| yay! |
saturday 05.01.2004 |
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erin from sb knitting meetup came over to look at my library of a dozen of knitting books this morning. we ended up talking about everything from geology to various crocheted animal tea cozies. she made one of a rooster, complete with combs and feathers! i was so deep in gab mode i forgot to take a picture of it. but here's a shot of me and erin, my real life craft buddy.
erin+thuy
jg made us coffee and blueberry pancakes. george my housemate got all smooth with erin asking "you look very familiar. have we met..." erin said, "no" before george could finish his question. hahahahaha.
she's so cool!
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| super arms |
sunday 05.02.2004 |
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last night i started knitting the hood of the bpt. i released all the stitches from the blue waste yarn and put them on the needles while watching the 1971 version of shaft. it was a good year, 1971.
this morning i tried to organize my knitting supplies while listening to click and clack. i decided to finish frogging my very first sweater. i didn't think it would be so emotional. after i ripped the body, i found it difficult to start on the arms. as the final gesture of affection, i put them on and lovingly stared at my outstretched arms. i guess jg noticed my strange behavior. i snapped out of it when he said, "want me to take a picture of them?"
the last hurrah
it did make me feel better being silly for the camera. i think i am now emotionally ready to rip those arms apart. next weekend, for sure!
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| psst, buddy, wanna swatch? |
monday 05.03.2004 |
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woohoo! i have a reader in australia! yay, nicki! i will take more time to thank everyone for signing my guestmap. meanwhile, my sincere thanks to everyone who has taken the time to show me who and where you are. you make me want to blog twice a day!
speaking of australians, my adopted knitting sister q, transplanted from the land down under to los angeles, sent me a swatch she knitted last week. this is our very first official swatching effort. we're collaborating on a ribbed raglan sweater for her husband.
the collaboration is peachy so far except neither of us knows how to determine gauge for ribbed knitting.
thuy's very first ever blocking job
isn't the yarn gorgeous? 100% wool tweed. soft and supple, too! q said she got a suitcase full of it when she last visited australia. makes me green with envy! anyway, q and i decided that we need help:
how should ribbing be blocked for gauging?
for the swatch you see, here's what i did: first i wet it, squeezed it dry, and stretched it out on a towel and let it recoil by itself. then i pressed it with my hand evenly and pinned it in place. i think it continued to recoil while it dried. i don't know if i should have pinned it taught. should i stretch it a littlbe bit more by pressing it with an iron before counting the stitches?
what do you think? i would really appreciate getting your comments and suggestions.
.....
ps: i may not be able to post again this week. but i'll be mindlessly blogging again in no time. please stay tuned!
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| ribbed |
tuesday 05.04.2004 |
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it looks like my blog won't be interrupted this week after all. my job fubard my vacation plans.
so far i've got no help on the ribbed swatch. i think i'm just going to go with what i've got. 24 stitches to 4 inches, or 6 to 1. i'm going to go ahead and generate the raglan sweater pattern.
in other knitting news: i made almost no progress on my bpt hood. i'm sort of avoiding it. i think i relish whining about it. finishing it would mean the end to the bpt gripe. the afghan is blasting along. i'm on the seventh skein, very close to turning the second corner. i love the way it feels but i dread how it will be picking up all sorts of stains. i don't know what i was thinking knitting a white afghan.
look at this. do you see what i see? eyelash tape yarn with beads?
beached kelp
i'm so obsessed with knitting that i let my imagination run way off. i can even see potential yarn in those flimsy white plastic supermarket bags!
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| blast from the past |
wednesday 05.05.2004 |
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today i'm going to show you the reason i started knitting.*
complete with signature
isn't it something? i love this hat! it looked like a piece of art to me even though i had no appreciation for knitting then. until this day, i still have not been able to copy it successfully. the calibre of knitting and detailing is impossible! if you could see it in person, you'd love it, too!
as i was not yet a knitter then, i remember being elated just because it happened to match my favorite skirt. all three colors. it hardly seems impressive unless you knew that janeen and i live 300 miles apart. at the time i received the hat, we hadn't seen each other for over a year!
the next day i got all dressed up and wore this very hat to work. i even took a picture of me in the matching outfit to send janeen. at first i took a few of myself in the bathroom mirror. then i decided they were too vain to show anyone. but that was years ago. i'm older and bolder now. hahahahaha.
well, i'm not that brazen yet. promise me you won't laugh and i'll show you this embarrassing picture. promise? ok. when you're ready, click on schmeebot in the header bar at the very top of the page.
*my humble beginnings.
