on Instagram: https://instagr.am/p/CMXzoxohz1a/
I started this on the way to Michigan last week. It’s the Noro striped scarf inspired by Brooklyn Tweed but with Kureyon instead of Silk Garden. I’ve had to fudge the colors a bit to make it work. This has been something I’ve wanted to knit for years and I love how it is turning out.
Me: How are you doing? A little nervous?
Her: Yeah.
Me: Is it because you’ve never been to a march before?
Her: Yeah.
Me: Does it help to know that I haven’t either?
Her: Really?
Me: I never felt like I had to before.
I finished knitting around midnight and put the hat on my head. It looked ridiculous. I figured I’d take it anyway and maybe give it away. The next morning my daughter encouraged me to wear it. Pictures came in from all over the world: a sea of pink. I live in a small blue dot in a very big red state. It feels lonely sometimes. Today it did not.
Lots of people are uncomfortable with the name of this hat. However enough people were comfortable electing a man who uses it to the highest office in our country. I did a quick search on Facebook for the word vulgar. It’s amazing how many Trump supporters did not like women using the word pussy today. I can’t quite figure that out.
This week I heard something on the radio that has stuck with me: marches don’t change policy, but they create a movement, they start a conversation. I like that. And I’m glad I wore my #Pussyhat.
How come the lazy days of summer are always so busy? I picked up 10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters to read how other yarn lovers slow the pace of life with their craft. I really enjoyed the stories, but I don’t think I’ll make any of the patterns, so I’m glad I got it from the library.
On a side note: do you see that little bit of yarn left for the Honey Cowl? I’m almost there!
This book was a good choice before my next hold from the library is available. I have a feeling it’s going go be heavy.
Any diehards out there who can knit while holding an umbrella? I gave up when the rain started. At least the girls will stay cool.
I’m almost finished my Honey Cowl — just in time for summer vacation.
Still working on the honey cowl. I’m making progress, but it’s slow going. I pretty much only work on it at my daughter’s soccer practice and at knitting group. I was tempted to skip tonight. It’s cold and rainy/sleety/slushy/snowy out. I’m glad I went, though. I have a feeling I might be stuck indoors tomorrow.
Is anyone else experiencing crazy Spring weather?
Last night at knitting group, one of our members brought two huge bags of yarn she was destashing. I told her I had a friend who would love it and brought it home with me. I’m pretty sure my friend doesn’t have a ball winder and lot of the yarn was from abandoned projects. So I sat down in front of the tv and started winding balls.
I forgot how fun it is to deconstruct knitted items, especially handmade ones. Everyone weaves ends and sews seams a little differently. It’s interesting to reverse engineer the process.
resources: I’m sure I’ve posted these before. Some of my favorite tutorials for unraveling sweaters are from Neauveau Fiber Art. Photo tutorial here and video tutorial here. Also, here’s a short video on finding the “little v stitches” to unzip a seam super fast.
If you live in Lincoln, this weekend is the Goodwill 99 cent sale. A sweater’s worth of wool for under a dollar? You can’t beat that!
Last night I was knitting while watching a movie and didn’t pay too much attention to my yarn. Today when I pulled my project out at soccer practice, I found I only had a tiny ball left. Luckily, I had a second hank in my bag, but it needed to be wound before I could use it.
I learned this trick from a fellow knitter, and it works like a charm. Untwist the hank and put it around your neck like a necklace. Untie the threads holding it together and find the end. Start winding it into a ball, unlooping around your neck as you go. There may be times where it feels tangled up, but don’t take it off your neck. Just keep winding and unlooping until you’re finished.
I can’t tell you how many times this little trick has helped me. I hope someday it will be helpful to you, too!
If you spend time on Facebook and Twitter, you’ve probably noticed a lot of red squares with pink equal signs. It is a way for people to show their support for marriage equality. I wanted to do more than just change my social media avatars, so I knit up a little pin.
I don’t often knit with two colors, and I tried this a few different ways. Intarsia was easier, but too many ends to fiddle with. Duplicate stitch over a red square looked just ok. I even tried crochet, but the lines just weren’t straight enough. Fair isle won out in the end.
I’m offering the chart with the disclaimer that when it comes to fair isle, I really don’t know what I’m doing. Even though I checked my gauge and made a chart, my first few tries came out more rectangular. I wound up adding a row of red to the top and bottom to even things out. Blocking into shape was also a must.
notes: Red yarn was Lion Brand wool. Pink yarn was a random soft acrylic from my odds and ends bin. I used size five needles. Finished size is 2 x 1 3/4 inches. I also found some great video tutorials that helped me out.
— How to Knit Fair Isle with Two Hands
— How to Knit Fair Isle Neatly in Purl
— How to Carry the Yarn Across the Row
Also, here is a site where you can generate and print graph paper according to your gauge.
I was expecting more of a textured look to the Honey Cowl, but using a variegated yarn is giving the loops a personality of their own. I like it.
This project has been on my lap for most of the last week, but hasn’t progressed all that much. I was sick, my husband was out of town and my daughter had extra Tae Kwon Do tournament training. At the end of the day, I was too tired to knit. I hate when that happens.
I’m so glad to be well again and full of energy for creative things. What are you working on this week?
I’m pleased with how this project turned out. It was really hard to capture the black on black stitches, but you get the idea. It’s less noticeable than in the photo.
One thing I found helpful while navigating all those dark stitches was to thread a contrasting yarn through them to help me keep things straight. After finishing a row, I just pulled out the contrasting yarn and continued on until finished.
I don’t recommend using a fuzzy yarn like I did. The fibers made quite a mess!
