It's Done
Monday, March 28, 2005
WOW! What a weekend! On Saturday, I had to entertain the BF's out-of-town relatives. They wanted to go to Malacca and so we went, the four of us. I was looking forward to the trip as I haven't been back there in absolutely AGES, which is a pity since I was born there. One of my earliest memory as a wee young lass was chicken rice balls and I was looking forward to consuming it again. Sadly, the food didn't live up to my memory of it. I much, MUCH prefer normal chicken rice. Still, we had fun, walking along Yonker Street in the rain, having a peek at all the curious items for sale and basically doing the touristy thingy.
However, despite all the things we were doing, I couldn't WAIT to get back home as you see, I am an obsessed knitter. I was down to the final bits of my COZY and I couldn't wait to finish it. Whilst making polite chit-chatter with the relatives in the car on the way there, I was kicking myself that I didn't bring it along. I could have easily squeezed in about 2 hours of knitting time in the journey to and from Malacca!So I thought, never mind, will finish it on Sunday. However, the powers that be were against me as well *sigh*. At 4.06 in the morning, I get a phone call from my mum screaming for me to get back to the family house. You see, they'd been to a social function, came back in the wee hours of the morning and one of our family dogs managed to escape the compound. As he, the dog, Lucky was much beloved by the patriarch of the family, he took it upon himself to go looking for Lucky and somehow managed to fall into the rather large drain outside of the family home. So it was a panic type situation. The BF (bless his kind soul) and myself got to the family home in record time to find the patriarch on the floor, bleeding and in obvious pain. The ambulance hadn't arrived so somehow, we managed to get him to the local hospital. Thankfully, nothing was dislocated or broken. Just a few minor cuts and major bruises. He somehow managed to hurt his spine but it is nothing that a few trips to the physiotherapist won't fix.So, after rushing him to the hospital and admitting him, we came back at around 6.30 and fell asleep but my knitting was still foremost in my mind. I had about 1/8th of my final ball left. I woke up dreaming of finishing my Cozy and I did! Got up a few hours later and knitted till my hearts content. I finished it! I finished it! I finished it! Took me 15 days to complete it and I've finished it... well, almost. It doesn't look like what it is supposed to look though *sigh* but I am somewhat happy with the final product, even though it is about 5" short of what the pattern requires and is rather heavy (used 5 x 100g balls of yarn).
it's done
I haven't weaved in the ends or blocked it yet as I have no idea how to do it but I will be digging out my knitting books for instructions. The BF claims that it looks like a very nice granny shawl *humph* but I hope my friend likes it (it is a birthday pressie for a good friend of mine). It is supposed to look like this::
the pattern
So, next on the needles... well, I've decided to join in a knit along with two other members of the
KL Knitting Meetup Group and we are going to be using Rowan's Kidsilk Haze. We are going to be knitting the Kiri Shawl. This is going to be interesting as the yarn reminds me of very fine thread. I don't know how this is going to turn out for me but it will be a great challenge. I don't understand half of the pattern but the the gals in this knit along, Doreen and Laura have promised to help me out. I can't wait!! I thought that this shawl would make a lovely birthday pressie for my aunt who introduced my to my BF almost two years ago, on her birthday no less.
Also in the pipeline is a
Knitted Ripple Shaw for my sister. I shouldn't have any dramas with this one as it looks rather easy. And I still have to finish my hodge podge blankie! After that, I'll look for other projects for MYSELF. I'll be living in NZ for a while, going there in the middle of winter and I have no winter clothes!
An Obsession
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
I work from home and believe me when I tell you that discipline is a HUGE HUGE problem. Don't get me wrong, I do like the benefits of working from home e.g. I don't have to waste time in traffic, I don't have to get dressed up to go to work (tip: having a bra on when working from home is a necessity) etc. Now I find that my productivity level has greatly diminished and it is all because of two 5mm sticks and some cotton yarn.I have found that knitting is becoming an obsession right now. I can't seem to stop! I take extended lunches and during lunch, I make sure that whatever I am consuming can be eaten with one hand. When I am sitting in front of the computer supposedly trying to do some work, I find my hands are twitching for the comforting feel of my bamboo needles. If I somehow manage to ignore the urge to pick up my knitting, I find myself browsing the many, MANY knitting websites or maybe even rambling on here.I wonder if this is normal? On average, I spend at least 4 to 5 hours a day knitting. Admittedly, I was going slow but now, I find that I am going heaps, HEAPS faster. The romance in my relationship has gone down the tubes as I am so absorbed in my current project. The BF now has to sit in one of the two barker lounges (yes, yes, yes I know... I can't stand those things either) when we watch telly as he gets in the way of my needles. We used to cuddle up on the sofa but now, that is not possible. I LOVE seeing my project grow and believe me when I say that it is GROWING. See below if you don't believe me.