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| i done gone amissin' |
monday 05.10.2004 |
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i'm found, everyone! i'm found! i took last thursday and friday off and went knitting by the sea!
knitter on the rocks
that's me working on the hood of the bpt. i don't know much about this beach except it's located in big sur right below a vista point on the south side of a bridge. i knitted while jg watched the surfers. you can see one in the water in the picture above.
i knitted back at camp, too. it was almost difficult to lounge around after last week's montrous deadline. it took me a long time to get used to seeing the ocean each time i look up from my knitting.
how to get your knitting to smell like campfire smoke
by the way, i'm done with the bpt. i finished knitting the entire hood by saturday evening. all i have left to do is to graft the top of the hood together. here's a picture i took of it half done on friday:
bpt by the sea
learn by screwing up
the color change turned out to be a disaster. even jg was disturbed by the different brown. i had to tell him twice that it wasn't by choice, that i foolishly miscalculated the yarn supply, and that i'm now paying the price of this mistake by having to explain it to everyone.
anyway, here's me modeling it officially for the first time. i had to tug at it to make it look like it fits.
bah!
i'm happy to be done with it. over all, i'm glad i cut my teeth on the bpt; i learned a lot about pattern instructions and about myself as a knitter. i will write it all up another day.
i hope you had a fine weekend of knitting, too.
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| the kgw strikes again |
tuesday 05.11.2004 |
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last night i went to java station knit group. this time i met the founder, laura, the terrific person who invited me weeks ago after she heard that i had driven all the way up to san luis obispo to hang with other knitters.
i spent two hours hanging with ten women in a knitting frenzy. it turns out laura is a big force in everyone's knitting career. i think she taught everyone in the group to knit except two. all her students knit with the yarn on their left hand. this really impressed me because it took me a long time to switch from english to continental. these women are beginners yet they've already mastered the method!
laura is a lot more advanced at knitting than i had gathered from her emails. she made these amazing felted hand bags. i adore how simple and elegant they look.* she has made many and has even traded them for services!
i hung my head low and showed everyone the brown pile i call my bpt. it's so hideous looking right now unblocked and unfinished. i brought some other brown yarn and started on another sweater. i'm not sure where i'm going with it except i'd like to make it a pull over and may be short sleeved. the yarn is a cotton and wool blend; i figure it could be suitable for summer. so, i boldly casted on and knitted for about an inch in the round while listening to various stories and conversations. two hours went by in a poof! next thing i knew, jg tapped me on the shoulder and i had to say good night to everyone.
i think i'm going back next monday!
*my lousy camera is broken again. it's back in new jersey. otherwise i would have featured a picture of laura and her hand bag. soon, i promise!
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| a fine saturday |
saturday 05.15.2004 |
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two interesting facts:
1. this past thursday i got a comment from a ucsb grad student named erin. i thought, well, isn't that a barn burner! another ucsb grad student erin who knits!
2. yesterday i spent hours chatting online with kimberly krafty in virginia. i met her on knitter's review forums. she's a beginner at knitting and her story about her sweater class made me fall off my chair laughing!
progress report:
i've been knitting this and that all week long, mostly swatches. i'm moving along on the short sleeve sweater which i randomly started at the java station knit group. i finished knitting the neck line and sleves. i am now knitting the body from the bust down. i'm speeding along because there is no purling, yay! tomorrow i'll take a picture of it using my office's dinosaur digital camera and show it to you.
the bpt is still in a pile. hahahahahaha. urgh, i'm so ashamed!
the white afghan is coming along like a dream. i'm turning the second corner right now. skein eight, twelve to go!
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grateful sky, santa ynez, california
that's an old shot taken last week with my now defunct camera. i see cables in the clouds. are you as obsessed with knitting as i am? anyway, i think it's a perfect image for expressing my appreciation for everyone (since queerjoe) who has taken time to sign my guestmap!
big great thanks to roberta, anne, kat, rozcar in philadelphia, rachel, erin ucsb grad student one, lisa, heather in indiana, the tall melissa, miriam in virginia, diane in grand prairie, my old posse: jenn+sheila, holly in utah, christinap, nicki in australia, marta my blog ring neighbor, the bicoastal karenk, amie, patti, mary ellen in alaska, kimberly, jaana in finland, and gracie the mermaid!
as a new blogger, it makes me very happy to see that i have readers. when i first started this website, i had to force every single one of my four friends to read my blog. so, know that i sincerely appreciate your visits. oh, and i love getting your comments! you're always generous with advice and compliments. but, should i ever get out of line, please don't hesitate to tell me so.
last but not least, big wet kisses to my webmaster and pug for having moved and implemented my blog successfully!
