Tag: Ravelry

I Haz Pikturz!

Here ya’ go!  I downloaded Paint Shop Pro 2019 this weekend.  I went with the full version vice the upgrade since 1) the old PSP isn’t on this computer and 2) it wasn’t much more expensive.  And it’s still cheaper than Photoshop Elements.  Maybe Ps Elements is better, but I have years of experience with PSP.  Not so much with Ps, even less with Ps Elements.

Romeo doesn't care for his namesake mitts.
A hand pat and some sun. LIfe is good.

The photos were taken a couple of years ago, back when I was actively knitting and was regularly on Ravelry.  The pattern is called Mitts for Romeo—because it gets cold waiting on the balconey for your Romeo to show up. With a name like that, I had to make them!  And of course, I had to include Romeo in the picture.  He wasn’t all that excited about it.

Incidentally, I can  find only one of the mitts now.  And Michaels no longer carries (or makes, since it’s a Michaels brand) this type of yarn anymore.  Although I do believe I have an extra skein… somewhere.

They’re Done! Sort of. Mostly.

What do you do when you know you’re not going to meet your goal?  Create a new one!  When I realized I wasn’t going to complete my Colorful Tube Socks (as they’re titled on Ravelry) by the closing ceremony of the Olympic games (of which I watched only the men’s bicycling road race, but it was a good and dramatic event!), I created a new one.  I should have said I’d finish them by the end of August, but I went with the much more nebulous “I’ll finish them when I finish them.”  Besides, on August 3o, I wasn’t sure I’d be done by the end of August.

One tube sock down, one more to finish.
Hey, hey! Progress!

Continue reading “They’re Done! Sort of. Mostly.” →

Ravellenic Games Update

It appears I may fail the Ravellenic Games.  Not an Epic!Fail, as the crash of Sergio Henao (Columbia) and Vincenzo Nibali (Italy) in the Olympic cycling men’s road race.  The two cyclists, in a lead group of three riders, crashed in the late stages of the race during the mountain descent.  (I remember reading an article in Bicycling magazine, many years ago when I was actively cycling, when the author tried to scale the Alpe d’Huez, the best-known climb in the Tour de France.  He made it to the top, but hadn’t realized how treacherous the descent would be.  He, too, crashed.)

Hmm, it appears I’ve digressed into a different passion.

After 3-plus days of knitting, I have only 5½ inches to show for my work.
Ugh. Only 5½ inches to show for 3 days’—and several hours’—work.

After thee full days of knitting (today is day 4), I’m still on the spiral 3×3 rib, for a total of 5½ inches.   The entire project consists of 36 inches (for both socks).  At this rate, I’ll have completed only 32 inches by the closing ceremony.  This is my first experience using fingering weight yarn.  Between the super-fine yarn and the teeny tiny needles, progress is s–l–o–w.  I could persevere and work harder/longer, but honestly, I’m getting B.O.R.E.D.

Oh yeah.  And I think I’m allergic to wool.  😦

Actually, I could Epic!Fail if I just give up.  When I started writing this blog post, I wasn’t ready to throw in the towel, but now that I’ve discussed my frustration and ennui, I’m much more tempted.  I will finish the socks eventually, because they’re adorable; but I think for now I might switch back to a couple other projects that aren’t wool.

Let the Games Begin!

The Ravellenic Games, that is.

As in Ravelry, the world’s most incredible database of all things yarn and fiber.  The idea is to knit, crochet, weave or spin your way through the Olympics.  You cannot (or rather could not, as the time is in the past) start your project until the opening ceremony in Rio, and must have it finished by the closing ceremony.

The "Do the Twist" tube socks pattern comes from the book "Happy Feet" by Cathy Carron, via Knitting Daily TV.
“Do the Twist,” from Happy Feet by Cathy Carron © 2014

This is my first year as a “Ravthelete,” having never heard of Ravelry before 2015.  I’ve entered the Sock-Putt by trying to make a pair of tube socks with a twist.  The twist is, well, literally, a twist in the 3×3 rib, a brightly colored foot, and little bobbles on the cuff.  The photo on the right shows what the socks are supposed to look like once finished.  The pattern is from the book Happy Feet by Cathy Carron, which I first found on Knitting Daily TV.  (My yarn and colors of choice are shown in the picture above.)

The local yarn shop, fibre space, hosted a Ravellenics kick-off cast-on party last night.  It was a bit of a bust.  NBC didn’t start airing anything until 7:30 (when the official cast-on time was 7:15), and when NBC did begin, it was all that pre-ceremony crap of boring interviews and lengthy commercials.  I have no idea if the ceremonies even started by 9:00 pm, when the store closed and the party was supposed to end.  I left early, having fed the meter for only 1½ hours.

Continue reading “Let the Games Begin!” →

Knit Me a New Heart

My knitting heart is officially broken.  My favorite local yarn shop (acronym LYS) is closing.  The owner is retiring, and rather than sell the shop and its merchandise, she’s closing the store towards the end of August.  I. Am. Devastated.

There are two local yarn shops I semi-routinely visit, fibre space in Old Town Alexandria  and Uniquities in Vienna, VA.  fibre space is young and hip (you can tell because its name is all lower case), neat and spacious, and closer to my home on the outskirts of Old Town.  It specializes in locally-sourced yarns, very high end, and very expensive.  And you must pay for street parking, if you can find a spot. (This is, after all, Old Town.)

fibre space in Old Town Alexandria, blooming tree optional
Unitquities in Vienna, VA; not fancy, but fabulous

Uniquities is further away, but it boasts free parking, and stocks many well-known high-end yarns.  (Think Rowan, Noro, Tahki Stacey Charles, you get the idea.)  It doesn’t have one inch of wasted space.  And I love it!  So guess which store is closing.  Yep, Uniquities.

Continue reading “Knit Me a New Heart” →

Knitters Anonymous

Hello.  My name is Gail, and I’m a knitter.  I learned to knit at my mother’s knee, but stopped when I went off to college.  I didn’t pick it up again until all my friends started having babies, over 10 years later.  I made baby ponchos for them in various colorways.  Then another hiatus.  I halfheartedly picked it up again several years ago as therapy.  I knit a couple hats and eyeglass cases (which still need finishing).  I also attempted something for my grand-niece, but that’s a story for another post.  Then Outlander came to my television set, and I became enamored with all the knitwear.  I found Ravelry, along with patterns for cowls, shawls, and fingerless mittens.  Ravelry introduced me to boutique yarn shops as well as some tried and true old-school yarns, all of which offered still more patterns, techniques, and email lists to join.  I searched for yarn shops in my local area, and found two yarn specialty shops, and the ubiquitous Michaels and JoAnn’s.  And now?

Yarn has overtaken my home!

I filled my storage ottoman with yarn, but it overflowed.   I started buying plastic bins and photo boxes to store the yarn in, but I never have enough.

I decided to dump it all out on the floor.  I took a picture then looked around. I’d missed that box, and another box, and another, etc.  And the storage ottoman, and yarn being kept in a big basket, and a few other smaller baskets.

When the blizzard of ’16 hit, what did I stock up on?  Yarn!  Friday morning I sped out to MIchaels (passing several backed up gas stations on the way) for another stash.  And where was the first place I went once the roads were cleared?  Michaels.  For more yarn.  :/

Do you think I have a problem?