When it comes to knitting a project yarn is the most important choice in how that project works out. When I first started knitting I didn't know much about yarn weights or needle sizes and made a hat small enough only for a doll. I thought that if you followed the pattern it would turn out right no matter what yarn I used. Boy I was wrong!
When I picked knitting back up in my 20's I was also being taught how to knit mittens by my mother in law. She had a set of needles and a pattern for mittens that she used for every size mitten, but didn't know what size needles she was using and she used every different kind of yarn too. So I did the same thing for a while. I bought myself a pair of needles I thought were the same size as her mitten needles and copied her pattern and used them. I still use them for mittens now a days. But that wasn't going to help me knit sweaters and hats.
I was given a suitcase of patterns one year after a loved one passed away and most of the pattern books are very old. Old enough that the yarn isn't being made anymore and the needle sizes are not in metric (mm). So I would guess by looking at the picture. Sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn't. Then I was introduced to free patterns online! That was a great day!! I noticed that the patterns had yarn weight and needle sizes in mm. So if I wanted to knit a certain project I could buy the needles if I didn't have them and just look for a number on the ball of yarn to see if it was the right weight. From that day on I now know where to look for what type of yarn and needles I need for a certain project.
I use Metric (mm) sizes in knitting needles. Some use US/Can size needles and in England they use UK or British sizes in there needles.
A lot of patterns don't use mm for there needle sizes, they use US sizes or UK sizes. That was confusing. And some patterns didn't have that little ball of yarn with a number in it telling what number to look for on a ball of yarn to see if it was the right weight. They used words like sport weight or DK or lace and I was totally confused! So that's when the internet came in handy again. I found a chart years ago that showed Metric, US and UK needle sizes and matched them up together so if I needed a 3 US size needle I would just look it up and it would tell me that it was a 3.25mm needle in metric. It was great! Then I found another chart that showed yarn weights in names and numbers! That was even better so if I was shopping for a number 3 in yarn weight I could look and see that I was looking for either a 3 on the yarn or DK weight!
As confusing as this all sounds it does work out :) This sight called tinsel mint has great charts to help you find the right needles and yarn for your projects :) Check it out! http://www.tinselmint.com/2013/04/size-matters-yarn-and-knitting-needles.html
Friday, September 19, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
How Big Is Your Stash?
Of course by now all of you who read my blog know how much I love knitting. Knitting is a big part of my life and I basically bore people to death with talking about it so much! Not only do talk about it to everyone I meet, my Facebook timeline is full of knitting posts and pictures of just about every knitting project I have made and patterns I love and of course advertisement to my knitting classes.
So if you think my knitting life stops there you must be crazy ;) Just about every room in my house has knitting accessories, magazines, patterns and of course yarn. I have just about driven my husband crazy with the amount of knitting baskets in our bedroom.
What drives most of the members of my household nuts is the little pieces of yarn I leave laying around after I have finished a project. My favorite place to knit is in our TV room on the couch and I tend to finish most of my projects in there. I end up leaving the tiny ends of yarn that I cut after weaving in on the arm of the couch or on the computer desk by the couch. Sometimes it gets into the cushions of the couch and I find them when I decided to give the couch a good vacuum.
My husband doesn't like clutter. He likes to be able to go sit on the couch with space to stretch out his legs. So I have tucked away all my bins of yarn in hiding spaces around my house. The place that most of my bins are hidden are behind and beside the couch and under the computer desk. You can really hid a lot of yarn behind there!
The trouble with hiding my yarn stash is that I don't see it all the time. I forget what I have and how much I have. So when I want to start a new project it is so much easier to just buy new yarn instead of having to pull out all the bins and look for it. Then when I am done the new project I have to find a place for the rest of that yarn that I haven't used!
So my yarn stash is a pretty big one. I have all different colors of yarn and just about every size of yarn that is out there. I have bins and bins of yarn! It's a knitters dream to have a huge stash! I just need to get into it more often :) Some would say I have a hording problem!
