I found this on Ravelry today. Hilarious!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
No Going Back
I finally dug down deep and got the ball rolling on the finishing touches for my Surface-Woven Tote. I cast off the third and final piece about an hour ago.
If I'm quick enough here I can get to the blocking before we have to leave. Tomorrow's another track day but this time we're staying overnight in a friend's toy hauler. Somewhat hard to picture but it's like a 5th wheel trailer where the rear is one big drop-down gate. The bike and scooter (the "toys") roll right in, living quarters in the front. Oh, and this morning we picked up our third run of our RunGP T-shirts we'll sell at the track and sport bike shops here in AZ.
A few last comments on blocking:
- A neutral lining material ordered from Reprodepot (plus extra fabrics just for fun...all on clearance. Score!)
- Handles - Started the order process with the company suggested in the book. I looked around briefly on a couple other sites, but I'm kind of picky and fell IN LOVE with the handles pictured in the book.
- And finally, a totally unrelated on-line pattern for a felted vase. ...to store my needles :)
- Size 4 Rosewood needles, straights (starting the linen tube clutch tonight)
- Another felting book with another vase pattern, Knit it! Felt it!
- Blocking pins, orange and yellow plastic. Not really my style (plastic) but I want to get this blocked TODAY.
If I'm quick enough here I can get to the blocking before we have to leave. Tomorrow's another track day but this time we're staying overnight in a friend's toy hauler. Somewhat hard to picture but it's like a 5th wheel trailer where the rear is one big drop-down gate. The bike and scooter (the "toys") roll right in, living quarters in the front. Oh, and this morning we picked up our third run of our RunGP T-shirts we'll sell at the track and sport bike shops here in AZ.
A few last comments on blocking:
- This is my first time blocking.
- I know myself and I know I will not be able to leave it alone while drying.
- I know myself and I know I will not be able to wait for it to finish drying.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Tonight's the Night
This is the aforementioned crappy pattern/yarn/needles project and tonight is the night to frog.
Today was kind of a crappy day and just got worse when I got home. Not my sweetie but nearly everything else. Computer - wouldn't sign on to the internet. Phone - wouldn't sign on to the internet. I was soooo frustrated. And hungry. One roommate got home and went directly to the bbq grill. "Yeah! A baked sweet potato for dinner!" No propane. Grrrr. I stopped thinking about anything that could break or go wrong which included knitting. But this darn piece is my outlet tonight. You. Are. Done.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Racing Action Pics
Professional photos of my sweetie on his first track day this past weekend. Today he built his racing "resume" using these pics. Kind of like a promo piece to advertise himself for potential sponsors. Printed some at Kinko's today and signed one for me with a cute little note. I can't say it enough - I love him more and more every day.
Final FFBE Weekly Question
How was your experience in the exchange? Did you enjoy the folks you met? Did you just love the bag you received? Please share any thoughts, criticism, and things you loved!
I really had a lot of fun with this swap! (My very first!) It started out with the first requirement - a blog where you post at least once a week. I didn't have one before but had been considering one for years. Partly for gabbing but mostly for documenting my knitting. I felt kind of weird at first (okay, nerdly) so I didn't tell my bf for at least a week. (I get shy and embarrassed. A joke when I was 30 was that my knitting was practice for getting old.) Heck! I don't care now! And my bf is into my knit blogging. He's even posted comments and sent pictures saying, "this would be really cute on your page." How sweet :) Love him!
Then there's the swap participants - a fun group of people with different interests and different styles. I visit most sites every couple days and have enjoyed getting to know you all! With my family in Seattle and not a single friend that knits, I'm all alone in the AZ desert and not too inspired to knit. Sharing thoughts and ideas with you guys has improved my skills (thank you Kristen :) and pushed me to start new projects or pick up old ones or even *gasp* frog. Even off topic stuff like the links from Heather on where to learn how to surf after my trip to Encinitas. There's a wealth of information amongst you all!
Now for the bag - I combed my partners blog for anything that would help me pick out the right pattern and yarn. The last thing I wanted was to get her likes and dislikes wrong! With trepidation I bought the stuff and went to town on knitting. Still afraid I was going to be wrong somehow. I even had a dream about it. It turned out to be so much fun - no need to be worried.
