Thursday, December 20, 2007

Closing for Christmas

I'm sorry to say I'm going to have to "shut down" for Christmas. The blog itself isn't going anywhere, I just won't be posting until after Christmas, probably. I'm so busy! But, it's a blessing.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Where to Go for Knitting Help

I can't get to my Ravenclaw Tie pattern yet, so instead I'm going to point you a good direction for getting, well, directions. On how to knit, that is.

I'm a visual learner, so I love to see video clips of people doing stuff I'm trying to learn, or at least some really detailed diagrams. KnittingHelp.com has great free online videos of all kinds of knitting techniques. Here is the link to the section on casting on. They have all kinds of other videos as well, including ones on how to fix your mistakes.

Give them a try soon.

Knit On!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Lost in Cyberspace

Somehow my Ravenclaw Tie pattern has been lost in cyberspace; it is my own fault as I left that old website alone too long. I have it saved somewhere on my old desktop computer. I'll go looking for it on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Things are starting to get busy here; doctor's appointments and school conferences are shoved in along with last minute pageant preparations.

I hope to make some big changes with my Spruz site after the first of the year. Keep checking in here and I'll keep you posted.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Busy Weekend

I still have to hope you hang in there with me, I'm not going to get a lot done this weekend. Wrangling six kids is about wearing me out already!

I've got several projects on tap and I'll start posting about those as soon as I can. I need to work on the Harry Potter felt dolls, some baby foot washcloths and make a layette set for someone for a gift. I'll have the Harry Potter and washcloth projects posted to my Spruz site as commissioned projects. I'll post a list of the types of projects that could be commissioned (although I certainly wouldn't limit myself to the list) probably before the end of next week. This is too close to Christmas to really do anything, but all this is very new and I hope to put myself in a very good position for next year.

I've also got some ideas for the Spring Fling at my church coming up in the, well, Spring. It's not just knitting ideas, I'll try to have a Spring Festival section in my Spruz site as well, for idea exchanges. I've got to try and salvage my Ravenclaw Tie pattern from my old website. That's going to take more concentration that I've got right now. Maybe later today.

Knit On!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Friday Blues

Knitting is really a big deal to me, so you know it's big when Knitting takes a back seat to my actual life. And, although I'm being sarcastic saying that, it's not as sarcastic as my hubby might like....

At any rate, please bear with me as I attempt to wrangle 6 kids this weekend and hopefully still have all my hair at the end of this.

I hope to dig out my Ravenclaw Tie pattern and have it up at my Spruz site soon. And get a working banner or at least a text link.

Keep checking back, and Knit On!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Properties of Bamboo Yarn

I know I've talked about Bamboo before, but I feel it is worth going a little more in depth into why I feel this yarn is an excellent choice. There are some cons to using Bamboo, but in my opinion, the pros far outweigh them.

I discussed before Bamboo's anti-bacterial properties. Apparently this stems (no pun intended) from the fact that the bamboo plants themselves can thrive without the use of pesticides. The yarn which results from smashing the bamboo up and making it into fiber that is spun retains those anti-bacterial properties. It retains those properties even after the finished piece is washed multiple times. It also has deodorizing properties. I can attest to that fact, because I have a washcloth I knit from bamboo yarn that I use every day in the shower, and I hang it back up after rinsing it out. I forgot about it for a while while I started to use my shower puff again, and despite being left in the damp shower, the bamboo washcloth did not start to get gross and smell like an old terry cloth would have done.

Bamboo is also soft, easily spun and earth-friendly. Bamboo grows pretty rapidly, so that makes bamboo yarn an easily renewable resource. Again, the fact that no pesticides are needed in the cultivation of the plant makes it earth-friendly as well. I'm not sure about what type of effect the manufacture of bamboo yarn makes on the environment, but already this is ahead of other types of fibers right off the bat. Bamboo yarn is also cruelty-free; obviously it has no connection to any animal products whatsoever, making it a fine choice for those wishing to avoid any animal products whatsoever. In addition, Bamboo yarn is nearly impossible to break by hand.

The only cons I can think of when using Bamboo yarn is that it takes a bit of care to make sure the garment/whatever gets back to its original shape after washing. I accidentally washed and dried my washcloth in the washer and dryer. It withstood the washer pretty well, but of course, it shrank in the dryer. This is definitely an item that needs a lot of care and drying on a completely flat surface and blocking to maintain its original shape. Also, the only kinds of Bamboo yarns I have seen so far have had a lot of plies and there was a tendency for the yarn to be split by the knitting needles. Recommendations I have seen say to use blunt ended knitting needles when using Bamboo yarn to prevent splitting. I would second that recommendation.

I'm not going to give Bamboo a "nose" rating since I've already done that. However, I will suggest that you try some soon!

I used these sites for information when writing this article:
Bamboo Fabric Store
Yarn Traders

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Taking the Day Off

Today's Sunday, trying to take it easy.

I know I said I'd have some info today, but I don't want to make today about stress, just about rest. Whatever cold the kids had, I'm starting to get, so I'll take it easy.

Happy Knitting, everyone.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

The Word Today

The word today is "tired," as in, "I am really tired." This makes it difficult to post something coherent, but I'll try my best.

I am trying to get things organized so that I can do some more holiday knitting, but I have so much excess "stuff" that it is difficult to get through it all. I think, once again, unless someone orders something specific, most of my knitting will have to wait until after the first of the year. I hope to try and get a few coffee cup cozies made.

