:

pros:

  • With a little practice, you can adapt patterns written for DPNs to suit the magic loop technique.
  • You don’t have to juggle as many needles as with DPNs.
  • You don’t have to worry as much about your work slipping off your needles because there are only two possible ends to slip off of.
  • Circular needles are available in larger needle sizes.

cons:

  • Circular needles sometimes aren’t available in small sizes.
  • Those “wings” can take up a bunch of space.
  • Tension issues can still take place — for instance my transitions from one half of the work to the other are always really tight, making it harder to slide the needles through.

OK, so DPNs have 3 pros and 4 cons, and magic loop method has 4 pros and 3 cons.  I guess then that my personal favorite would have to be…..

6indpnset0to3

DPNs!  Surprised?  That’s just my personal preference.  Many people who are frustrated with DPNs are very grateful to have an alternative such as the magic loop method, and honestly I’m glad it’s an option, too.  However, since both methods are relatively awkward it’s really just a matter of what works best for me.  I don’t have as many tension issues with DPNs, and for me the magic loop method just takes up too much space to knit comfortably next to others.  Also, if you get wooden or bamboo needles you won’t have to worry so much about your stitches slipping off, since they’ll have a nice grip to them, thus pretty much eliminating that con, in my opinion.  Considering that some pros and cons weigh more or less than others in importance, my favorite is DPNs.  Plus, DPNs look really complicated to everyone else, so they’re impressed by our mad skills.

Since it’s really just personal preference, which do you like best?  Do you have any pros or cons for either method that I didn’t mention?    Any questions?

I hope this post was both entertaining and helpful, and as always, thanks for stopping by!  I’ll have something on crochet next time!

Filed Under: knitting Tagged With: , , , , ,

busy busy!

April 4, 2013 by 4 Comments

Guess what I got in the mail!

haulMy stuff from KnitPicks actually came in yesterday while I wasn’t at home, so I had to pick up the parcel today at the post office.  It only took 4 days to get here, and I was so surprised at that and the products (I had been expecting a paperback book, not a nice hardback one) that I sent KnitPicks a thank-you email!

So anyway, I got the Christmas book by Arne & Carlos:

55christmasballsbookIt is amazing!  I love it and I’m super-excited to get started on some of them for Christmas gifts!  These moderately easy projects have both written instructions for the balls and charts for the pictures on the balls, which is great (I say moderately easy because they do involve DPNs and switching colors, so they’re not super-easy).  I still have to get the yarn, but I really only need 2 or 3 colors so that’s not a problem.  Of course I’ll be getting Stylecraft Special DK, my new go-to yarn.  And I’ll be making these ornaments with these needles:

6indpnset0to3These DPNs are gorgeous and I can’t wait to use them!  They’ll be perfect for socks, too (I’ve got an upcoming post on DPNs vs. the magic loop method, so look out for that).

And of course, here’s the bit that I didn’t need for anything in particular, but purchased anyway:

dishieThis 100% cotton yarn, as you could guess by the name “Dishie,” is good for washcloths, dishcloths, tea towels, and perhaps hot pads (not sure about how well cotton would hold up to a hot pan — better than acrylic but maybe not as good as wool).  I’m sure there are plenty more possibilities, but I will be making something either kitchen or bathroom related.  I haven’t picked which.  Nor have I decided whether to use this for knitting or crochet.  It’s not the softest yarn, but it’s pretty good for cotton, I suppose, and it’s not like I’m going to be using it for clothes, hats, or scarves.  I’m pretty excited about it.

I know I’ve been posting a lot lately when I said I would try not to, but I’ve got so many crafty things going on right now and I don’t want to wait because I’ll forget!  Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: knitting Tagged With: , , , ,

favorite stuff & online shopping

March 31, 2013 by 12 Comments

For both crocheting and knitting, I have come to regard some particular items as special favorites.  I want to share with you in case you may be looking for something similar!  I’ll start off with basic tools:

toolsMy lavender lotion bar is AMAZING in both smell and feel.  Check out the Lavishea website!  I mean, you need to take care of your hands that do so much work to make such lovely things!  Also, my Westcott sewing scissors that were given to me by my mom are the best — they’ve stayed sharp since I started crocheting all those years ago and the handles are nice and comfy.  The Cath Kidston tape measure I’ve shown you before, I know, but it bears looking at it again because it’s so darn cute!  Can’t get it on the US website though — you have to go to England!

susan bates hooksThese are my favorite metal hooks, and ironically they were gifted me by my horrible ex’s mother.  They’re old Susan Bates hooks, I believe (although they don’t actually have a brand name on them), sizes H-8 (5mm) and J-10 (6mm).  I use the H hook for everything possible.  Now I actually have some hook sets that my great grandmother owned, and those of course are my real favorites, but I don’t use those much because I’m scared of losing them.  There’s a regular set and a tiny steel hook set, and they mean a lot to me.

