changes & additions

April 27, 2013 by 15 Comments

Hi everyone! You may have noticed some appearance changes around here — you know me, I love to change it up!  This look was inspired by this beautiful blog, although I’m trying to change little things so it doesn’t look exactly the same.  As always, the content of this blog/site remains the same. Except, that is, when I add more stuff! Let me introduce to you a new stitch tutorial:

woven double crochets!

This was introduced to me by Carina over at Häkelmonster (thank you Carina)!  She suggested it as an addition to our CAL stitches, and the math totally works out.  Here’s what it looks like:

woven7It looks neater the more you go.  I love the texture!  My light is again poor due to the cave I live in and the fact that I’ve been mostly nocturnal for the past few days just because I can.  For those of you participating in the CAL, I’ll let you decide whether or not to throw this stitch in your blanket.  It does look best in one color, I think, and it takes at least 5 rows to start seeing the pattern take shape, so if you’re wanting smaller stripes of color you might want to pass this one up.  However, this is the only stitch we have so far other than the bobble that has dimension, so that’s a plus!  Here’s what it looks like in multiple colors, just so you can see:

woven10You can still see the textural pattern but it’s a little more difficult.  (And no, my couch isn’t stained, it’s just hard to get the light and color balance right on my phone camera in my living room, haha).  If you test out the pattern either for CAL use or something else, let me know if there are any problems in the pattern.  It’s got some funky stitches that aren’t used too often, and I tried to demonstrate them as clearly as possible, but if you need assistance or something needs to be changed, please let me know!

I hope you enjoy the pattern, and I hope you like the new look!  I tried to find some cute bunting to use instead of the bubbles at the top, but I couldn’t find anything for free and my Photoshop skills aren’t nearly up to snuff.   You may continue to see some edits though.  Anyway, thanks for stopping by today!  Love you guys!

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testing out the stitches

April 25, 2013 by 16 Comments

I bought my CAL yarn!  I got the Stylecraft Special DK in these shades (which I mentioned in my last post):

I bought two of each color except the pale rose, in which I only purchased one because the only thing I’m using it for is the border.  That’s 21 skeins, which will be more than plenty, I believe, to make a full sized blanket, although I may only choose to make a large throw so that I can make a second throw another time.  I do love throws…

Anyway, with some scrap wool I had lying around, I tested out some stitches I’m hoping we can use, and they all worked.  I have a picture for you but I must say that it looks a poor due to the nonexistent lighting in my apartment and the fact that the yarn colors themselves were mostly dark ones…

testing3

Labeled for your convenience!  There are some rows of plain old dc and hdc (US terms) in there as well just to space out the fancy rows.

Whatcha think?  I think I would like to figure out something else that would fit with the stitch count I’ve got going (I’ve been doing so much math — I had to look up a least common multiple calculator online and it knocked many of my stitch ideas off the board).  I’ve already found this granny spike pattern that should work, and the wave and chevron stitch from the inspirational blanket  would also work.  I do hesitate to do consecutive rows of sc just because it make such a tight, stiff fabric that would be at odds with the other stitches, but a couple of rows here and there would be fine.

Not seeing your favorite stitch pattern?  If there is a stitch you would like to add, see if it fits this count (or see if you can alter it to fit):

The total of stitches across can be any multiple of 24, and then add 1 more stitch.  i.e. 25, 49, 73, etc.  (This is the number of STITCHES across, NOT the number of chains we start out with, due to the fact that we add extra chains to count as our first stitch.  Make sense?)  This means that any pattern repeat that evenly divides into 24 will work (2, 3, 4, 6, 8), so long as you can stick on that extra 1 stitch at the end, which most of the time isn’t a problem.  If your stitch pattern works, share it and someone else might want to use it!  The Ravelry group page would be a good place for that because you can add pictures of a swatch.

If you’re a new crocheter, I’d recommend practicing the “fancy” stitches beforehand.  Here are some tutorials for what we’ve got lined up now:

catharine wheels

bobbles  (I know this is my tutorial but I ended up adding an extra stitch in the bobble itself for added poof)

full star stitch

granny stripe

You know, as eager as I was at the onset of this idea to get going ASAP, I’m now glad that we don’t start for another month.  Gives us all time to get our yarn together, practice any difficult stitches, and add more stitch patterns if we want to.  I finished my last assignment of grad school today (HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!), so I should have more time on my hands unless I magically get a job and have to move or something.  Magically is about how it would have to happen — none of my fellow students are having any luck finding a job either.

Anyway, please let us know if you’ve got a stitch idea, and I’ll be looking, too!  Thanks for stopping by!

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charts vs. written out

April 19, 2013 by 15 Comments

Hello everyone!  Sorry it’s been so long — 10 days is a long time not to post (for me, at least).  I’ve been very busy with end-of-school assignments and preparing for the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification, which I take early tomorrow morning.  Job searching has also kept me busy for hours and hours on end, and I haven’t found anything yet, despite sending out over 70 copies of my resume.  Everyone loves my resume but nobody’s hiring, although I am doing a phone interview this Sunday with a private practitioner in the state.  I’d have to move if I got that job, but I don’t care — I just want something counseling related!

Despite all that, I really wanted to make this post, which I’ve been wanting to do for a while.  It’s about reading crochet charts vs. reading a standard written pattern.

bookchart

I really like charts!  Aside from looking cool, I think they’re easier to read (at least once you get the symbols down, but they’re pretty easy).  I can follow along easily and can see what my work is supposed to look like, ensuring that I do it correctly.

bookwritten

Regular written instructions are fine, too.  I’ve been used to all the abbreviations and repetitions for a long time now, so that’s not a problem.  Without a visual representation, however, often times I find myself in the middle of a round looking at the instructions and trying to figure out where I am.  It’s easier for me to get lost.

Those pictures are for the same motif and can be found in the book 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects, and Ideas.  I like that the book most of the time provides both chart and written instructions — it’s very handy!

So which do you prefer, and why?  I’m curious to see how many people prefer each one.

I might not post again for a bit — I’ve got LOTS to do between now and Thursday and maybe by then I’ll know if I have a job and need to move.  The possibility of having to move is one reason I was happy to schedule the CAL for June — hopefully I’ll be settled in by that time.

Anyway, wish me luck for my exam tomorrow, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

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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!

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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!

 

 

 

 

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