Having This Online Isn't Working For ME!

I've been nearly three years without internet. Needless to say, it's a bit difficult to keep up a blog without it. Especially a knitting blog. Convenience is important. I keep resolving to maintain a knitting journal and keep failing. Perhaps I should just switch to paper. Not saying I'll never blog on here again- 'cus I really like the idea of a knitting blog- but I don't know when.

Currently on the Needles:

- a shawl for my mom out of alpaca

- an alpaca cowl for myself

- a ball in acrylic

BTW- we're foster parents now! We're busy with a five month old baby girl. I used to be a full time knitter, but I don't have that kind of time anymore. It's amazing I get anything knit.

Yarn Situation

Alas, I am still stranded in this knitting desert. Until reinforcements arrive from the states, I've been experimenting with "crochet cotton," which is lace-weight mercerized cotton. So far, I've knit some lacy bags for hanging produce in my kitchen and am considering knitting curtains for the living room. Yes, I know that's a lot of knitting on really small needles, but it's worth it to give my itchy, knitting fingers something to do. At this point, I would knit with string- which actually may be another possibility for the future.

A good knitter always plans for the future. I just wish I didn't have to get rid of so much of my knitting future before we arrived here. ((sigh))

Perhaps I will post finished pictures of the bags later.

Update From Africa

It's been a long time since I've posted here. The move to Botswana really threw me off. I'm discovering the yarn situation is a bit bleak and it's hard not to get panicky. In light of all that, here's my current "want to knit it" list for my new home:

- Bread blanket: acrylic, microspun yarn in cream brought from US, nearly finished

- knitting bag: planned for a long time, no yarn bought yet, still working out logistics, probably won't start for months

- lace curtains for bathroom: started with "crochet" cotton that was bought here, looking for a way to tack it so as to show off the lace

- slip stitch rug: Peaches and Cream cotton yarn shipped from America, intending on knitting it with 2 or 3 strands held together

- extra long hand towel: button hole closures to keep towel on rack-provided we have a towel bar, knit with shipped P&C, will post pictures later

- blankets for living room: yarn not found to buy yet, hoping for black and cream

- throw pillows: still need yarn, not sure of colors or patterns

- table runner: not sure of colors or material but hoping for fun

- gloves: started but gave up because of the heat, will finish once it's colder

Gloves that Fit My Fingers

I have very stubby fingers and can never find gloves that completely fit. So, I've decided to knit myself some. Here's the pattern and I'm using this yarn in "chili pepper" with size 4 double point needles.

Here is the label information:
Bamboo Wool (feltable) by Moda-Dea
55% rayon from bamboo, 45% wool
2.8oz and 145 yds
hand wash cold, dry flat (unless you want to felt it)


I'll post pictures when I finish (in Africa!).

Tip-less Finger Gloves

I'm planning on knitting myself some fingerless gloves while I'm on the plane to Botswana. I've decided to make them fairly plain, with just a bit of cabling across the back. I have vowed to only cast on the stitches in the last few days in the states, but I want to get the ball-band information down before I lose it (the house is pretty chaotic right now-losing it is very possible). Here goes...

- "Vintage" by Berrcoco brand yarn
- blend of 50% acrylic, 40% wool, and 10% nylon
- gauge: 5 st = 1" on size 7 or 4.5st = 1" on size 8 needles
- 20 stitches x 27 rows per 4" square on size 7 needles or 18 stitches x 24 rows per 4" square on size 8 needles
- 3.5 oz and 217 yards
- care instructions: machine wash, inside out, in cold water, gentle cycle; lay flat to dry.
- made in Puru

I picked a deep purple yarn, mottled with green, blue, and red (although it probably won't show up in a picture. It came as a skein, so I had to roll it into a ball this morning. I bought some lovely size 6 bamboo needles to use with the yarn. I must resist. I must. I must. Maybe I should put them somewhere where I can't see them. But, what if I hide them and they get put in a goodwill box, or throw away, or packed in a carton. I'd better go cast on and keep them next to me at all times, where I know they will be safe....

Yarn Stores

I got to go to the yarn store today! It's so great that I didn't even know it existed until today. I love walking into a yarn store and soaking up the potential. A whole store full of yarn just invites you to feel and touch. Put it up against your cheek if you want. Caress it. Breathe it in. Pure potential. Yum..
It was so hard, but I left the store with just one skein of yarn and a set of circular needles (size 4). I need to stop squirreling away yarn... maybe tomorrow.

Unknitting

There is nothing I hate more than unknitting. Well, except for crochet and tangles in my yarn, but I digress. Unknitting is when you have to take a piece of lovely knitting, hours of your life and unknit it back to where the mistake was made. The process of unknitting can sometimes take twice as much time as actually knitting, and with the knitting it up, unknitting, and reknitting, mistakes are just a time sucker. Which is why usually I ignore them. I refuse to waste time fixing mistakes, after all, we're not perfect, so why try?

Remember how I said "usually"? That means that sometimes I see no option except unknitting. It urks me greatly, but I still do it. Like last Saturday, when I had to unknit an heirloom type of knitting (an inch of knitting on tiny needles for probably 30 stitches to the row). It's enough to make me want to thow my needles away. But, then I remember that I could be crocheting right now instead, and I pick them back up again. All Saturday was spent getting down to the mistake, fixing it, then reknitting back up to where I had started that day. At least Sunday dawned brightly with a whole piece of knitting that looked beautiful.

Still, these are the times which try men's souls.