Knit or Go Home

Time to set aside the double pointed needles for a while and give something else a try: the so-called “Magic Loop”! Have to say - I do love it! It took some getting used to, but I’m getting there. I like the idea of it for sure, especially from a portability stand point. I love my DPNs, but they really are a hassle to travel with - the magic loop doesn’t have that problem! And the best feature I still have yet to figure out, but you can make 2-at-a-time projects (ie: socks, gloves, mittens) which banishes the so-called “second sock syndrome.” By making both the left and right at the same time, you finish them both together and will end up with matching lengths! Genius, albeit a bit confusing with 2 balls of yarn going on 2 separate pieces. I’ll get there.

To do the magic loop, you will need one long circular needle in the size for your project. I went with purchasing 40″ size 2 and 3 Knit Picks Harmony Wood needles, as well as a 40″ cable and sizes 5 and 6 Harmony tips. I am very happy with these needles, and can’t wait to buy the whole set! They have really great grip on slippery yarn and I always love wood needles. They are a bit pricey, but a whole lot cheaper than Addi turbos or other similar 40″ circs. The following video got me started, so take a look!

If you are an avid knitter or crocheter, and read any blogs or listen to any podcasts, you have CERTAINLY heard of the amazingness that is RAVELRY.  If you haven’t heard of it, wake up!  Ravelry is so incredible, and completely to blame for my lack of blog updates recently.  I’m UberOrange, please look me up and add me as your friend!

It is so many things, I can’t cover them all.  My favorites?

- The perfect online tool for organizing your yarn, hooks, needles and projects.

- An amazing source of patterns, both free and for purchase.

- A simple way to see other people who have made a project, so you can see how a project looks made in different yarns and by different people.  Priceless when it comes to making project decisions.

- An easy way to talk to other crafters and get help with projects

-  The perfect way to become a new designer.  I’m even one!

- Great pattern and book library, to organize your stash and browse others.

I can’t say enough about Ravelry other than to get on it yourself!  It takes a little patience to get on the list, but so worth it.  And the site itself has so much to it, it can seem a little daunting, but it is addictive once you start.  And be sure to set up a Flickr account if you don’t already have one, otherwise no way to put pictures on your site.

www.ravelry.com

So I’m searching and searching for the right patterns to use up the bins of yarn in my house with little success. It seems that the yarns I always want to use for something just won’t stack up. I don’t if you have those same problems, but I found this chart online and found it endlessly helpful. I don’t know why people haven’t just picked a yarn standard for each weight and stuck with it, but it seems like every pattern has a different name for yarn weights, and many just neglect to say it at all. So here are two vital websites for yarn substitutions:

A yarn weight system chart: Yarn Standards

And a yarn index, doesn’t have it all, but darn close: YarnDex

Hope these help with your substitution choices, and check back soon - I have many projects in the their final phases - many pictures and patterns to come soon!

First off, I’m sorry again - school and planning graduation (and freaking out about the real world and being a grown-up!) has prevented me from even touching a ball of yarn in over a week - I’m certainly going through withdrawals, let me tell you.  Sadness.  I promise, promise that I will have a new project to post soon - a pretty cabled purse!

Until then, another random tip to share - a show on HGTV/DIY Network - Knitty Gritty!  It isn’t the most thrilling 30 minutes of TV you will watch, but it is pretty fun to have a show focused on knitting!  The projects range from very cute to borderline hideous, but the show is always good for a new technique.  Never stop learning!  The girl who hosts it is a little forced, but then again, she is trying to make knitting a TV-worthy event.  Don’t get me wrong, I get excited about the simplest thing related to yarn, but it just doesn’t film all that well.

This was supposed to be praise - so let me try again: in the time before I have a new picture to post, check out Knitty Gritty - good knitting fun!  Have a good one!

So I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it, but I’m a graduating senior at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), majoring in Microbiology (I know, can’t get much further from knitting can I?). I’m in my last quarter and I’m in quite a load of classes in order to graduate this June. As a result, my time to devote to new projects is scarce. Aside from multiple drink cozies and a purse that I’m almost done with, I don’t have any new projects to post yet. (But the purse is darn cute, I’ll post it as soon as it is done.)

So instead, I wanted to let people in on a few trick of the trade as it were, things that changed my yarn life for the better. They may seem trivial, but they make a world of difference! Hopefully I can enrich your yarn adventures too. (=

Things I Can’t Live Without in My Knitting Bag (I’m a sucker for notions!)

~ Safety pins - especially for crochet! If you are working on a project somewhere, and it’s time to pack up and move, don’t risk losing your progress - slip the working loop onto a safety pin and close - voila! Now your work is safe a sound.  They can also double as small stitch holders (when making I-cords, for example)  I swear, this safety pin trick has changed my life. (=

~ Thread cutter pendant - I just discovered this a few weeks ago, but it is a circular pendant that is actually a thread and yarn cutter. It is supposed to be airline friendly, which simplifies the process of working on yarn projects in air. I’m so sick of getting my Swiss army knives taken and being stuck in the middle of a project because I can’t cut my yarn. Problem solved!

~ Post-It Notes - So I love sticky notes anyway, but they are absolutely essential when I’m following a pattern. I use one to mark the page of the pattern (if in a book) as well as any other notes I need for help. But the crucial note is the one I use to mark my place. I use a Post-It to mark above the round I’m on - this way, when I glance down at the pattern, I don’t accidentally follow the instructions of the wrong round. Added bonus - helps you remember where you are when you walk away for a while or get distracted and lose track. No worries - the Post-It is there to save you!

~ Split-ring stitch markers - they are simple, yet makes marking things in crochet very easy. Closed ring markers are of no use in crochet, but the split rings can be used to mark the right side of the work, the beginning of a round (so you know where to slip stitch), and the target stitch when you are teaching beginners. I teach crochet, and I find them very helpful in teaching people which stitch is their next one when they get lost.

I have many others I love, but they are a little more mundane: Crochet hook, yarn needles, tape measurer, pen, stitch holders, stitch counters, needle protectors (help keep stitches on your needles during travel as well), and those stitch counters that go on your needles.

Lastly, my new favorite website - it makes yarn substitutions sooo easy!

YarnDex

You can easily search for any yarns, and find out what weight it is, the fiber content, colors, and where to find it.  Genius!

Happy Knitting and Crocheting - Hopefully I’ll some good picture to post soon!

If you don’t already know about this site, I’m about the rock your yarn world. The best patterns (and completely free!!) and great articles. My newest favorite article is here, and is about why do we always start beginners with scarves, when they take forever and are completely repetitive! I don’t even like making scarves because they reach that point about half-way through where they never seem to get longer. (=

But devote some time to checking out this site: Knitty

So I’ve been doing this yarn thing for some years now, and never gotten around to felting a piece - until today! I’ve had a couple projects sitting around just waiting to go for a spin, and I got up the nerve today to give felting a shot - and it is so easy! I followed the directions I found online, at About.com:

How to Felt

It just took a few cycles to get them the size I wanted. Now they are pinned to a towel and drying - hopefully by tomorrow I can check out the final results!

So I’m a wrapper, or a thrower, or whatever it is they call those of us who knit the “American” way. It is tiresome, and I wish I were cooler. I’m always trying continental, but feel like it makes for very tight guage. But I never give up! Found this really helpful video on YouTube today: a very nice demonstration and discussion about this quick knitting method. I’m definitely giving it another try. Hope it helps you too!