We're having June gloom a bit early in LA this year. It's been overcast since Sunday.
I finished the tank top I was working on but won't be posting pictures until I get some good natural light to snap them by. The pic I took before leaving for Stumptown was shot under a lamp and does a great injustice to the lovely colors. : (
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Hurray!
I just noticed on Ravelry that someone has started making a Mah Jongg Bag based on my pattern. She is 30% done, but there is no picture of it yet. I can't wait to see the finished project!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Spring is in the air
Now that I've frogged Dad's scarf, knitting has become fun again. I started tinkering with an idea for a tank top. This is what I have so far.
I have to set this aside for now, though. We leave for the Stumptown Comics Fest tomorrow and I haven't made a Pentapus since February. Yikes!
Pentapus: The early years
This is the first Pentapus I ever made. It doesn't look quite as pathetic in the photo as it does in person, but there's a reason this guy lives in Rob's office and not on our convention table!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
I'd like some crackers to go with the cheese
I was just walking the dog and had the following coversation:
Guy: Your dog is beautiful.
Me: Thank you.
Guy: Just like his owner.
Me: Thank you.
Guy: Are you from Tennessee?
Me: No.
Guy: Well, you're the only ten I see.
Me: I'm married, okay?
Really, really, really never ever thought anyone ever used that line in real life. How often does he get anywhere with it?
Guy: Your dog is beautiful.
Me: Thank you.
Guy: Just like his owner.
Me: Thank you.
Guy: Are you from Tennessee?
Me: No.
Guy: Well, you're the only ten I see.
Me: I'm married, okay?
Really, really, really never ever thought anyone ever used that line in real life. How often does he get anywhere with it?
Friday, April 18, 2008
Twins separated at birth?
MK Carroll and I "met" through Ravelry and have been messaging each other about how uncannily similar our dogs look. They're the same age, too. This is Toaster. Her ridiculously cute puppies (yes, plural!) can be seen here.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The End of MagKnits
I've been debating what to say about this. I'm sad to see the magazine go. I'm grateful to Kerrie for publishing my first pattern. I HATE that the whole thing had to be tainted by all these problems.
I'm extremely grateful to everyone on Ravelry who has offered words of support. Extra grateful to Knotions for agreeing to give the pattern a second home on its site.
To think getting published in MagKnits was the impetus for starting this blog. Sigh.
I'm extremely grateful to everyone on Ravelry who has offered words of support. Extra grateful to Knotions for agreeing to give the pattern a second home on its site.
To think getting published in MagKnits was the impetus for starting this blog. Sigh.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Frogged!
This is what Dad's scarf looks like now. I've knit entire sweaters in less time than it took to get halfway through this project. Sigh. Defeated by the herringbone stitch.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
A New Home for Penatpus
May 29, 2015The book my husband created this character for has finally been published. Check it out here!
Since MagKnits has gone offline, I have decided to reprint my Pentapus pattern here. Enjoy!
My husband created Pentapus for a children’s comic he has been working on. I thought this cute little guy would make a great toy, so I challenged myself to find a way to knit him even though I was still fairly new to knitting.
Each leg of the toy is knit from the bottom up. The stockiness of the legs, combined with the way they are joined together, enables the toy to stand on its own. The recommended yarn results in a super soft toy whose stitches are evident, but I have also used “furry” yarns to create cuddly Pentapi whose stitches are not apparent.
The toy is worked in the round to minimize finishing. Instead of being knitted as a separate, detachable “accessory,” the hat is attached directly to the body and is used to close off the toy. These features make this adorable, cuddly critter a quick knit that can be whipped up in a single afternoon. The minimal yarn requirements also mean this endearing fellow is a great stash reducer.
Materials neededCrystal Palace Merino Frappe [80% Merino Wool, 20%Polyamide; 140yd/128m per 50g skein]
[MC] #065 Cinnamon Toast; 1 skein[CC] # 020B New Sage; 1 skein
Note: Each skein of Crystal Palace Merino Frappe will make either 3 Pentapus bodies and 2 hats OR 2 Pentapus bodies and 3 hats, so 2 skeins will make 5 complete Pentapi.
