Knitting

I've decided I'm somewhat of an odd knitter. I like simple things to do while watching a movie, but acres of garter stitch or 1x1 ribbing ennui kills me. I try to pick projects that will teach me new things, but I'm not willing to knit something that has no practical function just to knit it. It doesn't often get cold enough here to warrant knitted hats or mittens, and when it IS cold enough, it's also wet.

I haven't tried socks yet, but feel that in general, they wouldn't be the best use of my time & yarn money, since you can buy perfectly nice smartwools for the same price and not have to struggle against ladders or figure out how to turn the heel (and when I've got a ton of other things I want to make, socks seem like they'd just be holding up projects for which I'm more excited). I don't have much need for scarves, already owning a nice goes-with-everything-and-looks-classy-too charcoal ribbed one that was a gift purchased at a Florentine market. Similarly, I'd never wear lacy shawls. Yeah, maybe everybody and their dog loves the Clapotis, but what the heck would I do with it?

A lot of what I have knit so far is gifts, which can be tricky. R doesn't wear knitted goods beyond the occasional beanie, and I've already made scarves/hats for basically everyone in my immediate family (plus a few close friends who I know would appreciate the gift AND respect the amount of time that went in to making it).

That's one problem with knitting (and other arts & crafts)- non-knitters have no idea how much work can actually go into a gift. People tend to assess the value of many knitted objects at $10-30 because they can buy them for that at any store (machine mass-produced in China with crap yarn). Thus the perceived value is much lower than the actual worth, especially when made with high-quality materials. The scarf I knit for the fundraiser auction got exactly 2 bids- the winner being my mother, taking pity on me and buying the scarf herself for just over the price of the yarn. If I calculate how many hours I spent knitting ($8/hr), the final cost of a simple striped wool & silk scarf would be well over $100, probably over $200. But of course nobody would pay that. People don't value hand-crafted goods at anywhere near their actual worth. I just hope the people for whom I spend weeks knitting gifts actually like and use the things I create, and don't just throw them in a closet. I know Eli & WeEli love & wear their gifts because they tell me so, and I love them for it and knit more for them.

Sometimes I wish I could just fast forward through projects in order to be able to knit other things. My latest sweater was both fun and fast. Right now I'm toiling on a blanket for my brother's baby. I have decided blankets are evil, though I will knit one for my Mom, since that's what she really wants. I made sure to find an interesting and pretty pattern and will seek out nice yarn for it though; not the BOOOORING garter-stitch and horrid fuzzy acrylic Sisyphean labor I'm currently only halfway through.

Basically, I want to knit myself a zillion sweaters- hoodies, cardigans, pullovers, turtlenecks- and some skirts. I want to get to the point where I can make up my own patterns- one thing I do love about knitting is that (if you know how) you can alter the pattern to suit yourself. I dislike that in most patterns, the smallest size is typically a few inches too big and I have to do weird maths to figure out how to make it fit. Sometimes it's as easy as picking a slightly thinner yarn, but it can get complicated.

As in everything I do, I am cheap, and feel that spending more than $50 for a sweater is ridiculous. I wouldn't buy one in the store for that much (unless it was cashmere, and even then still probably not); and yes, the knitting (unless it's a boring or frustrating pattern) will bring relaxation and pleasure, but spending $150 on yarn is insane. I hate that the yarn companies give fancy yarns to the designers, because then I have to spend a lot of time figuring out a cheaper alternative. And while I appreciate a nice, inexpensive skein, I don't want to buy cheap & crappy yarn (this baby blanket makes me want to forever avoid pure synthetics). Besides, natural fibers are better for the planet and typically feel nicer as well. Finding the right yarn (at the right price) seems to be an addiction, a compulsion. Most knitters seem to think you can never have enough yarn, to the dismay of the people who share their living spaces!

I'd love to learn to spin, turning a bag of animal hairs into a usable garment is an amazing skill and art. If I got good, I could make exactly the yarns I needed in exactly the color I wanted. I could even use my pets' fur, making use of a soft & pretty-colored fiber that would otherwise be thrown away! It will take years to learn, and even more years to become proficient, but I did put a homemade drop spindle and dye pot on my Christmas list (along with tons of yarn). Maybe someday you can read this blog and see a picture of me in a sweater I made from scratch- how cool would that be?

