Knitting again...

16 stitches and 10 rows. I've managed to do more than 1 repeat tonight and I still have use of my hands. That's an improvement! The Nutkin socks...those will not be mine. I can barely get them on my foot and I'm afraid I'll rip them either trying to take the socks off or putting them on. I could add in another pattern repeat but then I think it would be too loose. I made Tina try them on today and it fits her a little better so they'll be hers when I'm done.

Projects, projects, and a time trial

I am always in awe of the Tour de France riders. I also admit to waking up on a Saturday morning to sit and watch the time trials. The tour ends tomorrow and the time trial is one to catch. As for my TdF knit along project, well...I'm still on the third ball. I still don't know yet if I'm going to end up with a nightie or a tank top. We'll see. I was at Springwater's closing sale yesterday and while I was looking at the needles and crochet hook, it suddenly came to me. The issue keeping me from finishing last year's TdF KAL project is the disappearance my crochet hook. I don't know why I hadn't thought to just go buy another one! Duh!

Well, as I sit here and watch the time trial, I have been working on a couple of things besides laundry and packing.


I'm using the Lisa Souza Sock! in Mars Quake. I bought this at Stitches East 2006. The pattern is called Nutkin. I had finished my last sock and in need of a travelling project. It's a top down sock and you actually create a small cuff at the top.

Also, I finally finished:





Crystal Burst Bracelet. This was the class I took with Laura McCabe at Bead&Button. Pretty eh?

Next week, I'll have pictures of my finished ball gown. I finished it last night at Bead Obsessions. I didn't have my camera with me so I'm going back today to take pictures. Ball gown, you ask? It's a Christmas ornament ball gown. However, every year, Patricia adds to the class calendar "Ball Gown" class and I always think it's a class to make an evening gown. So, I've made an evening gown...for a ball ornament. I'll have my camera this week, but I don't plan on bringing my usual laptop. I'll have the work laptop. I don't feel like lugging around 2.

Insanity is...

It's been in the high 90s here in the DC area with a lot of humidity. I don't deal well in this kinda of weather. It makes me want to pack up and move north. So I thought it'd be nice to wear more skirts and show off the legs. So I started knitting Teva Durham's Slip Stitch Intarsia Kilt...in a nice bulky wool. I'm still trying to sort out the logic of bulky wool skirt in hot/humid weather. Here's a little beginning:


Now, if I actually lift this up so that you can see the bits of color I'm working with...


Um...yeah. I'm just pulling the yarn to knit with. I gave up on trying to untangle that.

Owee

In a fit of something, I started in my the Great American Aran Afghan. Quite a few of us came across the cashmere version of it at the 2007 MD Sheep and Wool festival at the Hunt Valley Cashmere booth. You sign up for the "club" and every 2 months, they send you 2 50gr skeins of cashmere in your choice of 4, 8, or 12 ply. They've been coming to me for over a year now and I had never started. But I felt like starting it and so I did. I had to drop down to size 5 needles cuz size 7 was producing a square with a 15 inch side. I haven't been that far off gauge in a while. The other thing I have definitely confirmed for myself is that cashmere is HARD on the hands. Yeah, it feels great but working with it, OW! I'm a third done with the first square but omg my left wrist HURTS!

So instead, Amber and I played with duct tape today. She had been on a quest to make model feet and offered to help me make my duct tape body double if I helped with her fake feet. I didn't realize I had bought black duct tape at Home Depot until I opened it up and as I was doing it, I felt like a dominatrix. Amber will have pictures but think shiny black vinyl type get up. Once I tape up the back, I'll probably even out the neck, arms, and hips and go look for that new insulation foam stuff that you can pump into an area and it expands and fills. If that's too expensive, I'll just stuff it with newspapers. So ow, my hands hurt.

Btw, in watching the Tour de France, I am being tortured by the Bacardi mojito commercial. It is driving me nuts cuz I see it at EVERY FREAKIN' COMMERCIAL and yet my hips start twitching. Oy vey.

