| a schmeebot fubar |
sunday 10.03.2004 |
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a little less than a month ago, i received this motivating comment from gayle:
Love your beanies! ... Saw your sideways knitted beanie in the
archives-that is exactly what I'm looking to make as an
alternative to knitting in the round. Will you be releasing the
pattern in some form soon? Hope so!
i happened to be almost done knitting one that day so i thought: perfect! time to publish the pattern!
only i couldn't do it. how can something so easy to knit be so difficult to draw up? dear readers, i give you exhibit a:
pretty gruesome, huh? and it's no where near being complete. i gave up because i just couldn't get it to look sensible. i thought about drawing it in 3d but i just don't got the skills. anyway, the more less more less bit is the crown shaping. a lot of wrapping and turning. the straight edge to the right is the brim. finish with one row of weaving. no purling and, of course, seamless.
by the way, this beanie is knitted up and down, or rather back and forth. to say that it's knitted flat is misleading because it takes shape as it is knitted along. it doesn't lie flat with a jagged edge as i have shown it.
there's little more i can add to make it less confusing. i think the best way to convey this pattern is to show step by step pictures along with some very elaborate narrative. hardly worth the effort when it's so easy to knit. it really is!
what do you think? are you confused? crying? swearing?
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| the trouble with ponchos |
wednesday 10.06.2004 |
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majority of searches that lead readers to schmeebot involve the following words, in order of frequency:
1. poncho
2. beanie
3. thuy blog
poncho poncho poncho. who ever would have guessed this comeback trend would be so strong and pervasive? zimmermann once issued one of her wool gatherings on ponchos in march 1971, a fine year i might add. she wrote:
"I erroneously said this fashion wouldn't last, and must eat my words."
i forget if i'm supposed to put excerpts in quotation marks or not. anyway, that was before i was born. isn't it scary?
i have two anecdotes to further illustrate the powerful reign of this hippie+yuppie=hiyuppie garment. i was at ross, as in dress for less, last week and it had more ponchos than i could shake a stick at. i had fun looking at all the different designs and constructions, tsking a whole time because they were all plastic.
well then, i was looking at jcrew last night. lo and behold...
 $138
my face involuntarily frowned. i'm at a loss. the description says:
Handknit Aran poncho
Aran patterns originated in the rugged Aran Islands off the coast of
Ireland. The intricate cable patterns depict fishing ropes and nets
and varied from family to family. Our poncho, extra-warm and
supersoft, is handknit in mercerized wool in a heavier, 3-gauge knit.
A great transitional outerwear piece, with pocket slashes in the front
and fringe along the edges. Hits midthigh. Import. Dry clean.
what is wrong with this picture? why does it make me feel so upset? wft is mercerized wool? is superwashed not hip enough? won't those pockets sag?
that was yesterday. i've simmered down today so i can admit that the fringed thingy got me fairly curious. i want to buy one just so i could see it for myself. for someone who doesn't wear ponchos, i sure am obsessed with them.
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| knit + news = knews |
friday 10.08.2004 |
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happy friday, everyone! guess what i'm doing today? thanks to ecm, i'm...
 growing grass!
ok, knews:
1. habitat books knit group is actually called knitting bee. it's abuzzing again
for $5 per person. the last three had been cancelled for political reasons like
the conventions+debates.
2. rachael at yarnagogo is holding a knit out in berkeley this sunday. if jg's gramp
wasn't coming to town, i'd be there.
3. messy haired babe took the seamless garter stitch beanie pattern and ran with
it. she wrote up the entire shpiel in one email, giving total logic to the fiasco i
sketched. we're fast becoming a double threat.
4. q bean sent me some yarn she got while she was back in australia. look what
i did with the fat orange wool blend.
i was aiming for the hershey's kisses effect. jg called it a giant nipple. who
better to model it? anyway, maura would be pleased to know that i learned to
use two circular needles to knit this hat. and mastered it!
socks? bring it on!
5. remember this?
 ribbit*
has anyone tried making this beanie? i'm going for the knitted version this
weekend. the legs and toes will have to be icorded. the eyes are a bit tricky.
we'll see.
* for better luck, i'm trying "ribbit ribbit" for november first.
