tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87143460009329101532024-02-18T23:25:37.424-08:00Roving StarPointsRoving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-17048869278798027982012-02-11T21:39:00.000-08:002012-02-11T21:41:00.138-08:00Let the silence end...First of all, let me apologize for my silence. I have a very good reason.<br />
<br />
January 2011, my mother-in-love, who has lived with us since 2005, was re-diagnosed with <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001211/">congestive heart failure</a>. When she first came to live with us in Arizona, she was already in the hospice program in Arizona and no one was giving her more than six months. She'd had several smaller heart attacks the previous year, the last one making it impossible for her to continue to live alone. Partially because she refused to take prescription medication and partly because she really couldn't take care of her daily needs. She was also diagnosed with <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001748/">dementia</a>, but at the time, we only saw fleeting and sporadic evidence of that change.<br />
<br />
We tried to keep her in an Assisted Living home in Lake Havasu so she could continue to attend her church and be near all her friends. But she deteriorated to the point they put her into the hospice program, so we brought her to live with us in the Phoenix area. We wanted her to be with us when she passed. We had been living with my mom, helping her but there wasn't room for another person in her small home. So we found a place to rent nearby that would be suitable for his mom so we could care for both of them. We never expected her to last through the year. If she was living with us, we would be able to get the <i>most</i> important medications into her somehow.<br />
<br />
In June of 2006 my mother passed. She'd been battling <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001153/">Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease</a> (<i>OCPD</i>) and was in the early stages of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001767/">Alzheimer's</a>. Mom was terrified of losing her memory, so when she suddenly collapsed due to what was later determined to be blood clots in her lungs, it was a kind of "blessing." She collapsed around 4 in the afternoon and was gone the following morning by 6am.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, our <i>other</i> mom had come off the catheter. A few months later, she no longer needed supplemental oxygen. And in November 2006 when we moved back to Oregon, she not only did not qualify for the hospice program here... she no longer qualified for a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. We started to wonder if she might not outlive us all.<br />
<br />
The last two years, the fact her memory was deteriorating was becoming obvious on a daily basis. Then last winter she got a mild cold but her cough didn't go away. We began to notice that it sounded suspiciously like the cough she'd had with congestive heart failure, so we took her to the doctor to see if it was something we should be concerned about or not.<br />
<br />
We have a wonderful neighbor lady next door who offered to come over once a week and help her with a shower, which had become a source of conflict for us. We knew that she'd be more cooperative with someone she didn't see every day and less likely to "play her games." We were right. Having weekly visits by someone so kind and thoughtful was a godsend for all of us. Our "neighbor angel" would bring her little treats, read a story to her, and generally share kindness and joy with her. Meanwhile, we knew she was getting a shower every week and we didn't have to fight with about it anymore.<br />
<br />
However, over this past year, she'd gotten more and more combative, difficult, and <i>behaviorally</i> a challenge. It wasn't always possible to know if she was intentionally misrepresenting the truth, or telling <i>herself</i> something that wasn't true and therefore trying to convince us it was true, simply didn't <i>know</i> what was true and what wasn't... or some combination thereof. The latter seemed most likely. In some instances, it was clear she wasn't being truthful and knew it. But in others, it seemed more likely she just wasn't "in the present time," and, like my mom had done when she was "caught" not remembering something she thought she should, she'd "fill in the blanks" with something that seemed reasonable and plausible but wasn't technically "true." Regardless, it was all becoming more and more stressful on the entire family. That, combined with sometimes "going out of her way to be difficult" and uncooperative was really wearing on us all. I'm sure, mom included.<br />
<br />
As the months went by and we got into the summer months, she started "escaping." At first, it wasn't a problem. She'd just go outside, in the front or back yard, but didn't venture beyond the boundaries of our property. It was only a problem because no one knew she <i>wasn't</i> inside and she wasn't always stable on her feet. She had a rolling walker, but either didn't remember to use it or chose not to use it more than half the time. In the house, it wasn't a problem either way. Outside, especially if no one <i>knew</i> she was outside, it posed a greater risk to her safety. But she never told anyone she was leaving... she'd just go.<br />
<br />
We tried to tell ourselves that she just didn't remember, but we all knew, she simply didn't <i>want</i> to comply with our request. It wasn't on her personal agenda. She was always stubborn, strong willed, and infuriatingly <a href="http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/08/04/how-to-spot-a-narcissist/">narcissistic</a>, and if she didn't <i>want</i> to do something, it wasn't likely to happen. Unless one could be sufficiently clever to introduce it as her idea. It was not unlike dealing with a petulant 5 year old who was determined to get what she wanted, when she wanted it, the way she wanted it, by whatever means she thought would get her what she wanted. <a href="http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx36.htm">This only got worse</a>, on several levels, as the dementia deepened and she became less and less able to pretend things were other than they were.<br />
<br />
By the fall, she would go "exploring." Leaving the house by the garage door, hitting the garage door opener button and leaving the property. She, fortunately, never got further than one of the neighbors on either side of us. They both knew what we were dealing with and if one of them saw her... and fortunately one of them always did... they'd call us and tell us she was "making a run for it," and intercept her until we get there to walk her back home.<br />
<br />
We'd already secured the front door so she couldn't possibly go out that way. No one used that door because there was no way to secure that door from the outside when leaving that she couldn't unlock it and leave behind you. We finally had to resort to a keypad deadbolt on the door from the house to the garage... with the keypad on the <i>inside</i>. The garage door opener didn't make sufficient noise for us to hear that opening and unless someone was in the living room or kitchen when she decided to leave, we wouldn't know she'd gone. And she <i>never</i> "went for a walk" if anyone was there to stop her. A bar on the slider to the back deck prevented her from going outside that way with no one's knowledge. Her cognitive functions were sufficiently impaired that she couldn't figure out how that worked. We simply could not permit ourselves to focus on the fact we were living in a "locked down community" because there was no other way to keep her safe.<br />
<br />
... <i>to be continued</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-58884030883546889442011-08-07T16:46:00.000-07:002011-08-07T16:46:24.589-07:00Changing directions...... a little course correction. For this blog, for my life.<br />
<br />
When I decided on a name for this blog, my mind was working in a <i>completely</i> different direction. I was mostly being clever with all the little "journey" references sprinkled throughout. Who knew that the name and "theme" of this blog would coincide with my life?<br />
<br />
For a variety of reasons, that I don't really care to go into in such a public forum, my husband and I will be making a major course correction in our lifestyle. It occurs to me, that documenting this journey in a blog makes a lot of sense. So, I'm going to be sharing the process as we make decisions and navigate this new course here, in prose and photo.<br />
<br />
We've struggled, a lot, for a long time. We always find a way to land on our feet, eventually, and money has never been the driver of our lives. We've lived in apartments and rental property pretty much our entire married lives. Owning a home always sounded like something we "should" do, and whenever a landlord was being unreasonable about something, it even sounded like something we'd rather do. But most of the time, we've been perfectly happy renting.<br />
<br />
We bought a house in Portland, OR in November, 2006. We were really excited. We got a GREAT deal on a nice little place, with a full basement, in a really nice neighborhood. Nothing too fancy or upscale at all. But extremely pleasant. We set about doing all the things we've always wanted to do but couldn't as renters. Painting walls, planting gardens, redecorating. Nesting.<br />
<br />
April 2008, our daughter, son-in-love & then-just-barely-3-year-old granddaughter moved in with us. As we already had my mother-in-law living with us, that meant we had four generations under one roof. The kids have had full possession of half the basement, we share the master bath shower... two very small bathrooms for six people. There are lots of things to recommend the set up, and in lots of ways, it's been great.<br />
<br />
However, I suppose it goes without saying that six people between the ages of 3 and 83 will have issues and stresses in such an arrangement. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYyIPbPAQ2Y">Waltons</a> we are not. Although, I've recently starting watching the Waltons reruns again... and maybe in some ways we <i>are</i> the Waltons! LOL! Smaller house, fewer kids, lots of the same drama and sweetness... not nearly as functional, I suspect.<br />
<br />
But "Big Grandma," as our little bit calls her 5'2" great-paternal-grandmother, is not doing well. Healthwise, not so bad at 86, but she's been dealing with dementia for at least a decade. Until this year, it has mostly been amusing. She generally has known where she is and who we are and able to take care of her personal needs without too much assistance. She hasn't always remembered what year it is, or that "yes, mom, you have seen it snow here before... it snowed last winter," but she always knew where her room was and how to find her way back, from directly across the hall, when she was done.<br />
<br />
Lately, this hasn't been the case. She doesn't always "play well with others," she wanders off without anyone realizing she's left, (<i>how on earth does she do that???</i>), she isn't able to care for herself as well anymore... still feeds herself, but there are other issues... mostly, she's just not "here" much of the time. For a variety of reasons, we realize, this just isn't working. For anyone.<br />
<br />
On top of that, the kids are looking at some changes in their lives too. They will be moving on at the end of the year, first of next year. But even if all that weren't the case, we simply cannot continue on financially here. (<i>Thank you Bush-Obama Administrations</i>.) Serious changes have to be made.<br />
<br />
Hopefully between February 2012 & July 2012 we will be <a href="http://www.fulltime-rving.com/">living full time</a> in... a motor home. We are researching all the practical issues involved in making this change, and preparing ourselves emotionally for all the transitions, and losses, this will generate.<br />
<br />
Mom will be in a full time facility. We feel guilty... as much for the relief that will bring as the feeling that we are abandoning her. (<i>We aren't, but it <u>feels</u> that way.</i>) Losing daily contact with "my sunshine." I'll especially miss our "bedtime chats." That will be hardest for me, personally. Possibly not being able to hang out with my daughter like we've been able to do since they moved in. Pop in downstairs to watch <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw">Dr. Who</a> or chat or ask a question... or answer a knitting question.<br />
<br />
Getting rid of almost all our worldly possessions. That's a biggie. On the plus side, the kids won't have to do it when we pass. Right? We are going to secure a small storage unit... to make the transition a little more slowly. We'll keep, at least for a while, the most critical stuff we'd need if we had to move into an apartment again, but it is really more for psychological soothing, I suspect.<br />
<br />
This entire transition, on pretty much every level, is going to be hard. But I think it is going to be a good change, really for all of us. In ways we cannot appreciate now. God has unexpected ways of blessing us. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like a blessing at first. But experience tells me, He is always "on my side," no matter what I think at the moment.<br />
<br />
Who knew, when I chose the name "Roving StarPoints" last year that this Star would be roving from one point to another, and writing about it, a year later? What kind of Providence is in that? I HATE to move. But it is the "transfer of stuff" from one place to another and all the details and issues that usually come up without warning that makes me crazy(<i>ier</i>).<br />
<br />
Based on my preliminary research, this will be different. Once the initial purging of superfluous "stuff" is done and the remaining essentials and treasures are safely ensconced on board The Motor Home or tucked securely into the storage unit, "moving" won't be the same thing as it has been in the past. Rolling your home and goods down the road to a new location is not quite the same as moving all your stuff from one stationary place to another stationary place.<br />
<br />
There is a lot more to all of this, and in the days, weeks, months, ahead, I'll make the case for our decision and share the process with you as we make this transition. It'll be hard. But it'll be exciting, and I expect, rewarding in lots of ways too. Maybe others will not have considered this as a viable option for their lives, as I did not, but discover... "gee, maybe this might work for me too."<br />
<br />
Join us as we find...<br />
<br />
Joy in the Journey,<br />
Elianastar<br />
<br />
<i>P.S.: There will be a <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/rovistar-20">new category or two</a> in the <a href="http://rovingstarpoints.blogspot.com/p/books-stuff.html">Book~Shop</a> as we find resources related to our lifestyle change... books & goods that will make life easier as we make these changes.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>P.P.S.: I am re-knitting <a href="http://rovingstarpoints.blogspot.com/2011/07/udp-unidentified-design-project.html">my UDP</a>, to check for errors, etc. and expect to be finished in the next day or so. Then, it will be on to test knitters, tech edit... and finally, submission. I finished the first one and used it for Sock Summit. It performed precisely as designed & I can not wait to share it with the world!</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-44057443988830015912011-07-15T19:23:00.000-07:002011-07-15T19:23:18.917-07:00UDP = Unidentified Design Project... so. I've been working on several design projects since spring of 2010. None of them are completed. But I'm finally closing in on the finish line for one of them! (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Another is close to completion.</span></span></i>)<br />
<br />
I won't divulge what the project is yet, other than to say, I'm excited about finally completing it... so I can use it! This first design is the brain-child of my frustration, which is just as valid a "mother of invention" as necessity... frustration's very close sibling.<br />
