Crap, I joined Ravelry

Yes, I followed the herd… baaaaaaaaaaaa….baaaaaaaaaaaaa,

It’s a super neat place, but I can see where it can become a time and pocket synch… there are a lot of lists of handspinners and dyers who have websites and products linked up there… some with intriguingly beautiful products.

My name on Ravelry is of course natknit.

Yarn from Whirled Yarn.

http://www.whirledyarn.com/

Yarn from Pigeonroof Studios

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=71825

Where to find good tutorials

I really like the Knitting Help site as a tutorial site.

I recently held a Knit Nite at my house and made sure we had a laptop computer set up in the crafting area so that we could reference sites like Knitting Help or even stitch references/instructions and patterns. Okay, we also used it to look up some catty and dark stuff like the Hannah Montana fraud and even learn more about the bizarre and horrifying case of My Space cyber bullying, but when you get a bunch of women together for a craft night topics will wander of course to some topics of some scandal. When guys get together for tool night, what do they talk about?…. Never mind, I don’t want to know.

I’m on the search for more video tutorials available on Youtube, and I found this pretty funny video on how to knit Ramen noodles with chopsticks:
[Youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=VNl8MMAr0lM]

This makes sense

I know I should now start learning fair isle. It might explain why my most recent book purchase was Scottish Highland Knits.

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Shetland Wool. You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a little on the harsh side. Though you look delicate you are tough as nails and prone to intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are widely respected and even revered.
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She’s NOT blinding me with science

Ah, Thomas Dolby…where are you now? I started listening to Miriam’s Knit Science podcast late last year. She does a wonderful job researching styles, techniques, and various topics on the subject of knitting. Her work has been sort of an inspiration to me. Who knows, I have been thinking… maybe I’ll start a knitting history/comedy podcast, but first I need to get a few projects done and focus on some work-related content creation.

In episode 20, she has very informative piece on the origin and manufacture of bamboo needles.  When I was in college I remember buying a bargain set of bamboo needles with sizes 3-10, an amazing steal for what I paid for them (about 10 dollars). I actually still have some of those needles in my collection; though the smaller sizes are a little bent or warped.  Before I bought these needles I used only plastic or metal ones. This was back during the “Dark Ages” when Red Hart was practically the only yarn you could find if you didn’t live in a culture or a large city where knitting stores were accessible.

Jam and Jerusalem Craft Night

I’ve recently been really into this show (of course a BBC item) called Jam and Jerusalem. Here’s the first section of the fourth episode. Remember Absolutely Fabulous… this is a creation of Jennifer Saunders. Also, it features an actress from one of my favorite shows ever Father Ted… I’ve included all segments from my favorite Father Ted episode. The Trilogy was a boxed set birthday gift from my very astute brother, Ted. Father Ted, Father Dougal and Father Jack are all priests who have been banished by their diocese to Craggy Island, some God forsaken island. Sorry this has nothing to do with knitting, but I was on a BBC humor roll.
Jam and Jerusalem Craft Night

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-UrVxIx1xg]

Father Ted, Father Dougal and Father Jack try to give up Cigarettes, Alcohol and Rollerblading

[Youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKgMA0R0Qgw%5D

[Youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgoGDeSPNyY%5D

[Youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI-70SAPXew%5D

Learning Inventory

I need to organize what I want to learn this upcoming year. I’m going to start with the things I learned (that my feeble brain can remember).

• Picot edging
• Cable-cast on – yeah, can you believe that I didn’t know this? I’ve been knitting for many years and just learned it last year. I think I saw this early on and I was frightened away by some poorly written instructions.
• Socks toe up on two circular needles – I developed a phobia of knitting socks because of some vain attempts to make them on double pointed needles. I think I actually got to the point where I finished a single sock, but then I lost interest in knitting the same exact thing all over again. The two circular needles method actually helped compensate for my ADD. I did learn how to knit two pairs on one circular using the “Magic Loop” method. In fact, I knit the sleeves for my husband’s raglan sweater this way, but I decided I don’t like knitting tiny things using the “Magic Loop.” I always forget and pull the needle cord through all the way and end up loosing the loop. Don’t seem to have this problem too much when working with larger items like sleeves.
• Knitting a Seamless Sweater, Elizabeth Zimmerman Style – This I’m particularly proud of and actually elated about because, because, because… I HATE SEWING. That’s why I knit. Yes, I still have to sew ends in, but I cannot tell you how many times I’ve sewn blocked pieces together and then have to un do the sewing becuase I either put them on backwards or I just couldn’t mattress stitch right.
• How to make my own blocking board – No more being lame and using the ironing board or bed.

Things I want to learn:

• How to put together sleeve caps and armholes better.
• Fair Isle – okay I really don’t like doing this, but I feel like I have to push myself to learn how to do it because it’s the right thing to do.
• Making a nice scalloped crochet edge
• How to use steeks
• How to use a spindle.
• Better fiber selection – I know my way around the types of fibers but I want to learn about how to determine if a yarn has the right drape for a project.