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| blocking sunday |
sunday 05.16.2004 |
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last night jg+i watched porky's for the first time. it's a high school flick whose sole premise is sex. it makes the american pie series look like an after school special.
anyway, there was a scene with three guys peeping at a bunch of girls in full frontal nudity taking showers. one of the peeping toms exclaimed something like, "i've never seen so much wool! there's enough to knit a sweater!"
that concludes the pornographic portion of schmeebot knitting today.
after porky's, i decided to graft the hood of the bpt. i was in get-it-over-with mode even though it was almost midnight. i finished it in less than ten minutes. i thought to myself, "damn, i'm good!" and only after i had darned in the remainder length of yarn did i realize that i had used stockinette grafting the entire length, right through the purled stitches, leaving unsightly dents where the purls meet. bah!
i'm a little ashamed to admit that i didn't fix it. i noticed the unsightliness after jg had already congratulated me on finishing it so that's the way it will have to be: thuy's unsightly bpt.
it's a good thing i woke up this morning still in g.i.o.w. mode. i darned in the rest of loose ends, tightened the gaping stitches where the underarms meet the body, and blocked it. can you believe that this is the very first time i've blocked my knitting?
the bpt is akimbo in the bathroom right now and it smells like a wet dog. i soaked it in the sink for five minutes. then i spent thirty minutes squeezing it dry before shaping it. i have it spread on two thick towels on the tile floor because there isn't a better surface in the house.
speaking of which, what do you use for blocking? i'm interested in learning how it can be done practically because i really don't want to have to own a blocking board. i'd love to hear how you block your knitting.
i spent a lot of time petting the hem of the body, the part that the icord couldn't help unroll. it's looking really flat now and i hope that it will stay that way after it dries.
i have to admit that this bpt sweater looks fairly respectable all blocked out. even jg thinks it looks good. i check on it on an hourly basis, still pulling and tugging at various parts. i really really hope that it will turn out decent. i would like to prove to myself that patterns are my friends.
i should be able to show you a few pictures tomorrow. i promise!
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| pretend this is monday |
tuesday 05.18.2004 |
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i made it to the java station knit group last night. despite personal fears of group scenes, i had a great time chatting everyone up. the usual line up* was there plus erin ucsb grad student one, my walking buddy.
*laura's knitting benefit to post soon.
the following was promised to be posted yesterday. my excuse is that it really hurts me to show you these low quality images. please bear wtih me until i get a new camera and...
until i do a more respectable blocking job than this:
bpt in the home stretch
it looks so ghetto being sprawled between the bath tub and the counter. but it's blocking beautifully. it's 75% dry to the touch. this morning i flipped it over to let the back dry. i'm proud to report that the hem is flat.
here is the random sweater i'm making which i casted on a week ago at the java station:
short sleeve raglan
i'm using a wool/linen/cotton/viscose blend yarn by emu. it's a filthy yarn with bits of straw and grass woven in. it looks great in a skein but knits up too busy a texture for me. i have decided to call it the sock monkey sweater because of the brown and white marl. per jg's suggestion, i'm going to add red edgings to give it the full effect.
i've also been pulling out all sorts of random yarn from my warehouse and knitting up swatches.
is that the u.s. flag?
isn't it a pretty swatch? the colors make it look like the united states' flag. actually, it's more like this:
orange+blue
100% wool, very loosely spun and soft. i don't know what i'm swatching it for. i just wanted to see what it looks like knitted up. what do you think? another sweater?
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| a schmeebot community bulletin |
tuesday 05.18.2004 |
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santa barbara craft fair
if you are local to the central coast or if you will be visiting the central coast this weekend, particularly saturday, please consider coming to this craft fair. laura from the java station knit group will be donating many of her needlework for the following fund raising event.
Silent Auction and Craft Boutique/Mexican Buffet and Entertainment
Where: The Frog Bar overlooking Glen Annie Golf Course
400 N. Glenn Annie Road
When: Saturday, May 22, 2004
5:30-8:30 pm
Cost: $25 Adults, $12 Children (Includes dinner)
Silent Auction and Craft Boutique only: $7.00 per person
The auction will feature certificates to restaurants, hotels and spas, as well as clothing, toys and other treasures. The craft boutique will have all kinds of unique handmade crafts and clothing.
All proceeds to benefit The Santa Barbara Community Academy.
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| watch out! the kgw is gaining momentum! |
wednesday 05.19.2004 |
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this evening's lineup is looking serious! i'm all antsy with anticipation!
i know Erin won't make it because she'll be flying to alaska. i'm hoping laydeebell will change her mind. and that firedude better show up!
if you're anywhere near santa barbara this evening, please join us! if caramel93117 can drive all the way up from ventura, so can you!
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| quick notes |
thursday 05.20.2004 |
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folks, big incentive to attend the santa barbara craft fair!
laura is making a sweet offer for "Anyone who comes up to [Laura] and mentions [schmeebot] gets a free world's best pot scrubber. Woohoo! Gets those egg pans cleeeeean!"
she knitted and crocheted the scrubbers herself! look for a cute asian woman with a big smile and an armful of colorful hand knits. her hand bags will blow you away!
also, check out krafty kim's brand new blog! leave her a comment. she would love to hear from you.
