it won't kill you, really. now do it.
2007- 7 pairs so far! 
07/26/2006
Charlotte's Web finished, in her glory
Finally after she was cast off on July 8, after her crochet edging was completed, after the a good bath and the blocking wires worked their magic I have a finished Charlotte's Web. (click on all pictures to embiggen them) 
She has been finished since July 11, blocked since the 20th. My photographer had been unable to schedule a photo shoot do to scheduling difficulties (Corra was at her father's) until this past Sunday. And now its Tuesday night and I'm just now getting around to posting about this.
Let me tell you a little about this knit...
Pattern: Koigu Charlotte's Web shawl
Yarn: 5 different color ways, I have quite a bit left
over from the first 3 colors. Barely any of the last 2.
Needle's: size 8 inox
Time: Started: Memorial day weekend June 10 and finished July 11. We had a bit of a false start before I got the hang of the pattern, and learned how to read in between the patterns lines. I also learned, I have to keep knitting a pattern and not put it down or it will never ever be finished.
My thought's: Anyone who has knit this pattern can tell you, the directions suck. There really is no nice way to sugar coat it, make it sound better than what it really is. The designer who wrote this pattern should be left on a deserted island with size 35 needles with fun fur and sticky ultra crappy acrylic yarn. Really, a partial chart? How about telling me what to do after row 53, huh what about that?! After contemplating the demise of Charlotte, I realized how she is a spider spinning me into her lovely web and I searched the internets for. hours. looking for anything that might help just a little bit. And in Becky's archives I found these gems
Between the Stitches Helpful Hints for Charlotte's Web and The amazing Charlotte's Web Spreadsheet which I believe is the only spreadsheet I will ever enjoy. Once I realized it's only really the 8 stitch, 8 row pattern repeat, repeated twice its a full lace pattern, I could have smacked my forehead and screamed "DuH!", I used 40 stitch markers and a few extra sticky stick it notes to help me on my way.
Bev you should be proud of me, this time I didn't cop out this time!
I learned crochet! I was so easy this time! Take a lookie! I think it had something to do with my great teacher, thanks Mom!
Granted its only single crochet, but hey! I did it! By myself! I decided to forgot the fringy-ness, didn't work for me on this shawl. Overall, I love this shawl, yes it was a pain in arse in the beginning. But once I understood the pattern it was smooth sailing. Very easy lace pattern, I could knit while watching tv, supervising the kids, talking on the phone. The directions just suck and might discourage a beginning lace knitter.
I leave you with one more picture, I love the shadows in this one.
I would also like to thank you for your support, my Dad does read my blog occasionally. So hopefully he read the comments. Once I sat down, made a few lists, searched the internets, did Erin's relaxation technique and went to bed not thinking of everything I woke up with out the headache. I made it through today with out it coming back too! I found quite a few new games, and dropped some things off at Staples to be laminated (my kids walked out of staples with a great bag filled with free stuff! Yay Staples! Thanks!) The kids can't wait to leave, they know they have so much new stuff to play with once we are in the car but can't see till we get in the car! Thank you everyone. Knitters rock.
00:00 Posted in Finished Object , The Amazing Lace | Permalink | Comments (17) | Email this | Tags: knitting, knitting(ENGLISH)
07/07/2006
The last Stitch & the Amazing Lace Challenge #4
Last night I started casting Charlotte off, then Mr. Pissypants said I need to turn off the light and go to bed already. So damnit, Charlotte went back in her bag. This morning, finally, FINALLY, after 154 rows, 311 stitches on the last row, 47,894 stitches total I was down to just one
and a bowl full of 40 stitch markers, don't believe me? Clicky here to see. You really do need a lot of stitch markers!
Last night I started reading all my bloglines and saw the new Amazing lace challenge was up.
The Amazing lace challenge #4: Your question: If you bound off your lace RIGHT NOW - what could it be used for?
Well.. with out seriously endangering myself, or my lace, I couldn't go with my first answer. Which was to use Charlotte to muzzle the damn yippie turkey dogs that have been driving me INSAIN all DAMN month. (you don't know how much restraint I'm showing right now by not walking around trying to figure out where they live and ask the owners to make their damn dogs SHUT UP!) I had to go with what my lace looks like right now, and my most immature answer.
Charlotte looks like lace poop right now. That's all I got right now, I have to go pack!
19:45 Posted in The Amazing Lace | Permalink | Comments (6) | Email this | Tags: knitting, knitting (ENGLISH)
06/28/2006
Did you see it coming?