2 set(s) US #7/4.5 mm double-point needles
Tapestry needle
5 Stitch holders or safety pins
Polyester fiberfill for stuffing
Yarn substitutes
GGH Bel Air [90% Merino Wool, 10%Polyamide; 142yd/80m per 50g skein]
GGH Esprit [100%Polyamide; 87yd/80m per 50g skein]
Each leg of the toy is knit from the bottom up. The stockiness of the legs, combined with the way they are joined together, enables the toy to stand on its own. The recommended yarn results in a super soft toy whose stitches are evident, but I have also used “furry” yarns to create cuddly Pentapi whose stitches are not apparent.
The toy is worked in the round to minimize finishing. Instead of being knitted as a separate, detachable “accessory,” the hat is attached directly to the body and is used to close off the toy. These features make this adorable, cuddly critter a quick knit that can be whipped up in a single afternoon. The minimal yarn requirements also mean this endearing fellow is a great stash reducer.
Materials neededCrystal Palace Merino Frappe [80% Merino Wool, 20%Polyamide; 140yd/128m per 50g skein]
[MC] #065 Cinnamon Toast; 1 skein[CC] # 020B New Sage; 1 skein
Note: Each skein of Crystal Palace Merino Frappe will make either 3 Pentapus bodies and 2 hats OR 2 Pentapus bodies and 3 hats, so 2 skeins will make 5 complete Pentapi.
2 set(s) US #7/4.5 mm double-point needles
Tapestry needle
5 Stitch holders or safety pins
Polyester fiberfill for stuffing
Yarn substitutes
GGH Bel Air [90% Merino Wool, 10%Polyamide; 142yd/80m per 50g skein]
GGH Esprit [100%Polyamide; 87yd/80m per 50g skein]
SizesOne size fits children of all ages. : )
Gauge
20 sts/24 rows = 10cm (4 inches) in stockinette stitch
20 sts/24 rows = 10cm (4 inches) in stockinette stitch
Special Stitch Instructions: Duplicate Stitch Embroidery
Thread a tapestry needle with desired embroidery thread. Bring the tip of the needle from the WS of work to the RS at the base of the first stitch to be worked. “Trace” this stitch by bringing the needle through both loops of the stitch above it and reinserting it at the base of the stitch being traced.
Legs – Make 5
Using MC, cast 6 sts onto a DPN using long tail cast on. Distribute over 3 needles so that once you are working in the round, you have 2 sts on each needle. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.
Round 1: Knit, knitting in tail from cast on.
Round 2: Kfb every stitch. You will now have a total of 12 sts, 4 on each needle.
Cont in St st until work measures 2.75 inches. This will create a tube about the length of your index finger and it should fit your finger like the finger of a glove.
Place the next 8 sts
on a safety pin or stitch holder. Leave the last 4 sts on the DPN. This DPN will become a holder for all subsequent legs. Break yarn, leaving a 3 inch tail.
As you finish each subsequent leg, transfer the next 8 sts to a safety pin or stitch holder. Place the last 4 sts on the same DPN that is holding the last 4 sts of each previous leg. Break yarn, leaving a 3 inch tail. Be sure that the open tops of each leg are all on the same side of the DPN.
Joining Inner Portion of Legs
Take the DPN that holds all 5 legs in your left hand. The open tops of the legs should face away from you. Using MC, attach the legs to each other as follows: k3tog, k3tog, k3tog, k2tog, k3tog, k3tog, k3tog. 7 sts rem.
Distribute these 7 sts over 3 DPNs Join to work in the round being careful not to twist. Work as follows: k2tog, k2tog, k3tog. 3 sts rem.
Place the 3 rem sts on a single DPN. K3tog. Break yarn. Pass end of yarn through remaining stitch and pull loop closed.
Joining Outer Portion of Legs and Forming the Body
Distribute the 40 sts that have been on stitch holders or safety pins over 3 DPNs.
Round 1: Using MC, knit each stitch, except where one leg ends and another begins. In these 5 places, k2tog with one stitch coming from each leg. 35 sts rem. Legs are now joined for working in the round to form the body.
Cont in St st until work measures 2 .25 inches from where legs were joined together. Break yarn, leaving a 4 inch tail. When attaching the hat to the body, knit this tail in. These few sts of MC will serve as a guide for embroidering the band of the hat.