Day 11
Yawp, it is growing faster than weeds fed with fertiliser.
Then, I've been having some dental problems and I've spent a LOT of time recently on the dentist chair. Whilst staring up at the ceiling, littered with Disney comic characters (who, with the exception of Pluto, has NO teeth), I wanted to knit. Yawp, right in the middle of my root canal, I wanted to knit. I kept thinking that this is an unproductive waste of knitting time!
I'll be leaving for a diving trip late next month for a whole week and already I am trying to figure out if I can bring my knitting with me. The BF isn't going to be too happy if I do as we are already going to be overweight (diving gear is HEAVY). Maybe if I bring limited clothes... I mean, all I need is my swim suit right?? I'll just wear my wetsuit during the day and nothing at night?? But then I keep thinking of the 7 hour boat ride... what am I going to do then? Knit? If I do, what happens to yarn if salt water gets on it? Oooohhhhh...
My other hobbies are suffering as all I want to do is to sit and knit. The BF is looking after our aquarium now, the new books I got is sitting untouched on my bed side table, my foray into the culinary world has been put on the back burner, the apartment isn't as tidy as it used to be, I don't go out socially as much (well, except for knitting meets) and my journal writing has suffered. I wonder if there is a knitters anonymous out there? Then, to top it all off, my left hand is starting to cramp up, the onset of arthritis perhaps or maybe a knitting type injury, much like how tennis players get tennis elbow?
Then, as the icing on the cake, I am now scouring the catacombs of the Internet looking for my next project! I haven't even completed my first one yet, my hodge podge blankie has been put on hold and I am looking for a new one!! Oh geez... I think I need help! Back to work, back to work, back to work, back to work, back to work....
And The Journey Continues...
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
One of the things that I've recently learnt is that frogging is NOT pleasant. I was almost in tears when I decided to pull apart all my hard work. Still, it is a good lesson in what NOT to forget to do... a very good lesson in gauges. I don't think I'll ever forget to check my gauge again. So, on day 5: 
Cozy on Day 5 became
this.
Suffice to say, another one of the lessons I learnt on this day is that one should never ever cast on and start all over when one is irritated with one's self! I had to start over a fair few times as I wanted to get my project back to it's original state ASAP. I knitted way into the wee hours of the morning. Suffice to say, I made a lot of mistakes. I did think of tearing the whole thing apart again but I after so many attempts, the yarn was getting rather icky so rather than waste it, I decided to bite the bullet and put up with my mistakes. My friend is just going to have to understand that I am not a machine... to err is human after all. Besides, I think that my mistakes give the project a "human" touch. Besides, when I showed my work to the gals at the KL Knitting Meetup Group , they couldn't pick out the mistakes :o) :o) :o).
It was slow going there for a while... another important lesson is that one should never EVER drink copious amounts of wine when knitting, especially when one is attempting a lacy pattern and isn't a very good knitter. Mistakes abound... irritation grew... knits became purls and purls became knits. Counting becomes a challenge, stitches merged, eyes hurt... oh the list goes on and on and on.
Anyways, I met up with the gals on Saturday and I discovered, by accident, that there is this WONDERFUL invention called a needle marker!! Oh lordi, lordi, lordi... it was almost an orgasmic experience when I found it. Didn't know it existed. It's basically a plastic ring that knitters put on their needles to mark the beginning or end of patterns. Up till then, I'd been counting and counting and counting and at times, using a line marker to mark the stitches. This needle marker thingie made everything easier!! I am zooooming down the pattern highway now, it isn't a one way street but a free flowing highway!
it's a miracle
So, on day 10, my work is now progressing nicely... despite all the unnoticable mistakes. I've caught up to where I was before and even though I can be somewhat careless at times, life sure is a lot easier with needle markers!!
where I am at... 1.75 balls down, 3.25 to go
My knitting library is also growing. Mona sold me this great book, 100 Afghan Squares by Debbie Abrahams. It is a glorious book and I can't wait to start work on some of the patterns in there. My yarn / wool stash has somehow doubled in size since I started this blog so I have heaps to work with. My blankie is taking on a brand new direction! 