Wait! Did you see that? There over there? What? you saw that coming? You new that she would give in eventually? After so many trips to the 2 LYS that sell wheels, spindles and roving's, after drooling over everyone elses own hand spun yarns, and hand dyed roving's... Don't tell me that you didn't see it coming! What in the world am I talking about in the third person? Sorry, here's the story:
My friend MandaJ has been wanting to spin for a long time. She told me how she wanted to learn. I looked for spindles at MDS&W for us. But they where so expensive and we would still have no idea how to use them. I planned on kidnapping her on her Birthday and taking her to Silverbook Farms in Marchland (about 5 miles outside of Punxsytwany, PA on route 199) With soccer and dance ending and all the other jumbo that was going on, we finally made it out there yesterday.
My whole opinion of that shop as changed completely as of yesterday. We told the owner just what we where looking for and she showed us to the spindles. She talked about the differences, top/bottom whorl, hook or no hook, and which ones she liked the best. Once we settled on spindles that we felt where the most appealing, she said, ready? "let me show you how to use them, come over here." She proceeded to spin on her own spindle and once we saw how she started the leader and spun a bit, she showed us how. Yes, she gave us a FREE LESSON! I told her how nice it was of her to show us. She responded with "well, you have to know how to use it!" We then went into the fiber room and she showed us the different fibers and had us spin a bit more. I'm still in shock on how cheap our spindles and roving was. I picked a Ashford top whorl ($13!) MandaJ picked up a Schacht (15!!) half the price of all the spindles I saw elsewhere. Her roving, we bought a full pound of Corriedale for $14!!! The owner said, well after all this is a farm store!
How about a picture of what I've spun so far? I'm sorry its so crappy, you can click on the picture to make it bigger
Mike will be home on Friday, I'll be stealing his camera!
Charlotte has grown up to row 61, I'm on the 3rd color change. Right now it just looks like a blob and its just going to get more blob like before she hits puberty and blossoms into a big beautiful shawl that points to my butt. Doesn't this picture look a lot like the last one I showed you of her?
It isn't the same picture I swear! I ripped her out and started over. I finally get it, after row 50 you start over again on row 11! Once you get 8 stitches after the first 2 stitches on the beginning and the end, and on either side of the center stitch, you add another maker and start an extra stitch pattern. I get it! ok, I hope I get it!
Please excuse me, Allysa is napping I can't spin when she is awake. And I want to spin!
16:23 Posted in The Amazing Lace | Permalink | Comments (12) | Email this | Tags: knitting, knitting (ENGLISH)
06/16/2006
The Amazing Lace Challenge #2; X-treme lace knitting
The Amazing Lace Challenge #2; X-treme lace knitting
Yesterday I packed the cooler, the kids, Charlotte into the van we took off towards Cook Forest. Because Knitting Lace in the middle of a 6,668 acrea State park with three children aslo where Black Bear sitings happen occasionally and rattle snakes can be found, is just a bit x-treme if not crazy.
We braved those bears and snakes on our hike, along with skinned knees, sand, rocks, deer flies and chipmunks because we where here for an adventure. When we first arrived our trusty trail guide suggested we pick up a new trail map and talk to the friendly rangers about which trails are the best to take small children on and to teach lace a lesson it would never forget. After our trusty trail guide studied the map,
and we picked our trail loaded back up and headed on our way. Before we started hiking we stopped and had our picnic, then headed off on our selected trail. The children and Charlotte where mesmerized by the serene and peacefulness of the forest. The butterflies and moths that whispered their way down the path. Especially the chipmunks that scurried around. We found many places where creatures of the forest had been, woodpecker holes, a broken robins egg, broken tree limbs.
I enjoyed sitting on the streams edge knitting Charlotte listening to the water babble and the birds sing. The kids tried to spot the birds, then skipped some rocks into the steam.
I knit a few rows before we started back, Charlotte was afraid I would get mad at her again and throw her down stream.
We walked back to the car after a little bit, (ok Allysa and Charlotte hitched a ride or too) to carry on our adventure. We wanted to see some big game and some rattlers too. Charlotte needs to know I'm serious about her being good. The kids and I headed over to the Double Diamond Deer ranch to see the very creatures we can see in our very own backyard.
There are a total of 24 deer at the Double Diamond Ranch (including the one that escaped), they have 2 albino bucks and 2 doe which are a site to see in themselves.
We made it right in time to feed the 3 fawns, (sorry no pictures of that) Corra and Bryce thought that was pretty cool Allysa, well you tell me
This is when I braved my fear to let Charlotte know who is boss. Now let it be known to all that I don't mind creepy and crawly, slimy and smelly, boogers and poo. But the one thing in this world, that freaks me out more than 3 Yo's in a row, nothing produces a nervous shivery apprehension from me more than a squiggly wiggly and a wee bit slimy and scary snake. Rattler to be precise.
Clicky on picky for a bigger image and arrows
Frankenstein was extremely interested in Charlotte, can you see him there? Looking at her? I told Charlotte if she didn't behave, she would become a rattler sweater. I think she caught the drift and has been behaving fairly well and has grown to row 58 thanks to helpful hints from between the stitches and a spread sheet
ooohhh, Charlotte look how beautiful you are and think of all you can become if you just be good. And please, think about Frankenstein, he would really like a sweater.
