Yarn Fumes Got Me

This is gonna a be a pure eye candy post with lots of pics and swooning.  

I went to Manhattan today to go to Container Store. Somehow, I wandered by Lion Brand Yarn Studio. I think the yarn fumes must have led me there. Anyway I bought the cutest button ever: 

I also saw a button for spinners that said “Drop it like it’s hot!” I don’t even spin and I wanted it.

So I finally get to the Container Store to pick up non-craft related items.  I guess the fumes were still lingering because I picked up flexible totes while I was their; the small one is working out nicely as a yarn bowl. The large one I’m using to wash/block small items like hats, etc. The best part is that they came to under $10!

Flexible Totes from Container Store

Yarn I got at Lion Brand:

Babysoft - Pistachio

Jamie - in Baby Boy Blue and Sunshine

LB yarn shown inside Large Flexible Tote

HPKCHC: yay I finally got sorted :D

Well, I got sorted into Gryffindor.  I have to say I'm very surprised.  I requested Ravenclaw and Slytherin as my top two choices.  I told the Sorting Hat to place me in any house if those two filled up.

So yeah...ROAR!

knit it out!

I have been busy knitting and plotting um... I mean planning my HPKCHC projects.   I cleaned up and reorganized my queue.  I'll talk more about HPKCHC and Ravelympics in my next post so stay tuned for that!

I finally bound off the Cordelia hat.  All I have to do is weave in the ends for wip the 1st and I can get detentions points out of the starting gate!











I'm still doing Knitting Brooklyn's Remembering Remy KAL.

So so glad I learned Magic Loop to do these hats.  Right now I'm just doing one at a time.  I tried doing TAAT but my poor mind crashed out on the second attempt.  I modified this preemie hat pattern because I'm using Bernat's Softee Baby yarn.

I have become addicted to doing preemie hats.  My knitting improves with each hat.  I can watch Doctor Who while doing the st st section of the hat.  Anything more complicated, the project is toast as you can see from the second hat.  Great for those times when I know I'm going to have a long wait!

Spring Break Knitting

O.K. I'm back from the Pesach madness.  I'm in the middle of returning the kitchen to normal.

I did manage to get some knitting done.   I felt awful about dropping the ball in March.  I was too frazzled. Thursday, I sent Hubster to Argyle to pick up some DK yarn for the Remembering Remy KAL. He also got me a 40" interchangeable needle cord and size 5 wood needles from Knitter's Pride (and yes they work with my Knit Picks interchangeable tips!)

Finished Objects


Preemie Hats for the KAL

Karmaloop Duo

Pyjama Party Preemie Hat

I linked the original pattern in the picture captions.  The first preemie hat came out almost newborn size -  if a larger baby needs it they will have it.  I do have to wash/block them but I won't do that until I have a half dozen under my belt. May, I will buy pink, blue, and white yarn so I can do more hats.

Still On The (dang) Needles
I made great progress on my Cordelia hat:

I decided to finish the hat using my new 40" cable and magic loop.  I'm staying away from dpns for awhile.  Those socks totally turned me off to them.  Hopefully, by Monday I will have a full parade of finished objects.

Cleaning House

So I've been MIA for awhile.  I'm back.  Nothing was wrong except I had no internet and I tried mobile posting once and I was done :p

Anyhoo, I have a finished object to show off and a stash flash!

Meet Peppermint Patty:

It's the Ribbed for Her Pleasure scarf that I was working on in March. I used Premier Merit in Kelly Green.  I wasn't feeling the yarn so I switched it out for my Lamb's Pride Worsted in Turkish Olive.

Now HPKCHC is on break before the spring term starts so I organized my queue and my stash.  I moved my knitting tools to a giant project bag while my Nantucket bag is waiting to dry.

The bag o' yarn spillover:

And of course the doggy bag of yarn leftovers:

Now, I'm off to bed phew!

Saturday Night Fever (literally!)