Slow and steady...

wins the race. Well, not the Tour de France, unless you were going for the Lantern Rouge award and make it in within the time limit. Me, I am knitting, spinning, and beading at a slow but steady pace. Another puff here, another knitted row there, and maybe a few more beads. I've spun another few puffs of the Autumn Harvest fiber. That is definitely not going to be made into a shrug in time for my friend's wedding in 3 weeks. I hope to have a beaded ball gown (Christmas ornament) done by next Friday since it's due at Bead Obsessions by August 1st. I also want to finish the Crystal Burst Bracelet. I have only 1 half of a 14mm crystal to embellish. Almost done. Almost done. And as for the silk nightie...it might end up being a black silk tank top. See, I only have 5 balls of it. I'm into my third ball and I think I've still got a few inches until the waist shaping. hmm... So I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do.

Some progress

I knit a little, I rest a lot. The silk nightie (TdF KAL) project is coming along. I've finished my 5 inches of lace at the hem and am just over 2 inches into the stockinette body. I need another 8 inches or so to start the waist shaping. In the real TdF, we have entered the mountains. Whoo hoo! Now you see the crazies come out in the mountains and where the fun begins on the road.

Spinning therapy

I liken the beads to be like crack. It can get to be an expensive habit when you buy it in the quarter and half kilos. But it can also be a cheap fix when you run in for a few grams. A friend of mine likens the yarn and knitting to be like weed. It's a recreational drug for when you're just sitting around with friends, shooting the breeze. Spinning, I liken it to something like an opiate. It takes the pain away. Well, it takes the mental pain away. I can't keep spinning as I'd like, I can only go a little bit at a time. The gripping position in my hands makes them hurt. But I've been thinking about spinning and I needed a bit of the opiate today. I borrowed Lynn's (who needs to update her blog) Majacraft Rose. I'm test driving out the wheel since it's one I'm considering purchasing as my next/second wheel. This is a colorway called "Inferno" and comes from Copperpot Woolies over on etsy

Stray cats, finished socks, a little knitting

I first noticed the stray cats hanging out in my yard when the kittens were crawling around. It made me seriously consider trapping the strays, taking them to the vet and owning cats. But mommy is still around and I'm not getting in the way of mommy. They are so cute. But I'm not getting a cat.



Oh. Such a cutie!


I did start to knit just a little bit at at time. I finally managed to finished the Hedgerow Socks that I had started on my way to Denver.




And now back to the Tour de France. I had started the After Dark Nightie and didn't intend for it to be the TdF KAL project. Well, I didn't have a chance to swatch and I had already started this. And hey, what could be more along the lines of a French theme than a sexy black silk nightie? I'm doing a couple of rows a day and working SLOWLY.

To participate in the intermediate TdF KAL sprint, I'm going with the cycling option. I learned to ride my bike way back when but I just was not physically active and had no interest in it. I really started getting into the sport of cycling when I moved to DC and was taking cycling classes with a woman named Cynthia at the F Street Washington Sports Club. She loved her bike and the sport of cycling. One day, she brought in her dvds of one of Lance Armstrong's wins in the TdF. I want to say it was win #5. She brought in a projector and we watched the tour as we rode along. She had the class planned for certain parts of the dvd. I didn't actually get on a real bike again until a couple of years after that when some coworkers got me on a bike after work one day and I was hooked. I bought my Trek 1500 a year after and have been happily cycling along. Watching the TdF every year inspires me to get on my bike. I really need to buy an indoor trainer cuz I could really just sit here and watch them ride and ride on the bike.

July 4th and the start of the Tour de France

I need a vacation. And so the long weekend comes at a very good time. I had a slow start, didn't get out for my short run until about 11am. Wandered out at close to 4 to pick up Amber to head out to the Mall and watch the DC fireworks. I did knit a little, slowly though. I love watching the fireworks downtown. It's not quite the same as Boston cuz it gets to be SO crowded by the river. I'd only seen the Boston fireworks once growing up there. It was so crowded it wasn't fun. It's more relaxed here. Love the fireworks. Had some yummy drinks a McCormick & Schmick's. They always have yummy drinks.

