It’s been a while since I featured things from the web that I think should be shared, so I’ll provide a few links today.
Since my early days of knitting, some four years ago, I was interested in different applications of knitting. I’ve always wanted to attempt knitting or crocheting jewelry with wire and beads. I even have wire in a few different gauges in the stash. (Hmmm…wonder if there is a way to track that in Ravelry? ) Yet, somehow I’ve never attempted to use it. I think that I fear having my finished item not look like it does in my head, a beautiful, beaded piece of jewelry to wear.
While searching Etsy the other day, I decided to take a look and see what was available in knitted or crocheted jewelry. There’s quite a lot of options available there. The quality of the items seems to vary, but I found three pieces I really love. If I thought that my adventures with wire and beads would end up anything like the three necklaces I feature here, I’d jump right in and be happy with the results.
First up is the Portland Necklace from Etsy seller LazyCat. I really like the large, bauble-like glass pearls on this necklace.
The Elegant Necklace for Evening from seller Lanita is lovely. The necklace aims to be a bit dressier than I usually am in my everyday life, but I think that it could work with a casual outfit too.
Finally, the Purple Seed Beads Necklace from seller Gulcheck reminds me a lot of necklaces I purchased the last time I was in Paris. They did not have as many strands as this, but the style was similar. She had this style in a lot of colors that I enjoyed; it was hard to pick a favorite. Perhaps I was just in a bit of a purple mood, since all the necklaces I listed feature purple tones. The only drawback with this necklace is a lack of photos featuring this style necklace being worn. It’s hard to get a sense of scale for how large those strands end up being.
Last night, I finally finished the Bayerische socks. It feels as if a major weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I haven’t been knitting much over the last month. I’m not sure if it has been because this sock was the only thing I had on the needles, or if life has just been that busy. I’m thinking that it might be a combination of both.
Pattern: Bayerische Socks, Eunny Jang
Yarn: Froehlich Wolle Special Blauband (225 yards/50g)
Quantity: 2 skeins (450 yards / 100g)
Color: Olive Green
Needles: Addi Turbo 40″ 2.0mm (US 0)
Started: June 18, 2007
Completed: August 19, 2007
Pattern modifications:
- I used 3 repeats of Chart D on the legs. I would have liked to have an additional repeat, but I did not have enough yardage.
- I decreased down to 32 stitches on the sole of the foot. The pattern called for 36 stitches, which was too loose.
- Due to concern about yarn yardage, I reduced the ribbing to 7 rows instead of 14.
Based upon collective experience of members of KTog knitting this sock, I can offer the following observations.
- This pattern tends to make any yarn seem very splitty. I would not recommend using any sock yarn that seems to split easily in stockinette.
- Knit the last row of twisted rib in the cuff very loosely. This is essential for success in the increase row of the sock.
- The finished socks are beautiful, but be prepared for very slow knitting. Even once I knew the pattern, each row took a significant length of time.
- The pattern is very methodical. Knit stitches always cross in front of purl stitches. Outside of Chart D, everything is either K2, P2 or K, P. If the stitches don’t line up that way, the knitter has made a mistake.
- The cabling is much easier without a cable needle.
I’ve done very little knitting of late. Since the beginning of the month, I’ve only managed to knit part of the heel flap on Bayerische number two. This is pathetic progress.
I’ve learned something important from Ravelry. There seem to be two definite camps when it comes to the number of projects a knitter has in progress at any one time. For me, it is typically only one to two projects in progress at a time, and one of those has to be a sock. While there are others of you out there like me, a significant number of knitters I’ve visited on Ravelry have many, many works in progress.
I’m not sure how anyone can keep track of ten, twenty, or more in progress projects. I think I would cry if I had to manage that many projects. How do you have any sort of chance at memorizing pattern? How do you remember where you are in each pattern? How long does it take to finish projects if you are always switching between them? I guess when that many ongoing projects, good note taking about the pattern, your modifications, and your stopping point would be essential. Perhaps that is why it doesn’t work for me; I don’t even like using row counters.
While thinking about that many ongoing projects, my mind has trouble processing some other issues too. Some of my neighbors on Ravelry have more than ten pairs of socks in progress. These socks are all photographed as being cast on and on needles. I wonder, do knitters have that many pairs of sock needles? Are they constantly switching between stitch holders and live needles? My mind reels.
Perhaps this is another of those situations where more information is not necessarily a good thing. I’ll be stepping back into my only a few projects on the needles bubble now, waiting for my mind to stop hurting.
This is the big weekend, Stitches Midwest Market is here, and it’s just a short drive away. Just about everyone from KTog is going, but not me. I’ve attended the event for the past three years, since I started knitting, and had a lot of fun while I went. I’ve purchased some wonderful yarn, and found some fabulous deals.
Over the few years that I’ve been knitting, I feel that I’ve become smarter about my yarn shopping. In the beginning, I used to just buy yarn in whatever quantity I felt like. This style of shopping lead to a lot of single balls or two balls of a yarn in my stash. Every time I wanted to make something, I found that my stash of yarn that was not enough to do anything with on its own. Long before Ravelry came along, I started using a spreadsheet to track my yarn inventory and patterns on my wish list with yarn requirements. I carry this list with me every time I go shopping. I try to by yarn that I can associate to a project on my wish list. While the yarn is not always used for the intended project, at least I know that I’ve purchased enough yarn to complete a project.
The frightening part of the process of photographing the stash for Ravelry was finding yarn that isn’t in my spreadsheet. That surprised me. I thought that I was fairly obsessive about tracking my inventory, but somehow some yarn still slipped through.
While I’ve had the yarn in the spreadsheet, I only look at the spreadsheet when I’m starting a new project or when I’m going yarn shopping. It’s very easy to not pay attention to the details contained within the file. Photographing and uploading the stash to Ravelry has forced me to confront my stash (it’s not all there yet). As I work with it, I realize that I realize that I have a lot of wonderful yarn. It is more yarn than I can knit in a long, long time. There is enough yarn to make multiple shawls, multiple sweaters, lots of socks, and some more left over. The only possible projects I don’t really have yarn for is a baby blanket type gift project, since most of the yarn is not machine washable. Also, I’ve been dreaming of a fair isle sweater, and that yarn doesn’t exist in the stash either.
In the end, I’ve come to the realization that when I visit my stash, I just don’t feel the need to acquire any more yarn. There is a tiny twinge of guilt for not using the yarn yet, but it is mostly contentment with the yarn that I own. I know that if I visit Stitches, I’ll find another deal that just can’t be passed up (like the Rowan Denim at $2/ball from two years ago – still sitting in the stash). When it comes to a deal on something I know I’ll use, I have very little willpower. So, I decided that I just won’t go. I hope everyone has fun this weekend; I’ll be looking for your stash photos and your stories.
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