I don't have any FOs this week. Thursday morning I woke up feeling like warmed over poo. Friday morning rolled over on me. I was so run down I could barely stay up on my crutches. So I'm curled up in bed doing a Blogger Mobile posting experiment from my Blackberry. *fingers crossed folks!* Hubster was kind enough to procure me Alka-Seltzer Cold along with a slew of various cold remedies!

Anyhoo, I did manage a few projects this week. For the Escargot hat I did gauge swatches for the Dragonfly BFL yarns in Espresso Roast and Poseidon. I made stitch gauge on the size 7 KP nickel needles (I like them a lot.)

The other thing I'm working on is the Ribbed for Her Pleasure scarf that I started last month. I did a modification on it. I am using Premier Merit yarn and I HATE it. The yarn just doesn't feel soft...it's rough like a cheap acrylic and it's 100% wool. So I decided to blow out the skein by adding a keyhole like S 'N B's "windy city scarf." I then joined Lamb's Pride Worsted in "Turkish Olive" after the keyhole. I like how this yarn feels. So hopefully that will mitigate the yuck factor of the other one!

So I can type via the old blogger dashboard but Blogger is not playong nice with my Blackberry. My Gmail has gone into the drink ever since Google r with the verification mess. Plus Blackberry has a bug with email on their end as well so really annoyed!

Now my nightime cold meds are kicking in so signin off before I ramble in my sleep :/

Sick sick knits

O.K. my poor foot has been subjected to a lot of trauma this week. Monday night, I stubbed my toe and cracked my cast.  I saw the podiatrist the next day in a panic.  Luckily, he said my toe was fine and reinforced the cast (only the tip cracked.)  I'm telling you I got skills!

Here's some random sick ish I ran across:

Toilet Yoga - because sometimes sh*t doesn't happen!  Very funny

This on the other hand is SO not funny but still full of sh*t:

Yes, some fools are putting this on their cars!

Now that I got that out of the way, let's talk some knit.

Spring, is almost here and I'm feeling a bit of dread.  I'm finding warmer weather to be a conflict of interest.  So this month, I'm going finish off the rest of my winter projects and start looking ahead to Spring cardigans, shawls, and sweaters.

On The Needles
Pattern: Escargot (Knitty Winter 2011), an asymmetrical cloche that I named Cordelia

Needles: Knit Picks 24" US size 7 nickel interchangeable circular needles

Yarn: Dragonfly Blue Faced Worsted in:

 Espresso Roast

Poseidon

 

What attracted me to this pattern is that I can make two hats out of both skeins of yarn. This pattern called for a cable cast-on which made me a bit nervous; CO 240 was tedious to say the least! For this hat, the main color will be Poseidon and the contrast color will be the Espresso Roast.  So far, I'm liking how the KP metal tips feel; it slips between the yarn very easily and the tips are super pointy (but not so pointy to poke my fingers.)  The metal may too slick for me.  I will have to see what I think once the knit progresses.

Pattern: Ribbed For Her Pleasure, from Stitch 'N Bitch
Needles: US size 8
Yarn: Premier Yarns Merit in Kelly Green

I haven't made any progress on it since the last post.

Hibernating
I also started a pair of socks for the HPKHC Sock KAL but I'm not feeling them at the moment so they are hibernating.

The pair of mittens I started are also languishing.  I don't even have one-sockits; I got nil-sockitis.  I figure on finishing the scarf and tackling the socks before I mess with the cloche.  I need to catch a case of finish-upitis right quick!

Better hop on the knit...

Saturday Night Finishing

After Shabbos, I'm usually too tired to cast on new projects.  Sometimes, I'm not even motivated to tackle works in progress. So I decided I will devote motzei Shabbos to finish projects that are off the needles.  That way, I start the week off with a clean slate and empty needles!

My first finished object is Hubster's Yankees inspired scarf:

Hubster modeling his new  Yankees scarf

Hubster said that it reminds him of a tallis and the Israeli flag colors.  I'm glad he loves it.  It feels so soft and warm too!

