I was back in BAM today and thank goodness someone vacuumed the floor. Anywho, I stumbled upon a new cover by Coralie Bickford-Smith for Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. I've never read any Dickens myself because I like to stay happy, but now I'm curious, is there any knitting in this novel?

UPDATE: Ali says there is lots of knitting and "it's all metaphorical and shit."

Jane Austen Knits

Mom and I went to our community's new Books-A-Million this evening. I understand that the corporate big-wigs want to profit from the holiday season, but it seemed obvious that the store was not ready for opening, at least not cosmetically. Empty bookshelves, a box-dump corner, and dirty carpet didn't make the best impression on us. But Mom found her Family Tree Magazine and I found Jane Austen Knits.

Westie Bestie Baby Cardigan

I'm always learning as a knitter and I like to challenge myself. Colorwork and seaming are two of my weaknesses, so of course, I decided to tackle them in the same project. 

My best friend from college gave birth to her second baby boy in June, and in July, I started knitting the 6-month size of "Baby Classic Sweater #3165" from 1946's Fleisher Fashions, Volume 75. The pattern suggests embroidering sailboats or flowers on the finished sweater, and although I'm eager to improve my embroidery skills, I thought it would be an opportunity to try some colorwork. Ha ha ha. Knitting this baby cardigan nearly made me homicidal.  Small needles, Fair Isle technique, kitchener stitches, picking up stitches, vertical seaming, and hemming all threw me for a loop (See what I did there? Knitting = loops). Weeeeeeeeee!

First thing's first: I had to design my terrier puppy dog. My inspiration was the family dog, Ruger, and my specific terrier of choice was the West Highland White Terrier. I wasn't sure whether to use intarsia or Fair Isle method, but opted for the latter. Despite multiple do-overs and some rough edges, I think my puppies are cute, even if Ali did tease me that they look like cows. She's mean.

I used the kitchener stitch to connect the two puppy fronts with the back piece. What. A. Bitch.

Next came picking up stitches on a vertical edge; first along the neck for the collar and then along the body for the arm. This seemed to trouble me the most, especially at the neck, and it was at this point that I decided to take a break from my project. Resting your mind and fingers can be very good for the creative soul. Unfortunately, it ended up being a 3-month break and babies grow, you know. So, yeah, I started to bust ass in October. Once I figured out how to pick up only 54 stitches out of some 80 stitches across 8 inches, I used this site for reference.

Trying to mark stitches for pick-up along the neck.

Moving onto the sleeve, I realized back-lighting helps.

Phew! Stitches picked up for the sleeve.

I chose to knit the sleeves in the round because in my book, the less seaming, the better. Though I may have only managed to complete one sock, it served its purpose by giving me practice with double pointed needles.  They no longer intimidate me. I split the picked-up stitches among three size 2 double pointed needles and switched to my size 1 dpns for the ribbing.

With the sleeves complete, I did some gentle ironing and moved on to using vertical seaming on the sides between the front and back pieces. Ali made up for her cow comment when she said my seaming looked professional. And, ugh, weaving in the ends. I HATE that part.

Then came my superbly underwhelming hemming, button-hole finishing, and button sewing job. Oh! And a french knot in black embroidery floss for the puppy nose. :)

I also gifted this little boy with a pound puppy! I didn't realize that someone somewhere was still making these! It made me ridiculously happy. :-)

On a related note, this has been sitting in our basement since about 1985. Future craft project?

Winter brings knitwear for sale and I can't stop fondling it and taking pictures of it to see if I can reproduce it. It's like an obsession.

Lots o' Stitchery

Today's bargain-basement find is 1979's The Complete Encyclopedia of Stitchery written by Mildred Graves Ryan and illustrated by Marta Cone for $3 (thanks, Al!).  It touches on crocheting, embroidering, knitting, macramé, rugmaking, sewing, and tatting.  The knitting chapter alone is 200 pages!

Knitting of the past.  A scarf I made for a friend, January 2010.

Spiral Tube Socks

I did a very bad thing.  It's well-known in the knit/crochet community that you should buy the necessary amount of yarn at one time and place to insure it's all from the same dye lot.  Well, I got sucked in by pretty yarn with a cute name and bought only one skein...and now I need another one.  Crap!  I realized this shortly after I bought the yarn, and often you can find another skein from the same dye lot in the store's bin if you're quick about it.  However, there was only one skein of Grape Gum Ball and I bought it.

The dreaded dpns.

I wanted something pretty with which to try my hand at double pointed needles.  Until now, I've accomplished my knitting in the round with circular needles and the magic loop method.  Some people don't like dpns because it's too many needles or they end up with ladders at the joins.  Mostly, I just wanted to see if I could do it.

I really did fear that I might accidentally stab myself in the eye, but after several inches of knitting, I got the hang of it.  And only twice did I get confused by all of the needles and tug on the wrong one, pulling it right off the stitches.  That involved quickly sliding the needle back through the row of loops and utilizing a crochet hook.  Phew!

