April 2011 – Page 2 – Trish Knits.com

Somebody Talk Me Down…

I wanna knit a moebius.

I want to do it, NOW.

I keep watching the video of Cat Bordhi’s amazing cast on, just so I’ll be ready:

I’ve been fascinated by this knitted form for years, but have never acted upon it. I think there could be lots of these scientifically astounding things in my repertoire.

There’s just one little problem. And we all know what it is. I have a SHAWL to finish, plus at least a dozen other things. This always happens to me, when I get to the long, drawn out part of any project. My mind wanders, and I get obsessed about the next thing. Until I can’t stand it anymore, then I put the current thing down, and start on the next thing, whatever the obsession of the moment happens to be. Today, it’s a moebius. Lord knows I’ve knit plenty of them by accident. Every time I’ve ever cast on a project to be knit in the round, and I try, oh I try, to “join, being careful not to twist.” Every time, I fail. At least once. So I rip it out, and try again.

But this time, I want to twist my knitting. On purpose. In that special, moebius-y way. But….

NO! I CAN’T! STOP ME! I really MUST finish my shawl!

Sigh… This happens to me every time. Please, I beg you, you knowing knitters. Help me to stay strong. The moebius can wait.

April 9, 2011

Just Another Update on a Thursday…

Today I decided that it’s time to put the shawl on two needles, so I spread it out while I could and snapped these:

Just another photo of the shawl in progress

Yesterday, a co-worker put it on her shoulders, and it’s the size of a cute little shoulder shawlette. Another co-worker walked in while the two of us were playing with the shawl and ooh-ed and ahh-ed at it, and requested that I knit her something smallish, just like that.

People who see my knitting ask me to knit for them all the time. I used to be a sucker, and I often bit at the chance to knit for others, until I realized how rare it was that I actually finish anything. So, I’d sooner teach someone to knit than to knit something for someone. Know what I mean? They’ve actually got a chance of having a knitted item if they make it for themselves. I think I’m a better teacher than a do-er. Does that make sense?

But, I am determined to finish this shawl. After all these years, I deserve to finish something, so I can have something of my own to wear.

Wish me luck…

April 7, 2011

Book Review: Astounding Knits!

I have a friend who knits tree cozies. It’s true. I am a self-professed slow knitter, so I can’t imagine ever knitting a sweater for a tree, especially since I’ve never even completed one for myself. But there’s something that is wonderfully, secretly anarchist about these public displays of truly odd knitting that makes them wonderful. And, you know what? I honestly wish sometimes that I could knit fast enough to make this kind of knitting worth my time. It’s fun! Wonderful, and rebellious. I only wish I could.

So imagine my delight when I discovered this book last week: Astounding Knits!: 101 Spectacular Knitted Creations and Daring Feats. It is a compendium of all that is good, and weird, and a little twisted, about knitting.

Imagine the biggest, I mean BIGGEST, pink bunny in the world. Or colorwork sweaters so small they could fit on the tip of your fingers. A human heart made of lace, or a complete skeleton. Ever wanted a motorcycle cozy? How about a superhero costume?

The author, Lela Nargi, has written several other books that are interesting collections of thoughts and experiences of other knitters. I’ve listened to the audiobooks and I’ve loved them. This book is something like an extension of the theme. Who knew there were so many crazy and wonderful things that one could do with knitting? Surely I consider myself to be a creative person. But, my mind would never have gone to a place where I would have thought it would be fun to knit tea cozies in the shape of houses of infamous murder scenes. Or knitted sushi? Who thinks of that stuff?

This book isn’t a knitting book. It’s a book about knits, and the people who make them. It’s fun. It’s odd. And totally inspiring. It’s only around 10 dollars for this wonderful little book, and next time I go to knit group, I’m bringing it with me. I’m sure it will provide loads of entertainment.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. Every knitter needs inspiration like this in his or her library. Any time I feel like I’m in a knitting rut, I’ll be sure to pull this one off the shelf and flip through a few of the projects. It’s sure to keep my knitting on its toes.

And, if ever I do decide to knit a tree cozy? I’ll look here first for inspiration.

April 6, 2011

Shawl Update–Again!

Bleh.

I was awakened this morning at about 4:30 by our weather alert radio, shortly followed by a kid whose sleep was disturbed by pounding rain against his bedroom window. There were tornado warnings just south of here. They say the worst of the weather has passed, but it’s still gray and icky outside. I don’t like it. It sorta matches my gray and icky mood.

Last night before going to bed, though, I decided to take an updated photo of my shawl in progress. See?