With work still on the needles, flip work over so the bottom is facing up. Using the tails left from making each individual leg and a tapestry needle, stitch closed the gaps that resulted when legs were joined. When each gap has been closed, draw the end of the yarn inside the toy and knot off. There is no need to weave in ends as toy will be stuffed and ends hidden inside.
With CC, embroider the face as desired. The top of the eyes should be at least 4 stitches from the needle so they will not be covered by the brim of the hat.
Making and Attaching the Hat
Using CC, cast on 68 sts onto second set of DPNs. Join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.
Round 1: K, p entire round.
Round 2: [k, p, k2tog, p, k, p2tog] to last 4 sts. K, p, k2tog. 51 sts rem.
Round 3: [k, p2tog] to last 3 sts. K, p, k. 35 sts rem.
Place the DPNs holding the brim of the hat on top of the DPNs holding the body of the Pentapus, as if putting a hat on the toy’s head. Align the DPNs so that the next stitch to be worked on the body is next to the next stitch to be worked on the hat. Insert a DPN through next stitch to be worked on the body and next stitch to be worked on the hat. Knit these 2 stitches together using CC and the tail of MC attached to the body. Continue in this manner until hat has been joined to the body.
With CC, work in St st until hat measures 1 .25 inches from the point it was joined to the body.
Insert a DPN through the next stitch on the needle and through the purl of the stitch that is 2 sts below this stitch. Knit together the stitch on the needle and the purl of the stitch 2 sts. (You may need to use the tip of a tapestry needle to lift the purl over the working yarn when knitting it together with the stitch on the needle.) Continue in this manner for one full row. This creates a ridge at the top of the hat and changes the direction of the work so that the top of the hat lies flat.
Leave work on the needles – you will continue knitting to close the hat once you have embroidered the band onto the hat and stuffed the toy.
Use duplicate stitch embroidery to make the band of the hat. Knitting in the tail of the body when joining the hat to the body results in a good road map for embroidering the first few sts of the band.
Thread a tapestry needle with a double length of MC. Bring the tip of the needle from inside the toy to outside the toy, at the base of the first stitch joining the hat to the body. “Trace” this stitch by bringing the needle through both loops of the stitch above it and reinserting it at the base of the stitch being traced. Repeat on the adjacent stitch in the row, continuing until you have made a band that fully encircles the hat. Knot off ends.
Stuff toy with fiber fill. Be sure to stuff legs firmly so toy will stand on its own.
Closing the Hat
Round 1: Knit
Round 2: [K, k2tog] to last 2 sts. K, k. 24 sts rem.
Round 3: Knit
Round 4: K2tog entire round. 12 sts rem.
Round 5: Knit
Round 6: K3tog entire round. 4 sts rem.
Transfer all 4 sts to a single DPN. K4tog.
Break yarn and thread tail through loop of single remaining stitch. Pull tight. Thread a tapestry needle with tail and weave through a few stitches in top of the hat. Push needle through center of hat, down into body and out the bottom of toy. Knot off. Trim excess yarn.
Thread a tapestry needle with desired embroidery thread. Bring the tip of the needle from the WS of work to the RS at the base of the first stitch to be worked. “Trace” this stitch by bringing the needle through both loops of the stitch above it and reinserting it at the base of the stitch being traced.
Legs – Make 5
Using MC, cast 6 sts onto a DPN using long tail cast on. Distribute over 3 needles so that once you are working in the round, you have 2 sts on each needle. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.
Round 1: Knit, knitting in tail from cast on.
Round 2: Kfb every stitch. You will now have a total of 12 sts, 4 on each needle.
Cont in St st until work measures 2.75 inches. This will create a tube about the length of your index finger and it should fit your finger like the finger of a glove.
Place the next 8 sts
on a safety pin or stitch holder. Leave the last 4 sts on the DPN. This DPN will become a holder for all subsequent legs. Break yarn, leaving a 3 inch tail.As you finish each subsequent leg, transfer the next 8 sts to a safety pin or stitch holder. Place the last 4 sts on the same DPN that is holding the last 4 sts of each previous leg. Break yarn, leaving a 3 inch tail. Be sure that the open tops of each leg are all on the same side of the DPN.
