mrsCWmouse
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Interests: Knit, Spin, Crochet, Pets, Cooking, Gardening, Travel, Writing about all of the above.


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Member Since: 2/3/2006

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Friday, May 01, 2009

Currently
House, M.D. - Season Two
By Hugh Laurie
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One or many?

Okay, so far I've kept this mostly a crafting blog, with a bit of wildlife and growing things thrown in for good measure. But I've found myself lately wanting to blog about other things, besides knitting & spinning & crochet. So I set up a different blog to post those non-crafty things, like life questions, opinionated rants, recipes, life choices, that sorta stuff.

The other day I read on someone's blog, don't remember who, that it was in poor taste to have multiple blogs. She was pretty emphatic...like it was cheating on your blogmates or something, on the same level as adult'ry in marriage!

So, blogmates? You're the ones who read this thing. And all 2 of you both craft. One of you has a blog that is integrated and the other has a crafting/mommy blog. So do I do the brown vs brown thing and integrate or keep my various personalities split, like the many faces of Eve?

I don't care either way. So it's your call...


Friday, April 24, 2009

Currently
Woods of Chaos
By Rob Costlow
Tulip Trees
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February Lady Sweater...my details...boring stuff before the picture, commentary after.

The yarn and pattern version I'm using...

Wendy Romany DK, color #0658, dye lot #1799; 9 balls available, 50 gm & 140 metres each; suggested gauge: 20 st/ 31 rows=10x10 cm on size 4-6 needle. Three ply, each ply a different fiber and color. Lavendar-Acrylic-50%, White thick&thin-Cotton-33%, Pale Grey-Wool-17%. Machine wash warm, mild soap. Cool tumble dry.  Clover Bamboo 32"circs, size #6. Pattern version 2.1, 9 April 2009. Web link to free pattern: http://www.flintknits.com/blog/?p=151

Here's a pic...

FebLadySweater1  

Taking into account Kerowyn's Mom's comment about the sleeves, and the fact that I'm not so sure about the quantity of yarn, especially since I'm changing from worsted to DK, AND I'm thinking this more of a layered over spring transitional sort of sweater in this yarn, I may end up just doing the sleeves to the elbow. What do you think?

So? You saw the beginning of a swatch there? Didn't ya? That's me being a good kid!!

Hurrah me. I deserve a cookie.

Y'want one too? Okay.

Head on over to Joy the Baker blog and mix up a batch of her flourless PB cookies. They only take 4 ingredients and 15 minutes and are HEAVENLY. Enough motivation like that and I might even swatch the LACE PART!!

Wow, them's some good cookies!

Oh, here's the link:

 http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/04/flourless-peanut-butter-cookies/

 


Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Currently
Woods of Chaos
By Rob Costlow
see related

February in April

We've been having T'storms and clouds and rain.

Yes, it's all my fault for planting seeds for my garden. I admit it. I can change beautiful spring weather and make it all winter-like just by planting a garden. It never fails.

I'm gifted that way.

So what better timing for doing February in April, and maybe continuing with more February in May, June, and July...depending on my progress.

No, I'm not talking about the longest/shortest month of the year. I mean the February Lady's Sweater. You DID know I'm an EZ fan, right? Well, this sweater is based on her February Baby Sweater from The Knitter's Almanac, only upsized to fit someone more...um...mature in size.

I have some pretty yarn I've been saving for something for me. It's three ply, each ply a different color and fiber, lavendar and pale grey and white, wool, cotton, and nylon I think...I'll be more specific when I take a picture of it. I'll try to catch some sunshine to take a picture of the yarn if the weather cooperates today.

And if I REALLY am being good, I'll swatch. It's kind of important with this pattern, so I guess I'm going to have to do it. Yeash. I can rip it out after, at least, and not waste the yarn...or maybe this time I'll turn it into a hidden pocket...naw, prob'ly rip it. I'm not sure abt the amount of yarn I have for this as it is, without wasting any of it.

(yes, i know if i don't swatch and don't get gauge and the stinkin thin don fit I'll kick myself for not swatching...I'll do it, I'll do it. Yes, I promise already!!!)

What's that? Of course I should be working on Mom's cabled vest instead, or sewing the seams in the BSJ for Terry.

