Day 3: Diagonal Cluster Lace

May 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

Apparently I’m digging lace this week. The pattern I chose today looked more like a daisy style cluster of stitches then the textured eyelets it turned out to be. It’s cute but i wanted the stitches to look more like little flowers. That being said I am digging the fabulous diagonal created by passing one stitch over the following 2.

The fabric created from this is lighter weight than I expected – but since the yarn overs occur more often than in the Simple Eyelet Stitch I shouldn’t be surprised. More yarn overs = more holes = lighter weight fabric.

Today I knit using Impeccable 100 % acrylic worsted weight in the color Aran using size 9 needles because I wanted the lacey quality of the lace pattern to stand out.

Diagonal Cluster Lace

(multiple of 3 sts)
Row 1 (WS): Purl
Row 2: K2, *y0, k3, pass first of the 3 knit sts over the 2nd and 3rd sts; rep from*,  end k1
Row 3: Purl
Row 4: K1, *k3 pass first of the 3 knit sts over the 2nd and 3rd sts, yo; rep from *, end k2

Repeat rows 1-4

As with my previous swatches I added a 4 stitches to the pattern so i could have a 2 stitch wide garter st. border on the left and right sides.

I see a few mistakes, but overall i’m happy with it. Though next time i won’t knit while people are trying to have a conversation with me. Apparently i’m a bad multi tasker.

Filed Under: 356 Project, knitting Tagged With: , , ,

Day 2: Simple Eyelet Stitch

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

Today’s stitch is the Simple Eyelet Stitch. Completed using Knitpicks Brava Bulky in cream, knit with size 11 needles. I love this yarn. I’m not normally a fan of acrylic yarns because they have this squeak as they run across my needles. Also, in my experience the acrylics aren’t really that soft.. I’ve heard great things about some of the baby yarns but A) haven’t knit with them and B) I don’t always want to knit in a worsted or dk weight.. The Brava line is fabulously soft.

Now for the stitch pattern (which is why you are here right?)

Simple Eyelet Stitch

(Multiple of 4 sts plus 3)
Row 1 (RS) : Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K1, *k2tog, yo, k2; rep from *, end k2
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: Purl
Row 7: K1, *k2, ssk, y0; rep from *, end k2
Row 8L Purl

For my square I added 4 stitches – 2 to each side for a nice little garter stitch border – since this is essentially a stockinette stitch variation with out the garter border it would curl. I cast on 30 (27 +3) and the square came out much larger than i thought, though it only took 3.5 repeats of the pattern before the sample was squareish.

I like the stitch. I’m not sure that I’d want a whole piece done in the eyelet… that be a tad boring to knit but I think the eyelets set into the stockinette have a somewhat motheaten look to them. These would be a great addition to a steampunk style piece. A way to add some age to your new knitwear.

Filed Under: 356 Project, knitting Tagged With: , ,

365 Project: Day 1- Dimple Stitch

May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

I’ve decided to take on a 356 project. Truthfully I’ve wanted to for a while, but could never decide what I wanted to devote a year to doing. And now I have fallen head over heels for knitting and so my very own 365 project is born. One stitch sample a day, every day for a year.

The plan is to make a white square every day for a year, then when the project is over i’ll have enough squares for a beautiful stitch sampler afghan.

Dimple Stitch

Worked over an even number of stitches

Row 1 (Rs) * K1, sl1; repeat from * to end
Row 2 : Slip the slipped sts and p the purl sts
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: *Sl 1, k1; rep from * to end
Row 6: Slip the slipped sts and p the purl sts
Row 7: Knit
Row 8: Purl

repeat rows 1-8.

I really like this stitch. It’s easy and makes a thick fabric. I love the look of the slipped stitches. Though if i was going to work this into a piece i think i’d use bigger needles with the worsted weight yarn so that the whole fabric was looser, which would be better for fabric drape, and also help the slipped stitches be a little more pronounced.

Filed Under: 356 Project, knitting Tagged With: , , ,

Inspiration and Originality – a Quote from Jim Jarmusch

May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Filed Under: creativity, inspiration, quote

Knitting for Sanity

April 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Yarn Stash - Malabrigo Worsted - Water Green

 

Sometimes being self employed is crazy. Not in a bad way – I still wouldn’t trade it for any traditionally employed job, but being incharge of a business imparts a level of crazy on your days that, when combined with the regular ups and downs of life, just makes you want to go insane – that or question if you already are insane and just don’t know it.

Stupid is as stupid does… or maybe Crazy is as crazy does. or both.