<br />
Designing is a challenging, frustrating, rewarding, unpredictable, repetitive, exciting, time-consuming endeavor. There is an inordinate amount of frogging, tinking, and re-knitting. (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">At least the way I do it, which is likely more </span><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/DS00189"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">OCD</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> than necessary</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></span></i>) Patience is not only a virtue if you want to design something from scratch, it is essential to maintain your sanity! The ability to recognize when you're almost at the limit of that patience is essential to protect the design in process! If you push past that limit you risk a fit of irrational rage that may well result in the dismantling of the entire thing in a screaming fit.<br />
<br />
Designing is an exercise in creative problem-solving. "<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I want to do this, but I've got to have an even number of stitches to do that. I've got an uneven number and those stitches are not divisible by the number of repeats I need. How am I going to add those stitches I need... or remove the excess stitches I have... where am I going to make that change, what kind of increases or decreases will look best, and how will those choices impact the balance of the design?</span></span></i>" Each of those decisions has a direct impact on a following element of the design unless they are the last decisions in the piece.<br />
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"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_follows_function">Form follows function</a>" may not be universally true in architecture but it sure has a strong influence on knitting & crochet design in my experience! The inverse is also true: if you alter the function, you'll most likely have to alter the form. I've found this particularly true in the very small project the design of which is taking "forever" to complete. Every element of this project has an impact on every other element, esthetic as well as intended function. It is really more an "engineered" project than a "designed" project! Don't let the small size fool you.<br />
<br />
The "form" of the design, each aspect of the form, has a specific "function," either independently or as it relates to and impacts every other "form" in the design.<br />
<br />
All that to bait you with this... the finished design is an object intended to make knitting and crochet on the go, or in a stationary position, less frustrating and more "compact."<br />
<br />
... stay tuned for details. :-)<br />
<br />
Joy in the Journey,<br />
<br />
Elianastar<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-85488666176111199302011-05-19T16:02:00.000-07:002011-05-19T16:02:41.810-07:00Checking in...... sorry I've been so absent... it's been a hard "<i>Spring</i>." Not that we've had much "<i>spring</i>" around these parts this year. Hardly any iris has bloomed yet. We've usually had vases of iris before Mother's Day. However, the daffodils have already come and gone and we are still enjoying some tulips yet. The roses are just beginning to develop a bud or two.<br />
<br />
I'll be sharing in the near future about my first-ever pair of socks I knitted all by my very own self. I taught myself two-color Brioche stitch... not an easy task for an ADHD rattled brain with a cold. It's a fun stitch but learning single-color Brioche would have been a lot easier to master. It isn't <i>hard</i>, but it is a little out of the ordinary and requires above-average-attention abilities until you get the hang of it.<br />
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I also decided to crochet my own basket liners for some garden baskets for which finding coco-liners was proving too much trouble to continue searching. The pretty white cotton is already turning algae green in the shade of my garden arbor, but I do believe they'll work quite well. I've posted a "<a href="http://bit.ly/lztOKF">recipe" to make your own</a>, by <i>knit or crochet</i>, if you'd like. You can learn more about it @ <a href="http://bit.ly/lJ4gb1">www.Ravelry.com</a>. (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">free acct required to access</span></i>)<br />
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In the meantime, happy Spring to you all! I hope you are growing something awesome and crafting something fun!<br />
<br />
Joy in the Journey,<br />
Elianastar<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Roving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-79113372044023554732011-01-08T15:57:00.000-08:002011-01-15T13:49:55.569-08:00Book Review: Color Knitting"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><b>The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques</b></span><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=rovistar-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0715335162&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=rovistar-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1603420401&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>"<br />
by Margaret Radcliffe<br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Available in hardcover-only U.S.; paperback UK-only.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> Edit: author has informed me the paperback version is UK-available only; in US only available in hardcover.</span></span></i><br />
<br />
The first 23 pages <b>alone</b> are worth the cost of this book! Even those who already have a good working knowledge of color theory will find some great ideas unique to working with yarn and fiber.<br />
<br />
Do you tend to pick up a skein of yarn from sale bins or order an unseen ball of yarn online... just to figure out if you might like it or to see the color in person? What are you gonna do with it now? Consider how this information might influence your work if you spin or dye yarn yourself!<br />
<br />
"Everyone perceives color a bit differently, and our responses to certain colors or groups of colors are a matter of personal preference as well as psychology & perception." This is probably no more true than when we are talking about what we wear & how we choose to artistically use yarn in knit (and crochet) projects. A refreshing bit of news for those with "color phobia" is the author's statement that there are "no right or wrong combinations, there are just color groupings, or colorways, that have different effects," and then she proceeds to demonstrates this reality in specific and creative ways. You can take vast amounts of the information in this book to modify and "dress up" patterns you've already got, or apply this information to "from scratch" designs you are cooking up!<br />
<br />
She begins by describing the relevant aspects of color that are most useful to understand as fiber artists. Beginning with basic color theory, accompanied with particularly helpful full color graphics, she helps us to understand that especially in fiber, "context" is everything. A color with a specific appearance by itself can and will appear quite different depending on what colors are next to it and in what quantity. A little bit of a color you despise by itself can be successfully combined with other colors in such a way as to make it the star of the project... if you understand how colors affect one another.<br />
<br />
That hank of neon green or hot pink lace weight yarn that you bought online and now have no idea what on earth you'd ever do with it can be stranded with other lace weight yarns, with specific color impact that will tone it down to a "temperature" that you can love. Or double-stranded with worsted weight yarn or triple-stranded with a single sport weight yarn to create a completely different fabric than the original yarns alone would produce.<br />
<br />
<b>And</b>, you don't have to swatch and swatch and swatch to determine which colors in which variations or sequences will give you the results you are looking for. But when you are ready to swatch a little, what kinds of things do you need to know? If you are using more than one strand of different yarns &/or different thicknesses, how do you know what size needle to use? What about one color bleeding into another color?<br />
<br />
All of this is covered in just the first 23 pages of the book! See what I mean?<br />
<br />
From there, you are taken on a journey of different ways to knit colors together to achieve different results. You are not only given ideas about how to combine colors, but you are also taught actual knitting techniques involved in getting the best results combining different colors and different yarns together.<br />
<br />
Stripes are perhaps the easiest way to combine different colors. Flat knitting and in-the-round techniques are addressed. How to carry yarn along, how to add in new yarn colors, what to do with yarn ends, what are the best way to work stripes in stockinette or garter stitch, how to make diagonal stripes, how do you make ribbed stripes look "clean," how do you make stripes reversible for a scarf? Ever make stripes in circular knitting? You know that "jog" where you start a new round in a different color that makes you nuts? There are a couple of ways to disguise and modify that uneven change! And you can add texture to your circular stripes too. What about combining pattern stitches to spice up your stripes? All of this is covered in pictures and tutorial explanations every step of the way, culminating in variations of a scarf pattern.<br />
<br />
Incorporating color into pattern stitches can turn a "blah" project into a masterpiece. Color swatches, complete with written stitch patterns, charts, and a series of variations on this same stitch pattern are included for over twenty stitch patterns, interspersed with knitting techniques to improve your successful execution.<br />
<br />
Love multicolor yarn... not so pleased with pooling and other issues when you start knitting with it? This book will help you apply knitting and stitch techniques to get a result you'll love depending on the specific kind of multicolor yarn you are using.<br />
<br />
From there, you are taken on a tour of stranded knitting techniques for that Scandinavian look. How to manage multiple strands of color, how to prevent holes when changing colors, dealing with tangles and unevenness and shaping... all the basic, and not-so-basic, things you'll appreciate. Do you know what a "steek" is and how to do them... or why you'd ever want to know? You will when you've finished this chapter.<br />
<br />
Intarsia or "picture knitting" is covered as thoroughly as every other topic, with color photos and helpful tutorials all along the way.<br />
<br />
Now most people would think that would pretty well cover all one might possibly want to know about knitting in color, wouldn't you? Would you believe there is MORE? Helix, shadow, mosaic, twined, double knitting, and modular knitting... including entrelac... all covered as well!<br />
<br />
But wait! There's more! Finishing techniques including decorative bind offs and embellishments carries you to the final chapter. How do you modify existing patterns to incorporate these techniques or design a project from scratch using this information? What might you need to consider regarding the kind of fabric that will be best for your project and which technique to apply to get that best fabric? Answers are here.<br />
<br />
Last but far from least, the book closes with an Appendix that covers basic knitting skills, garment sizing guidelines, abbreviations and symbols, a bibliography, and an outstanding index to locate specific information later. There are a few patterns in this book, but if you are looking for color-work designs and patterns book, you'll probably be happier with a book that has a different focus.<br />
<br />
After you've learned the basics of combining color in yarn and see all the different ways you can knit a multicolor project, you'll not hesitate to pick up one or two balls of yarn at the fiber show or from the sale bin at the local yarn shop (LYS) or order that spectacularly priced clearance yarn online. Because you'll know you can mix and match and finesse that fiber goodness into a finished project that will make that "lonely only" into a work of art! This book holds the potential to save you a lot of money, spark your creative juices, and expand your skill set. Really... how can you lose?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-90073917812382866912010-10-31T16:44:00.000-07:002010-10-31T16:44:33.524-07:00Current status on hats for U.S.S. DecaturI just received an acknowledgement note that my package has been received and for those who are interested in this project, the newest blog post... with photos... from <a href="http://bit.ly/aQpvaV">Adventures in Paradise is linked here</a>.<br />
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My apologies for not posting more lately. I've had many not-good days of late. Several days when I <i>was</i> doing better, I worked on some front yard gardening... planting bulbs for spring and moving some roses from the back and side yard to the front yard. I can't wait until spring now! I feel like that old Mervyn's store commercial... I stand at the living room window and say, "spring! spring! spring!"<br />
<br />
My BearMan has provided some hardscaping in the front yard which will be filled with flowers in the spring & summer...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4X2StqBGexPHSeyT9ZPBDRh27aQhzyJAN-GClfKHBbX7PiPCAXHkrddE3qGfc7EC8oZsaefquMNA6zdMwNvRDi3lsLCdcr1ZlU6P-iG4ajO9XT4E_QW7yOEHAfF3u3UojFgTEfA04Tdn/s1600/IMG_7693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4X2StqBGexPHSeyT9ZPBDRh27aQhzyJAN-GClfKHBbX7PiPCAXHkrddE3qGfc7EC8oZsaefquMNA6zdMwNvRDi3lsLCdcr1ZlU6P-iG4ajO9XT4E_QW7yOEHAfF3u3UojFgTEfA04Tdn/s200/IMG_7693.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-nQ5lUctDZTpl16F1mkQXJiGZ98xep5gCiznvkytVGf4bwlVfv6nDV6xZGzDS3uMMONNEj2arLxoDf3zWdYrgXQFoBE_vqVsLI41gBI1y8nFBH7_Wso5Rz28DaceGCNdLN6DnjRvqK33/s1600/IMG_7704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-nQ5lUctDZTpl16F1mkQXJiGZ98xep5gCiznvkytVGf4bwlVfv6nDV6xZGzDS3uMMONNEj2arLxoDf3zWdYrgXQFoBE_vqVsLI41gBI1y8nFBH7_Wso5Rz28DaceGCNdLN6DnjRvqK33/s200/IMG_7704.jpg" width="150" /></a>There will be peonies, roses, a few iris, and tons of spring bulbs in the oval planter. I'm not certain what else will go there, but another climbing rose will be trained up the arbor on the driveway side when I find the "perfect" rose. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peony-Shirley-Temple-Fragrant-Bluish/dp/B000N31JMW?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">peonies</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000N31JMW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and two of the roses were already on the property when we moved here. Surrounding the basement egress under the living room, more spring bulbs including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mixed-Daffodils-Naturalizing-50-bulbs/dp/B00405FT6G?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">daffodils</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00405FT6G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Darwin-Hybird-Impression-Tulip-Flower/dp/B002RPOYC6?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">tulips</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002RPOYC6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Giant-Mixed-Crocus-25-bulbs/dp/B00405GMCQ?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">crocus</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00405GMCQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, as well as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hardy-Flower-Silver-Autumn-Cyclamen/dp/B001061G0Q?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">cyclamen</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001061G0Q" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, bleeding heart, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Astilbe-Mix-Seeds-Needs-Envelope/dp/B003TA1NJU?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">astilbe</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003TA1NJU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Star-Columbine-Perennial-Plants/dp/B0013640RE?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">columbine</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0013640RE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> have been planted. Except for the front corner where the existing azaleas remain... for now... very little sun falls in this area, so these are almost entirely all shade plants. The interior of the basement egress walls will be painted to help reflect more light into the basement, later this spring. Also later in the spring, after they have flowered and been pruned, the azaleas along the driveway, and those in the planter in front, will be moved to the property line, behind and to the left of the rose planter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBWyhZyO2XHI81Ucq5qYbKQDX_2OUTjDNpTHN9fHJUlT2EMEaDl1ZstjLPAqDf4NOPK0bO7d9R0mzuqVv99gFg0YDZ5hvAenXDFL3TuPDlGnO9PoAOoCKZo5hLdm1xFDzAFHQEmaYxwZN/s1600/IMG_7697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBWyhZyO2XHI81Ucq5qYbKQDX_2OUTjDNpTHN9fHJUlT2EMEaDl1ZstjLPAqDf4NOPK0bO7d9R0mzuqVv99gFg0YDZ5hvAenXDFL3TuPDlGnO9PoAOoCKZo5hLdm1xFDzAFHQEmaYxwZN/s200/IMG_7697.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eR9rs0pnh2VebejUa1gHlt-_gms7sGyKr0kVPsmRSp6e-sB2wXx7oTfywJrn8QGm2Om3VS5j5RhsCNYYUrTo2ePv9__4TH2Mpx6HnTenmWwhngbERecNfePtKabYivHlLZdhpchqaz-V/s1600/IMG_7707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eR9rs0pnh2VebejUa1gHlt-_gms7sGyKr0kVPsmRSp6e-sB2wXx7oTfywJrn8QGm2Om3VS5j5RhsCNYYUrTo2ePv9__4TH2Mpx6HnTenmWwhngbERecNfePtKabYivHlLZdhpchqaz-V/s200/IMG_7707.jpg" width="150" /></a>A second egress access is being constructed around the basement window on the other side of the front since I took these photos. When that is done, the other side of the front of the house will be prepared for more shade plants this spring & summer.<br />
