Dye, yarn, dye!!! February 12, 2008

Bad pun. Okay.

Anyhow, I have extra Shine Sport leftover from Branching Out, so I thought I’d try kool-aid dyeing it. KnitPicks has really easy to follow instructions, and none of the colours of Shine Sport really suit Intolerable Cruelty (but I adore the yarn and a wool yarn will make the skirt too hot for the climate here) so I figured I would throw the cherry leftovers in with some grape kool-aid and see how it turns out. I called to ask them about dyeing it myself, and they said they didn’t know how it would work out since they finish the cotton yarn differently than the bare wool yarns, so the dye might take unpredictably. I figured that I should test it with the leftover Shine since there’s not enough of this yarn left to do anything with.

I’m off to zap my yarn again

Finished! February 12, 2008

I finished Branching Out last night. I have a bit of yarn left over, but was worried that if I did one more repeat I wouldn’t have enough for the edge finishing. Now I have to weave in the ends and block it.

I’m going to return the green bag. It is just too floppy. It isn’t a good knitting bag after all. Bummed, but I found a cheaper canvas bag that is equally as cute. It has a magnetic latch, and a grosgrain bow on the flap. More neutral colours too. Unfortunately there’s no zippered pocket inside, but I’ll work something out.

I’m waiting for some yarn to make my first pair of socks. I am also getting some other stuff, and joining a knit-along for March, so I need yarn for that. I’m going to make Intolerable Cruelty

Crafting update February 6, 2008

Well, I was all ready to finish my knitting bag last night, but realized that I really should have read the pattern more closely. My fabric is too thick. I won’t be able to sew the straps on the darn bag, because it won’t fit under the foot on my machine. Sometimes I’m not the sharpest person alive. So, I was at Target today, and they had adorable bags just the right size, for only $17. It has a zippered pocket inside, and is the perfect size for the kinds of projects I usually do.

I know it won’t last forever, but it is a cute bag and it makes me happy. That’s all that really matters, right? I will make a new bag when this one bites the dust. I don’t have fabric to make another bag right now anyway.

I’m half way done with Branching Out. I am really loving this scarf, and I think it has turned me on to a passion for lace knitting. I just wish I hadn’t been so anxious about it, because it really is easier than it looks.

I ordered more stuff from KnitPicks yesterday. I’m going to make myself a shawl and some socks for a friend.

I’m not an idiot, but I AM stuck… February 1, 2008

I’ve gotten to row 7 thanks to the help I got at Ravely, and I’m confused! This row starts off (looking at the chart) with two stitches that the legend says mean “no stitch”. Huh?What do I do here? Slip the stitches without knitting them? Knit them together? Meditate on the meaning of life?

I WILL understand this pattern if it kills me! I’m having fun with it, so that’s a good sign. I’m just stuck right now.

Better pictures? February 1, 2008

Well, I think these pictures are better. What do you think? I used my same light tent, but instead of lamps, I used natural sunlight and tinkered with the settings on my camera with each shot (the strength of the sunlight kept changing thanks to clouds moving over the sun).

The new and improved image is on the left. The old, not-so-great image is on the right. The Etsy listing is here

Photography February 1, 2008

Photography is difficult for me. I need to take better pictures of my jewelry, and I’ve got a good camera, but somehow my setup skills are lacking. Today I’m going to do some research on how to take GOOD jewelry pictures. One of my favourite jewelry business websites is Jewelry Business Success Tips. Unfortunately, they don’t have a whole lot of information on photography that I am not already aware of. Looks like I’ll be doing some hunting today. I wish I could get my hands on some brighter lights. I think that is a big part of my problem.

I am an idiot February 1, 2008

Okay, not an idiot. Just not familiar with yarn over increases in a lace knitting pattern! Thanks to the lovely people at Ravelry, I’ve figured out what my problem was. I thought that when a pattern said “yo” (no, not like Rocky says “Yo, Adrian!”) it meant to put the yarn in front and knit the stitch, which increases your stitches by 1. But no, it means to put the yarn in front. The pattern says “yo, k1″, so I did yo plus k1, then another k1, so I was using too many stitches.

Problem solved. She can be taught!