And today is the start of the 2008 Tour de France. I always sit here watching the tour. It's a strange addiction. As for the Tour de France knit along, well... I had one project in mind but I decided to work (slowly) on the After Dark Nightie. I didn't think I'd be able to knit until half way through the tour but if I go slowly, I'm okay. The organizers were also okay with an injured person in the KAL. I'm riding the team car :D

Still sucks

Still on the knitting/beading ban. It sucks. It may end up being a 2 week ban. That really sucks.

My hands f-ing hurt

And I'm looking for ways to amuse myself that does not involve gripping needles. Obviously, that means no knitting or beading. Boo! But I do have a few pretty things to show you all.

First up is one of my happiest and most favorite purchases. The first time I heard of Leah Fairbanks was reading an article about her in Bead & Button. I fell in love with her beads. She has a garden theme running throughout and her use of color is amazing! I walked past her booth on my last rounds at Bead&Button on Sunday and I had to stop and admire...and buy. She had a necklace around her neck with one of her beads as the focal bead and strung with gemstones and that became my inspiration. I had bought a few strands of faceted amethysts on the first day of B&B and I knew that's what I was going to use them for. All I was missing were the crystal squaredells and I set off on a last minute hunt for them! The last thing I did before I went to bed after I got back was put this necklace together. I absolutely love it! The price is high since the bead was expensive, but also it's going to take that much for me to part with it :) Sorry all!



Next up...and why my hands are currently hurting a lot...I started working on this almost immediately after I returned from Bead&Button. Laura McCabe had one of these in class and I loved it! I was inspired for the color and in trying to bead from my stash, I realized that I had the perfect beads to make the spiral ndebele strap. The ball is Laura McCabe's "Crown Jewel" design with Swarovski rivolis and bicones. Yum.


This is probably my second favorite necklace right now, right after the Leah Fairbanks bead one. There are probably more of these to come. It's also over on etsy.

A preview and some pictures

First the pictures from Bead & Button. I finally pulled the memory card out of the camera and uploaded the pictures.

Second, a preview. I started this inspired by the Crystal Burst Bracelet class. I also am having a difficult time getting the last row of crystals on that bracelet so this is a diversion. Progress is slow cuz my wrist hurts.

Bead & Button continued

I spent most of Saturday in class. I was taking Laura McCabe's Crystal Burst Bracelet class. It was wonderful! Laura was a great teacher. She was very knowledgeable and gave us many hints and tips. It left me wanting to bezel rivolis left and right. I continued with the shopping at lunch and after class. We had another tornado warning and they even herded everyone who was in the hall into the market place. Physically, yes, it was the safest place. I ended up ordering take out for dinner from one of the hotel restaurants. It was pouring outside, I was not going outside. I ate my dinner and wandered over to the convention center where there was the bead social and auction. The woman who was doing the auction...okay, I understand we have a limited amount of time, but geez, how freakin' rude can you be? She seemed to have taken the social out of the social. I didn't stay long since you basically couldn't talk or auction lady couldn't hear you so I just went back to the room to watch some tv and stare at my loot and sleep.

Sunday was Jeanette Cook's Mastering the Curl class. Having taking Paulette's Totally Twisted class, this was a repeat. Jeanette was an interesting lady and I bought a kit from her. I wandered back to the market place after class, and I didn't intend to spend a lot of money. Well...I bought a Leah Fairbanks lampwork bead. It was beautiful. I had faceted amythests I had bought that I knew I could use for the necklace and went on a last minute hunt for some crystal rondelle spacers. Had the components and it was time to head back to the Hilton to get my bags and go to the airport. Well, my first flight was delayed half an hour. That sucks when you only have 1 hour between planes! The plane landed in Minneapolis and I had 10 minutes to get to my other flight. And I got home.

At some point, I have to get the pictures off of my camera and post them. I did start off with the pictures I took by the Milwaukee River on the phone.

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It was a very good weekend for me. I was able to recharge before the start of a crazy week at work. I was greatly inspired in my beading. Beading is my passion. The knitting and fibers is a hobby. I love the sparkles of the beads.

Bead & Button

Yes, I'm behind the times.

