theraineysisters knitting and so much more

September 30, 2007

From Susan — Bottom Knitter

Filed under: Back Story,Modular Purse,Susan's Kauni Cardigan — lv2knit @ 5:55 pm

I am knitting the bottom of the barrel modular purse.  My knitting is as exciting as licking stamps.

ModularPurseBottom.jpg picture by lv2knit

I am plodding along on this project to have something to do.  It is not the most exciting fish project in the sea.

I did finish the 7th Harry Potter book.  I am in shock and awe.  It was amazing.  You are driven to get to the end, but you do not want it to end.  There is a sadness about its finality.  I must say though, placing my beautiful Hemlock across my knees while snuggled up with Harry P. made me very happy!!

I did a lot of swatching over the past few days and nothing has clicked, so I will be returning some yarn this week.  I would rather waste one skein and move on than sit on yarn I do not think I will use.

Kauni Update: I need to finish Sleeve #1.  When you knit a Kauni sleeve, you need to err on the side of too long rather than too short.  You can always rip back, but it would be nearly impossible to add length if you have already moved on to the second sleeve.  The colors need to stay in sync.  I am knitting my sleeves from the cuff up, so I will need to make sure the sleeve is overly generous before breaking off for Sleeve #2.  I also may change the way I am doing the shoulders.  I am considering a 3-needle bind off with a visible outside ridge.  Don’t know yet, still pondering! 😉

It is a rainey Sunday afternoon, so you know where I am headed.

PS — Daughter #1 got a job in a darling coffee shop!!  Woo Hoo!  Whip me up a latte, Baby!

13 Comments »

  1. Great for your daughter !My kids had part time jobs while in high school. It was a valueable life long learning experience learning how to deal with people, juggling schedules and the value of money.

    Comment by katomliz — September 30, 2007 @ 6:11 pm

  2. Thank you! There are a few things here that I’ve been too chicken to ask out loud :

    1. You know I’ve been swatching, right? But I’ve only been buying one ball/hank of everything, just in case it didn’t work. Do LYSes mind people returning yarn? Are you expected to buy something else?

    2. How would you then join the sleeve to the body?

    3. I have been thinking of doing the 3 needle bindoff on the right side of my Kauni too. It ends in black and the next line would have been red. I could graft in red but prefer a 3 needle bind off. If you do it, I’ll do it 😉

    Comment by Marina — September 30, 2007 @ 6:48 pm

  3. Congrats! to daughter #1! and Yeah for mom… a new place to sit and knit :)… I am a little concerned as I am feeling your are headed into a knitting funk so in the best of friendship, caring, and love I must implore you as Cher did in Moonstruck…
    SNAP OUT OF IT!
    🙂
    AND HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

    Comment by Michelle — September 30, 2007 @ 8:27 pm

  4. From Susan to Michelle: Don’t worry, M. My funk is temporary! Help is on the way! 😉

    Comment by lv2knit — September 30, 2007 @ 8:52 pm

  5. Well, to be honest, I think most yarn stores don’t like to get returns. I don’t think any stores do. Inventory costs money not only to buy in the first place, but to store and to process. That being said, a good yarn store won’t want you to keep something if you’re unhappy. Service, including a reasonable return policy, means a happy customer who will come back. The important thing, I think, is not to be one of those persons who ends up returning almost everything she buys. Yarn stores genuinely don’t like that. You shouldn’t feel obligated to buy something else if you are returning some leftover yarn or the beginnings of a project gone wrong. If you feel pressured to do so, then I would suggest looking for a nicer shop.

    Another thing: if you buy yarn online, then don’t expect to get a lot of help with your project from your yarn store. The cheaper online cost is made possible by the fact that it costs more to run a store with employees — including those helpful employees who are there to help you get out of a jam. It’s a bit rude, in my opinion, to buy the yarn elsewhere and then go in and ask for help. Again, a good yarn store might be happy to answer a few questions if it’s not busy, even if you bought the yarn elsewhere. It’s not a great idea to abuse that. Your mileage may vary.

    Comment by surly — September 30, 2007 @ 9:09 pm

  6. From Susan — I don’t return yarn all that often, but if I do it within the return policy set by the store, I feel no guilt whatsoever. There are many times you don’t know how a yarn will work until you try it out. Case in point: my most recent “failure” came about using the exact yarn called for in the pattern. I knit it to the correct gauge, but I just don’t like knitting it or the way it looks. I will return it without remorse.  And probably turn right around and buy more yarn!  I do agree that asking for assistance at a nice yarn shop when you bought the yarn on-line or at Wal*Mart is tacky.

    Comment by lv2knit — September 30, 2007 @ 9:24 pm

  7. Help from a yarn store?

    Until I read about people doing it, it never occurred to me that an LYS could be a source for help. Not that I would ever do that.

    In fact, it’s against my principles to go to an LYS to specifically check out a yarn, just to turn around and buy it online where it might be cheaper.

    Comment by Marina — September 30, 2007 @ 9:57 pm

  8. From Susan to Marina: I’m with you — but I think people do that quite a bit. It makes it tougher for yarn stores. LYS’s do have the advantage of instant gratification!

    Comment by lv2knit — September 30, 2007 @ 10:47 pm

  9. I don’t know why it makes me so glad to hear how you enjoyed Harry Potter — except that I enjoyed it as well, and then don’t want to say much about it — because I know how I didn’t want any one to spoil my pleasure of a first read through.

    My local yarn stores are going to THINK I went shopping there only to order online, but in fact, after spending way too much time trying color schemes in the store, I’m ordering a yarn they don’t carry. Ah well.

    Comment by Pam — September 30, 2007 @ 11:51 pm

  10. Wahey! I’m so pleased to hear you’ve managed to get a copy of ‘Lyra’. As you have seen I was a bit obsessive — but it is a great pattern to knit and I’m sure you will love it. Can’t wait to see the progress!

    Comment by Soo — October 1, 2007 @ 5:36 am

  11. Susan- Never read one HP in my life- nope!

    I used the 3-needle I-Cord bind off on the shoulders of Guin, and once
    I started that, I wanted to put I-cord everywhere. It might look amazing
    in the Kauni. Just a thought.

    LYS’s are okay with returns, as long as you have the receipt, and it’s been a reasonable amount
    of time. They know who their customers are anyway.
    Yes, I agree, it’s tacky to buy from Wallymart and then ask for help from the staff at a LYS.
    Try asking for help at Walmart- why do you think the prices are so low?

    Comment by Lorraine — October 1, 2007 @ 9:12 am

  12. My LYS has a policy to answer questions and give free help on stuff you purchased from them but they also have a service where you can bring anything in and for $5 a half hour, a reasonably well known knitter will answer questions, teach you how to do things or get you started on a project. It’s a good way for them to field phone calls and get people in when there is someone available to help. This also helps them fill up the their classes and teach novice knitters that there is better yarn than at Walmart.
    And returns are never a problem.
    My LYS owner knows that I buy a lot online and she’s fine with that knowing that I don’t shop the other local stores and that I don’t flaunt my online stuff in her shop. I have a policy of buying from her if she has it even if I can get it cheaper on line because if she can’t stay in business, I lose a tremendous resource.
    The bridal shop that I once helped run was driven out of business by discounters and online merchants and the community lost specialists in bridal sewing that can’t be found at dry cleaners or hemming services.

    Comment by Joan — October 1, 2007 @ 6:53 pm

  13. If you or a relative don’t work in a yarn shop, a coffee shop is next best. Ummm, latte…

    Comment by kmkat — October 2, 2007 @ 7:11 pm

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