Well, as I tried to think of a clearer way to explain adding beads to knitwork, I realized it was a losing battle. So, I went for the 1,000,000,000,000 word approach. Video.
Without further ado, here 'tis.
I know there's no sound . . . it took me several tries to do it this smoothly. When I'm just knitting on my own, I have no trouble. When the camera's going, I'm all jittery. I figure it speaks loudly enough on it's own, though. ;o) This is hosted over at Google Video, (click here to go to it there), and if you'd like to put it in your blog, or email a link to a friend, that's fine with me. I do ask that you include a link to my blog if you do so. Thanks so much.
So, does that make more sense now, CCR? Hope so. :o)
I'm off to get dinner ready so I can go knit tonight. It has almost been a MONTH since I've been to the Tuesday UFO night, and I'm ready to get back into it.
Have a good one!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
The rest of the color story.
Sorry to leave you all hanging like that. (Well, all three of you. ;o)
When faced with that much Black Cherry gone (seven packets!), and a still-magenta-yarn staring at me, I started sifting through what little I understand about color.
Then, I remembered this. Byron Pickering is one of Vern's favorite artists, and we actually stopped by to see him on one of our trips out to the Oregon coast. Byron and his wife were wonderful to talk with, and it was incredibly neat to see some of Byron's originals on display in his home. Before Pickering began painting the ocean, he went every day and watched it . . . for a year. 365 days. Just watching and taking it all in. It's apparent from his work that he really knows how Northern Pacific, and I love looking at his work. But, back to dyeing . . .
I remembered about using complements in order to get the color one wants. Black Cherry wasn't giving me what I wanted, so I had a daring thought: add green.
Wait! Won't that make brown?
Yep.
That's what I wanted. A little brown in that magenta to take the bad 80's memories out of the color for me.
(It's hard to use the sun when it has set . . . ;o)
And here's what happened. (The "morning after" shot.)
Not bad, eh? I apologize profusely for the glaring white background. That's morning sun on my white tub. The yarn dried hung on a plastic-wrapped broom handle.
One skein is very much lighter than the others, and it's back in the dyebath tonight, trying to darken it up a little.
Witness:
We'll see what happens. I tried dyeing them all together so they would be the same color . . . but next time I'm going to dye one skein at a time and take notes so I can reproduce the color on the others. ;o)
And now I need to stop being a bad girl and go finish cleaning up dinner. Have a great night!
When faced with that much Black Cherry gone (seven packets!), and a still-magenta-yarn staring at me, I started sifting through what little I understand about color.
Then, I remembered this. Byron Pickering is one of Vern's favorite artists, and we actually stopped by to see him on one of our trips out to the Oregon coast. Byron and his wife were wonderful to talk with, and it was incredibly neat to see some of Byron's originals on display in his home. Before Pickering began painting the ocean, he went every day and watched it . . . for a year. 365 days. Just watching and taking it all in. It's apparent from his work that he really knows how Northern Pacific, and I love looking at his work. But, back to dyeing . . .
I remembered about using complements in order to get the color one wants. Black Cherry wasn't giving me what I wanted, so I had a daring thought: add green.
Wait! Won't that make brown?
Yep.
That's what I wanted. A little brown in that magenta to take the bad 80's memories out of the color for me.
(It's hard to use the sun when it has set . . . ;o)
And here's what happened. (The "morning after" shot.)
Not bad, eh? I apologize profusely for the glaring white background. That's morning sun on my white tub. The yarn dried hung on a plastic-wrapped broom handle.
One skein is very much lighter than the others, and it's back in the dyebath tonight, trying to darken it up a little.
Witness:
We'll see what happens. I tried dyeing them all together so they would be the same color . . . but next time I'm going to dye one skein at a time and take notes so I can reproduce the color on the others. ;o)
And now I need to stop being a bad girl and go finish cleaning up dinner. Have a great night!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Little boys and literature.