My package - I haven't received my bag yet but it's in the mail. I got some really interesting teaser photos so I'm anxiously waiting :)
I really had a lot of fun with this swap! (My very first!) It started out with the first requirement - a blog where you post at least once a week. I didn't have one before but had been considering one for years. Partly for gabbing but mostly for documenting my knitting. I felt kind of weird at first (okay, nerdly) so I didn't tell my bf for at least a week. (I get shy and embarrassed. A joke when I was 30 was that my knitting was practice for getting old.) Heck! I don't care now! And my bf is into my knit blogging. He's even posted comments and sent pictures saying, "this would be really cute on your page." How sweet :) Love him!
Then there's the swap participants - a fun group of people with different interests and different styles. I visit most sites every couple days and have enjoyed getting to know you all! With my family in Seattle and not a single friend that knits, I'm all alone in the AZ desert and not too inspired to knit. Sharing thoughts and ideas with you guys has improved my skills (thank you Kristen :) and pushed me to start new projects or pick up old ones or even *gasp* frog. Even off topic stuff like the links from Heather on where to learn how to surf after my trip to Encinitas. There's a wealth of information amongst you all!
Now for the bag - I combed my partners blog for anything that would help me pick out the right pattern and yarn. The last thing I wanted was to get her likes and dislikes wrong! With trepidation I bought the stuff and went to town on knitting. Still afraid I was going to be wrong somehow. I even had a dream about it. It turned out to be so much fun - no need to be worried.
My package - I haven't received my bag yet but it's in the mail. I got some really interesting teaser photos so I'm anxiously waiting :)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Project Status
Today's Knitting Daily on UFOs got me to thinking. Where am I at with my projects and why? I don't have too many OTN but there's a couple that I haven't touched in a while. With all the focus on racing recently I've been knitting, just not posting about it. Allow me to bring you up to speed:
The Surface-Woven Tote - my favorite project at the moment. This pic shows much more accurate colors. You can't see the texture or purls or even the size of the piece I just casted on. It apparently blended in to the front/back pieces really well. I'm about 8 inches into a 50 inch piece. After that is the blocking and lining. Knitting Daily referenced some blocking techniques (here and here) and suggestions so I think I'm going to be okay. The lining... well, we'll see. I'm really excited about picking out a pattern here, but not so excited about sewing although Polly has been very encouraging.
Lucy's baby jacket - tedious as explained before. I'm on row 24 of 36 before a few rows of pattern, some finishing and that's it. The finishing on this one isn't going to bother me. Simple stitching on the arms. The neck, waist and cuffs will be folded inward and the holes you can kind of see will be folded in half and become an easy scalloped edge.
The beach blanket :) I love this one. It's nice and loose on the needles (unlike the baby jacket. I used to be a much tighter knitter.) The color changes motivate me through the potential monotony which so far hasn't surfaced. This is my first project using Continental - nearly a requirement for seed stitch - and what a delight. I actually like the feel of the yarn even though it's partially acrylic. The colors themselves are fun. I'm almost to the end of the first repeat of five. I've been planning on taking a skein to my LYS for a comparable yarn in a different color - reds, green maybe.
Lucy's baby blanket - This might be the first project where I actually felt sadness upon completion. I was so intent on finally finishing it, yet a day or two later I thought to myself, "Oh! I can go knit Lucy's blanket." In a split second I was saddened when I realized it was already off the needles. I don't recall ever feeling that way about a project. Usually it's, "eh I have ____ to knit." So that's the knitting part, the finishing however has me frustrated. You can see them on the left-hand side of the pic - two rows and a partial. Plenty more to go. The bullion knots don't stay likely due to the lace. To compensate, because I HATE going back to secure each and every knot, I've come up with a four-step process: Create knot, put needle on longer tail, needle up through lace and down through knot, tie off. This not only secures the knot but leaves only one knot on the wrong side - a bit tidier.
Two projects not pictured: Linen Tube Clutch - yarn purchased just not on the needles yet. Yoga bag - hate it. Difficult lacy pattern I never got the hang of. Plenty of mistake rows but I'm not much of a frogger. Needles were never long enough for all the stitches. The soft lime green cotton yarn will soon become part of my stash. Be gone you!