<br />
The hydrangea will have a new home as it was planted directly in front of the basement window, which had to be severely excavated to eventually install an egress window. By the front door is an "ancient" <a href="http://bit.ly/E3WGk">rhododendren</a>. After it flowers this spring, it will be at least a third shorter. I've been "taming" it for a couple of years now. I still need to dig up the hostas and divide them. The area that is largely brown between the <a href="http://bit.ly/a1fm4K">rhodie</a> and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Dance-Moonlight-PPAF-Hydrangea/dp/B00185QVAO?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">hydrangea</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00185QVAO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> now has been covered with a <a href="http://bit.ly/d95akC">wild variety of bleeding heart</a> so lush you cannot see anything but green and the little purple-red flowers through spring and summer. I'll keep some of it, but the entire area will likely be replanted with new shade plants once the planting area has been installed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzuqpualgzOUkQ5cmhKNM0i8G2YYEA2pQI6hkHdx0taW62XvsAsSFkuIyBWFEWigJTZmURB_XOO3H212KhI6_Bxb6NU4SbLuKNsZJ-fD8l8vqMBKwdWDPtQntWCV6lHY1lIVSljyODZFq/s1600/IMG_7725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzuqpualgzOUkQ5cmhKNM0i8G2YYEA2pQI6hkHdx0taW62XvsAsSFkuIyBWFEWigJTZmURB_XOO3H212KhI6_Bxb6NU4SbLuKNsZJ-fD8l8vqMBKwdWDPtQntWCV6lHY1lIVSljyODZFq/s320/IMG_7725.jpg" width="320" /></a>In addition to the gardening, on "better days," I've also been working on "behind" the scenes projects. But, I will try to do better posting... I'm working on getting all my photos backed up to a different drive, but I then have to export photos to a different folder to share them here...<br />
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It is hard to see in the front yard, but in the back yard, our neighbor has a maple tree that is almost in full fall color. The temps and weather have finally seemed to recognize that it is time to be cool and rain... I love this time of year!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m9bcDexP_9W9UGd4mweHpCQW1txfsBTS1cJyyUyKOJvnzYvpj0bzvgyU57yoTcyF4rfzMAYJGEX2b61KFLVi8eb_SEUinrbFcF0grMlnk-speb1Iz0y0mBWJeMUtvIquXV3ozEh2nHLV/s1600/IMG_7728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m9bcDexP_9W9UGd4mweHpCQW1txfsBTS1cJyyUyKOJvnzYvpj0bzvgyU57yoTcyF4rfzMAYJGEX2b61KFLVi8eb_SEUinrbFcF0grMlnk-speb1Iz0y0mBWJeMUtvIquXV3ozEh2nHLV/s200/IMG_7728.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqlaeBTt7dY7WJiLVpF7YO4JGw5Rgrppw03VElA_TrCwxK7N__rDol7gFGJUXOvwRHgNjcOasI1zaeUS9h9tI-ntmNrc1_3vTUUEusgwvI2OvFL2zNsqm_-qc-IhKTci6yWcAK3jeYhG0/s1600/IMG_7741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqlaeBTt7dY7WJiLVpF7YO4JGw5Rgrppw03VElA_TrCwxK7N__rDol7gFGJUXOvwRHgNjcOasI1zaeUS9h9tI-ntmNrc1_3vTUUEusgwvI2OvFL2zNsqm_-qc-IhKTci6yWcAK3jeYhG0/s200/IMG_7741.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Joy in the journey,</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Elianastar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksBDLYWus_tczA_GUCRIAEXyHG06vlg4Q1Ax5JWYqYzw7lGKuIHbxk-ft-tG_VCNXg27Ud-vAQMkXZgsgRlc0Jz4ME9PXb70F62a1NWFhMxKq3P_uIarU7RpCAETBTgfhWzmOW8epsg60/s1600/IMG_7735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksBDLYWus_tczA_GUCRIAEXyHG06vlg4Q1Ax5JWYqYzw7lGKuIHbxk-ft-tG_VCNXg27Ud-vAQMkXZgsgRlc0Jz4ME9PXb70F62a1NWFhMxKq3P_uIarU7RpCAETBTgfhWzmOW8epsg60/s200/IMG_7735.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-88482816518874352102010-10-19T16:33:00.000-07:002010-10-19T16:33:19.587-07:00Hats sailing away...I shipped off the hats this morning... along with a DVD of "Robin Hood: men in tights" and "Blind Side." Wish I could do more. If you've made hats or would like to send something else, and need the mailing address, please let me know. I'll be happy to send you the mailing address.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-12902738795736786482010-10-12T10:38:00.000-07:002010-10-12T10:50:53.891-07:00Sailor Hats 1 & 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zTkntWqKUBIxXV4TQz8v5T1-8ewsuV6nUj3g-_rYyKq6dMWfv9RViDK0vArHwextXUivcZse9fXyCMsEfRGYMcT9E-JMPk4O9usB2c3-kCmyOAtYkPR6c_kx7m0rhbMaqRIkrEOCfoyY/s1600/101011.SailorHat01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zTkntWqKUBIxXV4TQz8v5T1-8ewsuV6nUj3g-_rYyKq6dMWfv9RViDK0vArHwextXUivcZse9fXyCMsEfRGYMcT9E-JMPk4O9usB2c3-kCmyOAtYkPR6c_kx7m0rhbMaqRIkrEOCfoyY/s400/101011.SailorHat01.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I finished my hats for the <a href="http://bit.ly/cDUE88">U.S.S. Decatur sailors</a>! They were both very fast knits... one day each! I was able to use yarn already in my stash for both projects: <a href="http://bit.ly/bF8BaI">Knit Picks Swish Bulky</a> in Tidepool (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">discontinued color</span></i>) for the hat on the left, and <a href="http://bit.ly/6SOD58">Knit Picks Swish Worsted</a> in Truffle for the hat on the right.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62SsKBU4yK7PMnsv_jMitiuB61Zytwcud524PAfR567uPR1lsJoyX5sE8AJ6_FXwhLHAk-fbWf1Ny9cCGjV3d7bmYnRb0zlxvs9NtBQwI2mb2gj4vK9WOSnjMauMpebF3qfhwgM6WlQxD/s1600/101011.SailorHat02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62SsKBU4yK7PMnsv_jMitiuB61Zytwcud524PAfR567uPR1lsJoyX5sE8AJ6_FXwhLHAk-fbWf1Ny9cCGjV3d7bmYnRb0zlxvs9NtBQwI2mb2gj4vK9WOSnjMauMpebF3qfhwgM6WlQxD/s320/101011.SailorHat02.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The first hat I completed is the "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://bit.ly/6g3xqi">Waffle Hat</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" from the KnitHats website. I just wasn't confident after swatching that the hat would be of adequate size, so I cast-on 88 sts rather than the 76 the pattern calls for. I tend to knit tightly, but even after obtaining gauge with the suggested needle size... doing the math for the finished size of the pattern, based on the st/in measurement, just seemed on the small side. I have a 22.5 inch noggin, though, and was also concerned that "big head" guys might not have enough hats to choose from. Better too large than too small. You can fold the bottom up more to make the hat shorter, and the stitch pattern is basically a 2x2 rib, so it has plenty of stretch to fit pretty much everyone.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1Ux6Yjn26wDIaCfqeR6bcKUHLIK3taOi0v88JeJPPaiY4L7lDPhiyuH3-gkXr84pi9-ouLM_hva78ZABFgf9Gxy3YXTzXBMTVnkwsvNcd8k4Bd_2nl_LH-WG0X3wu9E4kXlFvM1NGylh/s1600/101011.SailorHat03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1Ux6Yjn26wDIaCfqeR6bcKUHLIK3taOi0v88JeJPPaiY4L7lDPhiyuH3-gkXr84pi9-ouLM_hva78ZABFgf9Gxy3YXTzXBMTVnkwsvNcd8k4Bd_2nl_LH-WG0X3wu9E4kXlFvM1NGylh/s200/101011.SailorHat03.JPG" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Still, I hate a hat so tight repairing "hat head" requires electro shock. When a hat feels like a tourniquet I simply will not wear it. I don't want it so loose it won't stay on or permits wind to blow up inside, but I don't want to require the millinery version of a shoehorn to get it on my head either. And I want a watchcap style hat to cover my ears easily, thank you, so I added an inch to the height.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My finished <a href="http://ravel.me/Elianastar/wh">Waffle Hat</a> measures 10" tall by 16" diameter and is <i>very</i> stretchy. It would easily fit a 24" diameter head. One full skein, and a portion of a second skein... less than half... on 5mm (#8) needles got the job done nicely.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1BuNtpZZfQploQCY7tZzaXX9MZIvpcOvSTiadR2_zhStPz7hCcJhgo6RwhMBV02MlND-s4XtN0dAmsx-rMv1sACuey6ZfAMF694dWeLCKTmDc5EiqJ-xVXla_UttB9Jsl5t-d8PjM_Nk/s1600/101011.SailorHat04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1BuNtpZZfQploQCY7tZzaXX9MZIvpcOvSTiadR2_zhStPz7hCcJhgo6RwhMBV02MlND-s4XtN0dAmsx-rMv1sACuey6ZfAMF694dWeLCKTmDc5EiqJ-xVXla_UttB9Jsl5t-d8PjM_Nk/s320/101011.SailorHat04.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My second hat was inspired by "<a href="http://bit.ly/cFSlco">Ed's Hat</a>" from the Lion Brand Yarn website. However, that pattern was designed to be used with <a href="http://bit.ly/cTzyNK">Wool-Ease Thick & Quick</a> yarn... a super bulky. The yarn I had to use was <a href="http://bit.ly/bF8BaI">Knit Picks Swish Bulky</a>, not <i>super</i> bulky, so this was gonna require math to make it work. I despise math. I'd rather be shot than do math. Since I would have to swatch anyway to make my yarn work with this pattern, I decided to design my own. I've been toying with some ideas for "tutorial knits," using a project to teach skills, so I decided to make this a "sampler hat."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is worked in the round, using the Magic Loop technique, my preferred in-the-round knitting technique. It could just as easily be made using DPNs (double point needles or "pins," as they are charmingly referenced in Euro parlance), or two circulars, if preferred. When I get the pattern worked up, there will be a tutorial version and a simple pattern version. If one already knows how to knit in the round, or how to do Magic Loop, they can simply follow the traditional pattern.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBfk8Pcuy52V3EaOKW3suXoq31yw_GdwxF1uz8UxUc-9BQWzqUicibYOusjS1ReacIfPQ2QTIUhH1ku1o9axTi_XtiycEkwY1U7DYv_7I8yp26MHeDgg6F7J5uWvma07sIJT7NohH6E9u/s1600/101011.SailorHat05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBfk8Pcuy52V3EaOKW3suXoq31yw_GdwxF1uz8UxUc-9BQWzqUicibYOusjS1ReacIfPQ2QTIUhH1ku1o9axTi_XtiycEkwY1U7DYv_7I8yp26MHeDgg6F7J5uWvma07sIJT7NohH6E9u/s200/101011.SailorHat05.JPG" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">However, if one is a "knitting newbie," ready to progress from scarves and baby blankets to a hat and other "circle" projects, everything one needs to successfully complete this hat using the Magic Loop technique will be in the tutorial version. (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Less the enthusiasm & motivation the knitter must bring to the project, of course.)</span></i> If you've been looking for a small, fast, project to learn the Magic Loop technique, this tutorial will hold your hand through that process. After you've used the tutorial, I'd love any feedback you might have that you feel would have provided additional support to your success, or simply to make it even easier for you.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because time is of the essence due to the mailing deadline necessary to get donations to their destination in a timely manner, it is necessary to delay the final edition of the pattern. I'd like to consider whether to add some photos and if I do, that will necessitate a second knit of the hat. Which is fine because I'm planning on making another for myself anyway.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ue3mo1bGcLQJXFdh7k00GHdPksWH71o9Cbv9j75vGQAkT66sdOLOHUTQcjMfAtsSFt87HS1QWVbIJJcpreoxoIPaO3vjQ2hj2NHgdJDvBCu3uetRQxqixot2MYi5GB8NKM_ypZ8fLBTQ/s1600/101022.SailorHat06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ue3mo1bGcLQJXFdh7k00GHdPksWH71o9Cbv9j75vGQAkT66sdOLOHUTQcjMfAtsSFt87HS1QWVbIJJcpreoxoIPaO3vjQ2hj2NHgdJDvBCu3uetRQxqixot2MYi5GB8NKM_ypZ8fLBTQ/s200/101022.SailorHat06.jpg" width="150" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The tutorial version will be written for "newbie" knitters, assuming nothing. Using larger needles and yarn will cause the project to go quickly, and no more than ten rounds of any stitch pattern comprises any part of the design. All based on variations of knit and purl stitches, it is only the sequencing of the knit and purl stitches that modifies the various textures of the stitch patterns in this design. Most are based on a "rib" type stitch pattern to provide maximum stretch to the design, which will make the FO (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">finished object</span></i>) a great gift pattern. Two types of decreases are included, k2tog (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">knit two together</span></i>) and p2tog (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">purl two together</span></i>), and the design encourages the use of the <a href="http://bit.ly/bez0oD">Cable Cast-on</a> while offering justifications for learning this skill.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've decided to call the pattern, "Sampler Skills Watchcap," because it is a sampler of several skills and stitch patterns. Once the first hat is completed, additional hats can easily be customized using one of the stitch patterns through the body of the hat or any other multiple-of-four-stitch patterns that equally divides eight. Maintain the 2x2 ribbing at the top and the bottom, along with the stockinette and garter stitch section, but knit the section in-between in one or a combination of the stitch patterns of the original Sampler version. Or continue in stockinette or garter stitch or use an "any number of stitches" stitch pattern. Lots of variations for a weekend knit gift hat!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With the brim rolled up, this hat measures 18" in diameter and 8" deep. It has tons of stretch though, so it will comfortably fit a head at least 24" in diameter.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Might I also say... Knit Picks Swish Bulky is a dream to work with! SO soft, it works up quickly, "<a href="http://bit.ly/c8U78E">frogs</a>" and "<a href="http://bit.ly/6LOvHV">tinks</a>" nicely, (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">there is no designing without a good supply of each</span></i>), is superwash... which means it can be gently washed by machine... is one of the softest 100% wools I've felt, (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">love Merino</span></i>), and with the textured stitch patterns, will be very snuggly and warm on cold windy days and nights.