November 14th: Girth

I finished knitting and cast off my mom's lap blanket while playing Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo with Pants. I did a crocheted bind off. I wasn't sure what size crochet hook to use. I figured I should use something about the same as the needles I was using. So I grabbed the biggest crochet hook I have - my selection isn't great, though it's not bad - and went for it.


I maybe should have gone with my second biggest crochet hook. That's the hook I used, the size 15 knitting needle I had been knitting with, and a standard #2 pencil for scale. That hook? Is behemoth. It worked, but it was not the easiest way to do it. Lesson learned.

I think I'll go weave in the ends and watch some Ghost Hunters. I'll start the heel on my sock as well, I think. I slept in until nearly 11am this morning, so I might be up for a while...

Spinning follies

I spin a little. And by a little, I mean a little. I have a drop spindle and all the training the internet has to offer. So I do... okay. I make yarn. Not great yarn. And not quickly. Like what I'm working on now. I bought 2.5 oz of black alpaca roving in JUNE 2007. And I've spun about half of it into 162 yards of a two-ply heavy-ish laceweight.


I think what's happening is that I'm underspinning the singles so that the plies aren't, um, plying enough. So it's a very loose two ply. And my operation is probably not the best. I wind the yarn off the spindle onto my ball winder and ply from both sides of the ball. Also, I haven't "set it" yet, which I believe involves soaking the yarn and then beating it vigorously on a counter top. But still, it is yarn, it is knittable and I did make it. I'm working on the other half, spinning a thicker yarn which will hopefully take less than 18 months. :P

My knitpicks order came!

40" classic circs in sizes 0-3, 40" cord for the options set, and a needle sizer with metric. My current sizer was a thrift store find with no metric readings... and old.

The current projects seem to be unphotographable. The light and the yarn isn't co-operating. Alas.

CAKE!

Ever wonder what an entire hank of Cascade Eco Wool looks like wound into a yarn cake? Well, look above. That's a quarter on there. It's huge! And my Bohus Cardigan is progressing nicely.


This was the sweater on my denises when they snapped. But it survived and now is being knit on my brand spanking new Knitpicks Options needles, which were a most excellent Christmas Present.


Their carrying case is not as shnazzy as my old denises, but it is nice and functional. I'll probably round out the set with a couple longer cords. Wheee...

Dang nab it.

Look what happened:


And it happened with 256 stitches on my needle too. Just busted straight through. That's two of my Denise cables which have given out on me. I should send in and get them replaced. Of course, I've had the set for *does math* at least 4 years and it has seen some use. Don't worry though, I was able to save my stitches and transfer them to a different size 7 needle.

The Denises have fallen out of favor with me, as more of my projects are on smaller needles with thinner cords. Who knows, maybe I'll get a set of knitpicks options for Christmas. ;)