So if you think my knitting life stops there you must be crazy ;) Just about every room in my house has knitting accessories, magazines, patterns and of course yarn. I have just about driven my husband crazy with the amount of knitting baskets in our bedroom.
What drives most of the members of my household nuts is the little pieces of yarn I leave laying around after I have finished a project. My favorite place to knit is in our TV room on the couch and I tend to finish most of my projects in there. I end up leaving the tiny ends of yarn that I cut after weaving in on the arm of the couch or on the computer desk by the couch. Sometimes it gets into the cushions of the couch and I find them when I decided to give the couch a good vacuum.
My husband doesn't like clutter. He likes to be able to go sit on the couch with space to stretch out his legs. So I have tucked away all my bins of yarn in hiding spaces around my house. The place that most of my bins are hidden are behind and beside the couch and under the computer desk. You can really hid a lot of yarn behind there!
The trouble with hiding my yarn stash is that I don't see it all the time. I forget what I have and how much I have. So when I want to start a new project it is so much easier to just buy new yarn instead of having to pull out all the bins and look for it. Then when I am done the new project I have to find a place for the rest of that yarn that I haven't used!
So my yarn stash is a pretty big one. I have all different colors of yarn and just about every size of yarn that is out there. I have bins and bins of yarn! It's a knitters dream to have a huge stash! I just need to get into it more often :) Some would say I have a hording problem!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Wearing What You Knit
Today I am wearing a shrug that I knit this past spring. I knit it out of Americo Original Cotton Flamme in black. I love it! I actually had knit it originally for over my sundresses, but then how often do you wear black in the summer? So I saved it for the fall, and am wearing it today :)
I am the type of knitter that likes to give my knitting away as presents, so wearing what I knit sometimes feels like i'm being greedy. The year I started knitting mittens I knit myself a pair and ended up giving them to my daughter. But how will I appreciate my own talent if I don't wear what I knit? So I started the last couple of years.
The first big project for me was a sweater, I decided to knit it for myself since it was my first one. So I knit it in a pink and purple verigated yarn, my favorite colors, and wear it every winter since. Last winter I knit myself a pair of pink socks, they are absolutely my favorite socks to wear! I cannot wait till the weather is colder so I can start wearing them again. I've knit myself a couple shrugs and a shawl this past year, and I can see why people love receiving home made gifts. There is a warmth of feeling when someone gives you a home made gift.
Knitting for others has made me happy. I love hearing how much the person loves it and how soft and warm the item is. Makes me smile :) I also love donating items too. At my church they have a knitting tree at Christmas and I love to donate a pair or two of mittens. One year I donated a hat and scarf and noticed they were gone the next week :) I was happy to know someone would be warm outside that winter. But I need to be warm too. And why buy myself mittens when I can knit them?
So I am gonna stop feeling greedy every time I knit myself something, or decide to keep what I have knit. I should wear my knitting with pride! I do a good job at it ;)
I am the type of knitter that likes to give my knitting away as presents, so wearing what I knit sometimes feels like i'm being greedy. The year I started knitting mittens I knit myself a pair and ended up giving them to my daughter. But how will I appreciate my own talent if I don't wear what I knit? So I started the last couple of years.
The first big project for me was a sweater, I decided to knit it for myself since it was my first one. So I knit it in a pink and purple verigated yarn, my favorite colors, and wear it every winter since. Last winter I knit myself a pair of pink socks, they are absolutely my favorite socks to wear! I cannot wait till the weather is colder so I can start wearing them again. I've knit myself a couple shrugs and a shawl this past year, and I can see why people love receiving home made gifts. There is a warmth of feeling when someone gives you a home made gift.
Knitting for others has made me happy. I love hearing how much the person loves it and how soft and warm the item is. Makes me smile :) I also love donating items too. At my church they have a knitting tree at Christmas and I love to donate a pair or two of mittens. One year I donated a hat and scarf and noticed they were gone the next week :) I was happy to know someone would be warm outside that winter. But I need to be warm too. And why buy myself mittens when I can knit them?
