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Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Saturday, May 1, 2010

Bloggy is Messy

Grin.

Having a ball at WHIBSIB. My tech guy, i.e. husband is getting the new blog interface up and working so excuse any dust.

I bought some nice yarn. Some fingering for shawls, as socks are still in time out.

Ella Rae Lace


The colour got me first and before I bought it I had to think hard what it was going to become. As your know, every yarn I buy MUST have purpose. I figured that a nice open lace pattern...hardly any stockinette bits. It's gonna be gorgeous.

Malabrigo Sock


Well, obviously it's red so it IS going home with me. It will also make a nice shawlette.

I won THESE at our drawing...size 000000 circular needles!! I got tingly when I saw these. I can NOT wait to try these out.

Hiya Hiya 000000 CIRCs!!!
Super thin needles


The needles are THINNER than my lace weight. It's fantastic!

Now, as my blog changes this face will alter...we need to figure out how to integrate our design with the new platform. (Family emergencies have been hampering the process. Your patience is GREATLY appreciated.

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9:16 PM -- Email -- Link -- 0 comments

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Busy Bees

Today, actually this week, has been full of cleaning, not so much knitting being done. I am still knitting away on my Super Secret Project-it's fun and right now easily memorised. Really all you need to remember is TWO rows. Easy peasy.

It's been drizzling today, the sun never even peeked out of the clouds...I know because I was up before dawn...and once again no soccer. Today was supposed to be Micci's make up game for last Saturday's game that was rained out. Oh well. Just gives me more time to clean, less time to knit.

We have about a week before we HAVE to migrate off of Blogger...I keep bugging my husband: you are running out of time!! Come on! Poor guy is overworked. This Spring has been murder on us. Between Jamey volunteering with the Final Four and special project AND Micci and Lorelei's activities our evenings have been jammed up.

Hopefully the Super Secret Project can be finished before May starts and I can concentrate once again on projects I can actually show you. I'll prolly work on the shawl and Kimmy's baby blanket. The blanket needs to be done by June. I do not want to procrastinate on it this pattern again. We all remember the pain I was in trying to complete the first Snow Flurries--I do not want to relive that!

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4:12 PM -- Email -- Link -- 2 comments

Friday, April 16, 2010

Buzzing Along...

No more brain fugue! or even fatigue! I worked out the stitch problem and wrangled it into a triangle shape. I COULD see the triangle, just couldn't get the pieces to fit and I KNEW the solution was just beyond my "sight." So I turned off my internet browser and turned up my iTunes playlist. I blocked out the world and focused. Viola, problem solved and a good week of aggravation and turmoil ended. Woot!

I've been buzzing along ever since...the shawl is coming along nicely now. Smooth sailin' ahead. Knock on wood.

I wish I could show you pictures, the yarn I am using and the pattern is just perfect together. My friend, Yvonne, from Germany dyes the most beautiful yarn and she asked me to design a shawl to show case the yarns in her new summer yarn club: Jewel Tones Lace (etsy link). There's also another designer working with Yvonne so you'll receive my pattern and her pattern with as part of the club, along with other fun surprises. You have until May 15th to sign up.

She also has a sign up thru ArtFire, so you can sign up there if you prefer: Jewel Tones Lace Yarn Club.

Have a look at all her various yarns they are all gorgeous!

Yes I know, I am such a temptress.

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1:58 PM -- Email -- Link -- 1 comments

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Brain Freeze

My Super Secret Project is giving me a Super Serious Headache and Brain Fatigue. I have swatched it all out and the stitch patterns look awesome. The headache and fatigue is coming from trying to stick the lovely stitches into a shawl shape...I don't have enough yarn for anything full. I need half shapes. No squares or circles or even rectangles...I need half moons and triangles.

I think this wouldn't be so hard if my brain was already overwhelmed with mental clutter and stress.

Blergh.

This is the extent of my vocabulary lately: blah, blergh, bleck, gah, and ugh; lot's of nonsensical jumbles of consonants and vowels. Oh, what I have been reduced to! My muse is buried underneath it all.

I want to run away and escape into comfort projects: ones with PATTERNS already written. But, deadlines and promises cling to my back, reminding me I have obligations and not to runaway for too long.

Right now, I have been working on the Still Unnamed Shawl. (It's bugging me it still has no name; BUT at least I know where I am going with this pattern) It's pretty and growing at a nice clip.

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Thursday, April 8, 2010

I Got's Pictures

I unearthed my husband's camera today, so I can share the pictures of the FINISHED mediation rug! I finished the edging yesterday morning and blocked it.

It came out perfect!