I followed Patons' "Spiral Tube Socks" pattern (available for free after registration).  Granted, a tube sock isn't as difficult as a traditional sock because it has no heel, but still, I'm pretty proud of myself.  Now, I just have to find another skein of this yarn and knit another sock that will most likely look different as a result of different dye lots.  Whatever, the socks are only for me. :)

My puppy's the cutest!

Ask And You Shall Receive

As previously mentioned, my parents asked that I make a toilet paper roll cover for their bathroom, patterns of which are not readily available.  My Dad's advice was, "You can do it, Em.  Be creative!"  Somehow I don't exactly see myself flexing my creativity muscles by designing a TP roll cover.  Plus, I'm still learning this knitting-in-the-round business.  I am not a master.  So, after much frustration, I finally found something decent by Anonymous Linda who uses a mini-cable pattern to fit a standard size roll.

The key here is the words "standard size."  Using TLC Essentials yarn in "serene" (what the hell kind of yarn color name is that?), I knit a TP roll cover that was too small.  Oops.  What's that they say?  "Never assume; you'll make an ass (out of ) u (and) me."  Or in this case, the toilet paper and me.  It's one-ply tissue, but I suppose it's the 1000 sheets that pushes it over the standard edge. Obviously, adjustments were needed.  Gah, why must there be so much math in knitting?!  I figured that the main difference would be in diameter rather than height, so I added the necessary number of cast-on stitches appropriate for the cabling pattern and the extra length.

When the second cover threatened being too short again, I pretty much said "Eff this shit!  I am NOT doing this a third time!"  It was time for some blocking.  I covered the TP roll with plastic wrap and tape, wet my cover, and stretched it over the roll.  TA DA!

Neko Case - People Got A Lotta Nerve

I've been enjoying some Neko Case of late.  I love the knitting in the beginning of the video for "People Got A Lotta Nerve" and of course, the elephants. :)  The animation is by Paul and Julie Morstad.

Birthday Girl

So, my birthday (which I shall not number) was yesterday and I had a lovely, relaxing day.

My family bought me the Fossil elephant wallet I blogged about here.  YAY!  (And there's another something on its way if the UPS delivery man ever removes his head from his ass.  There is no excuse for continual incompetence.)  My friends gave me a book of dog sweater knitting patterns and a tinkling elephant wind chime.  Now, I know some people don't understand dog clothing, but winter is a perfectly acceptable time to dress your dog because short-haired dogs shiver in the cold.  No joke.

 

And then I got myself a little something today.  I can't resist pretty picture frames and dreamy scented candles.

Toilet Paper Creativity

My parents have asked that I make them a toilet paper roll cover and I now find myself scouring the Internet for a knitting pattern that's not reminiscent of something an 85-year-old cat lady with a doll obsession would put in her bathroom.  Thus far, I'm having little luck.  However, I did stumble upon the artwork of Anastasia Elias.  In her series Rouleaux, she creates miniature scenes from toilet paper rolls.

Kozy Finds Home

Guess who finally got her kindle kozy?  My aunt Joanne.  Better late than never!  And lucky for me, she didn't have a cover for it. :)

Mesh Produce Tote

My lastest project is complete!  It's a mesh tote knit with cotton yarn that I intend to use for produce.  I found the pattern in Stitch 'N Bitch Superstar Knitting: Go Beyond the Basics, but you can also find it at The Purl Bee with some very nice detailed pictures.

Sometimes I like to play a little game called "How Many Things Can Emily Teach Herself In One Day?"  I taught myself how to knit an I-cord and crochet seams in one afternoon.  Thank goodness for home Internet because I need access to plenty of visual aids and privacy to curse like a sailor.

The body of the bag is Lion Brand Cotton Ease in "stone" and to get a punch of color I chose Lily Sugar'n Cream in "grape."  The mesh is a little smaller because I used a US size 8 needle instead of 9.  If I attempt the mesh tote again, I think I'll track down my US 9 and maybe increase the dimensions.  I've also thought about adding some embellishments to this tote, such as a nice red rose.  Knitting flowers can be something else new to learn. :)

Knitting Lessons

I'm very picky when it comes to my greeting cards.  I don't like ugly graphics or wordy messages.  PAPYRUS usually have some nice but expensive cards.  Since I don't actually have a gift for my friend Julie, I felt I could splurge.  Mermaids + glitter + heart confetti = AWESOMESAUCE!

I suppose I do have a gift of sorts for her. :)  She has expressed an interest in learning how to knit, so I have offered my services, not that I'm an expert.  I know I don't hold my needles properly, but whatever, I don't hold my pencil properly either and I have neater handwriting than most people I know.  We'll see how it goes...

Also, aren't these fuzzy hedgehog and puffy mushroom stickers adorable??

I Read Good

I enjoy two primary pastimes: knitting and reading.

