Why so blue?
First, thank you all for the birthday wishes! Note: I didn't lick the chocolate off the plate because choc isn't really my thing (random hormonal urges aside). Actually, sugar as a whole isn't really my thing (except for breakfast foods, Brown Sugar Pop Tarts, ice cream, and pie - of which tarts are a subsection). But I can snarf my body weight in salt-n-vinegar potato chips in 8.2 seconds.
Second, I'm glad y'all like the Pooter bags! They were so fun to make! Pam suggested I Cafe Press the "my stash is real...and it's spectacular" part - so if I whipped up an everyday, non-Pooter version of that design, would any of you be interested?
Third, I've finished a pair of socks, but it's already 100 degrees outside, and even though it's only about 74 in the frosty confines of my air-conditioned house (I am a complete weather wuss and a willing slave to my thermostat), the thought of putting on socks of any kind makes me sweaty. And not in a good way.
So how 'bout I wip it? Right now, I'm all about my cotton yarns.
This be the Indigo Ripples Skirt, which just passed into the threshold of stockinette hell. I'm not sure what possesses me to knit mindless stockinette in a yarn you have to knit more mindless stockinette in because it shrinks, but damn if this skirt ain't cute and flirty on virtually all who've made it.
We'll see if it can avoid the previous shrinkable yarn debacles. There was some serious geeking out of swatches and measurements involved this time, so we'll see if that helps. I'll have to start working out before I finish it too, as I sense my thuttocks (a terrible affliction whereby the butt merges with the back of the thighs) will not be able to hide in this thing.
And another Ms. Marigold. Same yarn, different color. A bit more tinkering with the pattern, though - raised the neck, started the decreases earlier, making the bod longer, may do some kind of stripey thing in the ribbing.
The socks I just finished - in a pattern and yarn I've used before, I might add - are basically the same color as this Calmer, too. So apparently, June is a big fat repeater month.
But look! Something new! Okay, so it's the same color as the other stuff I'm working on (obviously channeling a burning desire to visit the Carribbean), but the yarn is new!
Wait! Stop! Come back! No, you're not hallucinating. Yeah, I know. It's laceweight. I don't knit laceweight. I've never even wanted to knit laceweight. But Jeanne's been churning out some really gorgeous shawls lately and that started to peak my interest. Then Seascape came out, and I was like Luke Skywalker in the bogs of the Dagobah system, transcending to another plane of existence and seeing Darth Vader emerge from the mists. Unlike him, I turned to the dark side.
Maybe it's because my other two projects (and the socks I just finished) are/were mostly just endless rounds of boring stockinette, but I am itching, itching I tell you, to wind this yarn up and cast this pattern on. The only thing stopping me right now is the idea of winding 1,250 yards in one sitting.
So while I procrastinate that, let me ask all you experienced lace knitters out there - do you swatch for laceweight shawls? I haven't for the worsted weight shawls I've done, but this is a new yarn weight for me. Or is it like socks, where you just go with it and tink back if it doesn't look/feel right? (Which is one of the things I love about socks.)
Second, I'm glad y'all like the Pooter bags! They were so fun to make! Pam suggested I Cafe Press the "my stash is real...and it's spectacular" part - so if I whipped up an everyday, non-Pooter version of that design, would any of you be interested?
Third, I've finished a pair of socks, but it's already 100 degrees outside, and even though it's only about 74 in the frosty confines of my air-conditioned house (I am a complete weather wuss and a willing slave to my thermostat), the thought of putting on socks of any kind makes me sweaty. And not in a good way.
So how 'bout I wip it? Right now, I'm all about my cotton yarns.
This be the Indigo Ripples Skirt, which just passed into the threshold of stockinette hell. I'm not sure what possesses me to knit mindless stockinette in a yarn you have to knit more mindless stockinette in because it shrinks, but damn if this skirt ain't cute and flirty on virtually all who've made it.
We'll see if it can avoid the previous shrinkable yarn debacles. There was some serious geeking out of swatches and measurements involved this time, so we'll see if that helps. I'll have to start working out before I finish it too, as I sense my thuttocks (a terrible affliction whereby the butt merges with the back of the thighs) will not be able to hide in this thing.
