Wednesday, February 25, 2009

cast on a few extra stitches

so when you get to where you need to cast on, in this example, it's a button hole.


you loop it around your thumb, like so


then you slide the right hand needle in front of the yarn, and behind your thumb, pull the working yarn tight, and zip your thumb out.


pull the loop tight-ish, and close to the working stitches. you'll have to finesse this a little bit, you don;t want the stitch to strangulate the needle, but it shouldn't be too loose.


you keep repeating it until you get the number of stitches you need.


now, a word about the number you'll need, i like to cast on two stitches more than the number i'll need, then on the subsequent row, i knit two together one on each end, to make the fabric a little neater.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

latest crafty crafts

so, i've been lamenting my recent frivolous purchases of fabric. i really should stop buying fabric without a project in mind, but alas, i have no self control. but that's ok, today i made these nifty change purses!

The orange one is the prototype, so there are a few mistakes on it, the blue one is better, and the black one is the best of the three, but there are craftsmanship flaws with all three. i wish i was better at finishing. those snaps look really crummy. i'll have to go to tallpoppy.com to see if there is a better option than the snaps.

the black one is a little bit larger than the other two, it's large enough for the ipod that i purchased in another bout of poor self control.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

more sweater progress


Here's where i am with this cabled raglan. it's coming along, slowly but surely. I'm not sure why, but sleeves tend to be my crafty nemesis. they are usually too short, and often times too loose, but this one happens to be far too long, and also too loose. i haven't decided if i'll undo it and make it tighter.

But so far it looks pretty ok. i'll have to undo the band at the bottom- the cable makes the front scrunch ip a bit, so the hem is somewhat wonky and uneven. i think what i'll do is carry the Cable panel down through the hem.

i've just got to do one more cable sleeve, and then it will be finished. I hope to be able to post it in a week or so. perhaps i'll put some good time into it this weekend (whilst the laundry is doing itself?).

sherman thinks it's for him.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Ah, it's Truck Day!


Dear readers, you'll know that i'm often remiss with my capitalization. sometimes i don't even capitalize peoples names and such. but you will notice, that i always capitalize Truck Day. Truck Day is worthy of such distinction. Truck Day is more than just looney New englanders investing more emotion than is healthy into their sports teams, it's a tangible (even touchable for some brave folks who went to yawkey way) reminder that winter is not going to get the best of us, no sir.

And could we use that reminder! We started out this winter with an ice storm that knocked out power for four weeks for some people, then it's snowed 8-12 inches just about once a week for a four weeks subsequent to that ice storm, Add to it that it's been frigid cold for most of the season. Toss in the crummy economy; and boy, we need spring.

but have no fear! it's Truck Day, and that means spring is near. pitchers and catchers report on thursday. And then it's sun and fun, fungos and flyballs. bring on the funny looking tan lines and the double sessions! Hoo hoo hoo!