The second finished object is Penelope - The Official Kittyville Hat.  I'm so happy I finally finished it.  Didn't finish it in time for Purim but it's ready for next Purim :D 

Friday morning, I decided to do a combination of spray and steam blocking with my Rowenta Effective iron.  I sprayed the i-cording and the kitty ears to crisp them up.  

Then I went over the whole hat using the steam blast button; holding the iron a 1/2" above the hat. I used my Knit Picks blocking mats and my blocking wires (1 flexible for the curvature of the hat, 2 rigid ones for the i-cords.) The project was a bit difficult for me but it came out so cute:

Penelope with my pink wig - so punky!

This is how it looks on a human:

I'm the cat's meow!

Now I'm going to relax and read.

Ribbit!

Well last night before I went to bed, I ripped back the Official Kittyville Hat I was making for Purim.  My hat was becoming mangy, grr...

I casted on just fine...I mucked up the seed stitch by starting the next round with a k instead of a p.  I ended up doing a 1x1 rib.

Then I saw yarn over (?) holes.

Then I forgot that stockinette stitch in the round is just knit stitches.

The dropped stitch that disappeared was the last straw for me *grumbles* 

I figure a fresh start would give me perspective and enough caffeine to get me through.  Since knitting on the Clover circ needles is so nice I figure I could watch a bit of Sherlock once I get to the stockinette stitch part of the pattern and then some music when I (finally) get to the decreasing part of the pattern.

What going on in my (new) knitting bag?

Today my foot is really bothering me.  After Hubster's EPIC Lion Brand haul on Friday, my yarn has officially exceed my storage box's capacity.  So Hubster is going to get me two more boxes.


So here's what's going on in my (new) Knitting Bag:

On The Needles
Official Kittyville Hat from Stitch 'N Bitch.  I cast this on Friday afternoon with Black Wool-Ease.  So far, so good.  I want to get this done by Wednesday in time for Purim.  I will wear it with my pink wig. Gotta be festive!

Daddy Yankee Scarf - using a free pattern from Lion Brand.  Hubster is a huge Yankees fan so it's in navy and white.  I'm a Mets fan.  I really love him, that's all I gotta say :D

Hubster's Scarf now it's MINE - Hubster seemed more interested in the Yankee's scarf than this one so I guess I have to claim it.


No finished objects yet.  Hopefully I will be able to post some finished objects before Purim begins.
Gotta get my knit on!

10 Favorite Knitting Things This Week!

I've been out of it for a few days.  So you get back to back posts!  I had bunion surgery on Thursday:

Yikes! Isn't the wall such an ugly green?

I tried every conservative therapy for my bunions. My insurance won't cover orthopedic shoes but they cover surgery.  Which is really crazy when you think about it.  Orthopedic shoes are pricey at $400+ for a pair.  However, surgery is at least 10 times that amount.  The insurance company is clueless about cost effectiveness.

When I still felt pain wearing New Balance sneakers and Aerosoles w/ inserts, I knew I had no choice.    I knitted some exercises from Stitch 'N Bitch to keep busy in pre-op.  Post-op I was too loopy to knit.  I really tried - anesthesia and knitting don't mix, LOL!

I will be on crutches for about 6 months (I'm getting the right foot done in 6 weeks.)  While I was practicing using crutches last week, I discovered my normal knitting tote is NOT compatible with crutches.   The bag suddenly swung and I almost went flying. If had needed them I would've been hurt.  So I decided to get a knitting bag that is crutch-safe.

10 Favorite Knitting Things This Week after the jump

Things got a bit hectic, oy oy oy!

O.K. the knitting lessons went well.  I'm going to get more knitting lessons for TinyPunk.  I already got the "Don't you think it's weird that he wants to knit question?"  There are plenty of men who knit, sheesh!

Also, the bunion surgery is scheduled for Thursday.  Purim is coming up and Pesach is 5 weeks away aack!  I'm not doing any heavy duty Pesach cleaning - Hubster and the cleaning lady are going to tackle it.  Depending on how I feel, I will do a little of Pesach cooking but I'm planning to keep things simple as possible.  My stomach will thank me.

Off The Needles
What's nice is that I have finished objects this week!

