struggling

... not knitting-wise, but camera-wise. i posted this thread on ravelry, and have not had any responses.

so, my old Pentax Optio S4 is playing possum, and is about to die. it has been a wonderful camera for the last 4+ years.

that said, a lot has changed in the last 4+ years.

i am shopping for a new small (digital) p&s. i did some research today, and found some prospects in the canon and panasonic realms.

if i could do a proper search, my filters would include “close to the wee size of my Pentax (which could fit in an altoid tin), lt. wt (so i don’t mind carrying it everywhere with me), a wide range of ISO’s, uses an SD card (don’t want anything ‘sony’ specific), uses a rechargeable battery (and i’d probably buy a second as back up).

i don’t need “portrait friendly” or extreme temperatures, or underwater, etc.

let’s face it. i want to take pictures of my knit/crochet projects. sometimes i want to get in so close that you can see each wee ply and fuzz. i also want to take pictures of general day-to-day. i don’t plan on blowing anything up big to hang on the wall.

do y’all have any ideas or recommendations? i am not limited to shopping at a best buy … there’s always pricegrabber ;)

(sigh) whatever ... i did see some good stuff on canon and panasonic ...

oh, the knitting!

i finished something!!!








this project is only a 2005 vintage. but still ..... it's nice to have it done, because i can now say, "i only have X blankets on the needles/hook". (exhale)

so, specs: this pattern is from jo sharp's _contemporary knitting_ magazine/book. i used her silkroad aran tweed yarn. i used a wee bit more than the pattern called for. the yarn is lovely.

in retrospec, this is not my colorway, but i fell inlove with the sample in the book, could not buy the yarn locally, and mailordered. i didn't even think to change the color palette. and now that it's done, i am definitely keeping it!

the yarn is soft and warm. the blanket has been on my bed the last few nights, and i have been warm enough to not need to sleep in socks. it's a keeper.

hmmm ....

i had a nice weekend ... an extended or late weekend, but so so nice!

i did get knitting done. there is always knitting to do, though sometimes i suffer knitter's block.

i finished a sock ....


the colors and fiber are rather 'beachy' to me ... a cotton/wool/nylon blend (sockotta). this sock has been fabulous mindless knitting. this kind of sock yarn allows me to be social, keep eye contact, and keep my hands busy at the same time.

i think some people take offense at people knitting while in (what they deem as) important/social engagements.

i don't know. i am such an addict, i cannot imagine most situations w/o yarn and needles in hand.

the other knitty (god knows we do not limit ourselves to one project!) ... an old blanket, in jo sharp silkroad aran tweed. i started this project a few years ago. all that's left is the finishing. perhaps tonight? i've reknitted one of the borders a few times now too.


but, it's finally coming together, and the sooner i finish, the sooner i can say it's done. and, most importantly (because, there is no such thing as knitterly guilt), i can use it.

when i finish, i will post more details. in the meantime, i will keep knitting .....

i had a fabulous weekend, and more of the details are over here.

sometimes i cross-reference

and she's done!!!

i finished the knitting of fonn yesterday, and spent part of this morning weaving in the very few ends (i had spit spliced when adding a new ball), so my only ends were from the cast on and bind off edges, and the underarm grafting. minimal finishing!

fonn is lumpy and bumpy. fonn fits. fonn needs a good blocking (which may happen tonight).

modeling pictures soon to come ....

super quickie !

i should be in the shower, because in T-29 minutes, i'm suppose to be at work. instead, i wanted to flash my progress on fonn. my stranding is kinda lumpy & bumpy, but i am keeping my fingers crossed that blocking will fix & relax most of that.

regardless, progress is being made, as i've just completed the first round of snowflake motifs, and when i get home today, my reward is a giant decrease round and then onward with smaller motifs.

it's all downhill !

the hedgehog convention

i went home over labor day weekend, and miraculously finished my nephew's long ago requested hedgehog.

i started this a bit way back. but, things got in the way. and sometimes i avoid knitting things i've knitted before (hello?! sock orphans ?!).

i also ran into some obstacles (ie: felting at the laundromat ... man, they have some hot water, but you cannot control the water level in the machine).

plus, i apparently used a fur yarn for the "hair" that was a bit short in 'hair length'. this made me want to felt the hedgehog more and more, so i couldn't see the garter st. "scalp" in between.


he did come out precious, though i think he has a slight hernia.

regardless, i think he's really cute, and he has an instant peer group :


the pink guy has been around since a year ago spring.

he was knitted with lamb's pride. the blue guy was knitted with cascade 220. verdict? though i don't care too much for the "fuzz" of lamb's pride (the mohair content), i think it felts (the yarn, not the mohair) better/faster. if i felt again? ... i think i will use lamb's pride. hmmm ......

finished!

i finished a sock! i finished my first stranded sock !


and it fits (bonus!)!!! i did not swatch. i just guessed. i knitted on size 2.25mm dpns (overall pattern is on 70 sts.). i figured that if i usually use this size needles for 64 sts, then with the possible stranding/tension issues, the same size needle would suffice.

of course, i think it's very pretty. but, each night after puting my needles down, i've gone to bed with a small stack of books for bedtime reading, including my _folk knitting in estonia_. it's full of stranded knitting. after knitting this sock, it makes the other designs not so intimidating.

i did cast on for the mate. i don't have enough yarn here to complete the mate, nor do i have the time. but, it's a start.

pattern review on laila's socks ....

i love that when i knit something a la nancy bush, i will be learning some new technique or method. the overall stitch pattern is quite stretchy, as the yarn never gets stranded more than 1st. the larger motifs, however, are a bit more taut, being stranded over as many as 3 or 5 sts. i am much slower knitting those sections, especially when changing needles.
the stranding is fun. it's fun to see the pattern emerge. it's not mindless knitting, but captivating knitting.

errors in pattern? i have not seen any listed for this pattern in particular. i will say that the first row the chart does not match the picture in the book. also, after the gusset, i was not on the round the pattern thought i should be. the latter could had been my oops, but i don't think so.

i have a 1st printing of this book. i cannot wait for reprints. of course, 1st printings means all the mistakes ....