So I am gonna stop feeling greedy every time I knit myself something, or decide to keep what I have knit. I should wear my knitting with pride! I do a good job at it ;)
Monday, September 8, 2014
Knitting Accessories
When I started knitting I used any knitting needles that were available. I used ones my friend had given me. The were metal size 4.5 mm straight needles and I knit hats and scarves with them. They served me well. Then I added to my collection. I started buying needles from the dollar store. They were all metal straight or double pointed needles. I never used anything else.
I went for years using these needles. They are great needles! They help me knit mittens, socks, hats and scarves! I still have most of my needles that I started with and still use them, why give up a good thing?
One day I was walking through an uptown mall and found a yarn store that is one of a kind here in the city. They sell yarn you can't buy at Walmart and a whole selection of knitting accessories. So I took a gander through the store and decided to ask what were the best needles to use for socks. The woman working in the store showed me a set of 2.5 mm double pointed needles made from Bamboo! To think not all knitting needles were made out of metal! I decided to try them out.
The bamboo needles were light and at first I thought I would break them because I discovered I was a tight knitter. But after I got through a few rounds I absolutely loved them! The are much easier on the hands to work with, especially my knuckles. Must be because I am not squeezing them too tight. I don't use bamboo on every pair of socks of course as all yarn and textures are different but I was very glad to add them to my collection.
Since then I have picked up different kinds of knitting needles, Some wood, others metal and some even carbon fiber. Sometimes I even pick a project just to use a certain needle! I know I'm wild. I also have bought different knitting accessories that are much better than others. Like metal yarn needles. I went through so many plastic ones grafting toe's on socks that I decided that it would be much cheaper to buy the metal ones in the long run. I also have researched stitch markers, yarn elastics and stitch holders, I have added a lot of good quality pieces to my knitting bag that have helped a lot in the long run.
You don't have to spend a lot on good quality knitting accessories, if you buy the right ones, you will use them forever. But adding to your stash of accessories will make your knitting experiences much more fun and enjoyable. Nothing is more enjoyable than not having to frog a project because your lace yarn keeps slipping off your metal needles. I've been knitting for years and I know I still don't have all the accessories that I would love to have!
I went for years using these needles. They are great needles! They help me knit mittens, socks, hats and scarves! I still have most of my needles that I started with and still use them, why give up a good thing?
One day I was walking through an uptown mall and found a yarn store that is one of a kind here in the city. They sell yarn you can't buy at Walmart and a whole selection of knitting accessories. So I took a gander through the store and decided to ask what were the best needles to use for socks. The woman working in the store showed me a set of 2.5 mm double pointed needles made from Bamboo! To think not all knitting needles were made out of metal! I decided to try them out.
The bamboo needles were light and at first I thought I would break them because I discovered I was a tight knitter. But after I got through a few rounds I absolutely loved them! The are much easier on the hands to work with, especially my knuckles. Must be because I am not squeezing them too tight. I don't use bamboo on every pair of socks of course as all yarn and textures are different but I was very glad to add them to my collection.
Since then I have picked up different kinds of knitting needles, Some wood, others metal and some even carbon fiber. Sometimes I even pick a project just to use a certain needle! I know I'm wild. I also have bought different knitting accessories that are much better than others. Like metal yarn needles. I went through so many plastic ones grafting toe's on socks that I decided that it would be much cheaper to buy the metal ones in the long run. I also have researched stitch markers, yarn elastics and stitch holders, I have added a lot of good quality pieces to my knitting bag that have helped a lot in the long run.
You don't have to spend a lot on good quality knitting accessories, if you buy the right ones, you will use them forever. But adding to your stash of accessories will make your knitting experiences much more fun and enjoyable. Nothing is more enjoyable than not having to frog a project because your lace yarn keeps slipping off your metal needles. I've been knitting for years and I know I still don't have all the accessories that I would love to have!