I'm referencing emails I sent to Patricia and Helena to help my memory

Friday

So, I took off for Milwaukee on Friday. The trip there was overall smooth. I took the bus from the airport to the downtown Hilton and got off a block too early. That was also when it decided to start pouring! Of course, I was on the opposite side of the building from where the entrance was so I was a bit wet. Good thing I pulled out the umbrella on the bus. But I was able to check in, get to my room, check in at work and wander to the market place to do some SHOPPING! When I got to the market place, I found out that the tornado warning was over (so that's what the rain was!). I found that lots of the teacher kits were on sale on their websites. I found cabochons and crystals and I met Cynthia Rutledge. I bought her Alyeska's Jewel bracelet kit and held off on anything else. The only thing that kept me from buying her Monet's Garden Kit was that she was out of the color scheme I wanted. I also met the guy at Urban Beader who has been in touch with Patricia. Patricia is still waiting for her bags but I was short on patience and bought one. I finally made myself stop and go back to the room for dinner and otherwise, stop spending money.

I had dinner at a place called Mo's Irish Pub that was down by the river and a couple of blocks from the hotel. I had some clams steamed in Bass Ale. I don't like drinking beer but I'm finding that I like stuff cooked in beer. I also had some steak and garlic mashed potatoes. After dinner, I walked a few blocks by the river, took some pictures and wandered up to Old World Third Street and the sausage factory. The buildings are definitely unique with old world character but it was getting dark. I wandered back by way of the Hyatt to see what beady goings on there were and I think I walked by Sherry Serafini. She was tiny with long blond hair. But even more characteristic of her, there was a huge but BEAUTIFUL beaded collar around her neck. From there, I wandered back to the room to watch Law & Order and rest up for the next full day of class.

Spinning spinning

I spent a few hours this past Saturday at Stitch DC Georgetown while Amber was working. They FINALLY got a new computer in the shop but with Vista, hadn't been able to look Quickbooks so I went in to take a look. I knitted for a bit on the silk nightie and now I must stop knitting for a bit. Knitting a row and I can feel my wrist hurting again. boo! But my progress:



That's the lower edge. I hope I can finish this before September.


So, instead of knitting, I spun this weekend. I was able to ply the first skein:


I have another half bobbin full of plied yarn. Must keep spinning. I didn't bother with the navajo ply and instead spun up 3 bobbins full of singles and started plying.


Friday, I head off to Bead & Button. Whee!!!

Projects

Memorial Day is gone and past and now we go for a big push at work and an even bigger push on the home front. Work...I won't get into. But on the home front:

• finish up my Pinwheel Sweater. I'm now on the crochet edge of the first sleeve


• spin up fiber to knit myself a shrug. the shrug must be in wearable form by August 2, 2008 to my friend's wedding.


• I started knitting the nightie from Mason Dixon Knitting using some silk I had bought last year. Yes, it's a silk nightie. mmm, sexy. I admit, I hate wearing pants when I go to sleep but I do it when I travel with people. A nightie seems to be a good compromise here. And the silk...well I sure as hell am not going to be making a wool nightie cuz that just defeats the purpose. I also hate sleeping when it's too warm and wool wouldn't help that.


• I've swatched and am also ready to cast on for Flying Fox in some Be Sweet Bamboo. yay!


• oh, and lots of fun beading projects.

Persimmon Tree Farms - Autumn Harvest glitz

Persimmon Tree Farms - Autumn Harvest glitz
Originally uploaded by jyiu7

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Just wanted to show off some spinning progress on the Autumn Harvest. I haven't done much this week since I've spent a lot of that time lying mostly lifeless on the couch. However, the yarn is delicious and it spins up nicely and quickly.

At the end of the weekend

Friday night, I sat at Bead Obsessions and made a ring:

I like it. It's a little loose for me when my finger isn't naturally swelled up. Yes it is for sale if anyone wants it.

