# NOW what?



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I am officially inbetween projects. I ordered more sock yarn, but it hasn't even been shipped yet. 

I guess I could scare up an acryllic hat project to hold me for a few days? Or maybe I should mop the kitchen floor ? Or (heaven forbid!) go outside and mow the lawn...<shudder>. Well, I do need to go into town and mail Maura her package...

I suppose I could try that Elvish Leaves dishcloth pattern again. I have more practice with lace now. The first try was a disaster, LOL.
http://kelleysyarns.blogspot.com/2007/05/elvish-leaves-dishcloth.html

Poor me. I have a sickness, can you tell?


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Quick, cast on SOMETHING! 

You can't have NOTHING on the needles, it's just ... just ... too scary to consider! 

(It's a good sickness. Really. Clean floors are overrated!)


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Oh I do LOVE the way you ladies think. Housework is soooooooo over rated 

WIHH I wouldn't snicker at you trying mittens, I love making mittens. Do you have a good pattern? I even approve of the acrylic yarn for the grandkids in Kansas. But you might think about a thin wool for them when winter really kicks in. Kids can never have too many pairs of mittens. Don't forget to attach the I-cord idiot string so they don't lose them. I always thought it would be fun to knit a huge basket of mitch match mittens in various sizes for kids to pick from.

Ravelry has several toque patterns, that will be fun to knit. Cool on CF for being a man and going in with you and picking out his own yarn :bow:


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Okay, I found something to do, for a minute! No, not mowing  (it was too windy).

I have never worked with bulky weight yarn before, and size 10 circ needle. That is some quick knitting.

Meet the "Chocolate Chip Hat".










That pic is from about 5 minutes ago. If I look sleepy, its because I haven't had much coffee yet. 


I just used acryllic yarn from my giant bag of acryllic yarn my mom got at the auction for $1, and here is the pattern. http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/hat-earflap-iceland.html

That was fun and easy. I had never knitted an I-cord before, so now I know how. 

All of this puts me right back where I was though...nothing on the needles. My DH is offering to take me to Hobby Lobby today, where I can maybe find some kinda sock yarn to tide me over until knitpicks gets my new shipment out. He loves to go shopping of any type. He is really opinionated about colors though...and thinks everyone should like what he likes.  Wish me luck finding something that is not too yucky, on a Sunday in Springfield, MO.


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

All the more reason to learn to spin GAM. You run out of knitting and then there's the reason to spin. Of course it works the other way too, run out of spinning (although with careful planning this should not happen i.e. the fleeces laying in wait in every nook and cranny around the house) and then your reason to knit all that yarn you've spun. 

I went to try out the Farmer's Market this weekend, feeling out for next year. Took some bagels and knitting markers, not much but didn't do too bad either! Well, I figured it was perfect timing for doing some spinning. I had a Sikh stop and tell me about the way they do it in India. He was very animated when I knew he was talking about a Charkha. His grandson is friends with one of my boys, which made it even better. Pounced upon by another spinner (somewhat rare breed here). Some had never seen it, some hadn't seen it for a long time, it was great. I even sold a few bagels and two sets of markers...and finished a skein. LOL

I love that hat! I'm going to need to make one...or a few up now. It'll be perfect for winter. Thanks for the pattern and pic, glad you got your fix.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Lana you took the words right out of my mouth. Yep I think GAM is just ripe for the spinning. If ever there was a candidate for learning to spin it IS GAM. Now I do know she made a drop spindle for herself and she has already tried spinning up some fibers I had sent her (just very small samples). GAM, you need more fibers and I have an address :dance:


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Aww, Marchwind you are so sweet! I relly havent done much drop spindle work yet. I can see that the weight of the spindle is very important. Like you need many spindles, depending on what you are spinning?

I am telling everybody in the family that the only thing I want for christmas is a wheel. Then they can pool resources to get it. I need to find the EXACT one though, and just point to it, you know? Not waste my breath trying to explain it. Actually, they will probably just give me money and make me order it myself. LOL.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You're more than halfway there GAM  I bet if you took a picture of what you have spin we would all just shake our heads thinking, that woman is amazing. The way you picked up the knitting and took off with it, I imagine you will do the same thing with spinning.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

So my DH says to me last night, "You sure are getting FAST at knitting. I remember when it would take you a WEEK to knit a hat." Shhh! <giggle>. Bulky yarn and biggo needles.

This is the one I did lastnight. My first attempt at a color chart. I wanted to to be for DS15, but I think it will be too tight across the fairisle part. 

Check me out, I am a skater! LOL.










Here I marked out where the beg of the round was, with a little screwdriver. See WIHH, mine went a bit wonky too. 