Total exhaustion notwithstanding, I'll have some info for you tomorrow. I am really interested in bamboo and want to show you what I'm learning about this noble plant. I couldn't believe it when I found out bamboo yarn has antibacterial properties! There's lots of interesting things about this plant and only a little bit has to do with yarn or knitting, but it's great information anyway. Consider it an early Christmas present.

Knit On!

Friday, December 7, 2007

Not on Hiatus; Just on "High Stress"

Never fear, I have not abandoned the knitting community. We're just dealing with issues around here lately: sick kids, cranky kids, Christmas parades, teenagers leaving for a trip for a Robotics competition, tutoring issues and whatever else comes up. Yesterday's post got lost in the shuffle.

Finally I have my Spruz website resembling something that passes for a "real" website. Come on over and visit. I should have my banner up over here shortly, if not now.

In the meantime, take it easy. I sure wish I could.

Knit On!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Christmas Crafts Links

Okay everyone, I'm a little stressed, so I'm going to take it easy today and just scope out some sites for Christmas crafts. This is about all kinds of crafts, not just knitting. I'm not necessarily saying I tried and recommend these, I just looked around a bit and they looked interesting. Happy Crafting!

Christmas Crafts at AllCrafts
Just a page with links, but worth a look

Holiday Knitting Patterns
The gingerbread house looks cute

Knitting on the Net
Again, just links, but looks promising

Christmas Crafts at Kaboose

To do with your kids

More stuff later. Make something pretty for someone you love this year!

Monday, December 3, 2007

Bucilla Doodle-Loom Product Review

I recently purchased a Bucilla Doodle-Loom in the hopes of being able to make pom-poms for hats faster and easier. I had "graduated" from making my own cardboard pom-pom forms to using a cheap pom-pom making set from Wal-Mart; I'm not sure of the brand, but it had three little plastic circles that could nest inside one another. The instructions only partially made sense, but it didn't do too badly at helping to make a decent pom-pom, although it was a bit tricky to use. So, I purchased the Doodle-Loom at Hobby Lobby ($5.99 plus tax) in the hopes of streamlining the pom-pom process.

The packaging makes the Doodle-Loom look impressive. Mine came in a little plastic zipper "purse" with a little corded handle. The looms themselves come nested in a plastic form and you get the instructions and a "project worksheet." "No knitting knowledge required" says the package. Well, for a pom-pom, I wouldn't expect to need to know how to knit. But, the professional look of the packaging was encouraging.

I took the looms out in the van on the way home (my hubby was driving) because I was impatient and wanted to try the loom. There were 3 looms in the package, in small, medium and large sizes. The instructions are pretty clear, although they make me wonder a little bit. You'd have to read them to see what I am talking about. It's a little complicated. I used some Caron Simply Soft and was not able to make a satisfactory pom-pom. I've tried a couple of times and can't get either the small or the medium to make a satisfactory pom-pom. I think the main problem is loading the pom-pom loom with enough yarn to make a full pom-pom. Even if you fill the loom to the bursting point with yarn, you don't wind up with enough yarn to make the pom-pom full enough, although I came pretty close with the last one I tried to make. I think if I tried, I could make a good pom-pom with the Doodle-Loom, it will just take some practice.

All in all, how does the Doodle-Loom make out? The packaging is pretty good, although all the plastic and stuff probably contributes to the somewhat high price for a few bits of plastic. The Looms themselves seem pretty sturdy; they' re not going to break any time soon. The instructions are not great, but they're not too bad. It's hard to make a good pom-pom, but part of my failure is that I need to practice with the looms. The project sheet seemed like pretty much of a joke to me, I could have done without it. I can't give the product a totally bad review even though I can't get a good result because I believe part of the problem is operator error. Therefore, I can't recommend you buy this product yet, but I can say that the price is relatively low if you feel like taking a chance.

The product, on the whole, averages out to be about 3 noses (medium smelly) only because I'm giving it a medium review until I try a few more times to make a good pom-pom. I'll revisit this product in about a month to give an update.

'Tis the Season to be Knitting


Note on spelling: "Pom-Pom" is the way I have always spelled the word for those little fuzzy yarn balls you make by wrapping yarn around something, tying it, and cutting the loops.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Complete Christmas Wish List

Recently, I went over my yarn wish list. But there's so many more knitting and crafty-related products out there! The list goes on and on! Here are my top picks for what I would like to receive from Santa this year:

10. More Yarn. Any kind, but Bamboo or Alpaca would be nice. In all different colors. I'm going somewhere with this, so hang on....

9. A nice basket to sit in the living room for my yarn to live in. I actually saw this suggestion in a knitting magazine as a way to both store your yarn AND make it a home accessory. Did Martha think this one up? I guess not, but it sure is a "good thing" in my eyes.

8. Some more sets of bamboo or wood knitting needles. Maybe even some crochet hooks, too. A nice selection of straights and dpns would be nice. You can never have too many knitting needles! Some of the short dpns are good to put your hair up with, too.

7. More yarn.

6. Stitch holders, stitch markers, yarn needles, stitch counter, knitting needle gauge, any and all little gadgets that make knitting easier to keep track of.

5. Some knitting books. At this point, I'm not even going to be too picky on which ones they are! Sock knitting related would be nice.

4. Nice case to keep needles in.

3. Another big tackle box to keep case for needles and other stuff in.

2. More yarn.

1. A knitting machine.

OK, so I am indulging a little (well, maybe a lot) of the "gimmies" but, after all, it is only a fantasy list.

Again I would point out that there is a lot to do to give back to your community through knitting. Not sure where to start? I found this site today: Knitting for Charity. Take a look, there's so much information there, it could keep you busy for months!

Let's do some good with our knitting this holiday season, and on into the coming year!