Debbie Abrahams
Being a book loving fiend, I can't wait to expand my knitting library. My brother recently presented me with heaps of book vouchers as a birthday gift so Kinokuniya here I come!! Hehehehe... an online search revealed that they have greatly increased their variety of knitting related books. I can't wait to go check them out!!
The COZY Experience
Well, up till last Wednesday (9 March), the only thing I'd ever knitting was a combination of basic knit and purl stitches. I'd decided to knit something more adventurous and after combing the vast catacombs of the Internet, I found a fairly intricate pattern that I thought would be perfect for a good friend of mine. As her birthday is coming up, I thought that it would make a great gift. The pattern is called COZY and it's been described as a "simple, tweedy lace wrap". So, armed with the pattern and some advice from the KL Knitting Meetup Group I bought the relevant tools and material during our last meeting.
I bought a 5mm circular needle and 5 balls of Sirdar's Double Knit Pure Cotton in a "champagney" colour. I thought that it is a lovely colour... neutral-type shade which will go with anything. As I couldn't wait to get started, I started casting on in the shop, on my first ever circular needle experience.
Tip: Casting on is easy, counting it is not, especially with circular needles and when one is in a group. I was with the gals from the KL Knitting Meetup Group and with all the chatting etc., it was HARD to keep count. Maybe I'm just not used to handling yarn but I kept losing count for some strange reason... it was like 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, .... 30, 32,36... then it was ARRRGGGGHHH and I'd start all over again.
Regardless, I got the appropriate number of stitches on and I began knitting away in earnest (a brand new experience, especially with the circular needles which kept twisting away, like it had a life of it's own). So, 85 stitches I had, 3 rows of garter stitch I needed. I got this down pat when we were sitting in Starbucks after our trip to local yarn shop. You can read more about our last meeting (complete with pictures) here. I thought that it would be better to start the lace pattern at home, where I can concentrate.
Now, I have to say that a lace pattern is HARD!!! I did the first row of the pattern without much hassle. Did the 2nd row, no problems. Then, on the third row, all hell broke loose. The pattern called for a repeat of 6 stitches and somehow, when I got to the end, I didn't have the prerequisite number of stitches. So I started working backwards i.e. undoing the last rows and trying to work out what went wrong. This didn't work as after I'd unpicked the last 2 rows, somehow I didn't have the 85 stitches I was supposed to have. So, I frogged it.
Again I began with the cast on, the knitting etc. After row 3 or 4, I lost my way. Now, you have to understand that this is my first ever "intricate" type pattern. I can do knit and purl stitches flawlessly, without looking at my work. I love watching television and knitting at the same time. For this project, with the needles held firmly in my hands, I was literally STARRING at the pattern the whole time. I was so afraid that I'd lose my way. If the phone rang, I'd ignore it until I got to the end of the row. If the BF talked to me, I'd ignore him, mumbling K2tog tbl, K1, S1, psso.
After the 6th or 7th time of frogging (before I'd even complete one round of the pattern), I smartened up. Swapped the circular needles for straight ones (heaps easier to count stitches) and I dug out my stitch markers. So, slowly I began, counting and marking every 18th stitch and doing a complete stitch count at every row (talk about anal and slow going). So, after more than 12 hours of me doing my first cast on, I had made my first repeat of the pattern, a whole 8 rows!! Frustrating doesn't even begin to describe the feeling. The BF was scared to approach me. I used a new yarn ball when I started casting on the straight needles as the original yarn looked rather icky after so much torment and I was sleep deprived.
So, armed with my straight needles, work progressed. I was still starring at the pattern, hugely afraid of looking elsewhere in case I lost my placing in the pattern. The BF was told (in between completed rows) to not come near me / talk to me when I am knitting. At the end of Day 1, after I put down my work, the BF cautiously asked me how long the wrap is supposed to be. 67 inches I told him. He looked at the measly 1.5" I had and shook his head.
Day 2 was heaps more productive than Day 1. My wrap actually grew and a pattern emerged! Truly exciting. I was still starring unrelentingly at the pattern, counting ever so often and THEN I realised that counting from right to left isn't enough... one has to count from left to right as well! This I found out after getting to an end of a row and discovering that I don't have the required number of stitches! Even now, when I get to an end of a row, I hold my breath and pray and hope that I have the right number of stitches.
