So I've been at my job at the bead store for almost a week now and it's going fine. Lots of inventory type stuff and of course working the register. It's a nice job for someone who puts their M&Ms in color order before she eats them. Not that I do that. That would be cuh-razy.
But that's probably all I'll say about work because I don't want to get dooced .
In my last post it was snowing. That was Monday. Yesterday, Friday, the high temp was 63F and I saw daffodils blooming on the side of a sunny hill.
I've still been knitting, though by the time I finish my current project it will probably be hot. Right now I'm working on a lace pattern scarf from Knitty . I'm using "harvest red" Caron brand acrylic yarn because it's cheap but still feels nice. I've knit and tinked (reverse knit - undoing the stitches one at a time) and frogged (rip it! - completely unraveling) it so many times I finally understand what is actually going on in the pattern. And I am getting more and more comfortable with maintaining tension in the yarn. I'm a continental style knitter, FYI. That basicaly means I hold the working yarn in my left hand and never let go of the needles. The other style of knitting is english a.k.a. throwing where you hold the yarn in your right hand and let go of the right needle briefly to wrap the yarn around the needle. I think english is easier to teach to kids and it is actually the more popular style of knitting in the US, but continental is faster and more efficient. Nevertheless, it is recommended that a knitter should practice both styles to avoid repetitive stress injuries. Check out knittinghelp.com for basics. But on how to properly hold yarn for continental knitting, check out this youtube video
I have been wanting to learn to knit circles for hats and bags and socks that don't require putting pieces together and seaming. But knitting circles require circular needles (two needles joined with a cable at the bases) or double pointed needles, but have been unable to find appropriately sized ones at the craft stores. I have to find a local yarn shop. But in the meantime I got a crochet hook to make circles. Which technically means I have taken up another craft. However, I am having trouble finding good, clear online teaching resources and feel a little overwhelmed with the patterns that I don't understand. So we'll see how that goes.
On an uncrafty note, I just bought a new paperback nonfiction book called Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I've only read a few pages of it but I already want to recommend it to everyone. I think in a very teeny nutshell it's about a woman trying to find what really makes her happy, not what everyone says should make her happy. In other words she's looking for Truth and she went to Italy, India, and Indonesia to do it. It sounds totally flaky but it's not! The book is really funny and witty. I'll let you know how the rest of it goes. But you all should read it!
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3 comments:
You should try one of the online yarn stores to get your circular needles. Once you start using them you will never go back to straights.
thanks for the tip holly. (always so neat when a stranger posts on my blog!!) i am looking forward to using circs because you never have to look for the other needle. however i do want to check out lys around my area because i like touching stuff before i buy it. but i'll definitely do some comparison shopping.
I think I do a little bit of both continental and throwing depending on what I'm doing. I think when I start I throw and as I get the rhythm going I go continental. If you've done crocheting, you take to continental much more easily which is why I think I do that more often (though I don't stick my finger out so much like that lady does in the video). I am a knitting needle traditionalist nerd and adore my carved wood ones. Checkout
Brittany needles. My knitting ones have that same fancy carving and are a darker wood (those fancy ones are crochet hooks, of course :P). I'm a total dork - I get a sense of tradition when I'm knitting with those. I adore them! :D
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