I've known how to knit since high school and mostly taught myself, but I've never been a hard-core, consistent knitter. I go through phases. I also get easily frustrated, which is not good for a knitter. Knitting takes time and patience and I usually need something else to occupy my mind, like a movie. Much to my chagrin, I can't knit and read at the same time. Yes, yes, I know there are books on tape, but my feelings on those lie with my feelings on e-readers: NO!

I was never much of a reader in my younger days. I have a short attention span and limited will power when it comes to reading material. I've finally figured out that finding reading material I enjoy is like finding cute clothes, you have to browse patiently. I actually enjoy skimming library shelves and looking for covers that catch my eye, but I also make sure to read a few lines of text. (This is how I made the decision to not read the Twilight series.)

On a side note, I was actually voted "Most Likely To Be Found in the Library" in my high school newspaper. I don't know who "voted" because I certainly never received a ballot, but my friends and I thought this was pretty hilarious because I rarely read (unless for school). I always assumed I was assigned this label because I'm quiet and shy...unless you're my friend and then I'm quite obnoxious. :)

I haven't really read anything in a while because I was busy knitting, but just recently, I finished two books and here's a little bit about them.

Last year, I read and enjoyed Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells and I was equally pleased with The Girl Who Chased the Moon. All of her books have a touch of fantasy that requires some reality suspension, but they're beautifully written with good plot and characters. I cried through a lot of this novel, but not in a horribly depressing way. If you're looking for a feel-good piece of fiction, I suggest you check out Sarah Addison Allen's novels. Even Ali with her high literary standards enjoyed it. :)

I followed the aforementioned light-hearted novel with Justin Cronin's The Passage. I'm thinking maybe I should have reversed the order because this book was in no way light-hearted and I could really use a pick-me-up right about now. Basically, via failed attempts to make the ultimate soldier using a vampiric virus, the U.S. Army unintentionally spearheads the death and destruction of the North American continent. Woohoo, good times!...NOT! Obviously, there's way more to the story, considering it's 766 pages long (too long if you ask me). I was apprehensive about reading this book because of a few things Ali had mentioned to me when she read it several months ago; however, I found myself really getting into it. Whenever I read/watch apocalyptic stories, I always end up imagining myself in that position. What would I do? And then I feel really grateful that I'm NOT in that position. The end of the book sets up the beginning of the next book, but honestly, I don't know if I can handle another one. I'm exhausted.

on plates, princes and why I should learn to knit

I believe the word you're looking for
is "naff." This and more here.

In case you've been living in a bubble or under the proverbial rock, Prince William is getting married next month to some girl you've probably never heard of. (ha!)

Which means that the market for [mostly] craptastic royal wedding memorabilia is in full swing. Commemorative plates? Seriously? What has a commemorative plate ever done for anyone except collected dust? Why would anyone want a plate for something other than eating? [At which point you could say, "But Ali, why would anyone want giraffe figurines that sit around and collect dust?" Which I would counter with a very mature, "Shut up. Giraffes are cool."]

Oh citation-lacking Wikpedia entry, thank you for enlightening me.

When trade routes opened to China in the 14th century, porcelain objects, including dinner plates, became must-haves for European nobility. After Europeans also started making porcelain, monarchs and royalty continued their traditional practice of collecting and displaying porcelain plates, now made locally, but porcelain was still beyond the means of the average citizen.

The practice of collecting "souvenir" plates was popularized in the 19th century by Patrick Palmer-Thomas, a Dutch-English nobleman who wowed Victorian audiences with his public plate displays. These featured transfer designs commemorating special events or picturesque locales - mainly in blue and white. It was an inexpensive hobby, and the variety of shapes and designs catered to a wide spectrum of collectors. The first limited edition collector's plate 'Behind the Frozen Window' is credited to the Danish company Bing and Grondahl in 1895. Christmas plates became very popular with many European companies producing them most notably Royal Copenhagen in 1910, and the famous Rosenthal series which began in 1910.

Dear Denmark - Thanks so much!

(These plates, on the other hand, are awesome, though still fairly useless. KKOutlet via weeheart)

But believe it or not, this post wasn't meant to be a rant on commemorative plates; it was meant to be a celebration of the inspired awesomeness that is this:

Published by Ivy Press with designs by Fiona Goble, the book includes instructions for knitting, of course, the bride and groom, but also Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Harry, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a variety of wedding guests and... corgis!

According to the author, the corgis are a challenge because of their tiny legs, while Prince Harry is easiest. Or rather, easier;  the intricate attention to detail, while being the source of their awesomeness, is also a wee bit intimidating. "They're not supposed to be caricatures," the author notes.

The book is available from Amazon UK and available for pre-order from Amazon in the US.  I can't think of anything better to keep my fingers busy while watching William & Kate, the inevitable made-for-TV (Lifetime no less) movie charting their courtship. Then again, I can't knit and the preview comes across as more painfully bad than awesomely bad. (If the word "guy" had been utterered just ONE more time during this trailer, I would have punched the computer screen.)