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This hat takes a single skein to complete.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I'm not sure why, or how, the bulky version is softer than the worsted version, but it sure <i>feels</i> like it is.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Okay. I'm off to request the mailing address to send my hats in. :-) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lynne @ lengelbert.at.gmail.dot.com if you need to get the address too.</span></i>)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Joy in the journey,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Elianastar</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-12822082727565693412010-10-02T23:31:00.000-07:002010-10-02T23:31:20.268-07:00Of ships, hats, & holidays<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Elianastar</span></i>: My stepdad was a career U.S. Navy man and I spent a fair amount of time on or near Naval Bases growing up. A goodly portion of my 8-10 year-old years were spent on the U.S. Territory Island of Guam, and my 13-16 year-old years were spent on the main island of Oahu, Hawaii. (The <i>main</i> island, not the <i>Big</i> Island.) The rest of my 7 to 17 years were spent within driving distance of a U.S. Naval base. My stepdad retired from the Navy my senior year, weeks before my graduation. As a result, I have a soft spot for those in the U.S. Navy. I hasten to add however, that my brother was U.S. Army Airborne, my husband was in the U.S. Air Force when I met him, my son-in-love is in the Oregon National Guard, and you don't spend any time near a U.S. Navy base without meeting your share of Marines... so I've got a broad support for the U.S. Military as a whole.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Which brings me to the point of this particular blog. I follow <a href="http://bit.ly/9N8nRu">Wendy Knits blog </a>and she posted a couple of days ago about a blog that <i>she</i> follows, <a href="http://bit.ly/a9GIJH">Adventures in Paradise</a>. The author of Adventures in Paradise has a daughter who is in the U.S. Navy. She will be taking command of the <a href="http://bit.ly/d5hmtd">U.S.S. Decatur</a> sometime in December of this year. It is her goal to demonstrate support for each sailor on the ship with individual gift boxes. Central to these gift boxes, she'd like to include at least one warm, knit or crochet cap, in Superwash Wool, but she has included a list of additional items that will be greatly appreciated by the crew during off hours. There are 278 sailors on board and any overflow of gifts will be passed on to other ships in the area. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you have kids or are a teacher, these sailors would love letters from kids! This makes a great writing/English exercise for students and will make the day of any sailor who receives the letters!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you have the heart and will to participate, you can get all the details @ <a href="http://bit.ly/cDUE88">Adventures in Paradise</a>. You do not <i>need</i> to be able to knit or crochet to participate... there are lots of <i>other</i> things that are requested, in addition to cash which will be pooled to purchase a number of things in bulk from Costco, particularly those things that do not arrive in sufficient quantity. However, if you <i>do</i> knit or crochet, or know someone who does, warm hats on a ship at sea will be profoundly appreciated!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Please note: All donations <u><i>must</i></u> be received <i><u>no later</u></i> than November 1, 2010, so <u>time is of the essence!</u></span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you need pattern ideas, Wendy Knits wrote a second blog that includes <a href="http://bit.ly/bCKpEK">some optional pattern ideas</a>. If you don't have a <a href="http://bit.ly/PpubS">Ravelry membership</a>, (and if you don't, that's easily fixed), here is a Google search of <a href="http://bit.ly/cSFYY4">potential knit & crochet patterns</a> to consider. If you are a <a href="http://bit.ly/aGU5Sc">member of Ravelry</a>, here is a search of free patterns &/or patterns that can be downloaded via Ravelry.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When you are deciding on a pattern, keep in mind the conditions under which these hats will be worn: at sea, on the deck of a ship, often under very windy conditions. They either need to be of a design that will hug the head fairly well (don't make them too shallow so they can be pulled down over the ears and stay put), or have some sort of ties to secure them under adverse conditions. There are no color specifications, so unlike on the battle field, you can be a lot more creative with these hats than you can with those who must remain under camouflage conditions. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Whatever hat you end up making, it must be made <i><b>ONLY</b></i><b> in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">100% washable wool</span></b>... no blends, no acrylic... <i><b>only 100% washable wool</b></i>. This means it will be labeled as either "washable" or "Superwash" and include the word "wool" and no other fiber content. This may be merino wool, peruvian highland wool, a nondescript wool... any wool of any kind that is washable/superwash and can pass the "burn test." If you have any questions about whether any particular washable wool is acceptable, perform a "<a href="http://bit.ly/dqEJFd">burn test</a>" on a small scrap of the wool. (Do this <i>outdoors</i> and have copious amounts of water nearby... just in case.) Basically, if it is very difficult to ignite, if it smells like burning hair, it it does <i>not</i> "bead up" or appear to "melt" rather than burn, and if it turns to black and hollow ash, it will pass inspection by the military. Include one yarn band for each hat and tape a scrap of yarn to the label in case it needs to be tested for suitability.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you are at a loss or unsure, these are some safe yarns you can consider:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Knit Picks <a href="http://bit.ly/6SOD58">Swish Worsted</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/zL5xt">Swish DK</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/9hXgqi">Swish Bulky</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/dCuyeN">Bare Swish Bulky</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Cascade <a href="http://bit.ly/17qHBH">220 Superwash</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Lamb's Pride <a href="http://bit.ly/dnqjUM">Superwash Worsted</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Mission Falls <a href="http://bit.ly/aG6Rb8">1824 Wool</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Herrschners <a href="http://bit.ly/bfX9ZD">5th Avenue Merino Superwash</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://bit.ly/bjkeRM">Jimmy Beans Wool</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://bit.ly/B1Te1">Little Knits</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Also check out the offerings from other vendors in the right sidebar under the heading "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Gathering Fleece..."</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You can also do a search on Ravelry for <a href="http://bit.ly/c5ai3F">Superwash Wool</a>... just make sure whatever you choose is <b>100% wool</b>, no blend of any other fiber content. From there, you can check with your LYS (Local Yarn Shops) or do an internet search for resources that fit your budget.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you've got any spare Greeting Cards, toss a few in with anything else you send... and toss in a book of stamps if you can. Or maybe consider grabbing an All Occasion greeting card assortment at your local department store.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Please keep in mind that there is very limited storage space on a military ship and factor that into your choices. If you'd like to add some of the other items to your donation, you might consider some of these:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mattel-42050-SKIP-Card-Game/dp/B0000205XI?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Skip-Bo Card Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000205XI" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (my husband and I adore this game and it is more fun with more players)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mattel-42003-Original-Card-Game/dp/B00000IT32?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Original UNO Card Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00000IT32" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Blitz-Game-Company-201/dp/B000BBU0KS?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Dutch Blitz Card Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000BBU0KS" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-17147-Mille-Bornes-Card/dp/B0035A2PKU?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Mille Bornes Card Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0035A2PKU" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fundex-Games-Phase-Card-Game/dp/1572811412?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Phase 10 Card Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1572811412" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sorry-19514-SORRY-Revenge-Card/dp/B00337FPGQ?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sorry! Revenge Card Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00337FPGQ" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Trivial%20Pursuit%20Card%20Game" target="_blank">Trivial Pursuit Card Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Copag-Poker-Regular-Index-Playing/dp/B000A4RZC2?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Copag Poker Size Playing Cards</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000A4RZC2" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Double-Poker-Standard-Playing/dp/B00001QHVP?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Bicycle Double Pack Poker Playing Cards</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00001QHVP" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Poker-Standard-Playing-Players/dp/B001AMO8A0?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Bicycle 12 Deck Player's Pack</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001AMO8A0" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Group-Games-Boredom-Busting-Zero-Prep/dp/1574821962?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Great Group Games</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1574821962" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Team-Building-Activities-Every-Group-Alanna/dp/0966234162?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Team Building Activities for every Group</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0966234162" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/101-Improv-Games-Children-Adults/dp/0897934245?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">101 Improv Games for Children and Adults</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0897934245" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Preserve-Toothbrushes-Bristles-6-Count-Package/dp/B000MUBRB4?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Toothbrushes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000MUBRB4" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crest-Whitening-Expressions-Anticavity-Toothpaste/dp/B001G7PLMI?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Toothpaste - Cinnamon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001G7PLMI" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crest-Whitening-Expressions-Anticavity-Toothpaste/dp/B001F51QE8?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Toothpaste - Mint</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001F51QE8" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you choose to order from any of these links, you could have them delivered <i>directly</i> to Lynne... no extra shipping costs for you and no hassle getting them out for delivery. Just obtain her mailing address before placing your order.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you can find your way clear to participate in this, in any way, let us extend our gratitude to you here and now. You will be making a huge difference in the lives of people who have voluntarily chosen to leave their friends and family in service to their Nation. We appreciate your generosity almost as much as they will.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Thank you for your generosity. If you aren't able to participate, please consider sharing this with someone you know who might.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Joy in the journey!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Roving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-3493762876651607952010-09-24T17:49:00.000-07:002010-09-29T16:28:27.946-07:00YAY! 1,500 page views to our little blog!We started our blog on August 9, 2010. A lot of time & effort has gone into letting people know we are here & inviting people to share in our fun. It is very satisfying that we've <i>already</i> been visited 1,500 times in this brief time! Thanks for stopping in! It may not <i>sound</i> like very many, but we've been reassured by those who know about such things that this is very good progress for such a short time online!<br />
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It is generally slow progress to get a blog going. No one knows about your blog. No one knows <i>you</i> are writing a blog. A bunch of people don't <i>follow</i> blogs. A bunch of people don't even know what a "blog" <i>is</i>! Even for those who <i>do</i> know what a blog is, that <i>follow</i> a blog or two, know that <i>you</i> are writing a blog... and <i>care</i>... the beginning stages of developing a blog tend to not be particularly exciting... or abundant. Which leads one right back to the "generally slow progress" observation with which we began.<br />
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"Blog" is basically a contraction form of "web log"... a kind of public diary written online. In its earliest incarnations, a blog was primarily a personal online journal, frequently created to help long-distance friends and family stay in touch in a more personal and fun way. They generally included lots of photos of the grandkids and nieces and nephews and happenings of you and your family's excursions and hobbies and such. These photos were accompanied by (hopefully) pithy and amusing notations telling the story details of said photos.<br />
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The thing about blogs – in their infancy – that made them better than phone calls and regular emails were that they were supposed to be updated frequently and were intended for the general public, or at least to be shared with as much of a <i>specific</i> public as one chose to share ones blog. The format included a series of posts, restricted to a single page presented in reverse-chronological order... newest post first.<br />
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All blogs are intended to represent and reflect the personality and key interests of the blogger. As such, although there will tend to be a distinct overall flavor to any given blog, there are no guarantees that you won't come across a post of philosophical observation, or social issue commentary, or personal <a href="http://bit.ly/bJ72J5">screed</a> of some other sort from time to time that may feel a bit "off topic." So brace yourself. Blog posts, (particularly <i>our</i> blog posts), may be liberally peppered with links to related topics and references elsewhere on the web.<br />
