trishknits.com--yet another knitting blog

April 29, 2005

Hat Full of Love

completed hat modeled by DianaWell, I finally finished my hat for my friend who is ill. It is not perfect in a lot of ways, but there is love in every stitch and I hope it at least goes on his head. It fits me and fits Diana, who is graciously modeling it in the photo for me, and I have heard that my poor friend has become quite thin, so I think it will do. If not, there's still more yarn, and I can always do another!

This was my first time trying fair isle color techiques, and the biggest thing I learned was that it isn't hard at all! I will be definitely making more colored hats. I saw the most adorable hat at Knitwhits.com, so I think I am going to try this for a niece or two. I plan to wash this hat gently tomorrow and then hope that it will be dry by Monday so I can take it to the person who can deliver it to my friend. Another project done...


April 23, 2005

Sit and Knit

Trish  and Shelley at folk art studio

Trish and Shelley knit togetherToday was a great knitting day! I got to meet Shelley from the Knitlist at the Folk Art Studio Cafe in Bowie, MD, for an afternoon of knitting and lots of conversation! It was great to meet someone from my world online, and to sit with someone and knit together in real space!

The cool thing was that she knew some stuff I didn't know and I knew some stuff she didn't know, and we got to show each other a couple of really neat things. She's making a ruffle scarf and some socks, neither of which I have yet attempted. She showed me the basic construction of a sock and showed me her fabulous Ann Norling sock pattern that explained everything and made it all sound so clear. I think I will have to get that pattern soon and actually give socks a try.

For my part I brought along my Clapotis, which is finally winding down, and I demonstrated what it means to purl through the front and back of a stitch. Funny though, because I finished the increase section a while ago, and had forgotten how this tricky stitch is made! After a few minutes, I got it, though, and then after watching me, Shelley did one herself for practice. I also brought my chemo cap that I'm working on for my friend, which is just about done except for the last couple of rows on the crown. I waited on finishing it so I could show and tell about the Magic Loop Technique. That is a hard concept to get until you see it and I LOVE to show it off when I can!


denim blue yarn hanks

Ok, as if sitting and knitting and having wonderful tea and cake and conversation, I had to get this lovely Rio de la Plata yarn in a denim blue shade. My DH has said that if I were going to make him something he would like a scarf, in a dark blue that was not so dark that it looked black. I said, "Like jeans?" He said, "Yeah, that's it!" So now I'll have to find the right pattern for it. Oh, I know! Maybe the Irish Hiking Scarf!

I also bought Stitch n Bitch Nation, and am still going over the patterns now. As with the first book, I'm not sure yet whether I will ever actually make anything from this, but I am enjoying reading it. I love reading about knitting and reading patterns almost as much as I like knitting itself.

What a fun day!


April 19, 2005

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!

closeup view of dropped stitch

Man, so close... I can practically taste it. Then.... THIS! A dropped stitch! It obviously happened sometime in the past, as it is through the center section. But how, oh how, did the stitch count turn out right when I started doing the decreases at the top?? Surely I would have remembered an increase! Sheesh... I am cursed!

Luckily, a quick post to the Knitlist and I am happily on my way to a solution. Dropped stitch, not going all the way back up to the needles? No problem! Just grab the ol' crochet hook, catch the errant stitch and ladder back up, then... verrrry sneakily, run a piece of yarn through the stitch and secure it from the back. Wow. Who'da thunk? Those Knitlisters ROCK!


hat, nearly doneAnd so, the good news! The grand hat experiment is just about done! I imagine that except for finishing I will be done before I even go to bed for the night. Thanks to all who came to my immediate aid, and restored my sanity once again.

Until next time...


April 17, 2005

Progress!!

progress on hat showing color work

I've made lots of progress on my hat project over the last two days, eh? I'm quite proud of my first attempt at two-color work. I even managed to make it all the way to my first round of decreases! I should be done now in a few days.

As mentioned in my last post, I did check out a couple of websites on two-color knitting, but was left feeling somewhat lacking in confidence. So once again I turned to my tried-and-true reference, Knitting for Dummies, and suddenly the process became very clear! (Thank you, once again, Pam Allen, for unravelling the mysteries of knitting for me!)

I fear however that in my excitement for making real progress that I have actually knitted for too long today; my hands and shoulders are so sore! And my eyes are looking forward to a night's rest. Until next time...


April 15, 2005

Planning Ahead

More progress on the hatOk, so not much knitting progress today. I've been doing a lot of thinking about knitting though, and I think I've come up with an easy design for the hat I am working on. I've never done two-color knitting before so this will be a learning experience. I hope when I'm done that the project will be wearable! I found a tutorial called Fair Isle 101, which looks very helpful; also this page from Knit World. I'm a bit nervous, but there's a first time for everything, right? I still consider myself a new knitter, as I've only been doing it for two years. But I am a brave one, and not afraid to try almost anything.

I've added more books to my knitting library, and text links in addition to the picture links. I noticed pretty much right away that sneaky Amazon will sometimes insert a general link to its site where the picture of my item ought to be, so I decided to add the redundant text links. I'm always buying new books, so please check often as the library will continually grow!

It looks as if I've got a bit of work to do before I get into my color design... so... catch you later! Until next time...


