inspiration

i am continually amazed by what i see out there in the blogosphere. just look at these socks from taeko's blog.



the colorway is gorgeous...the stitchwork so fine...and don't get me started on the toe shaping!

extreme knitting geek tip no. 4

i believe i have quite possibly achieved the everest of knitting geekdom. it happened last night as i was beginning a "folk knitting" project. (which is, itself, worthy of extreme knitting geekness. but i digress.) as i was rifling through my knitting bag for bobbins, i found not one, not two, not three, but four different bobbin designs.



it occured to me that all bobbins may not be created equal. i decided to put my hypothesis to the test. here are the results, clockwise from the lower left corner:

bobbin #1: the "boye" - this bobbin lives up to its name. it assumes bigger is better. not only is this boye cumbersome and unwieldy, it also doesn't clean up after itself and always leaves the seat up.

bobbin #2: the "clover" - our friends at clover may have the market cornered on the kacha, but when it comes to bobbins, they simply don't click. sure, it's a cute and modern design and it comes in cool colors. sure, it winds up breezily. but it also comes unwound much too easily for this bobbinoisseur's taste.

bobbin #3: the "hand-me-down" - this sentimental favorite was a gift to me from betty at knit n purl who got it from a little old lady who apparently got it from woolworth circa 1930. one tiny glitch: the slit up top is positioned off-center, which makes for a very awkward winding technique.

bobbin #4: the "susan bates" - susan bates may be the betty crocker of the knitting world. but she is no desperate housewife. this little lady winds and unwinds faster than you can say edie britt. and it is a heck of a lot less slutty. plus, it has that little triangular handle on the side, all the better for holding in place while you are doing all that winding.

got an extreme knitting geek tip? we're waiting...

in the bag!

done!
Originally uploaded by hitbyabus.

finished the counterpane carpet bag from holiday handknits while watching "rebecca" last night. this was a fun knit. i was worried it would not be large enough. but as it turns out, you could fit a small child in here. or your entire stash of KSH. as the case may be.

happy thanksgiving...off to nyc to visit the inlaws. i'm hoping to start my norwegian stockings in the car on the way down. can't wait!

wip: scalloped carpet bag

wip: scalloped carpet bag
Originally uploaded by hitbyabus.

one side down, one to go! actually, the other side is about three-quarters done. then, all i have to do is line it and sew on the bamboo handles. anybody have any good ideas for what i should line this with? i'm thinking it needs to be a dark fabric.

it's kinda weird how the noro yarn was perfectly striated until i got to the top. not sure i'm diggin' how it ended up up top. it almost looks like i messed up the last scallop, don't you think? oh well...

bella stella

who's cooler than stella mccartney? there was some truly stellar knitwear in her latest collection, including this tunic she herself sported. what's not to love? especially at this time of year...when you want to look great while shoving back a couple turkey legs and a dozen holiday cookies. can you say elastic waistband? and nobody would be the wiser with this sexy, yet forgiving top.



i also love stella's charcoal grey knit coat. another example that sexiness is not always what you reveal, but what you don't reveal. the chunky stockinette looks deceptively simple. check the easing on that armhole shaping and the soft draping of the sleeve. how does the girl do it?

that's a wrap

voila la suss wrap cardi in baruffa maratona. finished while watching madame x, a 1966 get-out-your-drippy-cups chick flick that's right up there with an affair to remember. i was actually quite bored with this yarn. black merino...what was i thinking. baruffa is spun very loosely and splits easily. and the sheer stockinettishness of this whole design just about turned me into a stepford zombie. until i tried it on, that is. now i get it. ahhh, baruffaaaaaaah. feels so thick and soft next to your skin. it has such dramatic drape. and black, it turns out, is the new black. but then, you knew that all along, didn't you?

wip: carpet bag

scallop in progress
Originally uploaded by hitbyabus.

this counterpane carpet bag from melanie falick is as much fun to make as it is to eat. right mac?

extreme knitting geek tip no. 3

"this is pretty geeky...this is my go-to join for any kind of ends. also, when knitting fair isle, I join the color before introducing it at the beginning of a round by weaving it in on the last 5-10 stitches of the previous round."

thanks to eunny for the incredibly detailed instructions on how to do a russian join. quite frankly my friends, it's all geek to me. nastrovya.

extreme knitting geek tip no. 2

"i put fabric glue on knots, so I don't have to weave in any ends. maybe that's more ghetto than geeky, though."

thanks yarn abuse. but we're gonna go with geeky. really, really geeky.

extreme knitting geek tip no. 1

"when you come across wicked knots and disgusting slubs, you take both ends and cut it out...then splay and fray both ends , overlap them, roll them into one continuous piece of yarn....then put it in your mouth and felt the ends together with top and bottom front teeth. you can actually feel with your teeth (and the spit) the ends felting together. when mashed together sufficiently, then roll in palm of your hand finishing the felting process....and voila! one continuous clean piece of yarn...yeah i know...geeky, but it works...actually you can do that to all the ends so nothing to weave in, it's all continuous yarn...oh yeah, you have to use spit...something about the acid in saliva."

yummy. thanks to clarity123 for the inaugural EKG tip. got an extreme knitting geek tip? share it with the world! or at least with the five knitters and one porno spammer who read my blog!

itchy and scratchy

swatching for carpet bag
Originally uploaded by hitbyabus.

i love this peacock blue dye job from noro. however, i am not crazy about the yarn itself. very dense (not bad) and very scratchy (not good). plus, what is it with noro yarns and all the little nubs and burrs spun into the yarn? i swear, i half expected to find a tree root in there as i was balling this stuff up. but maybe since i won't be wearing this next to my skin, it will be okay. it will be okay, right?

anybody out there making this bag? it's from melanie falick's holiday handknits. just curious about what yarn/needles you're using. i haven't found the la lana it calls for locally, which is a mohair/wool blend.