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The problem for bloggers, generally, is that, unlike email that the blogger would send <i>to</i> people with whom they chose to communicate, the blogger must find ways to entice others to <i>voluntarily</i> submit themselves to the ramblings and cogent diatribes on subjects of interest to the blogger. This means, first of all, the blogger must consider the content and presentation of content by way of presenting something of interest to people outside the skin of the blogger. Additionally, said blogger must bother to post something with sufficient frequency that anyone interested in following them will not be repeatedly disappointed with stale content, interesting or otherwise.<br />
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Blogs have grown up in many ways and now you'll find blogs by businesses & other enterprises, governmental & political blogs, social blogs, instructional blogs... and there are still those who maintain a blog to stay in touch with friends and family. We have direct links to blogs we find specifically interesting, relative to the kinds of things we talk about here, under the "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Roving Elsewhere...</span>" sidebar on the right side of every page. We would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration.<br />
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<i>Our</i> blog is intended to create a sense of friendship, to provide a measure of social interaction, offer instruction & support along the way, hopefully give one a giggle from time to time, and to share a little of ourselves in ways we hope our readers will find entertaining and worthy of checking in on a regular basis. We first chose to start a blog to share crafting information that we find on the internet and/or create ourselves.<br />
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So, expect to find, in descending order, the following kinds of info on our blog most often: knitting related information; crochet related information; other fiber related information such as spinning, felting, fingerloop braiding, etc; other crafting ideas and how-tos; our gardening exploits and resources we've discovered. You will also find occasional stories about our pets and other critters, home decorating discussions, and posts about beading and painting and sewing and cooking/food... almost anything related to home & family. As we are both just beginning to venture into design to one degree or another, we will be offering pattern designs... some free, some for purchase.<br />
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Roving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-77728862530419227012010-09-21T19:58:00.000-07:002010-09-21T19:58:46.178-07:00September 2010 UFOs, WIPs, & DIP...<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Alphabet soup. It has been a difficult year for me, personally, and I find that I am feeling overwhelmed by all the things I've started, all the things I've wanted to start but couldn't see my way clear, and a number of designs I'm either working on or have in mind yet.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Which has created my alphabet soup: UnFinished Objects (UFO), Works In Progress (WIP), and Designs In Progress (DIP). My only good news in this would be that all three of these are the same things! That makes things just a bit less overwhelming. The other good news is, most of the projects are very, very, close to being completed. At which point, I'll begin the process of getting the patterns written up so they can be tested and checked by a tech editor, etc.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I have a great project that is at the top of my list to finish... but I can't even give you a hint what it will be. Sorry, but it's just such a great idea I want to keep it "under wraps" for now. Well... at least, to me it is a great idea. Even if no one else likes it, I can't wait to finish up the design and pattern so I can submit it for consideration to <a href="http://bit.ly/8cqTKq">Knit Picks Independent Designer Program</a>. If it should not be accepted, I'll make it available for sale via this blog and Ravelry.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I've got a pair of short-finger gloves in which the core of the pattern is done. I've only got to knit up the fingers in the first glove and make sure the "mirror directions" for the other glove is right and knit that one up. Then I'll be able to finish writing up the pattern and begin the process of prepping necessary before unleashing a pattern on the world.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I've finished the foundational design on a pair of child legwarmers and my granddaughter is getting a little impatient for me to knit the second leg so she can wear them to school soon. I've resigned myself to the reality that the prototype pair will have to be reknit again for submission cuz there is no way a five year old will wait for the rest of the process to be complete for grandma's end plan.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I've got a cowl that I've made a number of for my own use and as gifts for the past several years, but I'd like to write it up into a pattern because I think lots of other people will enjoy the process of making it as well as using it. I've not made a decision on the best Knit Picks yarn to use for the design. I've used Lion Brand Homespun in previous incarnations, but I'm anxious to "upgrade" the design from an acrylic-based yarn and translate the design from a bulky yarn to something lighter. I've made the design in the past in both crochet and knit, and will eventually make the knit and crochet design available using Lion Brand Homespun because it is such a great, fast, project for gifts and I rarely wear any of them without a compliment before I'm back home.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I've also already purchased the yarn for a felted bag pattern to design and write up. It is gorgeous in my head! I'm still toying with the best way to design the "picture in my head" into an actual project others will like to make too.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And I've not even mentioned the other projects I have in mind for myself that will probably become patterns too. One thing I'm learning about designing projects for others to make... it is a lot more time consuming than just making something for myself! I tend to knit and crochet the way I cook: a recipe is just the place to begin. I may or may not use all the ingredients in the recipe, and I may or may not use any in the amounts prescribed. There is an excellent chance I'll bring my own sense of flavor to the finished product. Which means, unless I take careful notes as I go, I won't be able to recreate exactly the same thing myself and neither will anyone else. Which isn't a problem if it is not my goal to create a new recipe, just something to eat. Designing a pattern for someone else to recreate, requires a lot more attention to detail and thought about how to word the directions so a stranger will comprehend accurately what they need to do to get the same results. Whew! That's not nearly as easy as you think when you aren't really thinking about it. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I wanted to start <a href="http://bit.ly/dDxJN6">Wendy Knits Shetland Pi Shawl KAL</a>, but another swarm of migraines and feeling guilty about the other unfinished projects have pushed that back. I've got the yarn and had already decided to make a Pi shawl of some sort, so that is still on the agenda. Perhaps, if there are a sufficient number of followers when I get to a place to start it, we can do it together. I hope to start it before the end of the year, but I probably need to be realistic that holiday knitting is just around the corner and I may not be able to start it as soon as I'd like.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I also want to start knitting socks before the end of the year. I've purchased yarn to make a few pair for my BearMan and this is primarily why I want to learn to make socks. I've got a bunch of sock yarn that I've been collecting, a little here, a little there, for almost three years. I also have designs on attending the <a href="http://bit.ly/eLRqc">Sock Summit in Portland, OR in 2011</a>... so I best get to knitting! I want to have the basics down well enough that I can "pick the brains" of anyone willing to teach me their secrets and show me their tricks.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Basically, this has been a confessional. I'm hoping this will motivate me further to stay on task, wrap up all these projects, and get them in the queue towards completion and publication.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Please feel free to mitigate any of my consternation about my failure to be further along on my projects by sharing your own frustrations about yours. Heeheehee. "Misery loves company," right?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Joy in the journey,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://bit.ly/8IMABw">Elianastar</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-52695453940114689992010-09-16T17:54:00.000-07:002010-09-18T12:11:24.014-07:00Series ~ Why Swatch?... Dimension, Part OneThe reason most often given to "swatch" is so that one can assure themselves they will "obtain <u>gauge</u>" with the yarn and size needles or hook prescribed for a given project. If you are new to knitting <i>or</i> crochet projects... and for far too many who are not... this exercise seems like a complete waste of time, not unlike washing dishes and making beds. In other words, if it gets done, great... if it doesn't, oh well. But, the truth is, swatching... done properly... serves many useful purposes, and as bizarre as it sounds, <u>saving</u> time, is actually one of the best.
Swatch. Odd word isn't it? In the arena of "tmi" (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">too much information</span></i>), the word can be traced back to 1512, meaning to "countercheck a tally," and later from 1612 it came to mean "a tally attached to cloth sent to be dyed." But, by 1647, it was simplified to mean "a sample piece of cloth."
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b>So, a swatch is intended to be a characteristic </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b>prototype</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b> of the fabric you will create with this size tool and this weight and texture of yarn.</b></span>
For the crocheter or knitter, this specimen is most frequently referred to as a "gauge swatch." This is where the time saving comes in. You create a sample fabric of sufficient size to <i>accurately</i> measure how many stitches per inch you will get, which directly translates into the final measurements of your project. It is the "<i>accurate</i>" part that is most important. If your swatch is too small, relative to your needle or hook size and the thickness of your yarn - particularly - you will not obtain an accurate measurement of stitches per inch... gauge.
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b>You create a sample </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b>swatch</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b> so that you can accurately </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b>gauge</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b> what your finished </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b><i><u>dimensions</u></i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#38761d;"><b> will be.</b></span>
Depending upon what your project is, the <i>gauge</i> part of making a swatch may be more or less critical. In terms of size, if you aren't making one thing that has to fit another thing in a specific way, one might be inclined to think a swatch isn't all that important. If one is making a washcloth or scarf or baby blanket, for example, there probably won't be a major problem... in terms of size... if your gauge swatch is off a couple of stitch counts one direction or the other. It isn't going to matter all that much if the finished project is larger or smaller so long as it is not dramatically so.
Not "getting gauge" for these projects will matter in one of three ways more than any other:
<ul><li>you will either not have a sufficient amount of yarn to make the project the same size as your pattern dictates, <i>or</i>,</li><li>you will have yarn left over in an amount you didn't expect; (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>there is no such thing as "too much yarn," by the way</i></span>), <i>and</i>,</li><li>your fabric will be more "stiff" or less "stiff," (have a different "<i>hand</i>" or "<i>drape</i>"), than it was designed to have; "hand" = the tactile feel of, texture; "drape" = manner of hang, flow, loose folds</li></ul>You determine your gauge by creating your swatch then measuring off one to four inches from the center of the fabric, and carefully counting off (tally) the number of stitches... and portion of a stitch, fractions matter... that you have within your marked off section. Some suggest that three different sections of your swatch be marked off, measured, and then average the total of the three sections for the most accurate gauge measurement. (Add all three counts together; divide total by three.) This may be the only way to get an accurate gauge measurement with some yarns and some stitch patterns. Later in the series, we'll look specifically at the process of checking gauge with a swatch. In the beginning, I'll be focusing more on the theory involved in swatching.
This number of stitches per inch is the "gauge" listed in your pattern and usually on your yarn label. Sometimes you will see it referred to as your "tension." These are not <i>exactly</i> the same thing but you will frequently see them used as interchangeable terms. "Tension," however, also relates to how tightly or loosely you work your stitches and although this can have a significant impact on your stitch per inch count, it is only one aspect of your gauge. The material your knitting needles or crochet hook are made of, and the yarn you are using with that material, also affect your gauge.
For example, using the same yarn with slick metal needles or hook can render a looser gauge than the same yarn with wood or plastic tools that provide more resistance to your stitches. How comfortable you are, and how confident you feel, also affects the tension of your stitches and therefore, your gauge. If you are calm and not rushed, you may tend to work more loosely than you might when you are stressed and in a hurry. Some people who have been crafting for a long time have told me they try to assess their state of mind before sitting down to work, check their gauge after working on a project for a while, and once they've calmed themselves with the project, will have to change to a smaller or larger needle or hook because their gauge has changed too much. Particularly when working on a garment, this change in tension can affect the finished size of the project and the way it fits. If this description fits you, take that into account when you pick up your project.
Do you have stories to share about <i>not</i> doing a gauge swatch... and wishing later you'd taken the time? What about a story where doing a gauge swatch caused you to realize there was no way this particular yarn would ever give you the results you expected for this project, based solely on the fabric characteristics you saw in the swatch? Is your gauge usually pretty close using the same size needles or hook recommended in a pattern? Or do you generally have to go up or down one or more sizes to obtain the same gauge? Do you find you get a different gauge depending on the material your hook or needles are made from? And/or, do you find the fiber your yarn is made of affects your gauge? Are there any other factors that you have become aware consistently affect your gauge that you could share? It might just solve a mystery another reader has been puzzled by.
Next episode, we'll continue the issue of Dimension relative to gauge swatches. We'll also talk about ways your swatch can change after you've done the bind off...
Joy in the journey!