I'm bad.

I'm going to go off in the corner now and knit .

 


Friday, March 27, 2009

Modern Marvel

I have a friend who is just getting back into knitting and was having some trouble trying to find the right baby yarn for a project. So I sent her a link to Red Heart's Yarn Weights table (http://redheart.com/Default.aspx?tabid=127)

I keep a 1-inch 3-ring binder for stuff like this near my pattern books. Saves having to search the computer for it. Now here's the thing...

I remember back when personal computers were just getting started...yeah, I'm that old. Get over it.

Those HUGE desktop things were marketed as a great time saving tool, wonderful for organizing and saving information in a small, compact space, neatly and unobtrusively.

And they were. There it sat, taking up nearly the whole desktop. You pretty much HAD to enter all your information into it because there was no room on your desk to store papers if you'd wanted to. And it WAS nice, to have the Internet, and all that information at your fingertips, and what felt like nearly unlimited space to save patterns, and articles, and patterns, and reference material, and patterns...

Soon, though, the computer became full (of patterns, and articles, and patterns, and reference material, and patterns...)

So they came up with external hard drives, a wonderful place to back up your patterns, and articles, and patterns, and reference material, and patterns...

Once backed up you had a nearly empty computer so you could start filling it up all over again with NEW patterns, and articles, and patterns, and reference material, and patterns...

But now, here's the thing.

I have SO MUCH in the way of (...all that information...) that I can't find it when I need it.

Yes, it's filed, but is it filed in drive c or d or e or f or....

I got so I was spending so much time looking in my files for stuff, that it was easier to look online for it all over again. (Bless you, Google and Ravelry!) And then save it again, someplace I actually might be able to find it next time...but I wouldn't, of course, and repeat as needed.

But here's the thing. If I'm sitting at home with a few minutes to craft, and want to know what size hook and yarn to use with a particular (new-to-me) pattern, and the yarn is discontinued, and the weight isn't mentioned, I want a find a simple way to begin swatching for it based on gauge or hook/needle size, or even yardage requirements. SOME WAY to find a starting point.

Enter the Modern Marvel, the computer, right? Well, no actually. My computer is kept off unless I'm using it so turning it on, waiting for it to go through it's waking up routine, waiting for it to check itself for viruses and other nasties...

And THEN trying to find that one reference page in ALL THOSE FILES, or sorting through pages of Google results, or heaven forbid, going to Ravelry and trying to get the information and avoid getting sucked into a cute pattern, or fiber swap details, or the latest hoopla in the crafting dynasty, only to come out HOURS LATER with bloodshot eyes, a fuzzy place where my brain was, and no more time to craft...and probably not the information I went there for, either, because I'm so suggestible that I chase my tail in there Every Time I Visit...

What was I saying? Oh, yeah,...

So what I started doing was printing off a few pages of reference material that I tried to find most often, and keep it in a small One inch ring binder by my crafting chair. I can quickly find yarn weights, kitchener stitch directions, and a few basic patterns to riff off of, all without leaving my chair.

I'm getting so much more crafting done, now that I've gone back to the old fashioned way, and left the Modern Marvel off.

Yeah, so I'm weird. But then, you already knew that, right? *grins*

 


Sunday, March 22, 2009

Spinning Wheels & an (old) FO

 

These are my two 'babies'. One lives at Seldom Seen, and the other travels with me wherever I go:

My Kromski Minstral spinning wheel (and a lamp that has aspirations to be a spinning wheel someday to the right).

"I miss you, Baby. I'll come visit soon."

Minstral and lamp2

And my 'folds up into a cool carry case, follow me everywhere', Louet Victoria S95 (and Dog, who thinks every picture  taken is a photo op for her)

Louet wheel & leftoverball dog sweater

And THIS is what I finished knitting about this time last year, just in time to wear while I went out and BOUGHT my two pretty babies, and fiber to feed them...

Birthday Shawlette 08-2  

Pretty, yes?

Birthday Shawlette 08

Made with Knitpicks Ambrosia, it's soft and warm and stays put around my shoulders without buttons or pins. Faroese (sp?) style, and a Riff on Knitting Daily's Summer Shawlette pattern. I call it My April Rain Shawl.

 



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