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| flying froggie |
tuesday 10.12.2004 |
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i finished this hat saturday but i haven't had the opportunity to get it modeled in day light. i have to mail it out today so i dragged jg into the bathroom last night for this lousy shot.
it's the standard beanie with some 2x2 ribbing at the brim. i'm okay with the way it turned out, but it could be better. if i was to make another, i'd bring the face down from the crown so it can be seen without having to tilt the head. that means i'd have to lower the legs, too.
the green is actually really bright. it's brown sheep lamb's pride worsted weight yarn in a lovely green shade called kiwi. the pictures don't show it very well.
isn't it gimmicky? it's an insult actually. i made it for fred, the one who gave me grief for doing funny yoga. he claims to be french. his birthday was this past sunday.
 courtesy babelfish
i'm hoping that someone else has knitted a similar animal beanie. cats, dogs, spiders. the possibilities are endless. if you've made or seen some, please share with me.
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| no one has to be french |
thursday 10.14.2004 |
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i googled various strings involving frog and i got these interesting links:
1. finger puppet, fuppet?
2. santa
3. baby beanie, check out the rest of the kiddie hats on that site.
4. finally, in perfect time for halloween.
i found some pretty elaborate frog hats, too. i challenge you to knit anyone of these up.
 hm
i once had a clown of a professor for a philosophy class. he would always start a lecture with something clever. one day, as he paced to and fro in front of class in his usual excited manner, he asked, "what goes red green red green red green real fast? huh? huh?"
then without stopping for air, he'd answer himself, "why, a frog in a blender! get it? get it?" i still have no idea how this gory anecdote pertains to those crazy old greek philophers. but it's the only bit i remember from the entire course. that and euripides+eumendides. so much for education.
that wraps up schmeebot's amphibious fun segment for this week. ribbit!
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| emergency broadcasting |
monday 10.18.2004 |
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i'm back in santa barbara this week. and i'm going to andersen's tonight to hang with the knitting babes. i know it's rainy and all but, if you could, please plan on showing up.
if not, may be i'll see you wednesday at the meetup at muddy waters the daily grind?
either way, i would love to see you!
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| neither wind nor rain |
saturday 10.23.2004 |
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 salinas sunset 22oct2004
i spent one terrific week in santa barbara. despite the poor weather and the lack of sleep, i managed to hit all three of my favorite knit groups: andersen's (formerly known as java station), ucsb, and the meetup. it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces. i was a wreck the first night, overwhelmed with new names in a new location. but by the third night, i was a regular jane again, plus or minus a few frozen fingers.
next time, i hope to see everyone again along with rachel and melissa.
good night!
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| leaving 312 |
monday 10.25.2004 |
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in exactly one week, jg and i will be in a new apartment. sf living, never a dull moment.
that's jg sitting in what i call my home office. nice heap, huh? while i was away jg took it upon himself to gather it up for me. this is his very own caring way of asking me to oraganize my junk. few other things in life can express love better.
anyway, why would i do all that when i could knit?
i have been merrily cranking out beanie after beanie. i got snagged up for over a week on that pesky pattern* but now i'm a regular beanie machine again. i made four last week alone. trust me, everyone is getting a beanie for christmas.
*please get rid of the copies i handed out last week. i will post an error free version in two weeks.
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| kenny, is that you? |
friday 10.29.2004 |
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 what i look like most days
that's a postcard i made back in college. i sent it to a friend who thoughtfully gave it back to me instead of recycling it. anyway, i copied the monster from a halloween party flyer which showed him as a black+white line drawing. doesn't he look menacing enough to be on sesame street?
i'm thinking fuzzy eyelash novelty yarn. wouldn't he make a great pillow? those legs could be tricky though. some sewing may be required. what do you think? a neewollah knit along for october 2005?
have a great weekend and a happy halloween, everyone!
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| beep |
saturday 10.30.2004 |
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the beanie machine will be unplugged for a few days. in the meantime, please allow me to introduce you to:
 the knitter with the pearl earring
that's maura winking at you, saying, "hold on to your needles, girls, because schmeebot has a beanie pattern that will knock the socks off your needles!"
so, stay tuned!
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