The first Kindle cover I did was kinda scary.
The second one I did came out a lot better:

Kindle Cover "Lots of Stripes" version

Yarn used:
Red Heart Eco-Ways Bamboo Wool, Peacock, $4.19 (I got on sale for $2) in Peacock
Bernat Super Value Ombres in Denim, $3 from LYS

I did this for the HPKCHC!  The house cup is so much fun, BTW.

Ribbing is still tough for me cos I get distracted easy and then I forget.

The second thing I managed to churn out was my first hat!  It came out OKish.  I will make another version of this hat out of wool cos it isn't warm enough despite being super cute.

Works in Progress
This week's homework assignment is to make Hubster a scarf.  He doesn't want me to make him anything special like a sweater cos he's bad with taking care of stuff.  So a scarf is a good compromise.

On the Queue
I think what I will focus on this week is choosing which projects to do for March.  I figured I would work on some stuff from Knitting for Dummies and SNB.  Combined with the HP house cup stuff I think I will be amply occupied while I recoup!

Parent Child Knitting Lessons

O.K. I went to Brooklyn General this morning.  It wasn't too hard to get there.  From the train station, it was a 8 minute walk.

So TinyPunk was amped up.  Then we started with the Continental cast on and he dissolved into full meltdown mode.  I wasn't in the mood for it especially with the two day migraine going on. *sigh*  Poor kid was thirsty, so the teacher gave him some water.   The end project will be a knitted animal.  So cute! I'm going to take along some more snacks tomorrow to stave off further meltdowns.  Poor kid was frustrated.  He's used to catching on quick.  He's not catching on as fast as he would like and that is driving him crazy.  So after he finishes today's reading assignment, I will help him out for an hour or so.

I bought some yarn with me (acrylic and a bamboo mix; but they were too slippery for TinyPunk.) The knitting teacher advised me to sit behind him and hold his hands so he can get the muscle memory from working the stitches.  I think because he's on the spectrum, his weak fine/gross motor skills are definitely a factor.  I'm seriously considering getting him Lion Brand's Stress Relief Gloves.  I'm going to measure his hands today and see if he will fit into the size Small.

Personally, I love knitting Continental style now.  The knit stitch is so much easier and it comes out looking so much neater.  Purling is still dicey but it's definitely less scarier than English.  I'm hooked.  At least TinyPunk has the advantage of learning Continental instead of having to switch over like I did.

Tomorrow is another day to get it right.  We have two more lessons this week so I'm hopeful :D

Retro Singer

My grandmother had an ancient Singer from the early 1900s.  I was fascinated with the thing.  When I saw this I almost d-i-e-d from the coolness:

Singer's limited ed. 160th Anniversary Sewing Machine

OMG, It's $500. But it's still cool if you got the cash to burn on this!

Knitting Sports: HP, KIP, and crazy pick up lines

Right now, I'm reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's "Casts Off." Wednesday I reached the Knitting Sports section. At first I thought it was ridiculous. How can knitting be considered a sport?

Then I casted on a Kindle cover.

Kindle Cover Cozy - Simple Double Stripe version

Why oh why did I do this? I've only been knitting three weeks. Why did I think I could do this pattern which involved double point needles; stripes, and ribbing. I think the yarn fumes from my recent Herrschner's order is to blame.

Yes, that's what I'll keep telling myself.

The second thing that convinced me of the legitimacy of knitting sports is the HP knitting/crochet house cup.  I was listening to episode 3 of the Girlfriends Knitting podcast and she mentioned her Harry Potter Project (Hermione Socks.)  I was like OMG - Harry Potter + Knitting = FTW!  So I signed up for the Ravelry Group.  Right now, I'm a NQFY (not quite first year) since I signed up midterm.  But the good news is that I made it in time for Hogsmeade Weekend 2012, w00t!

I'm such a HP freak that I took a sorting hat quiz:

The sorting hat says that I belong in Ravenclaw!
<
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose intelligence is surest."