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| knot fessing up |
friday 05.21.2004 |
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i'm getting desperate to post some knitting pictures.
i made this hat back in march but decided not to post it because i didn't want anyone to think that i enjoy knitting baby things. well, thanks to my broken camera, i'm outing myself as a baby garment knitter.
girl girl!
i made it for my colleague smut. he and his wife used to be our camping buddies.* since they chose not to know the baby's sex, i gave them this very pink hat in hopes that they'll have a girl. the baby is due in june. we'll see!
it's a cotton yarn with acrylic slubs, very pretty but very difficult to knit. 1.5 balls for the hat.
left over
the knot alone took up half the yarn. it isn't fun knitting a long tiny tube but i just adore the knot. i think all baby hats should have a knot on top!
*we're still camping buddies. in fact, smut just bought a bear proof baby crib designed for taking a baby camping. his wife is a tough cookie. she has already planned on a camping trip for this september!
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| knitting illustrated |
sunday 05.23.2004 |
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you may remember that i'm knitting an afghan for the first time. you might have rolled your eyes when you read that i chose a white yarn for it. i honestly can't remember why i thought it was a good idea to use white, but it's 50% complete now. it's about time i show you my pattern.
i took the concept from a square baby blanket pattern in elizabeth zimmermann's book knitting workshop. she used this blanket to illustrate the inherent 1:1 ratio in knitting garter stitch. i took the ingenious pattern and stretched it into a rectangle, like this:
i start by casting on enough stitches for half the width. my afghan is four feet wide so i cast on and knit only 24 inches. immediately after casting on, i knit short rows to turn the corner; i wrap and turn one stitch less each row until i get down to one stitch, creating a sharp corner. then i knit back up, wrapping and turning one extra stitch each row until i get back to the full 24 inch width. voila, corner!
then i just knit and knit until the middle section reaches the designed length before i turn the second corner. after the second corner, i immediately turn the third. the rest is self explanatory.
isn't it simple? it's a great project to do while watching mindless television. it's also a good couch potato project because it's a monster to drag around.
finally, this is how it will be fininished:
 faster than you can say afghan!
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| java station knit group |
tuesday 05.25.2004 |
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i've been having the time of my life hanging with the girls at the java station. some days i stay until every last person is gone. some days i merely show up. but i've been there every single monday since that fateful day when i got the invitation!
this is what we look like:
 two blurry thirds of the usual line up
here's a better picture:
 carol, laura, joanna, julie, maryjeane, april, and zora
everyone is generous, witty, and lively! they make me look forward to mondays!
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| going once... |
tuesday 05.25.2004 |
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the amazing janeen is participating in a fundraising event for her husband's karate club. she's auctioning her very own hand made quilt!
isn't it gorgeous? complete details on the quilt and the auction can be found here. please consider supporting this fundraising event.
thank you!
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| new project |
thursday 05.27.2004 |
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everyone at the java station either has already made or is making a felted hand bag.* i'm known to succumb to peer pressure so i, too, am making one.
while everyone else did it the right way using worsted weight yarn and making swatches, i did neither. add to that, i have a front load washer that's designed, ironically enough, to be gentle on clothes.
here it is, barely felted after one wash:
 experimental felting
i used one ball of bulky lopi and size 13 needles, the largest circular i own. i suspect the knitted fabric was not loose enough for the wool to shrink or felt. before it got tossed in the wash, it measured 12"x18"x3". right now it measures 12"x14" lying flat, which is borderline too small to be a decent hand bag. on one hand i hope it will continue to felt into a better texture. on the other, i hope it won't shrink into to a beer cozy.
jg took this sad looking hand bag put it over his head. he positioned it so that one eye was peering out of the handle opening. he thinks it could double as a ski mask for bank robbing purposes. if it looks the same after another wash, i'm sending it with jg to bank of america!
*scroll down to the java station knit group pictures. you can see julie is making one. it's the huge blue pile on her lap.
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| is hand bag one word? |
saturday 05.29.2004 |
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progress report on the experimental felt job:
 round two: 11"x10"
washed thursday evening. substantial shrinking. mediocre felting. the fabric twisted horizontally by a half inch, causing the handle openings to mismatch.
 round three: 10"x9"
washed friday evening. some shrinking. better felting. handle openings offset by three quarter inch.
i decided that it looks better inside out so i blocked it that way. i can still see through the fabric when i hold it up to the light. but it's already too small to be a useful hand bag so i'm not going to wash it again. i made jg pose with it for scale:
 strong enough for a man, but made for a woman
for some reason i'm very reluctant with felting. may be because it reminds me of all the sweaters i accidentally shrank over the years. i need to learn a little more about the method and process before making another attempt. hopefully i'll get it right next time.
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