And here's my little Ronnie. She's been a little out of sorts for the past 24 hours. While we were at the race track she was home with the roommate when the wind started up. She's a little bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to the howling of the wind and the clanging of the blinds. Had I been at home with her I would have comforted her and babied her through the storm; assuring her everything was okay. Roommate wasn't aware that the ominous but loving pit bull was afraid of something. By the time we got home and realized that she was scared, she was shivering visibly and panting with her tongue hanging all the way out. I cooked dinner with her at my feet; a towel on the floor to catch the drool. (Normally not a slobbery dog.) When I went up stairs she heeled beautifully - not her style, she's usually first to the top. Then this morning she was still a little shaken. G took both of the dogs today while he ran his errands. She's fine now, just a little worn out from all that stress.
The Surface-Woven Tote - my favorite project at the moment. This pic shows much more accurate colors. You can't see the texture or purls or even the size of the piece I just casted on. It apparently blended in to the front/back pieces really well. I'm about 8 inches into a 50 inch piece. After that is the blocking and lining. Knitting Daily referenced some blocking techniques (here and here) and suggestions so I think I'm going to be okay. The lining... well, we'll see. I'm really excited about picking out a pattern here, but not so excited about sewing although Polly has been very encouraging.Lucy's baby jacket - tedious as explained before. I'm on row 24 of 36 before a few rows of pattern, some finishing and that's it. The finishing on this one isn't going to bother me. Simple stitching on the arms. The neck, waist and cuffs will be folded inward and the holes you can kind of see will be folded in half and become an easy scalloped edge.The beach blanket :) I love this one. It's nice and loose on the needles (unlike the baby jacket. I used to be a much tighter knitter.) The color changes motivate me through the potential monotony which so far hasn't surfaced. This is my first project using Continental - nearly a requirement for seed stitch - and what a delight. I actually like the feel of the yarn even though it's partially acrylic. The colors themselves are fun. I'm almost to the end of the first repeat of five. I've been planning on taking a skein to my LYS for a comparable yarn in a different color - reds, green maybe. Lucy's baby blanket - This might be the first project where I actually felt sadness upon completion. I was so intent on finally finishing it, yet a day or two later I thought to myself, "Oh! I can go knit Lucy's blanket." In a split second I was saddened when I realized it was already off the needles. I don't recall ever feeling that way about a project. Usually it's, "eh I have ____ to knit." So that's the knitting part, the finishing however has me frustrated. You can see them on the left-hand side of the pic - two rows and a partial. Plenty more to go. The bullion knots don't stay likely due to the lace. To compensate, because I HATE going back to secure each and every knot, I've come up with a four-step process: Create knot, put needle on longer tail, needle up through lace and down through knot, tie off. This not only secures the knot but leaves only one knot on the wrong side - a bit tidier.
Two projects not pictured: Linen Tube Clutch - yarn purchased just not on the needles yet. Yoga bag - hate it. Difficult lacy pattern I never got the hang of. Plenty of mistake rows but I'm not much of a frogger. Needles were never long enough for all the stitches. The soft lime green cotton yarn will soon become part of my stash. Be gone you!
And here's my little Ronnie. She's been a little out of sorts for the past 24 hours. While we were at the race track she was home with the roommate when the wind started up. She's a little bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to the howling of the wind and the clanging of the blinds. Had I been at home with her I would have comforted her and babied her through the storm; assuring her everything was okay. Roommate wasn't aware that the ominous but loving pit bull was afraid of something. By the time we got home and realized that she was scared, she was shivering visibly and panting with her tongue hanging all the way out. I cooked dinner with her at my feet; a towel on the floor to catch the drool. (Normally not a slobbery dog.) When I went up stairs she heeled beautifully - not her style, she's usually first to the top. Then this morning she was still a little shaken. G took both of the dogs today while he ran his errands. She's fine now, just a little worn out from all that stress.