Ravenclaw students tend to be clever, witty, intelligent, and knowledgeable.
Notable residents include Cho Chang and Padma Patil (objects of Harry and Ron's affections), and Luna Lovegood (daughter of The Quibbler magazine's editor).

Take the most scientific Harry Potter Quiz ever created.
Get Sorted Now!

I was knitting on the train minding my own business Friday morning.  This dude was staring at me.  He then approches me and asks "Who taught you that old world craft your mother or your grandmother?" Great knitting is giving random fools courage to toss out pick up lines.  I love how Hubster who was seated next to me piped in with, "Oh she learned three weeks ago from a book!  Isn't she great?"  

LOL! It was like landing in the middle of a Nat Geo episode, "When Knitting in Public leads to Crazy Pick Up Lines!"

MTA poster features subway knitter

Today I was on the Q train and I saw a MTA poster featuring a punk girl knitting.  Here's a video with the artist talking about what inspired her to do the painting.

So cool!

10 Favorite Knitting Things This Week

1. Ravelry - nuff said.  Patterns, forums, advice, and just a great place to find other knitters.
2. my Kindle Wi-Fi.  I can get a lot of Knitting books w/o cluttering up my bookcase. (I'm on a book diet!)
3. Lion Brand Yarn Studio a great place to knit, score cool yarn/knitting notions, and print out patterns. Lion Brand Needles are an Aspie's dream!  The plastic is so quiet. I got a pair of size 10 kid's needles for TinyPunk and a size 11 for myself.  The Learning Center has great how-to vids too!
4. Brooklyn General I'm going to take Parent/Child Knitting classes while TinyPunk is on mid-winter break from school.  I'm so glad Jessica from Knitting Brooklyn pointed me in their direction.
5. The Knit Kit cos I knit on the NYC public transit and I can't be rummaging in my bag for stuff!
6. iTunes: I can catch cool knitting podcasts while I knit like Knitting Brooklyn, Subway Knits, and Girlfriends Knitting.
7. Stuff4Knitting: this site is a little klunky but you can get knitting notions, yarn, and other basics on the cheap.  The shipping is Priority Mail so you get your order really fast too.  I like their reward points system too: you can use your points anytime.
8. Knitting Daily tons of free resources and videos.  It's from Interweave Magazine.
9. Rosebud Salve: I used this on my cuticles and the dry spots on my hands.
10. Knitty an eMag with OMG die of teh cute patterns, interesting essays, and product reviews.

So that's my fav stuff this week.

Stash Management

My big shipment of yarn from Herrschner's came on Tuesday.  It took about ten days.  I told Hubster that I need to buy a plastic bin for my yarn.  I was going to get it from the local 99 cent store but yesterday's hospital clinic trip tired me out.

So Hubster bought this tote from ShopRite:

Sterlite 15 Qt. ClearView Latch Box

First thought that popped in my head was "that's not going to be big enough!"  Now this frightened me.  I have 11 um...12 skeins of yarn.

Twelve.

How is this not enough?!

Then I realized that:

• I'm a baby knitter.  Therefore, I'm bound to make horrible yarn purchases and need to buy more.
• Minimalism is my goal so any signs of hoarding gives me the willies.
• It's a good size to have if I'm going to organize according to yarn weight, color, yarn type, etc...
• there's a cute paper bag nearby and I can hyperventilate in style!

So I figured buying six of these totes 

Ziploc Big Bags

and 1 or 2 boxes of Ziploc Big Bags would be a good way to manage my stash/knitting supplies from the starting gate.

Of course reading Stitch 'N Bitch isn't helping matters.  I got the startitis itch but the finish-it-upitis is overriding my urge to make the  Punk Rock Backpack.

ETA: That I bought a skein of Fur yarn for $2 today.  Yes, I'm a yarn addict!

So I better get back to the knit!

Nothing screams romance like going to hospital

Hubster was prepared this Valentine's Day.  He came home last night bearing flowers and Pepperidge Farm cookies.

Today, I went to the hospital for a surgery consult.  I'm going to have foot surgery on March 1st.  Good thing I took up knitting to keep myself occupied while I'm on crutches.