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I taught class at Bead Obsessions. It was the calla lily class. I've decided that I must ban the use of gold wire in class. For whatever reason, gold wire is extra fussy and kinks and coils all over the place. While there, I also started work on a beaded hyacinth pattern. I know there are patterns that already exist, but I wanted to do one myself, that also involves a bulb. I like the look/scent of forcing hyacinth bulbs in the winter. The one thing that bothers me about those is how short their lifespans are.

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I also visited evil Amber at Stitch DC Georgetown where she was working. She was knitting with some Be Sweet Bamboo on Thursday night and it felt REALLY GOOD and she mentioned they still had sweater quantities available. And there was a last minute sale at Stitch DC. So I went and picked up some of the stuff in a nice Barbie pink.

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I also finished spinning up the Spunky Eclectic romney in the "Sangria" colorway. It has been washed and is now drying in the bathroom. Therefore, I started spinning up some of the new Autumn Harvest Glitz I had bought at sheep and wool. Spun up a small amount and Navajo plied in the hopes that I would get worsted weight yarn. Set it, dried it and yes! Worsted! Whoo hoo!

When you want to make your own ring

I'm doing a little wire work tutorial today. I had bought this cabochon as a set of 3 at the Gem & Jewelry Show. I had bought a ring setting for one, given a second away as a gift, and had this third one sitting around for a while. I wanted to make it a ring, but I wanted a different setting from the one I already had. I looked all over the place and either the settings were the wrong size, or I had to order wholesale and in bulk. Finally, an idea started forming in my head about using wire and making my own ring. I've included the instructions here. You can click on the pictures to see larger images.

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Materials

- 1 ft 16 gauge wire

- 1 ft 20 gauge wire. More may be needed if you want to wrap it a lot or if your stone is bigger

- Small cabochon

- heavy duty wire cutters

- wire working pliers

- ring mandrel or something round of approximate size to your finger with a little bit of extra room

Note that I like to use sterling silver (dead soft). Copper will be more bendable and you may end up with nicks on the wire from your pliers. The choice is really up to you.

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Sizing up your finger

If you already know the size ring you want, good for you. If not, you need to figure out what size ring you want to make. There are various resources on the web to find your ring size like this one at wikipedia. If you don't own a ring mandrel, you would probably want to figure out either the diameter of your finger to fit (so you can buy and approximate sized dowel at the hardware store) or the circumference of your finger (so you can find a similar object around the house).

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Creating the ring

If you are using a ring mandrel, you want to wrap the wire just at the notch just slightly larger than your desired ring size. If you are using a dowel or tubular object, you want to make sure the circumference is slightly larger than your finger. Using the 16 gauge wire, leave about 1.5 inches at the end and wrap it once

then twice

around the ring mandrel. Try to keep the size of the rings you're creating even. That's 2 full rings around the mandrel.



Take the end of the wire and you want to bend it around the two wire rings:


Then, cut the wire from the spool, also leaving 1.5 inches. Wrap that end also around the 2 wire rings:




Make loops with the two ends, or some other free form shape.




Trim the wires down to your desired length. You can stop here if you want. It's a very nice ring.

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Wire wrapping the cabochon

Full disclosure: I have never taken a class or been instructed on wrapping stones with wire. I experimented with copper 26 gauge wire to see how it would work. Please feel free to experiment with the wire and the stone.

I used the 20 gauge wire to wrap the cabochon, leaving a 2 inch tail at one end to be used for securing to the ring. Then I proceeded to wrap the wire around to stone so that the stone is "trapped" in a cage.
 

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I secured the 2 ends of the 20 gauge wire to the ring by wrapping each end 3 times around the ring. I then trimmed off the excess.


The stone was still wobbly on the ring so I took a small piece of the 20 gauge (you can use scraps at least 1 inch long) and threaded that through the wires under the cabochon and wrapped it around the ring to secure:

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Finally, the finished ring:

Confession time

I am a teenie bopper at heart. I love my boy bands. Now that I've said that...New Kids on the Block is going to be at Verizon Center on October 2, 2008. Is there anyone in the area who would want to go with me? Tickets go on sale 6/9 at 10am. It's been 15 years!

Did anyone catch them on the Today show this morning?

Yes, I love the New Kids. I love NSYNC. I love 98 Degrees.