Meditation Rug


I am trying to find some quick test knitters for my pattern. Since, although I am happy with how it turned out I do really want to make the edge a bit less tight, BUT I do not want to rip it out to alter it. It took ME 2 months to knit this, but I am knit slower than a snail.

The Details-

Pattern: A Birdy's Knit Original, pattern forthcoming. The final pattern will be priced at $2.50 and will include instructions for a Christian themed rug.
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Undyed, 100% wool 4 skeins (100 grams a piece) and KP Wool of the Andes in Black Cherry, 100% 2 balls (50 grams a piece)
Needles: KP Interchangeables in US size 8 and DPNs US size 6
Misc: The rug measures 45 inches in diameter.

The cabled edging took ages--about 3 weeks. It's about 8 feet worth of edging.

Meditation Rug


I LOVE the edging though.

Here's close ups of all the runes. They are Eldar Futhark runes and they are arranged in order.

Meditation Rug - First Aettir


Meditation Rug - 2nd Aettir


Meditation Rug - 3rd Aettir


It was done just in time too...it's really getting too hot to have what is essentially a wool blanket covering my lap. Now it's exclusively lacey things and socks (if I ever let them out of time out).

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2:28 PM -- Email -- Link -- 2 comments

Friday, April 2, 2010

Le Sigh

Once again I must apologise for being a bad blogger. Between, not having a camera, STILL knitting on the border of my meditation rug and technical website concerns, blogging has been difficult and secondary.

Right now I have stitch pattern books laid open around me. I am having a hard time finding my muse for this new project. While the yarn is beautiful, it hasn't really sung to me yet. I've started carrying it around with me, trying to spark something. I just need a little spark, something to fan to flame.

I have also been working (still) on the mediation rug. I have roughly two feet of border left to knit. It's the longest two feet in the history. It seems like i have been knitting these last two feet FOREVER. It's daunting and frustrating. Never mind that...I don;t know if my Pi calculations were off or what but the mediation rug is shaped more like a bowl that a flat circle. I am desperately hoping that blocking will smooth it all out.

I am also bummed by all the techy stuff going on with my websites. I have still found no resolution to the domain name debacle for my Birdwell Productions website. It's so disheartening: I have had this domain for ten years and it looks like because of shaddy business practises of the domain register (dnbuy.com) I am losing it. So I think I have decided to try to combine knitting blog and personal blog onto one. I am not sure if I'll still have tag functionality when I move the blogs to a new content manager (blogger will not support FTP or own domain hosting as of May 1-and i am a control freak over content management). But I will work out something. I have been working with webs design and architecture for over 12 years I will figure something out. Grin. I just need to remind myself that I can DO THIS!

In any case it is Spring and I am happy. Easter is soon...true mark of SPRING! and rebirth. I feel like I am waking up after my grey winter sleepiness. Although, I have to admit the allergies from the fornicating trees have been acting like a sleeping potion.

Allons-y!

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10:28 AM -- Email -- Link -- 0 comments

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Celebrate!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone! Hope everyone had a pinch free day, or got their pinches if you swing that way.

No pics today, as the camera is still in hiding. I am however about 4 rows from being finished knitting the rune chart on the meditation blanket. I am beginning to debate my cast off. My plan was to knit a five strand braided cable as am edging--in a contrasting colour: red. But now I am wondering if I should just go simple and do a rolled edging and a regular (albeit loose) cast off. Fancy or plain?

I am good at worrying about things that are in the future-something I can't realistically deal with at the moment. Grin.

I have had 5 baskets of clean clothes waiting for me to fold them (kids will put away) for well over a week. I put on my big girl panties today and decided that TODAY I would fold them all up. No more excuses, no more procrastination. And as a reward: after every basket folded I get to knit one round of the rug.

Woot three down: 2 more to go!!

(I really wish I could show you the progress on this rug, because it does look awesome. The runes are coming out just as I envisioned.)

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Saturday, March 13, 2010

Knitting: Not So Much

Well, I am knitting, quite a lot actually--every spare minute I am knitting on my meditation rug. The runes are coming out WONDERFULLY. But so far the project isn't very photogenic and I am not totally sure what I did with my camera. I am very excited to be nearly done (well nearer anyway), I really needed this rug for a very long time.

The "Not So Much" refers more to the fact that this post won't be about knitting. If you also follow my personal (non-knitting blog) Dubh Croi you will have noticed it's gone, replaced by one of those annoying placeholder search engine thingys. My domain registar hasn't been returning my emails or anything and my domain name is expired. Grrrr argh. I have been tryimg to work this out, but I am being ignored on all fronts it seems. (No fear this website is hosted and registered with someone else)

I am seriously missing my blogging outlet, so I am gonna spew all that personal non knitting stuff here, because ARGH I need my outlet!