What's Going On In My Knitting Bag?

I think I got "startitis."  I love starting projects.  I live in a small basement apartment so I need to slow my roll! I'm going to have to deal with stash management sooner than later.  Actually tomorrow, because a huge box of yarn came in today sheesh....


So here's what's going on in my Knitting Bag.


On The Needles
Envelope Hat from Knitting for Dummies I casted this on last Wednesday.  I put it down Friday afternoon.  Still didn't get back to it yet.  I started working on the snug fingerless mitts from Instructables.


Close fitting fingerless gloves I finished one glove so far:

Fits better than the other mitts I tried to knit up.  

The second one I'm knitting up is coming out really good.

You can see my Lion Brand Support Gloves on the right.  Can't miss me knitting!







Finished Objects

Garter Ridge Scarf from Knitting for Dummies.  I made it from Bernat's Softee Chunky in Rustic Rouge. I modified the pattern a bit because the yarn was bulky and making a scarf 8.5" wide was just too much. If the yarn was a "4" then I would've tried to go wider.  So I frogged the first one I started after a few rows.  I kept the 42" length the same.

Far from perfect but it's freezing outside.  That's why I started on the matchy-matchy hat and fingerless cuffs.

UFO's
I've been fighting to making matching fingerless cuffs to my scarf.  The projects I tried Learn to Knit cuff and Basic Almost Mittens came out looking like catcher's mitts so I'm going to the Knitting Doctor over at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio when TinyPunk is on vacation and see if I can save 'em!

No need to get crazy over imperfections just yet.  I'm just glad I'm getting better by the stitch!

How did I get hooked on knitting?

O.K. a few months ago, Pixel of Ink promoted Knitting for Dummies (Kindle ed.) sale price of 99 cents.  So I had to snag it.  Then a woman in my Monday social group asked if other women would be interested in learning how to knit a few days later.  I figured it was meant to be so I jumped on the opportunity.

Two weeks ago she began teaching us.  I just got so hooked on knitting.  Once I got knit and purl down I was a goner.  The first few days I could feel the yarn in my hands hours after I finished knitting.  Phantom yarn on my fingers is such a weird sensation.  Then my hands and wrists started to hurt so I bought some wrist support gloves at the Lion Brand Studio.  My hands feel so much better.

I took my first project off the needles (a scarf of course) last Monday.  This poor thing got frogged twice.  I cussed it out and and my clumsy fingers.  The first time was because it was just a mess.  The second time I was making my scarf too wide... it was looking more like a placemat than a scarf.  Frogging all that work hurt much more that but I took it in stride :D

Now I know - read twice (or more), knit once.

Why am I hooked on knitting?  Several reasons.

• I am creating stuff.  I'm into art, music, and writing so being creative helps me feel alive.
• It's winter - the perfect time to learn how to knit scarves, hats, and mittens (or in my case: fingerless cuffs)
• Calms me down.
• Gives me a sense of purpose every time I work on a project.
• Helps me meet new people.  
• Makes commuting fun!  I love using The Knit Kit for my MTA knitting because it has all my knitting notions in the cutest pink package.

I love Ravelry!  If you want to friend me over there my username is hipstamom.
I'm also on Plurk

Intro and all that blah blah...

Hi  everyone!

I decided to create this blog to document my journey into Knitting.  I started knitting two weeks ago so I'm a really new knitter.  I live in Brooklyn, NY with my hubster and 10 year old son.  They will be referred to here on out as Hubster and TinyPunk.  TinyPunk is also intrigued by knitting so I'm planning to take him to Lion Brand Yarn Studio.

Brooklyn is just an awesome borough and I live in Coney Island.  There's nothing like living by the ocean.  Unfortunately, this means that winter is a very cold and damp experience.

I figured this would be a good place to document my progress and show off my stuff.  I'm also thinking of  doing a podcast so this will be a place for show notes too.  But don't hold me to that because I'm always thinking of stuff like that :D

So that's all.

xoxo,
Ange