<a href="http://bit.ly/4Pj1Ac">Elianastar</a><div>
</div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/4Pj1Ac"></a>Additional comments may be found at the <a href="http://bit.ly/an4zvU">Knit Picks Community</a>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Etymology</span></span></i></b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: swatch: </span></span></i><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/cite.html?qh=swatch&ia=etymon"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dictionary.com</span></span></i></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-6655737343137096612010-09-06T21:52:00.000-07:002010-09-06T23:39:47.033-07:00Swatch Series - IntroductionFeelings about swatching tends to be a rather polar topic... if you know what it is at all. The goal for this series is to define and explain what a "swatch" is and all the ways it can make your yarn crafting better... and more fun. Yes. I said, FUN.
Most think of swatching as a chore to be avoided at all costs. It "wastes" time <u>and</u> yarn," the naysayers proclaim. Even though few things are less true, some make adamant declarations that it is better left undone and you'll be just fine if you give this advice a pass. It is my intention to encourage you to consider an opposing opinion.
Some have learned just how valuable swatches are... even when they aren't actually working on a project. (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">huh?</span>) It is my goal to place you firmly into this category by the end of this series. Set your misgivings, (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">or disdain</span>), about swatching aside and give me an open-minded hearing? At least <u>consider</u> the varied uses for swatching and try <u>some</u> of them, sooner rather than later?
After the Swatching Series is complete, we'll explore other ways to play with yarn and needles and test out new stitch patterns. Whether you prefer to knit or crochet, swatching is an important part of the creative process. Done properly and completely, it can <u>save</u> time and material... not to mention frustration and grief.
This is just a teaser of things to come. I'm not entirely certain just yet how many segments this series will have, as my goal is to keep each segment to a reasonable length, but it appears right now that there will be at least four in the core series. To assist in making this series as useful as possible, I'd love feedback regarding the following questions:
What are your feelings about knitting or crocheting swatches? Do you usually make gauge swatches before beginning a project? What issues have you had because you did or did not swatch before starting a project? Are there other uses for swatches that you've discovered? What case would you make <u>against</u> swatching before beginning a new project? Do you have any other thoughts or misgivings about swatching? Can you make a good case for swatching? Do you have any "I should have swatched first" stories you'd like to share?
Joy in the journey!
<a href="http://bit.ly/4Pj1Ac">Elianastar</a><div>
</div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Additional comments viewable @ "</span></i><a href="http://bit.ly/d6C0Qi"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">To swatch or not to swatch...</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">" at the Knit Picks Community, or @ "</span></i><a href="http://bit.ly/9Ud02o"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">To swatch or not to swatch...</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">" at the Knit Picks Lovers Group on Ravelry if you are a member of Ravelry. (Both are free Communities)</span></i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Roving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-27087300648502075992010-09-04T17:30:00.000-07:002010-09-04T17:32:26.649-07:00But who is Adesinacat?::sneaks in the backdoor, trying to not be seen::
Yes, Virginia, there is another person who contributes to this blog. I am a busy mom and it is hard to find the time to sit down and blog about my knitting. I will try to post every now and again, and get photos up. Gotta love life.
A little about myself: As you will see, I have two names in my user name. The other one, Constance Wyatt, is my SCA name. What is the <a href="http://bit.ly/5dLDTE">SCA</a>? The SCA, or Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. is "an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Our "Known World" consists of 19 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which feature tournaments, royal courts, feasts, dancing, various classes & workshops, and more.”
In other words, I am a geek. You know the song <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parody-Chamillionaire-featuring-Krayzie-Version/dp/B0029TX33Q?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">White & Nerdy</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0029TX33Q" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Weird Al? Yeah, not that bad, but there <i>are</i> days where it is a bit too close to home. What I do in the SCA is mostly <a href="http://bit.ly/8ZiRXr">heraldry</a>. Think "family crests" which really, there is no such thing. You can inherit arms from your parents, but unless you are the Queen of England or some such status, your arms are completely your own. So, please, don't pay for those "family crests" stuff you see unless it is for a Scottish clan. As far as I am concerned, those are just scams unless they trace your genealogy at the same time, showing you the paperwork that proves that you are related to that person, and even still, that doesn't mean that you own those arms and...
See? I told you I was a geek. I am mostly what we call a <a href="http://bit.ly/c9MyZL">voice herald</a>. See, there were no PA systems back then, so they counted on people trained in being <i>loud</i>. I am just one of those people. I have a pin (well I <i>had</i> a pin; keep losing it) that says "I left my inside voice at home." Most people tell me I don't have an inside voice. I do. I just don't <i>use</i> it very often. Anyways, if you would like to see my geek blog, you'll find it <a href="http://constancewyattdiary.blogspot.com/">Here.</a>
Back to knitting. I am just starting to knit again. I tried knitting years ago and loved it, but couldn't find anything or anyone that could show me that I was twisting my stitches, how to decrease and other such stuff that you need to know to make something more than scarves in garter or stockinette stitch. This was way before <a href="http://bit.ly/bxhZyd">YouTube</a> or <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>. Also, the cost for yarn was out of my price range. Also before <a href="http://bit.ly/6gZ22z">Knit Picks</a>. Yes, there was acrylic yarn, but acrylic yarn makes me itch. Even the really, really, soft stuff. I know this cause I got two very soft, acrylic sweaters for christmas one year. I remember sitting in my second class in high school and itching so bad, I had to call my mom to please bring me another top cause I was going crazy. I have to wear a shirt under the stuff.
Now, I have a <i>ton</i> of places to turn for help. Including my mom who took knitting up again after I quit. I say that she started back up cause of me, but she denies it. ;-) She <i>is</i> the reason though that <i>I</i> started again. While waiting for her to pick out what knitting books she wanted at a local book store, I picked up the books she was getting and started to drool of the pretties in the book and kept stating something along the lines of "mommy, please knit this for me and I will love you always," (big cute eyes were added too I think.) After I think the fifth (or was that thousandth) one just that day, she told me that I need to start knitting again cause there was no way she could make all the stuff I wanted her to make for me. I had been saying no cause money is still an issue so getting yarn is still an issue. I also wanted to keep to more "period arts," (yes, that is my nose in the air), so that I can do them at SCA events. But wait. Knitted socks are period. And so are hats? And sleeves? And bags? Well what the hell am I waiting for! I guess those old hand-me-down knitting needles will not go to waste after all. And my mom is a yarn <s>whore,</s> <s>junky,</s> <s>addict,</s> <i>collector</i> and was willing to share some of her "and remind me why I bought this(?)" yarn. Yes, mostly acrylic, but I wasn't going to wear some of the stuff I made.
I have made a few things. A bag, some scarves, a pair of fingerless gloves, but mostly small stuff. I like mobile projects. Stuff I can grab and put in my, on the small side, purse. I have a bunch of stuff I want to make. Now just the time to sit and make them.
<a href="http://bit.ly/a9iFaA">AdesinaCat</a> (on Ravelry. What? You don't have a Ravelry account? It's FREE!)
Note: I have am not the best writer, and am a horrible speller. Yes, I do know the difference between then and than, but that doesn't mean I always remember. If you see bad spelling, please just ignore it and giggle. I'll bet Elianastar will try to make some corrections for me. (yes... she did.) :-)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-29733208279065042272010-08-20T14:05:00.000-07:002010-09-02T18:49:16.388-07:00Define "Skill Level"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Don't you just love it when an article or class or anyone anywhere declares that one should "</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">know your skill level</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" before jumping into a project or class... and doesn't bother to define what those levels </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">are</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> or the criteria with which you qualify for that skill level???</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A question came up elsewhere, and I've spent at least an hour on the internet attempting to track down some basic list to answer the question, "what skill level am I?" </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My experience is that most people short-change themselves in terms of what they can do or learn to do, so I'm not really a fan of these sorts of boxes, personally. But I respect the fact that other people </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">like</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> the safety of a "nest" that lets them know "which box to check." Such knowledge can function as a kind of "training wheels" while they test the waters and venture forth. Once they realize that all crochet, and all knitting... and all of most everything else in life, for that matter... is just one step after the other, they'll unscrew the training wheels and head for the nearest high hill, down which they'll careen with squeals of delight. But, until that "secret" is revealed to them in a meaningful way, they like to know to which pleasant nest they belong.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">AdesinaCat, for example, doesn't know that as a "new knitter" she ought to be intimidated by a cabled purse pattern. Nor does she know that </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">everyone</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is a "new knitter" when they come to some skill they've not tried before... no matter </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">how</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> many months/decades/years they've been knitting or crocheting or sewing... or whatever they come across in life. She is fortunate to have a knitting companion, her beloved mother, who knows the secret. :-) She showed me the pattern for a KAL (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">knit-a-long</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">) on Ravelry and asked if she could make it. Of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">course</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> she could make it. Cable knitting is nothing more complex than knitting a few stitches out of order, right? It was a simple, basic, cable... just follow the directions carefully until you get the hang of it... or test it out in some other yarn first and then start the project.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As a result, her second finished project following a pattern is a perfectly lovely </span><a href="http://bit.ly/brJlcH"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">cabled purse</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, which she finished without incident, and which you can view on Ravelry. (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you don't have a </span></i><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ravelry</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> account yet, it is free for the asking, and seriously important to have for all sorts of awesome reasons. See links at bottom of page.</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She is about to embark on an Entrelac purse. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I love it when people don't realize they "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">aren't supposed to be able to do</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" something, and just go and do it! </span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So far, the best succinct list I've found regarding Skill Level is this one from the Patternworks site:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div><b><a href="http://bit.ly/cpKKdm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How do I know what skill level I'm at?</span></a></b></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is a basic description of the different skill levels:</span></i></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beginner</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: knit and purl, minimal or no shaping</span></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Easy</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: basic stitches, repetitive patterns and color changes, simple shaping and finishing</span></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Intermediate</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: variety of stitches, knitting in the round, mid-level shaping and finishing</span></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Experienced</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">: advanced techniques (cables, lace, Fair Isle, short rows) and color changes, refined finishing</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don't know about you, but I find this very unsatisfying and confusing. First of all, there are quite a few terms here still undefined: "basic stitches," "simple shaping," "mid-level shaping," and "refined finishing"... what does </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">that</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> mean? My second issue is, by </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">this</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> definition, AdesinaCat is an "Experienced" knitter having completed only two entire projects from someone else's patterns? Huh?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But my biggest issue is the fact that not one thing listed here is beyond the reach of anyone who has mastered at least one successful way to cast on and bind off, who can knit and purl without talking themselves through each step, can slip a stitch from the left needle to the right needle and wrap the yarn around the working needle. No one. I do concede that one must feel comfortable with these most basic of skills but only by virtue of having some degree of confidence so as not feel too overwhelmed to do something "extra" or "new." That puts anyone who has made a potholder, scarf, or baby blanket </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">well</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> within reach of "Experienced" crafting skills. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They just don't know it yet</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. And if the rest of us will keep our traps shut and not </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">tell</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> them we are about to teach them an "advanced" skill, they'll do it and never know they've just done something they "aren't supposed to know how to do because they haven't been knitting long enough."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is my personal wish list for all designers:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">provide a list of the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">skills</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> a given design will require to create, and when possible, provide links to tutorials or the name of a basic reference text wherein the poor soul who gets their hands on your pattern can figure out how to do each of the skills. Your "not experienced" crafters will </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">adore</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> you! With so many patterns being made available as PDF downloads, links make a lot of sense to include, but even printed patterns could include a few links or reference books.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">provide an actual, separate, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">swatch pattern</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> if the pattern uses a stitch pattern &/or "not basic" technique. Meaning, anything beyond basic knit/purl, empower the knitter to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">play</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> with the elements of your design before they cast on for the project.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">in addition to the name brand yarn for which the pattern is written, provide a basic description of the yarn in the materials list: </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">fingering weight sock yarn</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">; </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">any worsted yarn with which you can obtain gauge on this needle size</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">; etc. We can't always afford the yarn in the pattern, or can't </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">wear</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> or </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">work</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> with the yarn in the pattern. Make it just a </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">little</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> easier to find something that might work instead... pretty please?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">needle &/or hook sizes in </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">MM</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, please, for the love of Mike. Why the industry continues to support archaic, arbitrary "sizes" rather than actual measurements of the tools that directly translate into gauge is one of my major pet peeves.</span></li>
</ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you struggle with confidence about your knitting skill level, permit me to recommend a few reference books that will be of great help when you come across a technique with which you are unfamiliar or cannot recall how to perform.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=rovistar-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001144T24&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"The Knitting Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You'll Ever As</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">k" by Margaret Radcliffe... </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and she's not kidding</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-VISUALLY-Knitting-Consumer/dp/047052832X?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Teach Yourself Visually Knitting</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=047052832X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />" ... great for visual learners</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Donna-Koolers-Encyclopedia-Knitting-Leisure/dp/1574862839?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1574862839" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />" ... a virtual knitting course in a book but also a great reference book</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Book-Finishing-Techniques/dp/B000Q6PPBW?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000Q6PPBW" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />" by Nancie M. Wiseman</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=rovistar-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0892725729&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Want a fast, almost entirely painfree course to "Experienced Knitter"? Do yourself a favor and get a copy of Jacqueline Fee's book, "The Sweater Workshop," and if you do nothing else, make </span><a href="http://bit.ly/7XQdxY"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Sampler</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. It will transform your knitting if you will fully complete that </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ONE</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> project! Your confidence to knit almost anything will be all but limitless, you'll most likely want to take at least one run at one of the Basic Sweater patterns too, but even if you don't, you'll be far less intimidated by other patterns that catch your eye! I </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">know</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> it sounds like hyperbole, but I do not exaggerate about the difference it can make in your skill set and confidence as a knitter.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We continue to expand the library of books in </span><a href="http://bit.ly/aYU8xI"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">our Book~Shop</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, but there are already a good list of references for a Core Library, in both knitting and crochet. (I can't tell you how wonderful it is to finally have ONE place to "gather" all my favorite books and resources to share! Blogs are wonderful things for that reason alone!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the meantime, do not let </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">anyone</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> put you into a box you do not belong. If you've successfully made </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">anything</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, you </span><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">can</span></u></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> learn to do </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">everything</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> that interests you as a crafter... (or human being). There is almost always more than one way to do almost anything. All you need are the right resources. Here at Roving StarPoints, that is our "Prime Directive." :-) Let us know if we can help you in any way. If we don't know the answer, and most likely even if we do, we'll direct you to any support resources we can find to help you achieve your goals.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Additional comments viewable @ "</i><a href="http://community.knitpicks.com/profiles/blogs/comments-on-skill-levels"><i>Comments on 'Skill Levels'?</i></a><i>" from the Knit Picks Community</i></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Elianastarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757862926591800589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-79850394020861106682010-08-15T16:18:00.000-07:002010-08-17T21:55:11.242-07:00Gardening & critters don't always mix well...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTCM-x56bddvBQoBRsaanrHtPJtKksF1-cYApG-VALh6lw-KRdI2itYlnGuFNfhKju6-Fz25Ebw-JJCt5ghF9laBUED213fdJSnVuifTyd8UtP4UCvGfkqVM2IuOqW72_kVaTYrwUL1oc/s1600/100716.Mercy01.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTCM-x56bddvBQoBRsaanrHtPJtKksF1-cYApG-VALh6lw-KRdI2itYlnGuFNfhKju6-Fz25Ebw-JJCt5ghF9laBUED213fdJSnVuifTyd8UtP4UCvGfkqVM2IuOqW72_kVaTYrwUL1oc/s200/100716.Mercy01.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506584963417120482" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYLcd8c5ZEq6Qsr1C2k0NE0YeYQ0ZVt7EDvY2RD1rYMAy_9qwqOoFzJUjwNafduR51YnTWMOIpzuuqcuwDHeaSRoH5bw7DtlFRjG02N3kqTQrA8o5LrCZALTxlfQqQIu2lcWYLLcJhC-Y/s1600/100716.Goodness.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYLcd8c5ZEq6Qsr1C2k0NE0YeYQ0ZVt7EDvY2RD1rYMAy_9qwqOoFzJUjwNafduR51YnTWMOIpzuuqcuwDHeaSRoH5bw7DtlFRjG02N3kqTQrA8o5LrCZALTxlfQqQIu2lcWYLLcJhC-Y/s200/100716.Goodness.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506584483200360914" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have a cat & two dogs. (<i>Or, maybe they have us; it isn't always clear.</i>) They are all more or less the same size, given the dogs are both Pomeranians. Mercy is a little guy, being a toy Pom. Goodness is huge... for a Pom, but small as generic dogs go.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTfJvvV9nJbk3HnNR23Dc8aCSMzHgd5QovcmlknzZAZh7rf-fNPVHP8vjhwHWhCWQtKirn4B1xynfBA6p1-TadSu5A1zdLLJ7AkPOMLQYDeOWQdR9anhUd3LzyAYUwhJkKnJHjew089U2/s200/0712MissKitty02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506593091687969010" /></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>
</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>
</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">... Goodness & Mercy shall follow me...</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">... all the days of my life..</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">... Miss Kitty = 100% "cat"...</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We also have raccoon that roam in the night, and a bunch of squirrels that run the "wall" of <a href="http://www.aboutarborvitae.com/emerald_green_arborvitae.shtml">arbor vitae</a> along the back of our property. I'll not list the army of <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest/mollusks.htm">slugs</a> I hunt at night with a flashlight and salt shaker, but trust me, many of them are of a size to saddle and ride... and name as pets if they weren't such voracious eaters... hence the salt.</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuj_jBY5Qwk2zm7p0JpNzOSn1YjZNZIVZDIffaMfujAuqDbdtcqiP-pif9gVwAhNm-rcHJzHpr1iJ9atM5izOST4xg-dcQx-sh0eWxDVf7AA-TkhX8SdP_O3kfMjMYW2V2dktgHpfUezMu/s200/100716.Deck03.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506592589001999058" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have a small vegetable & herb container garden going this year. In addition to the cherry, heirloom, and beefsteak tomatoes, there are lemon cucumbers, tomatillos, sugar snap peas and gr</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">een beans, carrot & radish... and of course, basil! If I grow nothing else, I grow basil!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
There is also a small rectangular box of greens. One-third lettuce, one-third arugula, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">one-third mustard greens. (The latter entirely AdesinaCat's idea.) The latest sowing of each were going really well and one evening a few days ago, AC thought we'd harvest lettuce for a salad for dinner the next evening. While out slug-hunting the night before I'd also noticed the lettuce was ready for a salad, so I k</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">now for certain she wasn't hallucinating about that.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gfQwgAEAvP_DcHGZl4pNI_kqbNaRYtnS25c6qjvV3zlpKO-hvuJ6cBNEjR4Zmvnb12hPkqEpxdMRvBzZ3xjxMBU5H5ymsvgIwfH0NpiQ4t9jeTso-9z-FMP204rVwd0gN87n6Ny5cCV4/s200/100815.Greens04.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506599560432279874" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">However, when </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">she went out to harvest the next afternoon... the one-third of the box that <i>had</i> been lettuce was d</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">emolished! Uprooted, gnawed to the ground, gobbled, gone! I was just as dumbfound</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ed as she was. What on earth had happened <i>only</i> to the lettuce??? My very first thought w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">as </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">slugs. No way. Even <i>we</i> don't have <i>that</i> many slugs! Nor are they that discrimin</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">atin</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">g of taste. The next suspect was raccoon, but I know the lettuce was still there that morning, I'm sure of it. Raccoon are night time marauders. Given how shredded the rem</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ains were, we w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ere most suspicious of some kind of critter. The only remaining suspect we could think of, having interrogated potential human snackers, were squirrels. (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This photo is after a few days of regrowth... it didn't look this good when first discovered!</span></i>)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
This is our se</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">cond crop of lettuce. The initial crop was a lot larger, but we'd had issues with "someone" getting into that too. The box had been much closer to the arbor vitae, which means closer to the squirrels and where the raccoon come onto the property, so we'd pretty much assumed they had been the culprits. There was enough left for us to have a salad out of it and we don't mind <i>sharing</i>. However, "sharing" implies everyone gets some, but this latest gobble-event had left practically nothing for the rest of us.</span></div><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I mumbled something at the time about such things being an inevitable part of the fun o</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">f gardening, but I just wish I'd been able to get a picture of it! Sadly, I didn't place my camera near the door, just in case our greens-rustler returned and wasn't scared off by b</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">eing caught in the act.</span></div><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have plans to build a moveable screen around the greens to protect future crops from poachers. A simple frame of some sort with chicken wire top & sides. Just big enough to keep the nibbling to a minimum.</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today, however, I must confess the squirrels were unjustly and inaccurately accused of poaching, and I sincerely apologize to each and every one to whom I lobbed disparaging comments in the days since our lettuce disappeared. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRziek6eV8hwG6hiyeBt8Cx3h4gnlUrAkRdQfGaouQlzrscv1AW8JoZJejcm4CLEcrfFQM2KBbwVjxy3-5mjOsJrbS2Qya3kcc_WViMbJzASAdgu_1R6VJrMSncT6Aw0IJ8ZYVoBbcwb6s/s200/100815.Goodness02.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506602457953612482" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"> </span>I took the pups out this afternoon for a potty break while I made a cup of delicious </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mount-Hagen-Organic-Cafe-Coffee-3-53/dp/B003K8XBL4?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Mount</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mount-Hagen-Organic-Cafe-Coffee-3-53/dp/B003K8XBL4?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"> Hagen Organic Instant coffee</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003K8XBL4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, iced with milk. When my coffee was made, I opened </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the patio door... curtains are drawn because heat reflects into the dining room area in this he</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">at... to find my sweet, no-longer-so-innocent, black she-pup, clearly not living up to her nam</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">e "goodness," <b><i>standing</i></b> <i><b><u>in</u></b></i> the greens planter, snacking on mustard greens. Who knew??? Sadly, it didn't occur to me to grab a camera until much later, so </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">you'll have to take my word for it. I did, however, grab a snap of the remains of the day...</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMrhn_ybKsiyd7cJtnIG3dZh7ydW96qviOZ2m-Q0f_kdJ-ZMXPQsxYafnf4U3wQye57LSTIMzuyRlLcj_pbjSrhGKwEOTOuECOeL9NXmUQDqLpR57xBvBF7ShbKTQ8VMghEm74CSY48fY/s200/100815.Greens05.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506605836005981282" /></span></div><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxgCSntx0NpAzK9xaxDtFALtqbQJoAj4OVrFQwpXgahWAHNLTNlkMUP578K7dAy0G9MztGmrYzwGuq0nGq1hHiOL_FNxn_BM2g8yZU8zRpJEoQz0dPTCHzhrGn4-_an-gi3HPfKXtUJuC/s200/100815.GoodnessMercy01.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506603437878622050" /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There will definitely be crop protection in the near future.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Joy in the journey,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Elianastar</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">P.S.: in the interest of TMPI (<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Too Much Perverse Information</span></i>) I offer for your twisted pleasure, "<a href="http://theoystersgarter.com/2008/03/24/perverted-cannibalistic-hermaphrodites-haunt-the-pacific-northwest/">Perverted cannabalistic hermaphrodites haunt the Pacific Northwest!</a>" You'll never look at a slug in quite the same way again... lol!</span></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Roving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-61864558165072021022010-08-13T14:20:00.000-07:002010-08-13T22:13:32.128-07:00Got stash?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is a <i>great</i> way to use those bits of yarn from previous projects or balls of yarn you've come by with no pressing purpose: </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">crochet or knit blocks for donation</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to "</span><a href="http://www.lionbrandyarnstudio.com/lionStudioBlog/?p=4173"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Warm Up America Collection</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">."</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This project is not limited to Lion Brand and there are other ways you can participate in the program. Get all the information from the <a href="http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/warmup.html">Warm Up America Foundation</a>.</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you are new to knitting &/or crochet, this is an excellent way to play with your new craft, build your skills, and help those in need, all at the same time. :-)</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because your blocks will be joined together with the blocks others have made, it is <i><b>very important</b></i> that you <i><a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/FEATdiyknitter.html">BLOCK</a></i> your blocks before turning them in for construction into an afghan. This way, all the blocks will behave properly when washed by the recipient. (If you'd like an alternative way to block your pieces to that described in the article, check out <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/cfaccessories/accessory_display.cfm?ID=80597">Knit Picks' Blocking Mats</a>. Another option would be these <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014H9Y6O?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B0014H9Y6O">24" mats</a> that work as well.)</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Joy in the Journey,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Elianastar
