Lace Scarf

My Friend Cynthia's beaded lace scarf. I have never, ever thought of knitting with beads (OK, maybe just a thought),  it was dreadful to think about fiddling thousands of beads. Here, pretty simple and beautiful project. She is thinking of second scarf with same pattern with beautiful silk/camel yarn. I have never, ever thought of knitting silk. Any exotic fiber is beyond my imagination. I have never tempted by musk ox, camel, yak, nor vicuña. Except alpaca, yes, and llama (I do have one hank of llama yarn bought in Colorado) . Her projects whisper me getting one little hank of gorgeous silk or oh-so-soft-and-beautiful something (I can't find anything from my poor knitting vocabulary). For my next birthday present, for example.

edited; I removed her photo from this post.  I don't have her permission to use the photo.  It is on flickr, public setting, but I don't think that means I can use her photo without asking her.  As a common sense.  It's not that she got mad at me to use her photo or anything.  I post it, and went to bed, and it seemed to me that I did a wrong thing. I am going to ask her about it via e-mail.

edited again; Cynthia kindly let me use the photos.  Thank you so much. 

future project list

I am trying to figure out how to use this blog and Ravelry to organize my knitting life.  

With Ravelry, I can...

1. organize my project, whether it is finished or in progress, or, in hibernation.  I can put pretty long comment on each, stock data about which and how much yarn used,  which size of needle used, etc. 

2. organize my books, magazines, pdf files.  There's a limit on adding books (only the ones on Ravelry already, or use Library Thing to add the ones not on Ravelry), but so far I love this.

3. organize my needles and hooks.  Because Ravelry is basically US-based service, I need to "translate" Japanese sizings to US sizings, but, I believe this is doing great favor for me. 

4. queue "yummy" project on Ravelry data for future project planning.

5. ask fellow knitter/crocheter about almost anything

6. hang out with fellow knitter/crocheter and blah blah blah about almost anything without really getting together

It comes to the point to ask "Then, what is that I can do on this blog and can't on Ravelry?" 

How to use Ravelry depends on personal decisions and likings, so, on above sentence, accent should be put on "I".  Me.  What I decide to and not to do.

I decided not to be very emotional on Ravelry.  The things I feel in the course of knitting particular project will not be put in the description on Ravelry.  If I want to write them down, it will be here.

If there is any project not on Ravelry (so I can't put it on "queue" page), and I want to make a note, it will be here.  Or, on my knitting notebook.  If I were in front of my computer, I will log in Blogger and make a post here.  If it was in my bed or living room that any idea occurs to me, I will open my knitting notebook and jot it down. 

So, I am going to start it from my next post, which is.......

Kitty amigurumi #2 - promise

Kitty amigurumi #2
Originally uploaded by O'Chica

Rachael liked this. I hope she remembers that she had a Japanese classmate at her three's class when she grow up.

I like Rachael's Mom a lot. I am sure we have something (a lot of things) in common, deep inside our hearts. Love of sports, love of funniness. I wish we had met earlier. We might not see each other anymore. We might lose contact eventually. But, I promise you, Jennifer, I will send you a pair of socks this Christmas.

Kitty amigurumi

Kitty amigurumi
Originally uploaded by O'Chica

I .... am not fond of crochet. But from time to time, I feel I MUST make something crochet. Like this.

Pattern; Dress-up Doll in 「ハローキティとサンリオキャラクターの　はじめよう！かんたんあみぐるみ」p.72-78.
yarn; Baby bee Sweet Delight Baby angel (white) for Kitty
Yarn bee Intrigue azarea (purple) for dress
hook; Japan size 3/0

Crochet gives me shoulder and neck pain. I hold my hook so tight that even my fingers hurt. I can't even tell right and wrong side of a crochet stitch. I can't count crocheted stitch on fabric, so I have to keep on counting as I go. But, always the result is satisfying. So satisfying that I sit back, admire my work and tuck away hooks after that and never miss them until I got hit by next "Ooooooo!", usually for a year or more.
This time, thing is a little different. 

I made this right after Kitty.

Pattern; Mr. CoffeeCup from "Tea Time" in 「ハローキティとサンリオキャラクターの　はじめよう！かんたんあみぐるみ」p.48-49.
yarn; some sport weight acrylic yarn from Walmart, leftover of dishcloth
hook; Japan size 3/0, or 5/0? 

It was an easy 90-min project from digging up yarns to finish.

And after that, I promised to make another Kitty (identical one. I know. Give me c- word.) for my daughter's friend, who is moving to Chicago in two weeks. Deadline crocheting. Oh, hardcore.

Needle Organizer

needle case cover glued
Originally uploaded by O'Chica

I love my Knit Picks Options Metal interchangeable needle set. I love the flexibility of the cable, have no problem with slick metal tips, but what I love the most is its binder type case. I can feel I am neat.

So, I bought extra needle pockets for fixed circulars, but when I got enough pockets for all my sock needles, it was too much for just one binder. I decided to separate fixed circs from Options set, but, I didn't want to buy the same binder (how can I tell which has Options and which has circs without opening?). I searched planner sections of Office Max and Barns and Nobles but seemed Knit Picks Binder is not standard planner size.

No way. I just cut two pieces of card board in about the same size as the original binder case, put them and all the pockets in six books rings. Wonky. I needed a spine board (another piece of card board) and something to cover all of them to reinforce and make it look better.
What am I? A Knitter, of course. I should knit a cover.

It was a perfect project to use up all the bits and pieces of sock yarn leftovers. I knit them with 16 in US 0 circular needle which I bought at Hobby Lobby before I met Options Set and had no chance to use. I put occasional purl row and texture patterns to put away boredom, a little stranded pattern where color changed. I was pretty shaky and nervous to machine sew both sides of the steek, so I asked my daughter to be with me (Yes, she is just 3 years old, but , hey, she's already my good companion when I need some courage.)

It was nothing. Machine sewing worked beautifully. Cutting didn't cause me a nausea nor dizziness. I can cut up my circular knitting to flat.

Then, what? I just stapled and glued the knitting onto card board, but didn't stay on well, especially at top and bottom edge. I made Outline Stitches with my first handspun yarn.

I enjoyed the whole process. This, is my kind of a project, honey.

After all, I decided not to quit blogging.  I can't put something like this post on Ravelry note.  I could, but it doesn't seem right to me.  I am not a person who spend a lot of time on discussion board over there, neither.  I will just murmur happily here. 

To blog or not to blog..

That's the problem.

Now I have a "note" function on my Ravelry notebook, for each project and each yarn, I don't really need this place to organize and put a note on my finished project. 

I don't get a single comment here, that means I don't have a lot of people who come to read this.  So, actually, nobody needs this place, including me.

Well, anyway, I don't want to quit anything only after a few month.  Let's see a little more if I can whip up a way or two to make both meaningful.

quiz

Ravelry forum (Yarn) had a thread about "What fiber are you?" quiz.
First time I was Angora. Second time, when I answered with less thinking, I was Camel.

Anyway.

I remembered there's another quiz. "What yarn are you?"- And I am....

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Dishcloth Cotton.You are a very hard worker, most at home when you're at home. You are thrifty and seemingly born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain Jane, but you are too practical to notice.

hmmm. Dishcloth Cotton/Camel blend? Do I felt?