theraineysisters knitting and so much more

November 3, 2006

From Sally — Rosarie and More Glovelets

Filed under: Rosarie — Sally @ 11:16 am

Yes, I still do knit occasionally — it just doesn’t feel like it.

I did finish my red cashmere glovelets the other day and finally found a camera to take a picture. Here they are in all their glory:

Now that I’ve taken a photograph, I have no excuse for not mailing them to the friend I knit them for. (Yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition. What of it?) I thought this yarn was soft while I was knitting with it, but it softened and bloomed considerably when I wet blocked the gloves. I cannot describe how good this yarn feels. (In case you don’t remember, it’s Jade Sapphire’s 4-ply cashmere.) I have another full skein of this yarn and I will have to knit some small luxury item for myself out of it.

I’ve also made a little bit of progress on my Rosarie vest. I wish I had more time to knit these days; I have so many projects I want to work on, and some of those aren’t even on the needles yet. Here’s a new picture of Rosarie:

I so love knitting. I wish I were faster.

From Susan — I used my own blog as a resource!

Filed under: Current Projects — lv2knit @ 12:39 am

A few months back Sally posted a link to the Emily Ocker Cast On — it’s used for starting projects knit as a circle starting at the center.  I was swatching tonight and needed to use it — who would have guessed that I would use my own blog as a reference — woo hoo.  Way to go, Surly.

Tonight was Thursday knit night and it was great.  There was a total party-like atmosphere at Panera’s tonight for some reason. 

We got to meet Barabra Copeland — she was the recipient of the Thursdays at Four Panera Gift card for winning the sweepstakes this year at the fair.  She brought all of the items she entered in the fair.  She is an exceptional knitter.  It was great to meet her and see this in person:

Sweepstakes2.jpg

It was even more beautiful in person.  We were shocked to learn that she had to re-knit the border on this shawl — hundreds of stitches involved (~1500+)!!!!  The pattern (Mediterranean Shawl from A Gathering of Lace, Edited by Meg Swanson) says to go down in needle size to do the border, but Barb said the edging was way too small even after blocking.  It was placed in a bag for a couple of years before she could face ripping it out and redoing the entire border.  It was well worth it, but we could feel her pain!

She was wearing the entrelac vest she had entered (very attractive) and brought a Jade Starmore creation that won a ribbon as well.  She is very talented. 

Fun night tonight.  My peeps keep me sane :).

October 31, 2006

From Susan — Scary on So Many Levels

Filed under: Back Story,Sock Monkey Dresses — lv2knit @ 2:29 am

Happy Hallowe’en, everyone!  I thought in honor of goblins, ghosts and other scary creatures, I would share the scariest of them all and return to the horrors of the Sock Monkey!  Last summer when Sock Monkey Dresses were haunting us everywhere, I got caught up in the moment and purchased some socks designed solely (forgive the pun) for the making of Sock Monkeys.  

I started my Sock Monkey creature immediately but did not put the finishing touches on until this evening.  I sensed from the first moment that this creature would not be loved, but reviled.  A creature so hideous and malformed that children would scream, women faint, and men tremble.  Perfect for Hallowe’en!! 

 

SockMonkey002.jpg

AND I got to use my pom pom maker!  Now the question remains: is he so ugly he’s cute or just fugly?  Look into those little black eyes and decide.

SockMonkey004.jpg

Happy Hallowe’en ;).

October 30, 2006

From Susan — A Little Lace

Filed under: Current Projects,Updates — lv2knit @ 7:47 pm

The top is done.  I do need to seek out some better ribbon, but I am not going to travel the globe to find it.  I’ll just search as I go along.

LaceTopDetail005.jpg

Michelle asked for a picture to see if/how it fits:

LaceTopDetail009.jpg

It fits great.  And a picture of the top:

LaceTopDetail003.jpg

Chalk up another project!!  I enjoyed making this.  It was probably more for me than for her, but then she gets to wear it. 😉

October 29, 2006

From Susan — I can’t knit ALL the time!

Filed under: Current Projects,Updates — lv2knit @ 7:29 pm

Today I had to clean and do laundry :(.  Here are my definitions of cleaning:

Cleaning the house: you are able to open your door proudly to family, friends, and neighbors

Straightening up: you are not absolutely mortified if someone happens into a room

Natural state: one step ahead of the Board of Health

Today I straightened up — somewhat.  I also finished knitting the Vogue Lace Top and figured out the embellishment for it.  I found some old lace and also bought a beautiful ruffle, but let’s face it: it is for my 11 year old to wear to school, not to a Victorian-era debutante ball.  So, I cheated a little and sewed it on by machine (please don’t turn me in!).

LaceTopDetail.jpg

I’ll try harder on the front to get it perfect but I think it looks okay.  The finishing won’t take too long, but the front and sleeves need to dry.

I also started the raglan shaping on Anya.  I am loving the yarn so-o-o-o much.  It is soft and nubby and a gorgeous color.  Can’t wait to get it done. 

PS — Laura made the soup, too: “Wanted to let you know some one else made the potato cream cheese soup — it’s awesome! I made a double batch, so the freezer is full of emergency comfort soup.”

October 28, 2006

From Susan and Sally — re: Comments

Filed under: Updates — lv2knit @ 11:10 am

Michelle asked what her pattern meant when it said to hold the yarn double throughout (thanks for the question, Michelle).  Sally replied that as Michelle had suspected, it means that you hold two strands together as if they were one strand throughout the knitting of the garment.  It creates a yarn with a bigger gauge or, if two different yarns are used, creates a hybrid yarn with combined characteristics.