</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Note:</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 13px;color:#333333;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Brand-Yarn-790-329-Painterly/dp/B000XZTTPO?ie=UTF8&tag=rovistar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Lion Brand Yarn</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rovistar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000XZTTPO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> Studio will offer 10% off all yarn, hooks, needles and supplies needed to make the afghan blocks. </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Just let us know you are knitting or crocheting for Warm Up America.</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Turn your blocks in by November 30, and when you are finished turning in all your blocks, as a thank you for your good works, you will receive a 20% off coupon for your next purchase at Lion Brand Yarn Studio (limit one coupon per customer, please collect coupon when you are finished with your donation).</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"</span></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Roving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-26042411254220642702010-08-12T23:20:00.000-07:002010-08-18T17:39:41.348-07:00ADHD & lace chart reading<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Really simple directions. Both written and charted. Because I'm new to chart reading, I've decided to rely on the chart and only fall back on the written directions if I get lost or confused... or too frustrated. :-) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I can tell when I'm really struggling with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ADHD</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> issues when I'm knitting. I think I'm paying really close attention. But, I get to the end of the row and there are too many stitches left. Or not enough to complete the stitch pattern. I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">tink</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> back and sometimes find what I overlooked or the stitch that got dropped or... and sometimes not.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've restarted this swatch a half dozen times now. But better to get the flow of the stitch pattern in a swatch and work out the kinks before starting the shawl. Right?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've been teaching myself to recognize most of the basic symbols in a chart on sight, but this will be the first time I've actually knit from a chart.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1c2T_TiF3ecFPZ7ALgWCnzlMZy_7Xq9yp4YQ4xVtstBeKRCWBnuM9S-bv9R5mPe_o-raGvO3rxxRmjeV4w4dC3beJAQd09SpAXdVLjGMVMplAG1C5m1YPHzpqPAvoH4C82X2GHDupH8/s1600/SPSswatchChart.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1c2T_TiF3ecFPZ7ALgWCnzlMZy_7Xq9yp4YQ4xVtstBeKRCWBnuM9S-bv9R5mPe_o-raGvO3rxxRmjeV4w4dC3beJAQd09SpAXdVLjGMVMplAG1C5m1YPHzpqPAvoH4C82X2GHDupH8/s1600/SPSswatchChart.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Shetland Pi Shawl swatch by WendyKnits</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><a href="http://wendyknits.net/2010/08/10/time-to-swatch/#"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Shetland Pi Shawl Swatch Chart</span></a><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lesson number one: read completely through the pattern before starting. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Check</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lesson number two: carefully count each stitch in each row as you knit the foundation rows and don't just assume that because you started out with the right number of stitches (three times) that there will still be that same number of stitches when you are ready to begin the stitch pattern. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Check</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lesson number three: when there are dotted lines separating out a subset of symbols, with words under them, <i>telling</i> you to repeat <i>that</i> set of six stitches <i>3x</i>... don't ignore them simply because it didn't compute the first five times you kinda sorta noticed they were there but didn't really read them or think about what, exactly, they are telling you to do. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Check</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">check</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The first three runs at the swatch, I somehow ended up with extra stitches at the end of the first chart row. The second three runs I wasn't doing what the pattern told me do. Remember that saying about "assuming"? Yeah.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The last time through, the "</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Work these 6 </span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">sts</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> 3x</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" finally sunk in. So, I restarted and have successfully knit the first three rows, as instructed, and successfully knit all the stitches, one time through, in the chart. </span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lesson number four: working the next row after yarn overs (yo) in the previous row, make sure you don't accidentally knit that yarn over together with the knit stitch. Too easy to miss!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lesson number five: everything is "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>easy</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" once you've paid sufficient attention to <i>actually</i> do what you <i>thought</i> you did. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lesson number six: if at first you don't succeed, you probably were <i>not</i> paying sufficient attention.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, now I'm on the seventh attempt and think I've figured it out. I'm nothing if not tenacious! I'll finish up the swatch tonight, and hopefully take </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">pre</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-blocked photos tomorrow, and some photos of the cakes of yarn I've wound so far to make the shawl, and post them in the next few days.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So. How are you doing?</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #580099; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Joy in the journey!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Elianastar</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-size: 130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Roving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-18468499747247617592010-08-10T22:36:00.000-07:002010-08-11T00:07:20.912-07:00To christen our new blog...<div style="background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.3375228189397603" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">... we’ve elected to join a new KAL! We’d love it if you joined us too! </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">I recently started following the “WendyKnits” blog. August 8th she posted a blog post entitled, “</span></span></span><a href="http://wendyknits.net/2010/08/08/i-have-an-idea/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">I Have an Idea,</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">” and it struck a cord with me. About to finish knitting the </span></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Elizabeth Zimmermann</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> 100th Anniversary Shawl, and wanting to knit another, she’s written up the design for a “</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">fairly easy pi shawl that uses some traditional shetland lace motifs</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">.” She has on hand 1760 yards of fingering weight yarn, and most of that yarn is slated to become this new shawl.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The thing that caught my interest, I think, is that she plans to start a KAL (knit-a-long) wherein she’ll release the pattern in pieces... a little at a time... and offer detailed comments as she knits the project herself. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">I confess, I have no idea what a “traditional shetland lace motif” is. So, I did an internet search. From what I can glean, Shetland Lace is the opposite of Eyelet Lace. Eyelet Lace is mostly fabric with holes in it. Shetland Lace appears to be holes with enough fabric to hold the holes together. The most famous example of Shetland Lace is the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.heirloom-knitting.co.uk/what_is_sl.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Wedding Ring Shawl</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">... so fine it can be drawn through a wedding ring upon completion. We’re talking “open” lace, here. Beyond that, I’m at a loss other than to say it is frequently mentioned in the company of </span></span></span><a href="http://www.heirloom-knitting.co.uk/cart/ordergossamer_mohair.php"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Orenburg Lace</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">... which I found to be almost as useful. LOL! They both seem to be beautiful examples of classic lace knitting with lots of patterning and I’m intrigued to see a Pi version. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">“Pi,” you ask? What does “pi” mean? </span></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Pi</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> is a mathematical term equivalent to 3.14159265, which represents the ratio of any circle’s circumference, (the measurement of the outside of the circle), to its diameter, (the measurement of the circle from one side, across the middle, to the other side; half the circle’s width). If I told you that it is “the same value as the ratio of a circle’s area to the square of its radius,” it would be redundant for you if you already knew what “pi” was... and mean absolutely nothing to you if you didn’t. Suffice it to say... it has something to do with figuring out how to make a circle if you are knitting or crocheting one. The only other thing I know for certain is that the concept of a Pi Shawl was the brain-child of Elizabeth Zimmermann, and is frequently suggested as a “first shawl” project, and can be found in “</span></span><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/rovistar-20/detail/0942018001"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">” book... among other places.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">To summarize, this shawl will be an easy, really pretty, open lace, circle shawl. The rest, I’ll have to figure out later, but I’m not gonna let my ignorance undermine my enthusiasm! </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">If you’ve not knit a lace shawl before, this could be the ideal time to start. Getting a small segment of the pattern at a time will make the entire project less intimidating and overwhelming. Remember, all knitting is simply one stitch after the last... you can </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">do</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> this! </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Additionally, you don’t have to start with lace weight yarn... the pattern is designed for fingering weight, but you could use larger needles and sport, or even DK, weight, if you prefer. Come on... live adventurously! Besides all of that, joining in a KAL means you have a place to ask all your questions and have lots of encouragement from others making the same project, including knitters who have done this sort of thing before. I’m not one of those. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">This will be my first “pattern” lace shawl project. I’m designing a lace shawl... slowly... now, but I’ve never actually made a complete shawl before and never followed a lace shawl pattern. Because I’ve been collecting lace yarn for </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">four</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> years... a little here, a little there... I’ve got tons of lace weight yarn to use in my stash so I’ve picked out some of that for this project. This Pi Shawl is not a small shawl, so it is very appealing to me to be able to make a good-sized dent in my lace yarn stash! And I figure when I’ve finished this project, I’ll be ready to start either the original Pi Shawl, or maybe one of the EZ 100th Anniversary Shawl versions... and use up more of that lace yarn!</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Another plus about this project is that it has five different stitch patterns... each could be a different color yarn if you don’t have enough of one color. I don’t have enough of one color that I want to devote to this project, but I have three colors that should look great together and between them, I should have more than enough. As long as it is all the same weight yarn, complementary colors, and can be washed in a similar way, you’re good to go!</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">In Wendy’s </span></span></span><a href="http://wendyknits.net/2010/08/09/yarn-and-needles/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">August 9th post</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">, she talks about yarn and needles for the project. If you don’t already have fingering weight yarn in your stash to begin the project, check out Knit Picks’ fingering weight yarn options for some cost-effective options. One hank of </span></span></span><a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Gloss_Fingering_Yarn__D5420151.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Gloss Fingering</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> supplies 220 yds of 70% Merino & 30% Silk at a cost of $3.99 per hank. Another great option for this project would be KP’s </span></span></span><a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Stroll_Tonal_Sock_Yarn__D5420134.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Stroll Tonal</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">: 462 yards per hank @ $9.99 each. However, if you are game for a lace weight yarn, you might consider Shadow Lace at a mere $2.99 per hank of 100% Merino, 440 yards each! This is an incredibly soft, supple, snuggly yarn, in some beautiful heather shades... you’ll love your shawl if you choose this yarn and the price couldn’t be better! You could also explore the options at </span></span></span><a href="http://www.littleknits.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Little Knits</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></span><a href="http://www.elann.com/Commerce.web/product_list.aspx?catID=30&type=yarn&fibreid=0&gaugeid=0,3732,3740,3735&seasonid=0&yarnname=Hand%20Wash&companyid=0&colorid=0&keyword=&sort=productName"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Elann</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">If you need any needles, I highly recommend any </span></span></span><a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/needles/knitting_needles.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Knit Picks needles</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. I use </span></span></span><a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/needles/nickel_plated_knitting_needles__L300305.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Nickel Options</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">, for pretty much everything, but you might prefer </span></span></span><a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/needles/wood_knitting_needles__L300306.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Harmony Options</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> with lace or fingering yarn for a shawl. I plan to use a 32” cable for this project and may or may not start the project with nickel </span></span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cPFtq2YRJM&feature=related"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">DPNs</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. If not, I’ll use the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtBSmxGomPk&feature=player_embedded#!"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Magic Loop</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> technique to begin the shawl on my circular needles. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">If you already have the yarn and needles you need, Wendy has posted </span></span></span><a href="http://wendyknits.net/2010/08/10/time-to-swatch/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">the swatch pattern</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Everything you need to know to prep to begin the project is already at hand. If you don’t have yarn in your stash to begin, you’ll either need to visit your LYS (local yarn shop) and purchase a sufficient supply of heather, softly varigated, or solid color yarn... or place an order online. If you order online, it’ll be a week to ten days before you can start, but from the posts I’ve seen quite a few who have responded will be doing the same thing and there is no rush on the project, nor is there any penalty if you fall “behind” in any way. Some will knit more slowly than others and some will not be able to begin at the same time the pattern sections are released so don’t let that deter you in any way. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Whatever other choices you make about your yarn for this project remember it is best to use an animal fiber yarn for lace work as </span></span></span><a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/images/pdf/laceblocking.pdf"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">blocking</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> opens up the stitches to show them off to their fullest. You </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">can</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> block other fibers, but not as easily.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">I will be winding yarn from hanks onto my </span></span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPMmopJHzq4"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">nostepinne</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> for the next few days, as I’ve got time to spend winding yarn, so I won’t be starting immediately myself. When I’ve got some of my yarn wound, I’ll take a photo of the cakes and post them here for you. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">In the meantime, welcome to our blog! There is still lots to do before we are all set up so please excuse the disarray... we are still adding stuff and organizing things. I’ll be importing some earlier posts I’ve done, in time, but for now you can read them at the </span></span></span><a href="http://community.knitpicks.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2codm7j9lcoxj"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Knit Picks Community</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> where they currently reside... or wait patiently until I get copies of them over here. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">We appreciate your patience and look forward to visiting with you again soon! If you should choose to participate in the Shetland Pi Shawl KAL, please keep us posted on your progress? If we can be any help or encouragement we’d be pleased to support you in anyway we are able! Even if it means directing you to another source of information. :-)</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Joy in the journey!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Elianastar</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">P.S.: If you are interested in the </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fibrespace.com/inspiration/2010/07/ez-100th-anniversary-lace-knitalong/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">EZ 100th Anniversary Shawl</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">, you can </span></span></span><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ez-100th-anniversary-pi-shawl-gull-wings"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">download the pattern free</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> from </span></span></span><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/tour/peek"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Ravelry</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. You have to be a member to access the download, but that’s free too! There are already three versions of this shawl available on </span></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravelry"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Ravelry</span></span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">... all free downloads.</span></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Roving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714346000932910153.post-77563646132805327922010-08-09T12:02:00.000-07:002010-08-13T22:11:45.009-07:00New Beginnings & Old FavoritesWell, our first task will be getting the <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/rovistar-20">Book~Shop</a> stocked with links to our favorite books and goodies for those visiting in the future. You'll find resources grouped together by interest & need and if you hang around these parts long, you'll find regular reviews, previews, & viewpoints related to each will eventually be passed along to any who will listen.
You may access the store and wander about at your leisure. Stock will regularly change, and delivery is quick once you've made your selection. Most likely you'll find goods of merit & to your liking. :-)
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(88, 0, 153); line-height: 20px; "><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(53, 28, 117); ">Joy in the journey!</span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(53, 28, 117); ">Elianastar</span></span></span></span><div style="font: 14.0px Optima; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><script type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/asw.js"></script></div>Roving StarPointshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596192382913953585noreply@blogger.com1