Joining Inner Portion of Legs
Take the DPN that holds all 5 legs in your left hand. The open tops of the legs should face away from you. Using MC, attach the legs to each other as follows: k3tog, k3tog, k3tog, k2tog, k3tog, k3tog, k3tog. 7 sts rem.
Distribute these 7 sts over 3 DPNs Join to work in the round being careful not to twist. Work as follows: k2tog, k2tog, k3tog. 3 sts rem.
Place the 3 rem sts on a single DPN. K3tog. Break yarn. Pass end of yarn through remaining stitch and pull loop closed.
Joining Outer Portion of Legs and Forming the Body
Distribute the 40 sts that have been on stitch holders or safety pins over 3 DPNs.
Round 1: Using MC, knit each stitch, except where one leg ends and another begins. In these 5 places, k2tog with one stitch coming from each leg. 35 sts rem. Legs are now joined for working in the round to form the body.
Cont in St st until work measures 2 .25 inches from where legs were joined together. Break yarn, leaving a 4 inch tail. When attaching the hat to the body, knit this tail in. These few sts of MC will serve as a guide for embroidering the band of the hat.
With work still on the needles, flip work over so the bottom is facing up. Using the tails left from making each individual leg and a tapestry needle, stitch closed the gaps that resulted when legs were joined. When each gap has been closed, draw the end of the yarn inside the toy and knot off. There is no need to weave in ends as toy will be stuffed and ends hidden inside.
With CC, embroider the face as desired. The top of the eyes should be at least 4 stitches from the needle so they will not be covered by the brim of the hat.
Making and Attaching the Hat
Using CC, cast on 68 sts onto second set of DPNs. Join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.
Round 1: K, p entire round.
Round 2: [k, p, k2tog, p, k, p2tog] to last 4 sts. K, p, k2tog. 51 sts rem.
Round 3: [k, p2tog] to last 3 sts. K, p, k. 35 sts rem.
Place the DPNs holding the brim of the hat on top of the DPNs holding the body of the Pentapus, as if putting a hat on the toy’s head. Align the DPNs so that the next stitch to be worked on the body is next to the next stitch to be worked on the hat. Insert a DPN through next stitch to be worked on the body and next stitch to be worked on the hat. Knit these 2 stitches together using CC and the tail of MC attached to the body. Continue in this manner until hat has been joined to the body.
With CC, work in St st until hat measures 1 .25 inches from the point it was joined to the body.
Insert a DPN through the next stitch on the needle and through the purl of the stitch that is 2 sts below this stitch. Knit together the stitch on the needle and the purl of the stitch 2 sts. (You may need to use the tip of a tapestry needle to lift the purl over the working yarn when knitting it together with the stitch on the needle.) Continue in this manner for one full row. This creates a ridge at the top of the hat and changes the direction of the work so that the top of the hat lies flat.
Leave work on the needles – you will continue knitting to close the hat once you have embroidered the band onto the hat and stuffed the toy.
Use duplicate stitch embroidery to make the band of the hat. Knitting in the tail of the body when joining the hat to the body results in a good road map for embroidering the first few sts of the band.
Thread a tapestry needle with a double length of MC. Bring the tip of the needle from inside the toy to outside the toy, at the base of the first stitch joining the hat to the body. “Trace” this stitch by bringing the needle through both loops of the stitch above it and reinserting it at the base of the stitch being traced. Repeat on the adjacent stitch in the row, continuing until you have made a band that fully encircles the hat. Knot off ends.
Stuff toy with fiber fill. Be sure to stuff legs firmly so toy will stand on its own.
Closing the Hat
Round 1: Knit
Round 2: [K, k2tog] to last 2 sts. K, k. 24 sts rem.
Round 3: Knit
Round 4: K2tog entire round. 12 sts rem.
Round 5: Knit
Round 6: K3tog entire round. 4 sts rem.
Transfer all 4 sts to a single DPN. K4tog.
Break yarn and thread tail through loop of single remaining stitch. Pull tight. Thread a tapestry needle with tail and weave through a few stitches in top of the hat. Push needle through center of hat, down into body and out the bottom of toy. Knot off. Trim excess yarn.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
One of the 5,286 reasons I LOVE Ravelry
But who's counting?
A woman I met at a comic convention in Portland found me through Ravelry. (We were both hunched over our needles while manning the tables of our significant others.)