I may not make progress on my projects as quickly as some knitters in the blogosphere, but I do see definite progress each time I take a photo. Soon, I will be switching yarn colors and switching lace patterns. It’s looking like both will happen at around the same time, but we’ll see. I think I’m also going to have to switch to a longer cable, too, because it’s getting all scrunched up on my needles. So, it looks like some transitions will be happening with the shawl soon.

The thing is, I’m not quite decided on what lace pattern to use. Again. I had thought of doing the Cat’s Paw Insertion (example of cat’s paw insertion in this shawl pattern). Or, do I want to be adventurous and try the Random Lace Pattern Generator? I want to stick with a pattern that will look ok if converted to garter stitch, and would be easy to memorize. I’m open to ideas… any thoughts?

Well, I guess I’m gonna go slam half a row on the shawl before work. Have a great day!

April 5, 2011

Book Review: Modern Top-Down Knitting

I’ve had the book, Modern Top-Down Knitting since it was first released, but I just realized that I haven’t written about it yet. So tonight I decided to give it another look and let you know what I think.

I love the idea of knitting top-down. I hate, hate, HATE seaming and so the very idea of any technique that requires minimal finishing is a good thing. I remember thinking the first time I looked through the book that man, these designs are all for skinny people. My second read, just now though, shows that most of the patterns are, in fact, upsized for larger sizes. But, and perhaps it’s my unfortunate middle age showing here, I still have to wonder whether even though the patterns are upsized, if they would actually look good on plus size people.

The book definitely has a lot of positives, though. The author, Kristina McGowan, wrote in her introduction that she started by studying the book, Knitting from the Top by Barbara G. Walker, and then actually got to visit Ms. Walker, and from those things, the book was born. How lucky she must have felt to be in the presence of such a great and smart knitter! Reading that part in the introduction just blew me away.

The patterns themselves are thoroughly modern–full of skinny designs and plunging necklines and all of the things that make today’s clothes unwearable by people shaped like me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate their beauty. I especially love the dress on the cover, and I’m currently wondering if I can modify it to work as a vest over a t-shirt or something. Several of the dresses I think could be made as tops only, or sweaters, and I think for me, that will be something worth exploring. I bet I can do it. That’s the beauty of top-down knitting. You can make it up, or modify, as you go.

There are a few other types of patterns as well, including arm warmers, a wrap, and an Annie Hall-inspired hat that is just so adorable I think I’m going to have to make it.

The book is beautifully photographed and has lots of helpful diagrams, and tutorials for important techniques used throughout the book.

I have to say that even though this book isn’t necessarily designed for 45-year-old fat women like me, I am so glad I have it. There’s a lot to learn here about modern design, and it takes the concept of top-down knitting in some totally new directions that I hadn’t imagined before now. I think I’ll go dig out my Barbara Walker book along with this one and study up. This is gonna be good.

April 4, 2011

Day Seven: Where Knit Happens (Usually)

How fitting that today is the last day of Blog Week, and I get to save the best for last. Today’s topic is about where we are when we engage in our craft. Not just in terms of place, but where we are in our minds. Is it part of a journey? A calming ritual? What is the space that this thing we so love occupies?

I’ve been a yarn crafter since I was 7 years old. Sure, it was a way to pass the time when I was alone, or watching TV, or contemplating the world. One of my most favorite solitary memories was the night I watched Daniel Day-Lewis win the Best Actor Oscar for what is one of my most favorite movies of all time. (Since he’s won two, you’ll have to click to see which one it is, though once you do, the answer will be obvious!) I actually MET Daniel Day-Lewis just a few weeks before the big event that year, as crazy as that sounds, but it’s true. It was one of the most memorable evenings of my life, when I attended a special screening of said movie, in Congress, no less. So, there I was several weeks later, cheering him on at the Oscars (from my couch), and crocheting a bedspread for my then-boyfriend-now-husband. At the time, I thought that was about as fun as yarn crafting ever got. Except there were times when I crocheted in the company of my grandmother, who was rarely without yarn in her hands, and of course, those memories are priceless.

Three years ago, though, I learned something really important. When you love something, you love it more when you can associate that thing with the company of friends. Over these last years I have made friends who otherwise would have been completely anonymous to me, but for the craft I would not now trade any of them for the world. Even when I do knit alone now, I am never really alone, because thoughts of the beautiful sweater that Tammy is making, or the funny joke that Julie told, or the heartache and hard times that unfortunately some are going through, but we lean on our friends and it somehow feels just a little better.

Knitting has given me the opportunity to make new friends, and feel connected to something larger than myself. And truly, that is what matters to me most about my craft. The connections.

So, please join me in celebrating just some of the hands that connect together and surround my heart. (As always, click to embiggen, click twice for full size)