Category Archives: Palace tapestry
My knitting, sewing, quilting…
Knitting plans: New mittens and hat
I received a new coat for Christmas from my dad, who was horrified not pleased that I was tooling around in only a down vest. So, I have the coat equivalent of my cheerful pink vest in a cheerful turquoise.
I knew I’d be knitting the accessories to match in bulky or superbulky yarn, because I’m a post-graduate student with a full-time career as well, and I’d like to wear the hat and mittens this winter. 
I chose Knit Picks’ Wool of the Andes Bulky in Caribou.
The mittens’ pattern was inspired by the mittens Bella wears in Twilight
As a companion hat, I chose one I’ve been wanting to knit for a while: the Irish hiking hat
(Ravelry).
Looking forward to seeing these chunky cables appear on my needles!
Review: Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans: More Than 50 Beautiful, Affordable Designs Featuring Berroco’s Comfort Yarn
Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans: More Than 50 Beautiful, Affordable Designs Featuring Berroco’s Comfort Yarn by Norah Gaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Splendid. Could only be improved by the addition of a spiral binding.
Noro love
I am in love with Noro Silk Garden. The color is astounding, and the texture of the wool spun with silk is so attractive. I’ve only made two small projects with it (a slouchy hat, and a cowl), but it’s already one of my favorite yarns. If only it weren’t so dear in price…
Project 1: the Slouchy Copy Cat Hat 
I used Terra Jamieson’s pattern; it only took one skein of colorway 225.
I think I need to block it a little further, since a big, Irish head + slouchy = not so slouchy. 
Project 2: Noro Brioche Cowl 
This pattern was self-engineered; I chose a lace pattern from a Barbara G. Walker stitch dictionary, added a garter stitch border on either side, and knitted two skeins of Noro Silk Garden, colorway 272, until I had just enough yarn to bind off. Then I twisted the entire strip once, and sewed the two ends together, creating a Möbius strip.
Self-perception: Lesson learned from a sweater pattern
I purchased some cotton spun with angora some time ago, as a bargain bag (several skeins together). I’ve been saving it, not certain what to create with this amazingly soft yarn. Finally, I decided on a simple sweater: the modified drop-shoulder pullover from Ann Budd’s wonderful book, The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns: Basic Designs in Multiple Sizes & Gauges.
I chose to enhance the sweater with a lacy trim from the same book, and a gull wing lace inset created by Elizabeth Zimmermann.
It did not dawn on me until I was already working on the armholes for the back section: I had made it too large. I’m curvy, so I need sufficient positive ease in order to feel comfortable. Okay, honestly, need isn’t accurate…want is. But I had made the sweater too large, even for ease’s sake, because I had convinced myself that I’m larger than I am. I didn’t believe the measuring tape, and apparently preferred to believe the voice in my head, and so…here I was, with a sweater that, if completed, would be two sizes too big for me.
So I sheepishly admitted to myself that my body is much smaller than I perceive, and frogged the sweater. I’ve now completed the back, and am about halfway done with the front. Rather than a banner of a mistake, I shall wear this sweater as a banner of pride, a reminder that we are all better, more attractive, more capable, than we think.
- my sweater at Ravelry
- the actual pattern, without my modifications, at Ravelry
- Knitting Daily: Measuring Yourself and Your Clothing
- Knitting Daily: About Measurements and Ease
- Knitting Daily: Measuring Yourself: Bust, Waist, Hip
How about starting a Beautiful You notebook? Start by writing down what you THINK your measurements are, before you break out the measuring tape. This information might be very enlightening after you’ve found out what the real you is–you might find out that you were knitting for an imaginary gal and not for your real self at all!…Oh, and there’s only one rule: Absolutely NO unkind words or thoughts about your body are allowed. Remember: my grandpa says you are beautiful, and he’s my grandpa, so he’s gotta be right! (Sandi Wiseheart, Knitting Daily)
I think blogging is more dangerous than knitting, personally.
Granted, knitting involves pointy sticks, but blogging involves spam, grammar police, and “Internet celebrities”.
Crazy Aunt Purl
How could you not love this blog? Just look at the categories!
If that weren’t enough, check the tagline:
The true-life diary of a thirty-something, soon-to-be-divorced, obsessive-compulsive knitting who has four cats. (Because nothing’s sexier than a divorced woman with four cats.)
goofygeek
You are bamboo.
Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and
enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You
love the craft and beauty of traditional
things, and you value the comfort and
experience of knitting as much as the results.
But while you are reveling in your warm cozies,
don’t get stuck. Warm is wonderful, but so is
the whole wide world!