Browsing through her queue, I found the pattern for this hat by MK Caroll. It was love at first sight!
Browsing through her queue, I found the pattern for this hat by MK Caroll. It was love at first sight!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Scarf Season Part 2
Still trudging along on Dad's scarf. I've been working on this for almost two months and I am BARELY halfway done. Yikes! I wanted to make a spring sweater using these needles, but I don't think that will be happening. Good thing Christmas is still 9 months away!Now that I'm on Ravelry, I've been reading about other people's experiences with this pattern. A lot of them found it tedious as well. Part of me wishes I knew that before I began, but I'm not sure reading about the frustrations of others would have deterred me from taking a stab at this -- my ego usually thinks I am not susceptible to the same issues as mere mortals!
What's worse, is I'm not even sure if this going to look good when it's done. I used a diffe
rent yarn and the herringbone pattern is barely visible in it. Also, one row of stitches looks completely funky and I have NO idea why. When I look at them closely, they appear to all be slipped and knitted correctly, but for some reason that particular row looks like a run in a pair of panty hose. Ugh! Other ravelers say blocking does wonders for this pattern. I've always skipped blocking, but I'll give it a try this time. After all the hours I've invested in this, I've got to somehow find a way to make it look presentable!The slow progress of this proj
ect has totally gotten me down. To get a sense of accomplishment, I decided set it aside for a while and start a scarf for my Dad's wife, Barb,. It's knitted with Misti Alpaca, on 9's instead of 10's to create a denser, warmer scarf. Rob says it looks like television static. After I got done being mad at him for that, I decided he was right. Hopefully, Barb will like it. I asked my Dad for her favorite colors and he thought she'd like a mix of grays. Then again, I asked my Dad for color advice. That may have been mistake number one!Friday, March 28, 2008
Pentapus Marches On
I knitted this army of Pentapi while manning the table at WonderCon.
Rob will be selling them this weekend at Super Market.
I've been invited to teach a class on how to make Pentapus. For details, check out The Little Knittery website.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Ravelry
At WonderCon, two people asked me if I'm on Ravelry. I had no idea what they were talking about. Tonight, I was at my favorite LYS and someone else mentioned Ravelry. I decided to check it out and now that I know what it is, I can't wait to get my invitation! Judging by the numbers posted on the site, it will be at least a week before I can log in and start enjoying it.
If you are equally as clueless as me, you can check out Ravelry here.
If you are equally as clueless as me, you can check out Ravelry here.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Wonder-Con
Rob and I spent the weekend at Wonder-Con in San Francisco. I'm sure he'll be blogging about it for those of you who are interested in actually hearing about the comics. You can check out his blog here.
What I am excited to report is that, by some fluke, a woman who freelances for Craft magazine came by our table and saw the toys I knit based on Rob's character Pentapus. She wants to interview me for the magazine. Sweet!
What I am excited to report is that, by some fluke, a woman who freelances for Craft magazine came by our table and saw the toys I knit based on Rob's character Pentapus. She wants to interview me for the magazine. Sweet!
Does Anyone Know What's Happening at MagKnits?
It's almost March and the January issue is still the live one with no February issue in sight. Any ideas???
Monday, February 11, 2008
Scarf Season
I've been swamped with work (before Valentine's Day is a VERY busy time for the home pleasure party business) but I've still managed to get a few stitches in.
On January 31, my older sister had a big birthday, the kind that ends in a zero. She always makes presents for people -- scrapbooks or something she has crocheted -- so I decided such a momentous birthday merited a handmade present from me. I knitted her a scarf, but sadly I can't post any pictures because I finished it 30 seconds before the UPS guy arrived at my office. Does this sound familiar? I can say she loved it and she told me it is the first handmade present she has ever gotten. This depressed me a bit, so I am thinking about what I can make her for Christmas.
Speaking of Christmas, I resolved to knit Christmas presents early this year. Staying up till 4AM on Christmas Eve to finish a gift will, hopefully, be a once in a lifetime experience. I started a scarf for my Dad to match his gloves. That pattern is here and it is kicking my butt. I decided to do it in Cascade 220, which is what I used for the gloves, and even though I knit a fairly large test swatch, I still goofed it up and had to rip it out twice. That may have had more to do with how exhausted I've been and not a reflection of the pattern's difficulty. I'm now about 12 rows in and seem to be on track. I'll post a picture as soon as I have completed enough for it to actually look like something.