April 14, 2005

Creeping Along!!

more progress on Donald's hat

I've gotten past the ribbing at last! It'll go a lot quicker now. I looked around the web for a color chart so I can try my hand at two-color knitting, and someone on the KnitList suggested that I should just try to come up with something myself. I was hesitant at first but I think I've come up with something that will work. I'll continue to post photos of my progress. Now I'm just hoping that it is a good size for the recipient! Wish me luck...


April 11, 2005

A Little More...

the ribbed bottom of the hat

Ok, so it's not much... but hey! No frogging! I've had to "tink" -- that is, un-knit, for those who aren't initiated! -- a couple of times when I've had a stitch or two slide off the needles, but so far, no major disasters. I think I'm finally getting the feel for this yarn.

The hat has a total of 80 stitches, which I am still not sure is big enough... but I have a habit of making them too loose! So now I'm off looking for a simple charted design with which I can do two-color knitting with the gray and orange color. I'm not sure I could be creative enough to graph my own, so I will look around for a motif that will divide nicely into my total number of stitches. I'll post when I find something. Ciao for now...


April 9, 2005

Finally on a Roll...

beginning of hat on magic loop

Wow, this is my second post in the same day! I've been at this project for a week, and this is what I have to show for it. I've started and ripped out probably 7 or 8 times by now. This is going to be a hat for my sick friend. Originally I was going ot do it as Allison's NY Street Cap, but the weather is getting warmer so in the end I decided not to do a double-layered hat. It's been a while since I've done a hat using the Magic Loop method, and I guess maybe I was a little rusty on the setup. That, and this is my first time using Rowan's Wool Cotton yarn, which is a DK weight, and I don't usually knit with yarn this thin on such small needles. It just didn't feel right, y'know? But I think I'm getting the hang of it.


Knitting Library

Hi, all! I've been busy trying to get going on a chemo hat for a dear friend. Unfortunately I'm not having much luck getting started, so no pics just yet. In the meantime, I've created a new page for this site: Trish's Knitting Library. Most of the books listed there are ones that I personally own, and I do own probably more knitting books than I'll ever need or use! I do participate in the Amazon Associates program, and any referral fees that I receive will support Parents with Disabilities Online, which is a worldwide information and support network I operate. Thanks for checking out the new library, and be sure to visit this site again soon for updates on my knitting.

Knitting Resources

Return to Blog Homepage

About Me - If you really GOTTA know who's writing this blog...

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Work in Progress: Aran Sampler Rainbow Blankie - Click this page to see all the cool designs that are going into this project!

Finished Object Gallery - This page doesn't have a lot on it! I'm notorious for not finishing projects. But check back from time to time as I just might surprise myself!

Trish's Knitting Library - This is an assortment of knitting books and related materials that I've enjoyed, so I thought I would share them with you.

Trish's Knitting Links - I surf a lot for knitting resources so I thought I'd start compiling my discoveries here. Check back often!

The KnitList - This is probably one of the oldest and most comprehensive knitting resources on the Web. There are literally thousands of members, and people are always ready to provide information and help.

KnitTalk - and if you're sick of the Knitlist and just want a warm fuzzy place to chat about knitting, try this group on for size.

KnitHatsNow - A mailing list devoted to people who love to knit hats! We maintain an always-growing list of free hat patterns available on the web.

KnittingScarves - A mailing list devoted to people who love to knit scarves! We maintain an always-growing list of scarf patterns available on the web. Crocheters are welcome, too.

Knitty - Very creative online knitting magazine. Great patterns and really great articles. Best of all, it's FREE.

Trish's Knitting Tips

Knitting Small Round Objects Without Double Pointed Needles (a.k.a., "The Magic Loop") - Learning this technique revolutionized the way I knit! The booklet which describes the technique in detail is published by Fiber Trends and is available through a huge variety of knitting retailers. I also found that I learned the technique on my own pretty well visiting this website: How to Knit Small Circumferences Using One Long Circular Needle.

Recently, I've found a website called Knitting Help.com where the Magic Loop technique is demonstrated. Click on the Advanced Techniques page to find the video.

My Own Patterns

Cables and Eyelets Scarf -- I put this pattern together and I'm enjoying it a lot so far! Of course, my sample is still in the UFO pile, but the pattern is a lot of fun to knit.

Fancy Cabled Braided Scarf -- My first pattern! I love cables, and I love this scarf. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Commercial Knitting Resources

The Yarn Market - My current favorite yarn store. A wide selection of beautiful and fun yarns.

Knitpicks - My other favorite yarn store. This one carries tons of accessories and doo-dads I can't live without! Recently, Knitpicks has begun carrying their own house-brand yarn. The reviews are good and the prices can't be beat! Be sure to check them out.

Denise Interchangeable Needles - I love these needles and I use them exclusively. I have two sets! The needle sizes range from 5-15, and the cables can be combined to make almost any length. I find these needles lightweight and easy to work with.

Favorite Knitting Blogs

WendyKnits - This one is a hoot to read and contains lots of info on really interesting projects! But, Kudos to Wendy's tip on Cabling Without a Cable Needle. I've read many directions before, but this one was the one that caused my "light bulb" to go off.

yarnstorm

JoanKnits

String or Nothing

Yarn Boy

Scarf Style Knitalong Blog


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Day Family on The Web - This is our family website; check often for updates on the kids and other news.

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"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." --Audre Lorde

©2004 Patricia Day; All Rights Reserved.
E-mail Trish: Trish@trishday.com