Note: this is a non-knitting post today. Fair warning.
Today at work we had a little pot-luck to celebrate the leaving (and promotional opportunity) of a co-worker. He's a nice guy and everyone likes him, so people brought in delicious cookies, delicate pastries, and (supposedly) the World's most amazing cupcakes ever produced.
Seriously, everyone who tasted one of these gorgeous home-made cupcakes signed and stated that this was absolutely the most amazing cupcake they'd ever tasted. Some did the happy dance, some looked like they had a food orgasm, and the rest just kept grabbing another one.
I'm on a diet. Normally, I would've been right in there with them, but I'm not eating sugar at this time. None.
Yes, it sucked.
Especially when they kept going on about how wonderful the cupcakes were. I just sat there and told them very nicely that I wasn't hungry when I was really thinking "F-you and the little dog you rode in on!" for taunting me with the treats.
I knew they weren't really taunting me - it just felt like it. I really wanted one of those cupcakes. I almost caved but I told myself I would make up some sugar-free chocolate pudding when I got home.
I made it. And it was GOOOOOOOD...........and so was I.
Diets suck.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Tech is Good
Knitting can be a funny thing. Couple of examples:
Got my regular email from Accesswatch, an email newsletter on the Microsoft Access program - tips & tricks, that kind of thing, and low and behold - a blurb for the author's esty site where she sells her handknit items. (It then went back to the main point of archiving linked tables to another database.) Whoa. I'm in tech and always love to see another fellow techie-knitter. Way cool.
The Internet is your friend. I'm currently working on an old Knitty pattern, Kernel. This is a not-too-hard lace scarf but the chart shifts over on a couple of rows, which always freaks me out when I'm not expecting it (WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE REPEAT SECTION STITCH MARKER NO LONGER FITS THE STITCH COUNT?!?!?!).
Basically, it moves over 1 stitch and so you then move your stitch marker. OK, got it. But then on row 11 of the 2nd chart I couldn't figure out why I didn't have 6 stitches to knit on the last bit. Was the chart wrong? So I went to Knitty, Ravelry and the author's blog site to see if there were any corrections (not a bad place to start before starting to pull out your hair). Turns out the chart was right - I had just dropped a stitch. Research is good.
Again, technology helps out knitting.
Cool.
Got my regular email from Accesswatch, an email newsletter on the Microsoft Access program - tips & tricks, that kind of thing, and low and behold - a blurb for the author's esty site where she sells her handknit items. (It then went back to the main point of archiving linked tables to another database.) Whoa. I'm in tech and always love to see another fellow techie-knitter. Way cool.
The Internet is your friend. I'm currently working on an old Knitty pattern, Kernel. This is a not-too-hard lace scarf but the chart shifts over on a couple of rows, which always freaks me out when I'm not expecting it (WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE REPEAT SECTION STITCH MARKER NO LONGER FITS THE STITCH COUNT?!?!?!).
Basically, it moves over 1 stitch and so you then move your stitch marker. OK, got it. But then on row 11 of the 2nd chart I couldn't figure out why I didn't have 6 stitches to knit on the last bit. Was the chart wrong? So I went to Knitty, Ravelry and the author's blog site to see if there were any corrections (not a bad place to start before starting to pull out your hair). Turns out the chart was right - I had just dropped a stitch. Research is good.
Again, technology helps out knitting.
Cool.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
What's Up?
I think I've found the cure to my knitting slump. I switched from doing top-down raglans to doing things with sock yarn.
I have a ton of the stuff. I pick it up when it goes on a good sale, or as a souvenir when I'm traveling, or just because it's simply gorgeous.
Haven't done much with it after I get it home. Oh, I occasionally pull it out and fondle it while oo-ing and aww-ing, but usually it just goes into my sock bin like it's a deposit at the bank that you can't touch if you want to make any interest on it.
I've changed things.
Firstly, I've been making socks. Simple toe-up stockinette that shows off the pretty hand painted stuff. These are also good while I ride in to work with my crazy-driver carpooler. He's what you'd call an - umm - aggressive driver. So I don't look. I knit. And pretend the driving doesn't scare me out of a year's growth. Making lots of progress but notice my tension can be a bit tight.
Next up, I picked up a book on entrelac, "Entrelac: The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting". I tell ya, I sure didn't know you could do all that with entrelac. If you get the chance, I'd recommend taking a look at it. Pretty cool stuff.
So for my second act of sock yarn knitting, I pulled out a skein of Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn and have been making up a scarf with simple entrelac.
I've never worked with Noro much, because I don't like the feel of Kureon and see all the tie-offs in it, but I'm about 2/3's into the skein of the silk garden and have only run into 1 tie-off. What I really like about the stuff are all the yummy colors. The color changes make me look goooood, like I'm a way more accomplished knitter than I really am. I think Noro and me are going to be good friends.
I'm also looking at Leaf Lace Scarf (from page 134 in the book) with some Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light yarn I had picked up to do some lux socks. Pretty, pretty...
My famine is officially over.
I have a ton of the stuff. I pick it up when it goes on a good sale, or as a souvenir when I'm traveling, or just because it's simply gorgeous.
Haven't done much with it after I get it home. Oh, I occasionally pull it out and fondle it while oo-ing and aww-ing, but usually it just goes into my sock bin like it's a deposit at the bank that you can't touch if you want to make any interest on it.
I've changed things.
Firstly, I've been making socks. Simple toe-up stockinette that shows off the pretty hand painted stuff. These are also good while I ride in to work with my crazy-driver carpooler. He's what you'd call an - umm - aggressive driver. So I don't look. I knit. And pretend the driving doesn't scare me out of a year's growth. Making lots of progress but notice my tension can be a bit tight.
Next up, I picked up a book on entrelac, "Entrelac: The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting". I tell ya, I sure didn't know you could do all that with entrelac. If you get the chance, I'd recommend taking a look at it. Pretty cool stuff.
So for my second act of sock yarn knitting, I pulled out a skein of Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn and have been making up a scarf with simple entrelac.
I've never worked with Noro much, because I don't like the feel of Kureon and see all the tie-offs in it, but I'm about 2/3's into the skein of the silk garden and have only run into 1 tie-off. What I really like about the stuff are all the yummy colors. The color changes make me look goooood, like I'm a way more accomplished knitter than I really am. I think Noro and me are going to be good friends.
I'm also looking at Leaf Lace Scarf (from page 134 in the book) with some Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light yarn I had picked up to do some lux socks. Pretty, pretty...
My famine is officially over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