In other scarf news, I'm planning to knit a scarf for my best friend, Patty, as a thank you for letting Rob and I stay with her. Rob has a table at Wonder-Con in San Francisco and Patty always lets us use her as a hotel when we are in town for conventions. Wonder-Con is in two weeks and I haven't been able to get to the yarn store to pick out some awesome yarn. It's a good thing San Francisco is a 5 hour drive from LA. Sigh. This will probably be one more masterpiece that doesn't get immortalized with a photo on this blog. : )
On January 31, my older sister had a big birthday, the kind that ends in a zero. She always makes presents for people -- scrapbooks or something she has crocheted -- so I decided such a momentous birthday merited a handmade present from me. I knitted her a scarf, but sadly I can't post any pictures because I finished it 30 seconds before the UPS guy arrived at my office. Does this sound familiar? I can say she loved it and she told me it is the first handmade present she has ever gotten. This depressed me a bit, so I am thinking about what I can make her for Christmas.
Speaking of Christmas, I resolved to knit Christmas presents early this year. Staying up till 4AM on Christmas Eve to finish a gift will, hopefully, be a once in a lifetime experience. I started a scarf for my Dad to match his gloves. That pattern is here and it is kicking my butt. I decided to do it in Cascade 220, which is what I used for the gloves, and even though I knit a fairly large test swatch, I still goofed it up and had to rip it out twice. That may have had more to do with how exhausted I've been and not a reflection of the pattern's difficulty. I'm now about 12 rows in and seem to be on track. I'll post a picture as soon as I have completed enough for it to actually look like something.
In other scarf news, I'm planning to knit a scarf for my best friend, Patty, as a thank you for letting Rob and I stay with her. Rob has a table at Wonder-Con in San Francisco and Patty always lets us use her as a hotel when we are in town for conventions. Wonder-Con is in two weeks and I haven't been able to get to the yarn store to pick out some awesome yarn. It's a good thing San Francisco is a 5 hour drive from LA. Sigh. This will probably be one more masterpiece that doesn't get immortalized with a photo on this blog. : )
Monday, January 21, 2008
It ain't easy being green
Boy, Kermit sure had it right, but I don't think he was talking about the environment when he sang those words so many years ago.
For three years, my husband and I have shopped every Sunday at our local farmers' market. In addition to the usual fare, our market has several vendors who sell artisan soaps. We like these soaps very much, but much to our chagrin, every time we buy it, we have to FIGHT not to get a bag.
I heard today on NPR that one trillion plastic bags are produced every year, about 1,000 for every person on the planet. Even before I knew that horrifying piece of trivia, I've been a fan of reusable, canvas shopping bags. I mean really, it's not that hard to say, "I don't need a bag." Five simple words that can do a lot of good for our seriously diseased planet.
Five simple words that are simple to say, but not so easy to hear, at least not for any of the three different soap vendors at our market. Every other vendor at the market has always respected the fact we bring our own bags. Soap vendors really have an issue with it, even when I show them that one of our canvas bags actually has a separate pocket where the soap can sit all by its lonesome, safe from whatever terrifying injuries our tangerines might want to inflict on it.
We've tried all sorts of tricks to avoid arguing with the soap vendors. At one vendor, we've learned to always have exact change --that way we can pick up our bar and scoot away while he's still waving a plastic bag at us. Yesterday, however, we bought from a vendor who has to cut the bars from a large brick. Despite our objections, our soap was wrapped in a cardboard take-out container, which I have now set aside to bring back to the market so I can avoid having another one forced on me next week.
What are these soap vendors so in love with their packaging? Is naked soap really so offensive? Or perhaps they are afraid that without a bag, their beloved soaps might -- gasp! -- get dirty???
For three years, my husband and I have shopped every Sunday at our local farmers' market. In addition to the usual fare, our market has several vendors who sell artisan soaps. We like these soaps very much, but much to our chagrin, every time we buy it, we have to FIGHT not to get a bag.
I heard today on NPR that one trillion plastic bags are produced every year, about 1,000 for every person on the planet. Even before I knew that horrifying piece of trivia, I've been a fan of reusable, canvas shopping bags. I mean really, it's not that hard to say, "I don't need a bag." Five simple words that can do a lot of good for our seriously diseased planet.