I love to read. I always have. Books seemed such magical things to me--I read through the entire juvenile section of my little rural county library before I turned 12, and haven't looked back since. The sheer availability of reading material on the internet is seriously addictive for me--I have to watch very carefully the time I spend reading at the laptop. Vern is the same way. I can't imagine not being able to read, or not reading. I look forward to the day when the kids aren't so little and I can spend more serious time reading actual books . . . good, long, excellent books to savor and enjoy.
My oldest has always turned into a pile of whining jello when I've tried to encourage him to read. Tonight, after I had the three younger ones in bed, a new synaptic pathway flashing into existence and I said: "You may stay up later than the other kids if you read. If you don't, then you'll need to go get in bed." His face lit up and he started right at it. He's sitting on the couch right now, reading away--sometimes to himself, sometimes aloud--and it's beautiful. Just beautiful.
I'm thinking this could be the start of something wonderful. :o)
My oldest has always turned into a pile of whining jello when I've tried to encourage him to read. Tonight, after I had the three younger ones in bed, a new synaptic pathway flashing into existence and I said: "You may stay up later than the other kids if you read. If you don't, then you'll need to go get in bed." His face lit up and he started right at it. He's sitting on the couch right now, reading away--sometimes to himself, sometimes aloud--and it's beautiful. Just beautiful.
I'm thinking this could be the start of something wonderful. :o)
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Fun in the Sun
It has been pretty hot here. Not as hot today as earlier in the week, but still hot enough to encourage me to stay inside. So, I decided to make the sun work for me.
Here are three skeins of Shimmer (70% Baby Alpaca, 30% Silk) from Knit Picks. I actually got it on eBay, and thought that it was all shades of blue, not blue/gray/white. I haven't been able to figure out what to do with it as is, because I really don't like the color. But today, while I spent hours steam cleaning carpets, I mulled over over-dyeing it with either red or yellow. I opted for red, as you can see. Black Cherry, actually.
Here's the new swift, btw. It arrived in today's mail, and handily wound the top skein in the photo above. (That's what the 5th dowel is for.) It works very well, and I would recommend one as a good swift for the price. It has only one coat of stain on it (the wood grain is still raised), so I'm thinking about staining it either dark cherry or near-black. I'm leaning toward the black. But, we'll see. (MS3 included for scale.) I might just need to buy another one in a larger size . . . we'll see how different skeins of yarn work on it. This swift has 24" arms. (That means they extend 12" from the center.)
Here's the yarn in a nice vinegar bath in the sink. This stuff had an astonishing amount of air in it. It floated like a cork, and had to be ever so gently pushed down and the air squeezed out against the bottom of the sink. It took quite a bit of persuasion before the stuff didn't want to float, and then even more before it was saturated.
And here it is, sitting comfortably in the dye bath. That's just one packet of Kool Aid in a 10 quart enamel stock pot. I might do another dye bath if this doesn't end up dark enough, but it looked awfully dark when I had it all mixed in. I shudder to think that I drank untold packets of this stuff back at school . . . I wonder what happened to all of that food dye . . .
And here is the dye pot, basking in the golden glow of the afternoon sun along with the Yarrow.
And here's what I've been taking blog photos with the last couple of days. It's very cool--the only thing it doesn't do better than my Olympus is zoom--and it's hard to beat a 10x optical zoom when you've only got 3.8x. But this baby starts up in less than a second, takes shots a whole lot faster, has a macro focus of just about an inch (opposed to the Oly's 3"), and has excellent battery life. I'm glad that Vern's sharing his new toy. (And that he doesn't take it to work! lol :o)
And now, we wait for the sun . . .
Here are three skeins of Shimmer (70% Baby Alpaca, 30% Silk) from Knit Picks. I actually got it on eBay, and thought that it was all shades of blue, not blue/gray/white. I haven't been able to figure out what to do with it as is, because I really don't like the color. But today, while I spent hours steam cleaning carpets, I mulled over over-dyeing it with either red or yellow. I opted for red, as you can see. Black Cherry, actually.