brittany hooksThese Brittany wooden hooks are my favorite wooden ones because of the actual hook shape and the fancy ends!  Pictured are D-3 (3.25mm) and J-10 (6mm).  I haven’t found these in the States either, and I only recently found them available online at Deramores.  I think I’ll be getting more of these soon!

newhook1This older, square, discolored picture shows a lovely antique hook made of bone.  It’s size E-4 (3.5mm).  Small but gorgeous!

knitting toolsThese are my favorite knitting tools — Brittany knitting needles and cable needles are available in the US, and I love these cable needles.  This is also the only pretty handmade stitch marker I’ve got, so I love it!

straightsEven though I don’t use straight needles too much since I’ve got a lovely circular set that does the job, I do love these cute ChiaoGoo ones!  Yes, they’re bamboo, but they’ve held up pretty well so far.  I don’t even like cats that much (I mean they’re great, but they make me sneeze) but these are so cute!

I got a couple of extras, like extra cables, ID tags, and cable joins.And of course my favorite circular knitting needles are my KnitPicks Sunstruck interchangeable needles!  These are the same as the KnitPro Harmony needles, for those of you in Europe.  These are awesome because, as I’ve said many times before, they have such nice sharp points and they don’t split on me like the bamboo circulars do.

And as far as DPNs, I just ordered the KnitPicks Sunstruck 6″ DPN Set — I know already that they’ll be my favorite!  I know I’m short on cash and I should probably have waited for these, but these will be worth it.  I’m going to use them for some Christmas ornaments that I’m going to give as Christmas gifts this year!  Of course that means I also bought the Christmas book by Arne & Carlos from KnitPicks as well, so I can get started.  (After my dad bought me the Easter Knits book by them, I’ve been astounded that I hadn’t heard of them before and I’m really excited about their stuff!)  I still need the yarn for the Christmas ornaments, but it will be cheap yarn, and overall it will save us A LOT of money on gifts this year!  I’ll just have to wait a bit longer on the yarn…

In my KnitPicks order I also tossed in two balls of Dishie Multi Yarn in Cottage (25849), just because it’s absolutely gorgeous and cheerful and it’ll make some great washcloths or dishcloths that I can also use as gifts!  It’s not the softest cotton but that’s why it’s designed for things that get wet all the time and take a lot of wear.  Here’s the colorway:

I spent a good bit, but at least I qualified for free shipping… It was a bit of an impulse buy…  I’m sorry, Mom.  😦  As hard as it is to believe, I actually am getting better… Ugh, now I feel all guilty!  I really do shop smart, though — the DPN set saves money when compared to buying them all separately, and getting the book from a US distributor saved me money there, too!  And the yarn’s not really expensive, either.  Look at me, trying to justify my shopping.  I guess I should have just waited until I had more money to spend, even though they’re all great buys.  *sigh*

Anyway, I feel like I’m starting to ramble, so I’ll sign off for now.  I know I said I’d hold off on the posts but I’ve still got 7 more topics to post about, not counting any projects I’m working on.  Thanks for stopping by!  I’m sure I’ll break down and post again within the next few days, so check back soon!

Filed Under: crochet, knitting Tagged With: , , , , , ,

back to the yarn: Easter eggs

March 26, 2013 by 15 Comments

I tried the pattern for the Easter eggs in this book:

easterknitsbookAnd I’ve got a lot to share about it!  Firstly, I made 2 of them with more leftover Stylecraft Special DK and some 6in. 3.25mm DPNs that I had lying around (they’re not KnitPicks, but they were OK).  So I wanted to start out with an egg that consists of only 2 colors, not being too confident in my abilities.  Here’s the picture in the book of it:

heneggIt’s got hens going around it!  How cute!  Not being too comfortable with DPNs, I was nervous with this ungainly looking beginning:

henegg1Even at this point, I was thinking the whole thing might just be a recipe for disaster:

henegg2It started to look pretty good, though, and even the back looked pretty decent:

henegg3And here’s the finished egg:

henegg5I think it turned out great!  A little bigger than I expected, but super-cute.  I had a problem, though, with the increases at the beginning.  Here’s how the book says to do increases:

easterincreasesHave you ever seen that before?  It turned out to be really difficult for me, and very frustrating, so I started using a crochet hook to get into that stitch and pull a loop through.  For my second egg, therefore, I decided to use M1L and M1R increases instead, and it looked almost exactly the same.  Here’s the book’s example of the second egg I made:

fabergeeggAnd here’s how that one went:

fabergeegg2I like it a lot, although perhaps I should have picked more contrasting colors than the pink and blue/green.  Here are the two eggs together:

eggsThe second one is a little smaller, and I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting tighter with my DPN skills or if I pulled the yarns too tight when changing colors.  In any case, I love both of them!

I also apologize for the darker pictures — I took the pictures of the eggs at 3AM, right when I finished them, so it was very dark in the house.

That’s all for today, except I want to say thanks to everyone who responded to my last post about rape culture.  It sparked some conversations on and off the Internet, and that’s really what I wanted, so thanks!  And thanks for stopping by again — I’ll be posting again soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: knitting Tagged With: , , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»