Five simple words that are simple to say, but not so easy to hear, at least not for any of the three different soap vendors at our market. Every other vendor at the market has always respected the fact we bring our own bags. Soap vendors really have an issue with it, even when I show them that one of our canvas bags actually has a separate pocket where the soap can sit all by its lonesome, safe from whatever terrifying injuries our tangerines might want to inflict on it.
We've tried all sorts of tricks to avoid arguing with the soap vendors. At one vendor, we've learned to always have exact change --that way we can pick up our bar and scoot away while he's still waving a plastic bag at us. Yesterday, however, we bought from a vendor who has to cut the bars from a large brick. Despite our objections, our soap was wrapped in a cardboard take-out container, which I have now set aside to bring back to the market so I can avoid having another one forced on me next week.
What are these soap vendors so in love with their packaging? Is naked soap really so offensive? Or perhaps they are afraid that without a bag, their beloved soaps might -- gasp! -- get dirty???
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Before and After
My friend Geraldine started a scarf and then abandoned it because she had run out of yarn before the scarf reached the desired length. When she got tired of this unfinished piece taking up space, she handed it off to me to see if I could do anything with it. The scarf was curling in on itself because she had worked it in stockinette stitch with no edge stitches. The yarn was very bulky and she had cast on 23 stitches, resulting in a VERY wide scarf. After looking at it, I realized the only option was to frog it and start from scratch.
Geraldine is a fashion designer, so I wanted to make her a scarf with a little pizzazz. I toyed with a few ideas, including mixing the bulky yarn with a lighter weight one to create contrasting textures.Ultimately, I decided just to use the existing yarn. I cast on 120 stiches and knit the scarf lengthwise, in the round, in seed stitch. After reaching the desired width, I cast off all but 10 stitches and unwound those 10 columns. The resulting yarn was cut at the center point, creating the fringe.
Even though I cast on and off loosely, the edges of the scarf are a tad stiffer than I would have liked, but they give the scarf a bit of structure and Geraldine seemed to like it!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Bang, bang! Merry Christmas?
I stayed up until 4 in the morning on Christmas Eve finishing Rob's present. Around 3, I heard a guy who lives in the building next door talk another guy out of shooting him.
From what I could hear of the conversation, the guy with the gun had been driving around looking for someone who had "done him wrong." He came across our neighbor drinking 40's with his friends in their front yard and pulled a gun. Our neighbor very calmly explained he had the wrong person and the guy eventually drove off without firing a shot.
I considered calling the police, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. Over the summer, shots were actually fired into the courtyard next door and when our downstairs neighbor called, the cops came half an hour later. Their "investigation" consisted of driving down the street once with a floodlight on.
Gotta love Hollywood.
Back to Rob's present. I used the "Hero" sweater pattern in the fall issue of knitscene for inspiration. Rob likes his clothes to be fitted, so I did the whole sweater in a stretchy 3 X 1 rib instead of doing the front in chevron as the pattern called for.
Here's a picture of Rob modeling it in our front yard. He wore it to a New Year's Eve party and Jenny Ryan, who runs Felt Club commented that it was a "nice fit." Coming from such an expert, that seemed like quite a compliment!
From what I could hear of the conversation, the guy with the gun had been driving around looking for someone who had "done him wrong." He came across our neighbor drinking 40's with his friends in their front yard and pulled a gun. Our neighbor very calmly explained he had the wrong person and the guy eventually drove off without firing a shot.
I considered calling the police, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. Over the summer, shots were actually fired into the courtyard next door and when our downstairs neighbor called, the cops came half an hour later. Their "investigation" consisted of driving down the street once with a floodlight on.
Gotta love Hollywood.
Back to Rob's present. I used the "Hero" sweater pattern in the fall issue of knitscene for inspiration. Rob likes his clothes to be fitted, so I did the whole sweater in a stretchy 3 X 1 rib instead of doing the front in chevron as the pattern called for.
Here's a picture of Rob modeling it in our front yard. He wore it to a New Year's Eve party and Jenny Ryan, who runs Felt Club commented that it was a "nice fit." Coming from such an expert, that seemed like quite a compliment!
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