And another Ms. Marigold. Same yarn, different color. A bit more tinkering with the pattern, though - raised the neck, started the decreases earlier, making the bod longer, may do some kind of stripey thing in the ribbing.
The socks I just finished - in a pattern and yarn I've used before, I might add - are basically the same color as this Calmer, too. So apparently, June is a big fat repeater month.
But look! Something new! Okay, so it's the same color as the other stuff I'm working on (obviously channeling a burning desire to visit the Carribbean), but the yarn is new!
Wait! Stop! Come back! No, you're not hallucinating. Yeah, I know. It's laceweight. I don't knit laceweight. I've never even wanted to knit laceweight. But Jeanne's been churning out some really gorgeous shawls lately and that started to peak my interest. Then Seascape came out, and I was like Luke Skywalker in the bogs of the Dagobah system, transcending to another plane of existence and seeing Darth Vader emerge from the mists. Unlike him, I turned to the dark side.
Maybe it's because my other two projects (and the socks I just finished) are/were mostly just endless rounds of boring stockinette, but I am itching, itching I tell you, to wind this yarn up and cast this pattern on. The only thing stopping me right now is the idea of winding 1,250 yards in one sitting.
So while I procrastinate that, let me ask all you experienced lace knitters out there - do you swatch for laceweight shawls? I haven't for the worsted weight shawls I've done, but this is a new yarn weight for me. Or is it like socks, where you just go with it and tink back if it doesn't look/feel right? (Which is one of the things I love about socks.)
posted by weezalana at 9:53 AM
11 Comments:
Ok, so I don't knit shawls, but I wouldn't swatch unless it looked like a really big shawl in the pattern...I think you'd be OK if Seascape turned out a smidge larger than you were intending.
Lace!!! Oh, like wow! I wouldn't swatch myself, but that's me a non-lace knitter..no help am I??
The bags, yes, I'd go there! Hoping the shrinkage is under control this time :)
Happy belated birthday!
I wouldn't swatch for laceweight; at least, I've heard that it's unnecessary. I'm a relatively new knitter though, so who knows? You can always procrastinate on the decision until you've finished procrastinating on actually winding the yarn... ;)
f*ck no, I wouldn't swatch. Screw that crap. Just start the dang thing. If you don't like it, rip it out.
Hmm, I'm coming off a tad crabby, me thinks. But unlike you, I don't have friggin air conditioning! My butt is sweaty. I can't be helpful and perky if my butt is sweaty. Sorry.
I don't swatch lace (I wouldn't swatch worsted shawls either though). Just start it! That shawl is in my queue - can't wait to see yours knit up - it is going to be beautiful in that yarn.
And yes, I think the bags would be great!
Oh I am so a slave to my thermostat this time of year too!
Wish I could be a slave to my thermostat these past few days...no AC here in the Bay Area (and its 96 degrees...ugh!).
Lovin' all the blues!! My kinda colors. And the laceweight... winding all that would scare me too. I wouldn't swatch but I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to shawls and laceweight stuff!
I've only ever swatched for the current shawl. Usually I just go for what's specified in the pattern. Really, swatching for lace is about making sure you like the look of the blocked fabric. You don't have to worry as much about size, because you can always block it out bigger.
Swatch? HELL to the NO!! Love those blues, too!:)
Thuttocks!!! Ohmygod I'm so using that one. Best phrase ever!
Ok - I don't swatch for shawls because honestly does it matter? It's the same as like a scarf or a wrap or whatever. If it's bigger or smaller than you expected it's not like it's not going to fit. But I'm a lazy knitter like that.
I'd totally go for the stash shirt on Café Press...and I'm sure I'm not the only one. A non-pooter version would be good, but I think a couple stratetically placed yarn balls would be fun...
You don't have to do that, though. I'm pretty sure it's just me who thinks it would be funny, because apparently I am ten years old in my head.
Post a Comment
<< Home