I used the skull chart from a book I have and 'roughly' followed the same pattern as the C.C. Hat, except I cast on 10 extra stitches, used #8 needles, and did a non-pointy decrease on the top. That is how I follow patterns. 

I need to find a boy who is about 8 to fit this hat. DS15 will be disappointed.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Looks great! an you flip it inside out so we an see what your carries look?


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

SPINNING?!?!?!
Now that I'd be skeered to try, just cause I've never done it. And if I did.. I'd be in a whole new trouble!

GAM - wish you were my neighbor. Then you could come shop in your distressing moments at my in-home discount yarn supply. heheeh


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Sure Marchwind, you want to see the ugly part?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

GAM the reason I had you turn it inside out was so I could see how you carried the yarn. What is the max. number of stitches you carried the yarn on the back? Theory is that you shouldn't carry it more than 2-3 stitches before twisting it with the working yarn to help holding it. Your carries look nice and neat but you may want to loosen up on them a bit. One way to do it would be to stretch the stitches out between the last stitch worked in that color and where you are going to work it this time. Then loosely carry the color. That way when the stitches are put back into the normal position you will have a nice loose carry. Does that make any sense to you?


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Marchwind, I figured you had a good reason.  The pattern said to twist it back if travelling more than 3 stitches, which I think I did. I tried to. I might have forgotten once or twice, who knows?

The problem this time (I am pretty sure) is just the pure thickness of all that 'carried' yarn inside the hat. It stretches fine, but that is just a lot of bulky weight yarn, it is quite a warm nest inside. I guess that is why the patterns for fairisle dont usually call for bulky yarn..?

Oh well, it was a learning experience. 

partndn, I wish you were my neighbor too! Then we could both learn to spin together...


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Okay, I guess it does fit. Yay. Happy teenagers are a good thing. 










Yeah, that is my boy.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

It looks great. Yer boy reminds me of my nephew, who yes, would love it too!
My son would too. I've learned a lot making experimental hats for him.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

He told me it is actually "Cool enough to wear to school. " That might be the biggest compliment my knitting has received yet. 

MamaJ is probably deciding which color yarn will be the most complimentary, to knit the rest of your socks with.  Different colors on the toes will make a nice design feature.


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## Island of Blueb (Sep 20, 2005)

I love your plain black hat! And also the skull-design one, it's nice to see your son too. Very nice work!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Good looking boy GAM, I see a lot of his mom in him  Only one of my boys likes the hand knit stuff. The other I think is still way too cool for anything other than a t-shirt or a sweatshirt.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Marchwind, that is how mine are too. Of the 2 at home still, the older one is fairly preppy, and then there is the one in the skull hat. 

I cast on the Elvish Leaves dishcloth lastnight, sigh. I have decided that I like a chart better than having it all written out. It is really easy to lose my place in the pattern when they say "row 4 is the same as row 8". Then I either jump to row 5 automatically, or have to go back and recount. I like lacework, but from now on, I want it with a chart..pickiness.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Good for you GAM. I can't do charts, color charts yes, but charts with all those symbols, forget it. I suppose I should find a pattern I like a lot and then work on the chart and learning the symbols.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

AWWW. What cuties! Which one is moving?

You know WIHH, we haven't seen any recent pics of the cute little granddaughter either...


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## Shazza (Nov 20, 2004)

gone-a-milkin said:


> I am officially inbetween projects. I ordered more sock yarn, but it hasn't even been shipped yet.
> 
> I guess I could scare up an acryllic hat project to hold me for a few days? Or maybe I should mop the kitchen floor ? Or (heaven forbid!) go outside and mow the lawn...<shudder>. Well, I do need to go into town and mail Maura her package...
> 
> ...


Sounds to me like you need to learn to spin.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Okay, now I get it.  So you actually have 4 (soon to be 5) grands. I can wait for those...my oldest is 19. 

Shazza, yes I should learn to spin. I can see that this is true. In fact, I just found out that there is and Ashford Dealer over on KK Highway, 26 miles from my house. They also have an Alpaca farm. I have driven by it many times and noticed the beautiful (!!) fuzzy critters there. 

As soon as I win the lottery or get that big inheritence from a long-lost relative. Or, maybe (just maybe) Christmas is coming...


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Since everyone is posting pictures of their kids here are mine. My oldest, Brewster (the one who likes sweaters) is difficult to get pictures of. This is a picture of him and his wife, and then my baby, Philip.


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## Island of Blueb (Sep 20, 2005)

WIHH- Very handsome young men!

Marchie- You have a very goodlooking family too!


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