On a related blogging note: this blog is gonna be a changin' soon--hopefully without too much down time. I use Blogger (and have since April 2000) as my content manager, before then I hand coded and FTP everything myself. This included handcoding at least two pages and FTP multiple files (including pictures). Back then there was no such thing as blogspot either. Blogger did all the dirty work for me and all I had to do was write the post and click a button; everything was archived for me. Sigh. Blogger (rather Google) is tired of dealing with FTP and is no longer allowing FTP type blogs: which files are hosted on the server of my choice. Blogger/Google wants my content on THEIR servers. Nuh-uh, am I giving them any sort of control over my content (I write many blogs not just this knitting one). Yes, it's a control thing. WordPress is an option but my in house TechGuy (Jamey) hates WordPress and we might use an open source CMS. Fun times! SO now you know, weirdness might abound this Spring.

Which leads me to this rant: Sunday is Spring Forward. NOOOOOO!! Already? I am NOT READY!!! I have been sick and depressed with our car situation and I am SO behind. I am playing catch up and losing an hour overnight is NOT HELPING! Sob I really don't buy the whole energy saving spin on Daylight Savings. Office buildings and stores ALWAYS have lights on no matter how many windows they have letting in the bright light. My house is always dark no matter what so the lights that are on during the day are the same I have on at night. It's all VERY pointless. It's just an aggravation that at this point in time I DO NOT NEED. Stomp, stomp

(Not I am not having a tantrum)

One last word, a nice bookend, KNITTING. Because my meditation rug is rather pagan (I am a pagany type of Christian chick), I am planning on designing a Christian themed rug as well. I am also toying with other religious symbols as well, such as the Buddhist Ashtamangala. Although I am a bit weary committing myself without knowing it'll be needed or appreciated since I have a new big project coming up (the yarn is in the mail-and it's definitely a Super Secret Project) and the Knitting Bunnies are beginning to froth at the mouth.

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Knitting!

I am so sorry I have been neglecting the blog, no fear I HAVE been knitting. I just kinda forgot about updating the blog. Things have been stressful at Casa Birdy...car shopping and sickness.

Last week I was able to chart the entire Elder Futhark runic alphabet, so I could knit the border of the meditation rug. I am about 9 rows into the chart now. Only 21 more to go!! And then there's the cabled edging!!!!

I picked up the snowflake blanket for easy/mindless knitting at church. Kim's baby is due in June so I thought I should start working on it again.

I've also been working on the Unnamed Shawl...I pushed past the creative block, woot. I really want to get it finished but I also NEED to get this rug done. The Lilac Bloom scarf is also being worked on intermittently...lol. I really do need to grow a few more pairs of arms (or knit faster).

I improved my continental technique, so hopefully that will lead to faster knitting.

Sorry about the lack of pictures, but the knitting is rather blobby.

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Keep Knitting...

I have ten inches left of knitting left on the meditation rug. Right now: 382 stitches per round. Depending on how things work out, I think I will have 764 stitches for my border and then I will make a knitted on edging with intricate cables.

I will be lucky if the main portion of this rug is done by closing ceremonies of the Winter Games. I have 90 rows left, but all of this garter stitch is the boring part...the border and edging is the fun part! That will be thrilling...if I can decide the order and placement of the runes. lol

In other knitting news: I think I will be taking my socks out of time out. I am feeling the sock itch again. (No there is NOT a cream for that!) Not sure which sock I will take out first...prolly the cute bees kness knee highs...because I don't beed to seriously rework them like i need to rework the Cat Bordhi socks I am working on that refuse to go over my heel.

Refresher pictures!

Miss B's Stockings


These are super cute no thinking required (not my pattern afterall)

Sigh...


Like the cute strappy, but it's pulling the instep too tight. Must solve the puzzle, but I do not, at this time, want to spare the brain cells.

HP Sock progress


These (I forgot to mention them above), need more design work. I am stalled creatively on these.

Right now my brains is stuck on a few other things more lacey in nature. It's a good thing because I have a new project that I welcomed into my lap (Super Secret though) and my knitting bunnies have been working over time weaving a pattern in my head.

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11:39 AM -- Email -- Link -- 0 comments

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Wooly Works

Citron


I actually haven't knit on the Citron shawl this week, but I figured it was about time I took pictures. I have been concentrating on the meditation mat and when I need a break from that monotony I knit on the Lilac Blooms Scarf.

Yes lace is my go to relaxation knit.

Anyway, the mat.

