Knitting Therapy

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0761135901/102-7577580-3576965?v=glance

And I thought the original Stitch and Bitch by Debbie Stoller was awesome?! Hell ... I've had it checked out from the local library for over 2 months now! But the follow-up Nation is a step beyond awesome! 

There are more patterns in this one ... fancy-schmancy stitches that will keep me busy learning new stuff for years! With winter coming on, I will have plenty of gold rings to reach for!

I'm setting aside my quest for knitting socks and taking on knitting lace and using dropped-stitch patterns. Stoller's explanation of stitches is superb! I have looked at SO MANY books from the library and most of the craft authors assume that people who read their books already know everything so they don't bother to explain their patterns. Stoller does, but she doesn't make me feel like an idiot!  The first SnB book is indespensible because the first half, or so, of the book explains all the stitches with lots of pictures, while the second book can have more room for patterns!  So when money allows - I will still pick up book #1 just for the resource and let the library have it's copy back.

First project? The butterfly scarf for Mercedes in Flogging Molly GREEN!

Wow ... what a feat!

The skull pattern came out great from the wash -- but I think there is a real design flaw in that the "flap" was stretched in the machine! I tried to block the bag but it was simply stretched too far ... you can see how it isn't quite level with the bottom of the bag.  Ah well ... cest la vie.

I'm glad that little project is over.  Now ... how about some lace? I'm thinking a loopy lacey fall shawl pattern.....

Here is the beginning of the dreaded Intarsia felted bag! I have labored over this stupid thing for several weeks now ... knitting and frogging the same ball of yarn repeatedly! Finally ... I figured out a few basics and got this far with it!

Everything I have read, books/online, everything failed to mention what one does with the hanks of yarn from the color changes. I had hanks on both the wrong and right sides of the peice -- because you have to knit this flat. I was so crazed by this omission. Then I figured out that if the design is on ONE SIDE and the hanks are on the OTHER side it would look better ... a little twisting of the yarn later .. and viola` I have figured out intarsia.

The pattern for this bag has changed considerably too - it resembles nothing of what I started out with! I am making the body of the bag "long", will fold it in place and will add a strap/gussett along the sides, up around the strap. Now that I have the hard part figured out - it is knitting up quickly and I should be finished by tonight or tomorrow evening. I'll be glad to get this one finished and felted to see how the intarsia turns out after the process!

DD bought herself a green ipod with her first paycheck and I whipped up this little "cozy" last night!  I casted on 16 and knitted garter stitch until I had wrapped the front/back -- I cast off three stitches and worked those for three rows, then cast the three stitches on again to create the flap (for the 'nobbin' of the earphone jack to stick through the top of the case)

From then I seed stitched until about 6 rows from the bottom of the flap and "k1, k2tog, knit across" on the final 6 rows.  I sewed on the button to the front for looks and sewed little velcro strips to the flap and case.

Notice that when the flap is open - the ipod window is visible. She wanted to be able to flip the flap and see what was playing/next, etc without removing the ipod from the case. 

Worked in 100% worsted acrylic -- the cheap WalMart crap -- but it is a baby yarn and very soft and almost has a shiney sheen to it ... on size 4 bamboo needles.

This is my latest project - a felted bag made from KnitPics wool of the andes ... I adore this yarn - it knits smoothly, especially on the new bamboo needles I found!

My first felting project, this one was trial and error.  I found the pattern on-line and after I had frogged it twice because of several problems, I realized it contained several typos. I eventually just winged it and ended up with a nice bag and matching keychain!

I am currently working on another bag similar to this one for my daughter and am trying some Intarsia to create a "Skull & Crossbones" design on the side.  It also uses the KnitPics wool and felting process

A knitted kercheif to demonstrate to my son how the "knit" stitch works ((he is learning to knit - working on a scarf now)).  This is what I wear to work to keep my long hair out of my face. Made in stretchy "LUSH" yarn by Red Heart.

Kitty hat made from worsted wool blend for my daughter from Kittyville's pattern http://kittyville.com/knit/kitty_hat.html

We have also made the devil hat ... VERY cute and a favorite of my son

I needed a cozy for my 2-cup tea pot that I made in college ... it's a lovely raku fired pot but most of the patterns I found were too large or the patterns were too difficult to understand! So I winged it ((seems to be a gift)) and came up with this worsted cotton snuggly. The trouble was fitting something around the wound-bamboo handle that fits over top of the pot -- the worsted cotton is very forgiving and it washes easily when tea spills.

Just knitting.  Because, well ... because it gives me focus and makes me happy. The sensual allure of yarn .. the intelligent design of a good pattern .. the feeling of accomplishment when a project is done.  And it keeps me from some pretty ugly self-destructive behaviors.