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Knitting on the weekends
Today was a foggy wet day. I actually had the day off of work and I took the time to work on a pair of wool socks that I started knitting yesterday. What better day to do it than a wet foggy Saturday?
My anxiety has been very bad this week. It's been hard to function normally when you feel like the whole world is caving in on ya. So I picked up my needles and forgot about the world today :) Just needed a break.
In my opinion there is nothing better than knitting on the weekends. It's a great time to start and finish those Christmas projects at a relaxed pace. My health hasn't been the best and I've had to give up a few activities over the past year and a half but knitting is one that I can do sitting down so I've stuck to it! I tried the scrap booking and card making but it turned out to be way too expensive for my budget. Knitting can too be a lot of money but if you pace yourself and chose the right projects you don't have to spend that much money.
My yarn stash is getting out of control though. I have bin after bin and basket after basket with yarn in them all over my house and I still tend to buy yarn when I see it in stores. But you never know when you could need that color or size yarn for a really cool project! I have also been given a lot of yarn that people have found in there closets that they don't intend to use. So its a win win for me!
I think I am very comfortable where I am at in my stage of knitting. I tend to go back to the same projects to knit for everyone. I did knit a Hippo over the summer, and do want to knit more things I haven't knit before but right now I want to stick to the basics, like socks and mittens and hats! The cooler weather and school starting has motivated me to start knitting for Christmas!
I am thankful that I have learned how to knit in times like these. It really helps me get through things. and I love that I can try new things also. I hope that you all have a skill that you love doing and a favorite time and place to do that skill too!
My anxiety has been very bad this week. It's been hard to function normally when you feel like the whole world is caving in on ya. So I picked up my needles and forgot about the world today :) Just needed a break.
In my opinion there is nothing better than knitting on the weekends. It's a great time to start and finish those Christmas projects at a relaxed pace. My health hasn't been the best and I've had to give up a few activities over the past year and a half but knitting is one that I can do sitting down so I've stuck to it! I tried the scrap booking and card making but it turned out to be way too expensive for my budget. Knitting can too be a lot of money but if you pace yourself and chose the right projects you don't have to spend that much money.
My yarn stash is getting out of control though. I have bin after bin and basket after basket with yarn in them all over my house and I still tend to buy yarn when I see it in stores. But you never know when you could need that color or size yarn for a really cool project! I have also been given a lot of yarn that people have found in there closets that they don't intend to use. So its a win win for me!
I think I am very comfortable where I am at in my stage of knitting. I tend to go back to the same projects to knit for everyone. I did knit a Hippo over the summer, and do want to knit more things I haven't knit before but right now I want to stick to the basics, like socks and mittens and hats! The cooler weather and school starting has motivated me to start knitting for Christmas!
I am thankful that I have learned how to knit in times like these. It really helps me get through things. and I love that I can try new things also. I hope that you all have a skill that you love doing and a favorite time and place to do that skill too!
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Hair Dye
My 13 year old daughter wanted me to dye her hair black for the first day of school this year. I couldn't do it. Black is just so dark and dingy and I couldn't stand thinking of her with black hair and a pale face. She is just to pretty, I couldn't do it.
We argued for a long time. Most of the summer actually. She tried to fool me by asking if she could dye her hair a very dark brown knowing it would look black or even be black if we let it dye long enough. I wasn't fooled as I had done that once to my hair. She wanted me to dye the roots to half way down her long brown hair and then bleach and dye the rest of her hair red. I still couldn't do it. I didn't want to see black hair against her pretty face.
We have bleached her hair tips and dyed them blue and pink before so I am not against color. I am just against black. For reasons I am unsure of I guess, just think it's too dark and depressing. So today we compromised. I dyed the under half of her hair black (semi-permanent) and the top bleached streaks and red. The Black actually doesn't look that bad on her. But the red must be masking the darkness. She looks beautiful! And I am so glad she compromised! But am I being too strict of a mom? Am I not letting her be herself? I guess I still have a couple years to make decisions for her!
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