First Track Day
Fun Fun weekend! Friday and Saturday were spent getting everything together for going to the track. U-Haul couldn't fix the taillights they messed up when installing the hitch on the Volvo wagon so we got a good deal on a pickup. Picked up stickers, tie-downs, t-shirts, water cooler and other little odds and ends. Cooked up some food, packed the truck and got to bed early.
Track day - Sunday we got up at 4am so that we could get to the track before the gates opened at 6. Good pit placement is very helpful - this time we got an electrical outlet so we didn't have to use the generator. Unload, set up, racer's meeting. Initial lap times were slow because the track started out really slick but as the rubber got laid down on the track it got more grip. BF was so happy to be out on the track. I watched his times improve and his form get better. As the day went on it got really windy which makes it hard to ride a bike. Imagine your car on the freeway at 65mph getting pushed by the wind. Worse for a bike but even worse when the bike is going 150mph. No crashes to speak of but we were waiting for word from Daytona where the rest of the guys were racing. One guy went down really hard - his bike was taken back to the pits but he wasn't. Thankfully it turned out to be a concussion and bruising. The ambulance had taken him as a precautionary measure because he probably got knocked out. Our day finally came to a close - packed up and made it home by 5pm. Exhausted but happy. I love watching my BF get into his racing and I love being there to help and support. Next track day is next weekend!
***Oh, I took my knitting just in case but there really wasn't enough down time to break it out. Sunday night I finished the second side of my tote and casted on for the sides and bottom. Starting to get a little worried about lining and blocking....
Zuma - I took one trip on the Zuma to confirm tire pressure with the dealer. He laughed a little because our discussion when he set up G's tires was something to the effect of, "Write this down so I don't have to tell you repeatedly like most guys." What happened? I transposed some numbers. I tried - good intentions. My ride over was okay, but the ride back was a little shaky. Laughed at myself the whole way. I would have ridden lots more but the photographer kept taking our scooter out to different turns on the track. Which brings me to ...
Professional photos - Better pics will be coming this week. Without the Zuma I only had a clear shot of one corner. I took the one here of two of the guys we pitted with - Danny and Wil. Actually, the high-speed pics are really hard to take with my camera and for the most part I didn't even know who was in my pics. Let alone get a shot with two friends AND for whatever reason, catch Wil looking over at Danny. But at least this pic shows you what track days look like.
Track day - Sunday we got up at 4am so that we could get to the track before the gates opened at 6. Good pit placement is very helpful - this time we got an electrical outlet so we didn't have to use the generator. Unload, set up, racer's meeting. Initial lap times were slow because the track started out really slick but as the rubber got laid down on the track it got more grip. BF was so happy to be out on the track. I watched his times improve and his form get better. As the day went on it got really windy which makes it hard to ride a bike. Imagine your car on the freeway at 65mph getting pushed by the wind. Worse for a bike but even worse when the bike is going 150mph. No crashes to speak of but we were waiting for word from Daytona where the rest of the guys were racing. One guy went down really hard - his bike was taken back to the pits but he wasn't. Thankfully it turned out to be a concussion and bruising. The ambulance had taken him as a precautionary measure because he probably got knocked out. Our day finally came to a close - packed up and made it home by 5pm. Exhausted but happy. I love watching my BF get into his racing and I love being there to help and support. Next track day is next weekend!
***Oh, I took my knitting just in case but there really wasn't enough down time to break it out. Sunday night I finished the second side of my tote and casted on for the sides and bottom. Starting to get a little worried about lining and blocking....
Zuma - I took one trip on the Zuma to confirm tire pressure with the dealer. He laughed a little because our discussion when he set up G's tires was something to the effect of, "Write this down so I don't have to tell you repeatedly like most guys." What happened? I transposed some numbers. I tried - good intentions. My ride over was okay, but the ride back was a little shaky. Laughed at myself the whole way. I would have ridden lots more but the photographer kept taking our scooter out to different turns on the track. Which brings me to ...
Professional photos - Better pics will be coming this week. Without the Zuma I only had a clear shot of one corner. I took the one here of two of the guys we pitted with - Danny and Wil. Actually, the high-speed pics are really hard to take with my camera and for the most part I didn't even know who was in my pics. Let alone get a shot with two friends AND for whatever reason, catch Wil looking over at Danny. But at least this pic shows you what track days look like.
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