Autumn sunshine

Well I finally finished my Buttony Sweater- buttons, blocking, and THREE DAYS to dry all that heavy, wet wool but here she is, and my new haircut too!
I have so many projects I want to do, it will take me years to get through my queue. Good thing I started knitting before I'm 30, eh?

R was out of town for work this week, so Thursday I was girly and got a haircut (it's shorter than I've ever had it before, but it's cute) & splurged at the yarn shop. I bought 2 knitting magazines I've been wanting for a while (which added about 7 patterns to the to-knit list) and the yarn to make a snuggly winter dress. I've got a few gift knits to get through first though, even though I already finished the 3 older nephews' presents.

The rain took a break this weekend (it's gorgeous, but cold at night), so we worked in the garden, finally pulling up the tomatoes and other plants that won't overwinter. Now I have to figure out what to do with multiple pounds worth of green tomatoes. Some will ripen fine, but there are enough of them that I'll have to use some as they are- and we don't do fried green tomatoes.

I worked at North Bend HS on Friday, the first time I've been called there this year, and only the 2nd time ever. It's odd, I've become so comfortable at Marshfield (I'm there 3 days next week- field biology, hooray!), and I recognize/am recognized by a lot of students there, it seems strange to work at a new school. I did see several people from the gymnastics center though; I've only run into 2 at MHS (besides the cheerleaders who leave just as we're getting there).

I fixed my front tuck flip, by the way. The teacher says I need to work on my shoulder flexibility, as it's detrimental to my back bends and things. I've never had great flexibility there though- I can touch my shoulder blades, but rotationally- not so good. Kathryn (a dear friend who is a physical therapist) thinks my first 2 ribs are abnormally high, which could be part of it. I can't lie on the floor and stretch my arms out straight past my ears along the floor- they hover half an inch or more and won't go down flat.

My Mom drove down to California to visit my Aunt this weekend, they both seem to be doing fairly well. As of now, they don't think the cancer has spread beyond my Aunt's colon, so hooray! I'll keep sending positive thoughts to her; if you have the inclination, please do the same, and consider yourself in my happy thoughts as well. :)

Gray and blue

Well, I was feeling decently happy this weekend, after the country-wide excitement of election night, with Obama's rousing speech, not to mention the cessation of stupid campaign commercials. (It makes me MAD to think of all the millions spent on stupid, negative ads to sway voters, and what all that money could have been used for to actually do good.)

Sure it's been gray and dumping inches of rain, but I finished my sweater (except the hunt for buttons has thus far been completely fruitless, and I can't block it until I have buttons). Gymnastics has been going well; I can now do two back handsprings in a row on the trampoline-track, though my front tuck flip needs work (I'm doing weird, twiddly arm circles like I'm trying to swim myself through the air). We were going to take the dogs out to the woods again this morning, but the weather didn't cooperate.

So we're just sitting at home, having a cozy weekend. I made spinach/ feta/ phyllo pie (like spanikopita, but without all the folding) and baklava last night, and we are having ribs tonight. We've got a nice fire going in the garage stove, and R is slow-baking some ribs for dinner tonight. I'm putting together a knitting binder to keep my information in one place and dreaming about all the yarn I covet.

Then I learn my aunt has fairly advanced colon cancer. Good feelings gone.

Happy All Soul's Day

Halloween was fun; happily we got a decent amount of people at the party- saw some friends we haven't seen in a while, and met a few new people. The food was tasty, the costumes amusing, and I think a good time was had by all. Here's my costume (don't be offended, I was in character): I have learned that eyeliner is nearly impossible to wash off, and that colored hairspray washes out easily enough, but stains the tub.

The fact that it is now November means it's now rainy, which works out well for me, since I'm trying to knit a sweater for NaKniSweMo. I think I've got a pretty good start on it so far The yarn is a perfect color, a tweedy grayish tan, with flecks of red, purple, and turquoise. It's really scratchy; I knew it would be when I chose the strands at Yarnia, but it's a cardigan, so it should be ok. I hope I can keep up this pace!