Knitting & Crochet Blog Week

Day 5, Something Different: 4KCBWDAY5

For today’s prompt (something different from your usual style of blogging), I decided to show you some of the non-yarny pictures I’ve taken that live in my inspiration file. Time will tell if any of these elements ever make it into one of my designs!

(Some of these photos were taken on trips–see if you can spot scenes from Venice, Florence, and San Francisco! Er… but no points for Venice. That one’s easy.)

Day 4, Colo(u)r Review: 4KCBWDAY4

Today’s prompt asks: What are your favorite colors for knitted or crocheted projects?

I thought it might be fun to compare this year’s post to one I did for last year’s Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, which was on a similar topic. Last year, I said I usually gravitated toward saturated, jewel-toned colors. I did, however, notice that I had started branching out a bit into neutrals and darks–something I hadn’t done much before I began designing.

Here are the projects I’ve finished since then (I excluded designs where I didn’t get to choose the yarn):

Not much has changed! Still a big preference for jewel-toned, saturated colors. My favorites, blue and green, are well-represented, although I think there might be more purple in there than anything else.

Just for fun, how about an infographic to see if my theories hold true? I’ll stick to projects completed since I started designing in 2011, just for simplicity’s sake, and also exclude projects where I didn’t get to choose the yarn color:

Looks like my assessment was pretty accurate. More than half of my projects have been in green, blue, blue-green, or purple. Gray makes a surprisingly strong showing, but other than that, the other colors get pushed by the wayside to some degree.

Maybe I’ll branch out a little more in the coming year. I do have some delicious yellow yarn in my stash right now that would make a lovely sweater….

Day 3, Infographic: 4KCBWDAY3

Today’s prompt calls for an infographic, which is something new for me! (Luckily I’m a Monkey and this doesn’t faze me much.)

I found a neat site where you can make your own timelines, Dipity.com, and decided to do a walkthrough of a sweater design from inspiration to publication.

Below is the result. You can click on the timeline entries to see the details, or for a different and very neat effect, click on “flipbook” in the top corner and you can scroll through them that way!

Note: if for some reason the timeline won’t load on your computer, you can click “Sweater Design Timeline” at the bottom of the image to view it on Dipity.com.

Sweater Design Timeline on Dipity.

Day 2, Mascot Project: 4KCBWDAY2

The second day’s prompt is to think of or research a project that embodies the house chosen in the first day. There’s no need to actually make the project (which is good, because my extra knitting time is nonexistent at the moment!).

For this prompt, I decided to choose an assortment of patterns from other designers I’d make if I had the time. I specifically chose ones that would stretch my abilities and knowledge, because I’m a proud member of the House of Monkey!

First up, the Dahlia Cardigan by Heather Zoppetti. (Note: link goes to Ravelry. They will all go to Ravelry. If you’re not on Ravelry yet, you should be!)

Seriously, how insanely gorgeous is that lace panel?? Plus the whole “business in the front, party in the back” thing really appeals to me. It would be a challenge, because the construction method is different and it would be important to get gauge (something I’ve historically had trouble doing in a lace pattern–my YOs always seem to come out too big or too small).

Next up: the Charvet Pullover by Maria Leigh.

I find the biased stripes in this sweater absolutely fascinating. The construction, again, is very different. It’s so different, in fact, that there’s a whole sweater workshop on Knitting Daily to help the knitter wrap her head around the diagonal direction of the work.

Then there’s the stunning Butterfly Dress or Vest by Jennie Atkinson:

This would challenge me enormously because of one simple fact (okay, two simple facts, hehe): I have waaaayy more boobage than the model. The lace pattern looks moderately stretchy, but I’d still have to figure out some kind of bust shaping. In the lace pattern. Um.

