wildwool

WIP Update

wildwool — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:03:18 +0000

Aside from the whole Beowulf thing, I was actually pretty darn productive last weekend. I finished off the Vernazza sleep set (project name ‘titania’ on Ravelry) and the Buttoned Muffler. I came really close to finishing my Winter Dreams shirt, but the stupid button band (see my previous post) interfered with that. I’m also nearly done with my dad’s birthday scarf… a full month in advance! I think that’s a record for gift-knitting timeliness for me.

Hopefully, I can finish the shirt this week and wear it to school next Monday… fingers crossed!

The Battle Song of the Knitter

wildwool — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:30:56 +0000

note: this is a “warrior’s boast” in the style of Beowulf. One example of “how to have fun while still doing your homework.”

For eight years my needles have writ poetry in yarn;

Sometimes, I admit, these rhymes have been ill-wrought.

I am a veteran of frogs and twisted stitches;

To knit the perfect sweater has, alas, not been my lot.

Any yet, despite these mishaps, for sock knitting I’m famed.

Lace and Fair Isle stockings have I fought and won.

Victoria and Snow Bunny are two that could by named;

Long and glorious battles, now over and done.

For the first, I armed myself with Malabrigo Sock;

Straight and slender knit-spears were my tools of choice.

Deftly dueled I daily with cables and lace panels

No painful cry for air sounded in my voice.

For the next, I chose instead some Heritage Cascade;

That sheep-twist worked together with my needles.

Wearily and wildly I wove my wooly workings;

The triumph of my victory will ne’er fade.

More complex things that socks from my closet haunt me still;

Shaping, seaming, and fit walk in my nightmares yet.

The Classic Shirt by Sally Melville took my honor;

This button-down in blue’s an old opponent.

Twice have I tried and failed to beat my great enemy;

The little button band drove me to defeat.

Jeering laughs from other knitters have rained down on me;

Tonight I’ll try again to save my honor.

With thin Alpaca Lace and brave determination

With my trusty knit-spears stainèd blue by time

With jaded eye and steady hand and calculating mind

I’ll end this shirt or else I’ll end my knitting and my rhyme.

Adventures in Yarnbombing, pt. 1

wildwool — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:52:46 +0000

Hello!

I successfully completed my first yarnbombing run ever this morning! I was going to do a piece on my town’s main drag, but I got up later than I had planned, and it felt a tad exposed to be yarnbombing on the main road at 7:15 in the morning. Instead, I passed a handy playground en route and bombed there. I had five tags and a calling card in my bag, along with an id, a cell phone, and a pocketknife. I was nervous as I pulled in and checked the area for hidden observers – this particular playgroup is catty-corner from a library and right next to a city admin building.

I climbed onto the playground, checked my measurements, and started bombing. I quickly discovered that yarnbombing, at least for newbies, is a nerve-wracking process. Every few stitches I stopped to check that no one was watching. But I couldn’t do anything about it when civil servants started pulling into the parking lot and passing the playground on the way in to work! Fortunately, the bit of parking lot that backs the playground is a small one, and I don’t think anyone noticed me.

But then came the kid. In the middle of tag #3, a little girl showed up and started putting the swing set to good use. She was watching me the whole time! My strategy was to keep quiet and try to look like I was supposed to be there. She didn’t say a word, but I was on the receiving end of several weirded-out glances. I finished the fifth tag and got the heck out of there, hoping she wouldn’t tell on me. I took a couple cell phone shots, which I’ll put up later, and pedaled away VERY quickly.

Despite my fears of getting caught, the leg cramps ensuing from crouching for half an hour, and the guilty feeling I have for “defacing” a playground, I’m hooked. My next project – bike racks!

Project Roundup

wildwool — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:42:21 +0000

Works in Progress (WIPs)

Vernazza sleep set

Yarnbombing tags

Women 4 Women Knitting 4 Peace shawl

Projects in Hibernation (PIHs)

Classic Shirt

Snow Bunny Socks

Scrap afghan

Baby hat

Yarn Bombing!

wildwool — Sat, 28 May 2011 01:28:10 +0000

Just heard about this last week in the New York Times. It’s where you knit or crochet tags to fit public objects (statues, bike racks, railings), then go out and sew them on in the dead of night. Check out the original article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/fashion/creating-graffiti-with-yarn.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=yarnbombing&st=cse.

Some yarn bombing blogs: http://yarnbombing.com/, www.streetcolor.wordpress.com, http://twilighttaggers.blogspot.com.

Just a note: it is technically illegal, so be careful!

Peace,

Wildwool

Knitting Survey

wildwool — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:58:15 +0000

This is the knitting survey that’s been going the rounds of blogs lately. Bold the things you have done or are doing, italicize the things you plan to do, and leave the rest plain.

Afghan

I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book/magazine
Participate in an exchange
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s hand-spun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Knitted flowers
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Lacey is done!

wildwool — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:22:15 +0000

I finally finished Lacey (Cecilia?)! Actually, I finished the second sock last week, but I’ve been so busy working on other things that I haven’t had a chance to post until now. Anyway, they fit perfectly, and I’m really pleased with the way the lace panels came out. I’m looking forward to finishing other projects! I went to my LYS yesterday, in hopes of buying some new yarn (silk or linen maybe? Something summery.), but they were closed for Memorial Day. Grrr. Maybe it’s just as well, since I had left my pattern book at home.

Bye!

Prism February

wildwool — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:14:47 +0000

The Prism challenge for February is as follows:

Color: Pink

Technique: Eyelets

Mood: Sophisticated

Element: Air

Prism January

wildwool — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:44:06 +0000

The Prism challenge for January is as follows:

Color: Blue

Technique: Cables or Faux Cables

Mood: Funky

Element: Water

Prism

wildwool — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:24:51 +0000

Welcome to Prism!

The object of Prism is to expand your knitting horizons by trying new things!

Each month, a new combination of color, technique (like cables or intarsia), mood (like subtle or bright), and element/direction (like fire or west), will be posted. No competition, but I’d love to see photos of (and hear about) your Prism projects.

I started Prism because I feel like I need to branch out, so, yes, I will be attempting this along with you. For those of you who are wondering, yes, this is something of a takeoff on Project Spectrum. Also, Prism can be found on Ravelry.