To preserve my sanity, which sometimes feels like an endangered species – I’ve been knitting. Of course buying yarn is a joy – I’m attracted to all the colors. But transforming the yarn into something is peaceful. It gives my mind something to focus on and is very zen.

You know those days, where you just want to crawl in bed and not come out, but at the same time you don’t want to be so unproductive for a whole day? Yep, knitting fixes that. It allows me to listen to an audio book, knit and hide from the world - recuperating my sanity, and be productive.

Guernsey Wrap Progress Shot

Right now i’m working my way through a Guernsey Wrap, a pattern by Brooklyn Tweed. After this some of my friends are having babies, so i’ll knit up some baby things.

As for shop news, we’ve been super busy filling orders. And I’m still working on my new line of metal /enamel pieces to add to the shop.  I’ll post some preview shots this week. I’m excited to show you.

Filed Under: creativity, knitting Tagged With:

Gone But Not Forgotten, Memorial Remembrance Keychain

March 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Shop Update

I Volunteer as Tribute Hunger Games Bracelet

March 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

New in the shop today – Hunger Games bracelets in celebration of the opening of the Hunger Games movie.

I volunteer as tribute  on 1/2 inch leather. (my favorite line from the movie)

May the odds be ever in your favor.

I volunteer as tribute on 1/4 inch skinny leather wrap.

I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun.

Filed Under: Shop Update

Sashiko Inspired Sleep Mask

March 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 I have insomnia. I feel like a zombie. I’m to awake all night to sleep and to tired all day to do anything productive. Honestly, if i don’t get some good sleep soon I think I’ll go crazy. Right now I could probably get a role on the walking dead and not have to act much.

I have cut out my one cup of coffee, added in a bedtime cup of chamomile tea, started upping my water intake (i don’t drink soda) and started watching the amount of sugar that i take in after lunch time. All to no avail. This morning, after another night of sleepless sleep, chris suggested I go back to using a sleep mask. Duh.

I don’t know why i didn’t think of it before. I used to use one because the street light outside our house shone directly into the bedroom and I couldn’t sleep. But once we moved from that house i didn’t need it anymore.

But right now i’ll try anything. And since sleep masks are super easy to make I whipped this one up in a few hours. It would have been a few minutes but i wanted to add some embroidery. So I went looking for some inspiration and found sashiko embroidery – a beautiful japanese embroidery style.

sashiko...

Sashiko pillow

geometric sashiko coasters

And then i found a glorious tutorial explaining the basics and then promptly decided to ignore them all. Except for the whole running stitch thing. I went with gray for the front fabric and yellow for the part on my eyes because they are my two favorite colors.

Being far to brain dead to draw my own sashiko pattern I asked Lord Google to point me in the right direction. All the patterns i found were in kits. (don’t want to wait for a kit) and they all seemed very time consuming. Today I can’t handle time consuming. The project needed to be easy, and quick.

Imperfect rainbow stitching on the diagonal, with 6 strands of embroidery floss… I could tell you i used all 6 strands because it made nice thick stitches, but really I am to tired to separate the strands. Sewn based off of this PDF sleep mask pattern which i found a long time ago on the Craftster.org bulletin boards.

Now, after making the mask and writing this post I’m exhausted. So i’m going to move on to the next stage in my insomnia cure plan by going to do some light exercise by working in the yard. Woot to manual labor right?

Tell me, what is your best insomnia cure?

Filed Under: art, diy

Remember, we’re madly in love, so it’s all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it.

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Shop Update

Portrait of a Stuffy

March 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

This is my daughter’s favorite stuffy. A rhinoceros, aptly named “Rhino”. She got him for valentines day when she was around 3. Rhino went everywhere.

I took this picture because last night, while trying (unsuccessfully) to sleep, my head was over run with thoughts time passing. And the feeling that time is continually going faster and I am left wanting. Wanting experiences I keep putting off, wanting to share moments with my family, wanting to “achieve success”.

And then I thought of Rhino and the many nights spent franticly searching for him because bedtime was impossible with out him.

The thing is, to me, wanting isn’t selfish, but representative of the fact that my life is increasingly being lived in my studio (alone) or behind a computer screen. I am having digital experiences that a philosopher could argue don’t even exist at all. I’m connecting with people by reading their blogs but that is a one sided friendship. I want people to be interacting with me.

I’m not quite sure how yet, but I am going to start living life. Start connecting with people. Start living the width of my life and crossing things off my want list.

What is it that you want in your life? Do you have an object that reminds you to stop hiding and start connecting with the world?

Filed Under: inspiration
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