And finally, Orca by Chrystal Orel (Creations by Gems):

I find orcas completely fascinating, and I’d love to make myself my own little orca pal someday. But the challenge here is pretty obvious: I don’t know how to crochet, beyond a little single-crochet-edging action. I did find a few knitted orca patterns on Ravelry, but they all involve loads of intarsia, a technique that quite frankly makes me want to chew my own foot off. Plus, they aren’t as cute. So yeah, I think I’ll have to learn to crochet.

I’m not gonna lie–finding these patterns was SO. MUCH. FUN. Maybe one day I’ll have the time to actually make one or more of these….

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week!

For the second year in a row, I’m participating in the lovely Eskimimi’s Knitting and Crochet Blog Week! If you’re not familiar with this event, you can check out all the details here. Basically, participants take her thoughtful and insightful prompts and use them to blog every day for a whole week. It’s a lot of fun to see how different people interpret the same prompts, and it’s a great way to find new blogs to read.

I’ll see you here for the first day tomorrow!

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week: Crafting Balance 3KCBWDAY7

Today’s topic asks: Are you a knitter or a crocheter, or are you a bit of both?

I am a knitter, through and through. I’ve taught myself to do single crochet for edgings and joining, but other than that, I’m pretty terrible at it.

Every once in a while I get an urge to improve my crochet skills, though… usually when I see some adorable amigurumi (like Stacy Trock’s — LOVE her stuff! Sandford the Squid and Morris the Dragon are my faves) or something heart-wrenchingly adorable like these baby Mary Janes:

From http://hookcandy.com/

Besides my lack of skill, I don’t see how I could ever watch TV/look out the window/read a book while I crochet. I can do all of those things while knitting, as long as my project isn’t too complicated. I can feel the stitches as they slide off the end of the needle without needing to look at them. Crochet, as far as I can tell, requires you to look down to see where to insert the hook, regardless of skill level.

That said, I am glad I know how to edge things in crochet. That definitely comes in handy.

Here’s a little baby jacket with crocheted edging and button loops:

Ribbed Baby Jacket by Debbie Bliss

And a blanket with crocheted-together squares:

I’ve dabbled a teensy bit in other crafts, but I don’t think I can ever feel the same unbridled love for crochet (or sewing, or papercrafting, or sculpting…). To me, knitting is the best of all worlds–meditative and calming, yet challenging; endlessly versatile; beautiful and useful.

I don’t fault anyone for feeling differently, of course–things would be very boring if we were all the same!

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week: Improving Your Skillset 3KCBWDAY6

Today’s topic: Improving Your Skillset. How far down the road to learning your craft do you believe yourself to be? Are you comfortable with what you know or are you always striving to learn new skills and add to your knowledge base?

I would consider myself an advanced intermediate knitter. I can (obviously) design patterns, but there are still many skills I don’t know, or don’t know well.

There are a few skills I’m pretty confident about. Like complex cables:

Morgandy Mittens

Shedir

And colorwork:

an ill-fated Autumn Rose sweater

Socks (including stockings and slippers, which I prefer because they’re so much quicker!):

Cable footies from One Skein book (love!)

Stocking with short-row heel

Basic lace:

an in-progress Jordan

Kari Baby Blanket (my own pattern)

And obviously, I’m pretty good with basic sweater construction, both raglan (see my Chandail and Hipster Stripe patterns) and set-in sleeve (my Bevin pattern).

Which wraps up the list of skills I’m confident in… and brings me to the skills I’m not!

Here are a few that could be better:

1. Short rows. I’m okay at these, but they never turn out quite as I’d like them to–always a little messy or misplaced. I’ve been bookmarking alternative short-row methods for a while (shadow wraps, German short rows, Japanese short rows), and sometime when I’ve got a lot of knitting dead time (ha!) I’m going to do some mega-swatches and try them out.

