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