Here is the scarf my daughter is currently making.  She calls it Tennis Ball Green, which I think is quite descriptive (this scanned picture is very accurate):

TennisBallGreenScarf.jpg

When you hold 2 or more strands, occasionally you drop one strand accidently or only knit through one strand when making a stitch, so you have to pay a little bit more attention.  If you look at the three yarns Laura is using, the skinny yarn is the culprit and frequently gets left behind.  I’m not sure why so many newbies like knitting with these yarns, except that you get beautiful results with less effort (DUH, I guess that’s a pretty good reason!!).  They are harder to work with.

AND, an unsolicited comment from Patti:

“I just wanted to say that I made your potato cheese soup, and my family thought it was wonderful. Such a delicious soup and it is made in under an hour. Thanks for the recipe.”

I am delighted that the recipe worked for someone else.  I’ve had it happen that another cook tries a recipe and gets a total flop (it’s happened to me many times!).  Thank you for the great feedback.

October 27, 2006

From Susan — redanya

Filed under: Anya,Current Projects — lv2knit @ 9:06 pm

I have been working on my two latest projects: Anya and the Vogue Lace Top.  Lace Top front is done, back is done, sleeve #1 is started.  It would be great if I could get it completely finished this weekend so I can move on to other things.  Yes, I constantly think about the next one in queue, or the next step (how will I finish the top edge?) as I am knitting.  I think I kind of drive myself crazy.

Anyway, here is a picture of my mindless, on-the-go knitting:

Anya001.jpg

I absolutely love the yarn and know I will love the sweater.  I am fashioning it after a sweater that I wear all the time due to its loose fit and comfort.  I always feel good wearing the thing.  But I can’t wear it EVERY day, so I’m making its fraternal twin in this gorgeous, soft, beautiful, deep red yarn.  Sally and I are both in love with red at the moment.

The only change I will make is to convert it into a raglan — I really like raglans!  Raglans are very nice to knit and sew up because a mattress seam is virtually invisible.  I’m just about to the point of the raglan shaping on the back.  I sure hope I get some knittin’ time this weekend.  THAT is the definition of a good weekend!

 

October 26, 2006

From Sally — Look Ma, Even More No Fingers

Filed under: Uncategorized — Sally @ 5:10 pm

Pleased with my first pair of glovelets, I’ve already started a second. These are out of Jade Sapphire’s 4–ply cashmere called Keja, in a sort of Chinese red. I am in love with this yarn; I want to marry it and bear its children. My webcam doesn’t do justice to the colour and I still don’t have a working camera. Imagine a gorgeous, perfect red and you have it.

These will be a gift, but I have enough to make a pair for myself. And I just might have to.

October 25, 2006

From Sally — Look Ma, No Fingers

Filed under: Back Story,Gallery — surly @ 6:05 pm

Yes, I’m alive (for those who were wondering.) And I’ve even been doing a little bit of knitting despite being very busy with personal and other issues. I picked up a small project I had started a long time ago and never finished. It was such a small project I had actually misplaced it! I had been working on some fingerless gloves out of a very nice, earthy yarn I bought one year at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. The yarn has a homespun look and feel and it’s very soft. I bought it to make Eric’s Glovelets, a pattern from Green Mountain Spinnery. As is often the case with me, I rushed home and knit one beautiful little glovelet and then got distracted by something else and didn’t get back to it right away. So, I came across the orphan glovelet and its twin (which had a cuff but nothing else) yesterday and decided to just finish the poor things. Here is a lovely photo taken with my webcam (I’m still having camera issues). The gloves hadn’t been blocked yet, nor had the ends been woven in. They therefore don’t look as lovely in these pictures as they do in real life. They are happily drying now and look much better. It’s amazing what soaking does to yarn; this particular yarn really bloomed and a lot of the irregularities from the hand spinning really evened out. If I remember, I’ll take a better picture when they’re dry.

As you can see, I deliberately kept the glovelets quite short so that I could use my fingers easily while wearing them.

Now for something completely different and not related to knitting.

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING?

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.

A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.

A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

A snail can sleep for three years.

Al Capone’s business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.

Babies are born without kneecaps. They don’t appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

Butterflies taste with their feet.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.

“Dreamt” is the only English word that ends in the letters “mt.”

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.

It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite..

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

“Stewardesses” is the longest word typed with only the left hand and “lollipop” with your right.

The average person’s left hand does 56% of the typing.

The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

The sentence: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter of the alphabet.

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

The words ‘racecar,’ ‘kayak’ and ‘level’ are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

There are more chickens than people in the world.

There are only four words in the English language which end in “dous”: tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: “abstemious” and “facetious.”

There’s no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewable Vitamins.

Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies’ room during a dance.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.

Now you know everything.

October 24, 2006

From Susan — Insurance

Filed under: Current Projects — lv2knit @ 8:25 pm

I just bought me two skeins of knittin’ insurance and that makes me feel fine!  I was worried about my Kathmandu and now I am worry free!  I also bought yarn for my daughter to make another scarf — she has one for every outfit almost.  Tonight we bought electric neon green.  It is gorgeous.   She made a purple one this weekend.  When my daughter knits, all is right with the world :).

PS — I love reading all your comments about being a new knitter, etc.  Thank you for sharing!!

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