Meditation Rug


I haven't made that much progress really...but it's bigger, but haven't increased at all. I have about 22 more rows till I can increase again. I also realised a few rows ago, it's a good time to practise my continental skills. It's a little stressful on my shoulders (it's cause I am tensing them), but that'll pass once I get better and stop being so tense about it. Grin. Maybe someday I'll be ready to use it in my lace work. I can knit fine continental, it's the purling that I really need to work on.

What's left


I am almost done with the first ball. I am so far into it; I am wondering if the 4 hanks of wool was way too much? Not sure, at this point as circles are tricky to work out yarn amounts.

So tonight while I "rest" my shoulder I think I'll knit some lace. That'll be nice and relaxing.

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6:02 PM -- Email -- Link -- 1 comments

Monday, February 15, 2010

Shove

This has pushed it way to the front of my knitting queue.

Meditation Rug


I have been wanting/needing a meditation mat (or rug) for quite some time and lately the need has become pressing. I came up with the idea last month and finally got the yarn, Knit Picks Bare Peruvian Wool.

It's my pattern, knit from the center out using Pi shaping and I am going to knit runes in cables along the border. The plan is for it to be about 36 inches to 45 inches across. I will be offering the pattern for free once it's finished.

Oh and I started this bad boy on Friday (I got the yarn that afternoon and it was wound up in time to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremonies). It's already nearly a foot across, I am hoping to have it finished before the Closing Ceremonies. Of course, it's going so quickly because it's only the center...just wait until I am on row 197.

I guess I AM knitting an Olympics project after all. ;-)

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11:00 AM -- Email -- Link -- 1 comments

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Pictures for the Lace Ribbon Scarf

We've had a week of rain (and then it was Micci's birthday)--so it's been hard to take pictures and it's just been chaotic. And then there's that video game that has totally sucked me in (Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility). Let's NOT go into our car problems...major, long drawn out sigh.

I got pictures of the finished Lace Ribbon scarf.

Lace Ribbon Scarf


It did soften up in the blocking and I have been wearing it without too much of an itchy neck. It pickles me sometimes but not enough to throw it off in disgust. Grin.

Lace Ribbon Scarf


It was a delight to knit and is now a delight to wear. And the fix (I needle felted it) is not noticeable. Woot.

Lace Ribbon Scarf


It's nice that I have been able to wear it this late in the season. Yeah, in Texas temps warm up a lot. But this year it's been unseasonably cold (it SNOWED a FOOT in Dallas). As it was it got into the 70s today, before it dropped to 45 suddenly with a evening cold front. (Yes, my head told me a good 2 hours before as the pressure dropped like a penny from the Empire State Building).

Lace Ribbon Scarf

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8:38 PM -- Email -- Link -- 1 comments

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Oh, snap!

EEK the beginnings of a HOLE


Yeah, so I blocked the Lace Ribbon Scarf this morning. And I saw THIS! as I was blocking. I don't think the blocking snapped it (or nearly snapped it)-clearly the yarn is still holding on my the tiniest of threads. I kinda blocked around it until I can fix the break after the scarf dries.

It's smack in the middle too...so I CAN NOT go back and reknit. I think it'll be alright, seeing that it's next to a yarn over-maybe I can spit splice the yarn? I am sneaky crafty so I think it'll come out okay. (Thinking positively here)

The scarf blocked out, measures about 10 inches by 77 inches. It's going to be a nice drapey scarf I think. I did wash it with conditioner (what I use on my hair), so hopefully that'll quell the itchiness factor.

Oh here's a pic of my blocking...ignore the clutter.

Lace Ribbon BLOCKING

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11:54 AM -- Email -- Link -- 0 comments

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

NEXT!

Done!!


The Lace Ribbon scarf is FINALLY done! It only took 18 months... I still need to block it. So it's not 100% done (at least how I record things on my Rav page). It's a rainy dreary day (and nearly the end of the day)-so I will block it tomorrow.

Unblocked though, it is long.

As Tall as me


And it will probably grow when I soak and block it, but I quite like (love) long scarves. I am a bit worried because the yarn (even though it is 100% Alpaca) is very itchy on my neck (damn sensitive neck). I am hoping the soak and the conditioner I use softens it up.

The details...
Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery
Yarn: 2.27 balls of Garnstudio DROPS Alpaca
Alterations: None whatsoever.
My Ravelry Project Page

Now I can start Citron!! Dance, dance! I still need to wind the yarn. Woot, I get to break in the new Tinky Swift. Hee hee. Technically since I started the snood, I ought to finish that first as well, but technically it did hop into Knitting Bunny-hood, not really Another Designers Pattern.

God, I love technicalities!

And this is the yarn I will be using, the birthday yarn from WEBS.

Malabrigo Lace


I am thinking it will look fantastic paired with my brown lace dress.

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