Saturday, June 23, 2007

A brand new world to me...

You know last time I said that knitting needles make far better weapons than they do crafting implements,right?



Well..I had my whole entire world shook up in a totally awesome way...and learned something yesterday- well..several things- if I'm going to be perfectly honest...first- I was making purling A LOT harder than it needed to be...and, once I had that little trick down, off I went like a bat out of hell, knitting till my fingers cramped up really good! Which isn't bad, I suppose, if your fingers are your creative outlet- and the yarn the medium, and knitting turns it into candy and orgasmic bliss for one's fingers..well...mine anyway...



The Second thing I Learned yesterday was that I'm positively wild about the look and feel of stockinette combined with a little moss stitch for texture interest, and touchy feely satisfaction- at least that's what my fingers were screaming..and my eyes? Oh boy...Definitely LOVE that combination!!!



I won't be able to share any pictures this time, as I need to get batteries for my digital camera..- and on top of that, I want to wait until what I've got on my needles has a bit of length to it so you guys can see the texture and all that...( But, I can and will share a link, here in a bit...)



Anyway, I'm hoping that adding knitting to my arsenel will help decimate my rather substantial yarn stash....- or Dad calls it my Twine! (Hence the reason why I named this blog Hook n Twine..) I also have been nosing around the internet oogling all the knitting goodies...stashing away patterns on my hard drive I want to try sooner or later..well, eventually, once I figure out how to do the parts of 'em I don't know at this point, that is.. Not to mention oogling the online sources for yarn and other related goodies...



If I'm not careful, I could probably bankrupt myself from ordering from some of them...and I'm very tempted to at least order something...Not sure what- maybe some new, better needles than what I've got..- I've got a couple of pairs of Quick Silvers...and they're okay, I'm just not wild about them. To me, they feel as if they grab the yarn really bad, and I tend to knit A LOT tighter with them....But, on the other hand, I LOVE how smooth and slick the Boye Hooks seem to be, despite the fact that it seems like every time I turn around, I'm buying new knitting needles...- aren't they supposed to last for years? And, be an investment as it were? - But, on the other hand, I also wouldn't half mind getting my hands on some of the books that they've got at Knit Picks...( The Sweater Workshop, and the Elizabeth Zimmerman books...) And, what I wouldn't give TO be able to afford some of the yarns I saw at the Patternworks website....- Yup, I was ooglin' and droolin'....while my eyes were enjoying champagne tastes on a beer budget!!! - Let's just say I'm VERY sorely tempted to get my hands on some of that Marco Polo Yarn...- it's cotton, but, the colors are SO gorgeous, it's almost a sin to look at 'em, I think! ( Then again, I feel the same way about the Noro Kureyon,too....- but, Wool makes me itch...SO that option is out the window...) SO, I don't feel ANY guilt at all for settling on giving Red Heart's Strata a try...and, I'd even cough up the $4 a skein for it at Wal Mart,too, for that matter...(TWO major plus factors- one the price $4 versus the $9 they want for the Noro..., the second- Strata is acrylic..so I don't itch...Seems like a good trade off to me!!)



Okay, now for that link....I've spent hours going through the Daily Knitter Website, seeing what all they had for free patterns...I found one over there I'm just itching to try....Okay- FIRST, the yarn the pattern was executed in caught my eye- Noro Kureyon...but, the pattern itself is equally as pretty....I thought it might make a great "Just because she's Mom Suprise" for my Mom!!! Not to mention I want to make one for myself!!



But, I'll play nice and make Mom's first...if only I can find something a little more special than I normally use..meaning whatever I can get my hands on at Wal Mart, or at the second hand store! Yeah, I know...Cheapskate,right?! Well, it's a case of making due with whatever I can get my hands on! But, for THIS I want it to be a little more special...for the simple fact I must have driven Mom nut case with all my belly aching and groaning when I was SO frustrated with not being able to pick up knitting as easily as I did when Aunt Linda taught me how to crochet...- I guess, What I'm trying to get across, is I want the finished suprise to be one of those jaw droppin' eyes buggin' out at the results kind of thing...and that isn't conclusive to what I normally can get my hands on....- and it's Mom! So hey!

Here's the link about what I'm babbling and obssessing over- http://karinspointeshoes.googlepages.com/home

Like I said LOVE this...and want to at least take a crack at it....( that is if I can figure out the parts of it I don't know yet...) ...but, anyway, That's the latest in my neck of the woods!!

Nita

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

A couple of WIP's or UFO's....




These aren't the only UFO's I've got on hand, but, are the ones I've been working on for the most part lately...


This first one is the FIRST bit of Knitting/Garter Stitch I've done that I'm actually pleased with...and am not inclined to frog...so far...( I used US Size 9 Boye Knitting Needles...and RH Super Saver - Not sure which ombre it is...but, it reminds me of the colors in those Mexican Paper Mache sculptures they cut into and fill with candy and small toys...for children's birthday parties..( I had it in my scrap stash...No sense in going to the expense of buying expensive yarn when I'm still learning...)

The second one is a Rectangular Granny. I used Scrap yarn, and Erin Lindsay's Rectangular Granny Pattern...

Well, there you have it...the latest WIP's/UFO's in this neck of the woods...

A Little Inside Dish about Hook n Twine...

I have another blog, here at blogger that will mostly be anything and everything BUT Crochet, and my other creative bursts of insanity...

But, for THIS blog, it's...you got it, all about my creative streak and what my fingers tinker and create in the process of...

Okay, now, for the name...With crochet, one would use a hook, right?

( Well, it's certainly NOT a knitting needle...and,until I can get a little more comfortable with knitting needles and can progress past casting on and doing the Garter Stitch..I'm going to maintain that knitting needles make far better weapons than they do crafting implements!!)

The "Twine" part is a shout out and reference to my Dad, Jack Love...You see, Dad has never quite got the concept or idea that yarn isn't twine...but, hey, try telling him that? No matter how many times I remind him that it's NOT twine..( That stuff's in his work room in the basement, thank you!!)- that it's yarn...he STILL insists that it's twine!!!! (He's stubborn,but, I love him anyway...- I think he does it to be funny...and it is..but, it depends on my mood at the time if it's comical, or typical Dad...) LOL...(He's 81, and will be 82 tomorrow...June 20th..)- So, for Dad, I called this blog "Hook n Twine"...- Not too shabby a name for a crochet blog...AND it honors Dad's quirky sense of humor at the same time...Don't know about y'all, but, it certainly works for me!!!! - As Paul Harvey would say, and now you know the REST of the story!!!!