Lessons learnt:
1. straight needles are a LOT easier to work with when working in a lacey type pattern
2. it is ever so easy to miss out on yarn overs
3. markers are indispensable
4. count, count and COUNT
5. make a note of where you are at when you take a break from your knitting as it is highly possible you'd start off at the wrong place when you start working on the project again
6. K2tog tbl means knit two stitches together, through the back and is NOT two separate instructions
7. following a pattern gets easier with time
8. count, count and COUNT
9. count, count and COUNT
10. count, count and COUNT
So, after 5 days of me starting the project, I can now recognise what the different stitches are supposed to look like so I can stop mid row and talk to the BF, answer the phone, take a bathroom break etc. I don't have to stare at the pattern anymore although I still use it as reference for every row (how the gals remember instructions without looking at the pattern is totally beyond me). Am progressing a lot faster now. Occasionally I get lazy and don't count and that's when I get into trouble... it is ever to easy to forget the YO or the sl.
So, on Day 5 of my project, my wrap looks like this:
Cozy on Day 5
The edges are a little crooked but I think that with "blocking" that it will straighten out. It is getting rather heavy and I hoping that it won't be too heavy as a wrap. I bought 5 X 100g balls of cotton so theoretically, it should be about 500gs... I wonder if that is too heavy for a wrap.
A Close Up
I've even started on a 2nd ball of yarn and I have little bits of yarn hanging out (which I have no idea what to do with yet). Will figure it out later.
Loose Ends
The Hodge Podge Blankie
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Have you ever had one of those days where you are positively unproductive? Well, I am having one of those days today and when one is working from home, one has a SERIOUS problem. Anyways, thought that I'd ramble on a little. So, prior to the middle of last week, the only things I knew about knitting was how to knit, purl, cast on and bind off, oh and how to use different colours as well. My current project is my hodge podge blanket as shown below. My mum found some bits and pieces from my old and not completed projects (more than 15 years old) when she was cleaning the store room. I frogged the pieces and decided to start knitting squares and make a blanket of sorts. Then, when I was in Australia late last year, I found some really cheap yarn and continued the project.
My hodge podge blankie
The blanket is
supposed to be a queen size one but right now, it may be a single. I was running out of material to knit with but then some of the members of the
KL Knitting Meetup Group, GAVE me yarn which they aren't going to use. VERY generous of them. Many thanks. Then,
Laura and I got together and made an online purchase at
Elann. I bought even more material for my blanket. And THEN, my sister in Australia (bless the smurf's kind heart), got me some more and is sending it down via a family friend. The stash should arrive sometime this week hehehe...
I think that this blanket might be too warm for Malaysia AND it is getting rather heavy. However, when my dad saw it (he had had a few drinks by this time), he claimed possession over it. Why? I have no idea. But the plan is to get it to queen size somehow, knit a white border so that the edging is somewhat even and to stick on a smooth, cotton cover behind (the back is REALLY ugly as my stitching stinks).
Truth be told, I'm not a very artistic sort of person / one who has good taste. I don't know if this looks good or not but it is fun to do, a little boring but fun. I mean, little squares are easy and fast and when I get bored of a colour / yarn, I just move on to the next. I have absolutely NO IDEA what this will end up looking like but I am hoping to complete it before I pass on. Who knows, it might just be a family heirloom one of these days.
Oh Lordi Lordi Lordi
I am so technically backward it is EMBARRASSING!! What am I talking about? Well, I am a trained IT geek and I used to look down at HTML editors, preferring instead to write the code myself, from scratch mind you. All those editors out there... pish posh... no way I said. Well, it was a pride thing too. True IT chip heads don't use editors... we code from scratch. No, we don't use those online Tripod -type editors, we don't use those ever-so-simple file upload features etc. We code in Notepad (or Dreamweaver) and we FTP our files across. So, until recently i.e. 2 hours ago, I decided to create an online knitting blog. Why? Well, I recently joined a local knitting club The Kuala Lumpur Knitting Meetup Group where EVERYONE has a knitting blog of some sorts... so I thought, why not? I do have another personal website but nothing that is knitting specific. So, in I go to Blogger, create my own account etc. It is THEN that I find out how advanced web publishing has become. How idiotic is that? My thesis was entitled "Authoring For The World Wide Web" and back then (in the mid 90s), the editors were HORRENDOUS and I concluded that it was heaps easier to hard code web pages. Oh sure, there are limitations to the features that these blogging thingy has but it is EASY to create a nifty blog. Sure, there are limitations i.e. I have to tweak the code a little to create the *a-hem* effect that I want but this is EASY! They even have a spell checker thingamajig here. Then, then, then, they have this feature where you can update your site via email... how cool is that? Am TOTALLY impressed!!
So here it is, my knitting blog...