After a quick stop at DQ for a afternoon snack, we all arrived home safely and intact ready to tackle the forest again and have already begun planning our next trip, where the amazing lace will take us next.
00:15 Posted in The Amazing Lace | Permalink | Comments (9) | Email this | Tags: knitting
06/10/2006
Charlotte's having some problems... I need help again
Charlotte has grown quite a bit in a few hours. I casted on after I put Allysa to bed and lookie how she has grown!
That is after I ripped her out 3 freaking times after reaching row 15. I was following the written directions, holy WOW!!They make no sense to me! Once I started knitting from the chart I had no problem. Fast Forward to when I reached row 37, and there are stitches missing from the chart. (I hope to hell I'm wrong and the yo and the k1 are just there and I'm stupid) What?? There are stitches missing from the chart?? You see in the middle where the stitch markers are? Well, before the first marker there is a yo, slip marker, k1, yo follow chart. Some how this isn't on the chart! *gr* Since its 11pm at night, and I've fallen off the ball hours ago I read the pattern again.
It reads:
Continue in the same manner as on partial graph (GR!) The graph is partial right side of shawl (what do you mean PARTIAL right side of shawl? HOW does this help me??) At center knit graph from left to right. A new lace pattern is created every 16 rows at both ends?
What the freaking H E DOUBLE BOLD FUCKING HOCKEY STICKS am I supposed to do when the chart just ENDS on row 50?? HOW about what do you do on row 37 and up to row 50 just repeat it again or something? I didn't understand this pattern when I first read it through, I thought maybe while I was knitting it suddenly it would make since. HA! These directions SUCK! (and that's being nice)
I'm so lost on this pattern right now, a little pissed off and asking for help from anyone who has knit Charlotte's Web and can help me out! What do I do after row 36 when your center stitch disappears from the chart? How about rows 37-50 where is your center stitch? What do you do?
UUURGGHHHHH!!!! Now I know WHY a woman passing buy Mom and I at MDS&W said you will drive yourself crazy trying to read that chart when I was showing mom the kit I bought! UUUURRRRGHHHHH!!!!!
Good Lord, I need to go to bed!
23:45 Posted in The Amazing Lace | Permalink | Comments (9) | Email this | Tags: Knitting
06/03/2006
The Amazing Lace: Challenge #1 meet the team
The Amazing Lace: Challenge #1 meet the team
Meet the team:
from Left to Right, (when knit it will be from top to bottom) A P319162, B P117267, C PG054123, D P105L147, E P314L161. Check it out! The red stayed!!
After I finally cracked open the pattern and tried to make since of it, probably wasn't my best idea to read this at midnight anyway, I realized you knit so many rows with one color than slowly blend the next color in, drop the first color and knit with the second color and so on. Follow me? Anyone get lost? I think I did. Crap.
Team Meeting:
This morning the team and I regrouped and had a team meeting complete with pep talk. (Pep talk is thanks to my 3 cuppa coffee and the little monster) Since the Christmas tree is still (don't worry you read that right *gr*) in the dining room my winding table (read only stable object swift and ball winder will fit on with out falling over from speed of the said two items combined) is located in my some day craft room/room filled with junk from Mike's storage unit. (good Lord does he have a lotta CRAP!)
I started with Color A, which reminds me of the purple johnny jump-ups from my Grandmother's garden. Check out the wallpaper in the someday craft room/junk room, its almost hurts your eyes when you look at it for to long!
Color B makes me think of blueberries with its varied deep blues and dark purples. (See I told you my room had been taken over by Michael's crap. What was I thinking when I said "why do you have storage unit?") The Team and I had a pep talk when I finished my coffee, the batteries on my camera died. The camera appears to be "the weakest link". (that's a different tv show, isn't it?)
Team picture:
Finally 9 hours later I was able to pull the team together for a team picture. Look at those smiles, their enthusiasm.
Here we go, everyone balled and ready to go! Inox size 6 holding everyone together, my ultra sticky stick-it notes (very important member of the team) Our pattern which will be photocopied to minimize risk of lossage, Not pictured: Coffee and row counter they where off plotting, hopefully not our demise.
On the Amazing Lace page I am listed as knitting two lace shawls this summer, I'm hoping on starting Charlotte on Wends. when my socks and squares for Papa's Quilt are done. (I tend to stick to one project, get lured into it and can't seem to be pulled away. I don't cheat well, unfortunately) I'm hoping on finishing Charlotte in mid-July and starting the Flower Basket shawl to wear for our Christmas House Tour in November. Lets hope I'm not being over optimistic and finish both these lovely shawls this summer!
hmmm.. I wonder where the Amazing Lace will take me this summer...
17:45 Posted in The Amazing Lace | Permalink | Comments (10) | Email this | Tags: knitting (ENGLISH), knitting