2. Intarsia. I’ve done it, but it was fiddly and awful and I hated it. Here, for posterity, are the only two intarsia projects I’ve ever done:

Purple Totoro, a gift for my sister and brother-in-law

Doggie argyle

And here’s a list of things I haven’t tried at all (but want to!):

1. Steeking. Scares the crap out of me. I don’t have a sewing machine (or access to one), so I know I’ll have to figure out how to REALLY reinforce those center stitches before I dive in.

2. Complex lace. I’ve never done nupps or bobbles, never knit with beads, and never done lace patterning on both right and wrong side rows. This is more a case of not finding a pattern I’d like to knit than anything else, honestly…. I don’t wear or knit shawls (although I’m working on a design for one right now, oddly enough!), and I’m not a big fan of how most of the froofy lace stuff looks. But I’d still like to try it!

3. Crochet. I know how to single-crochet around the edges of things, but that’s about it. I would love to actually make a whole crochet project someday.

That was a fun list to create. Makes me want to go work on my shawl design, actually :-)

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week: Seasons 3KCBWDAY4

The prompt for today asks whether local seasonal weather affects my crafting.

Well, let’s look at an average temperature graph for my Los Angeles-adjacent town:

And let’s compare that to, say, Rhinebeck, New York:

Le sigh.

Do I wish I lived somewhere that got a little colder? Yes. Do I let it affect my crafting? Definitely not. I love woolly sweaters, jackets, hats, scarves, and mittens. I will continue knitting any and all of those no matter what the temperature is. I have family in the Midwest, for one thing–they can always use warm handknits.

There’s also an odd phenomenon that I’ve observed in Southern California. As I’m sure we all know, handknits can be very fashionable accessories. SoCal may not do cold, but it does do fashion. So anytime the temperatures dip below 60F, out come the wool hats, gloves, scarves, puffy parkas, and UGG boots.

Megan Fox's outfit here is not an exaggeration. I see people like this all the time.

I’ve fallen victim to it too, but for a different reason. Since I started designing, I have a closet stuffed with cute knit accessories. If it’s anywhere near a cold temperature outside, I seize the opportunity to wear one or more. I know it’s ridiculous and that my Midwestern friends would laugh, but there you go.

As far as knitting goes, I don’t let the seasons affect what I work on at all. When you’re submitting designs for possible publication, the timeframe is usually at least 6 months in advance anyway–so I’m knitting with light cotton in the dead of winter and heavy wool in summer anyway.

Here’s what I knit last summer, from June to September:

That’s a whole lotta wool.

And last December I was working on Bevin and Hipster Stripe:

Which are both about as summery as I ever get.

So I think I can safely conclude seasons have no effect on my knitting whatsoever :-)

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week: Color Lovers

Today’s topic asks bloggers to talk about their love or confusion of color. It’s funny–only a few years ago, I would have said that I always, always gravitated toward rich jewel tones, especially blue, purple, and green, and rarely knit with anything else. A quick look through my Ravelry projects proves it:

I figured this trend would continue when I started designing last year. After all, I’m the one who gets to pick the colors I want to knit with, right? Oddly enough, though, I’ve found myself using more neutrals and dark, muted tones than before. Having to think about the styling and wearability of the piece changes things.

Here’s a snapshot of some of my designs that proves it:

Of course, I also have these, so maybe I haven’t gone as far from blue and green jewel tones as I could have, heh:

A look through my yarn cabinet also shows a weakness for impulse yarn purchases in blue, green, and purple:

My WIP basket

The current swatch pile

I’m going to continue attempting to branch out, color-wise, but I’m not sure how much luck I’ll have with all this yumminess calling to me. I think if I could only knit from Madelinetosh jewel-tones for the rest of my life, I’d be perfectly happy.

Knitting & Crochet Blog Week 2012

Starting Monday, I’m participating in the 3rd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, hosted by the lovely Mimi of Eskimimi Makes.

I’m excited about the challenge of blogging seven days in a row. The prompts are great–very thought-provoking. I highly recommend checking them out if you haven’t already.

Hope to see you on Monday!