Here's the new swift, btw. It arrived in today's mail, and handily wound the top skein in the photo above. (That's what the 5th dowel is for.) It works very well, and I would recommend one as a good swift for the price. It has only one coat of stain on it (the wood grain is still raised), so I'm thinking about staining it either dark cherry or near-black. I'm leaning toward the black. But, we'll see. (MS3 included for scale.) I might just need to buy another one in a larger size . . . we'll see how different skeins of yarn work on it. This swift has 24" arms. (That means they extend 12" from the center.)
Here's the yarn in a nice vinegar bath in the sink. This stuff had an astonishing amount of air in it. It floated like a cork, and had to be ever so gently pushed down and the air squeezed out against the bottom of the sink. It took quite a bit of persuasion before the stuff didn't want to float, and then even more before it was saturated.
And here it is, sitting comfortably in the dye bath. That's just one packet of Kool Aid in a 10 quart enamel stock pot. I might do another dye bath if this doesn't end up dark enough, but it looked awfully dark when I had it all mixed in. I shudder to think that I drank untold packets of this stuff back at school . . . I wonder what happened to all of that food dye . . .
And here is the dye pot, basking in the golden glow of the afternoon sun along with the Yarrow.
And here's what I've been taking blog photos with the last couple of days. It's very cool--the only thing it doesn't do better than my Olympus is zoom--and it's hard to beat a 10x optical zoom when you've only got 3.8x. But this baby starts up in less than a second, takes shots a whole lot faster, has a macro focus of just about an inch (opposed to the Oly's 3"), and has excellent battery life. I'm glad that Vern's sharing his new toy. (And that he doesn't take it to work! lol :o)
And now, we wait for the sun . . .
Still dyeing . . .
Seven packets of Black Cherry and I have deep bright purple, magenta, and intense pink.
Thinking . . .
Thinking . . .
It was Cami's idea . . .
The quiz, that is.
Really, that's pretty darn close. There are other facets of my personality that aren't covered, but it hits all of the big ones. While I don't believe that astrology can predict the future, it's a surprisingly accurate documentation of the patterns of our emotional relationship to the rhythms of our environment.
I really do look for the truth behind things I learn or experience; to see how it fits in with other things I already accept as true, or to see how new experiences necessitate an alteration of the way I see things. The spirituality thing is also dead on. I don't talk about it much (I'm pretty reserved, remember? ;o), but that's mostly because those things are so very sacred to me. It's not something I'll often drop in casual conversation, but is reserved for times and places when I know that those things won't be made light of, or ridiculed.
Right now we live in a rural area, in an anomaly of a small subdivision. I have a great view of a pasture and forest from my living room, but all around me are other homes and other people. Even with exceptionally large lots (most are about an acre), I feel pretty closed in.
I'm also right dab-smack in the middle of learning to express myself more. It has come as a bit of a rude awakening to Vern, (for the first five years of marriage, I didn't much), but he has proven that he's worth every last bit of love and devotion I give him by only respecting and valuing me more. I feel like I'm just now beginning to understand my own needs, and how to balance them with the needs of my family and others around me. Learning to say no has been a huge leap forward; along with consciously deciding to no longer be "busy" like everyone else.
Thanks, Cami. That was fun. :o)
So, today is going to be a good one . . . not because the stars said so, but because I decided on it when I woke up this morning. ;o)
Make it a good one!
| Your Life Path Number is 7 |
 Your purpose in life is to find truth and meaning You are very spiritual, and you are interested in the mysteries of life. You are quite analytical and a great thinker. You have many theories and insights. A life of solitude is perfect for you. You need time to think and do things your way. In love, you are quite charming. You attract many with your confidence and wit. While you enjoy being alone, sometimes you take it to an extreme. You can become too isolated, shutting out loved ones and friends. Express yourself a little bit more, and you'll be surprised where it takes you! |
Really, that's pretty darn close. There are other facets of my personality that aren't covered, but it hits all of the big ones. While I don't believe that astrology can predict the future, it's a surprisingly accurate documentation of the patterns of our emotional relationship to the rhythms of our environment.
I really do look for the truth behind things I learn or experience; to see how it fits in with other things I already accept as true, or to see how new experiences necessitate an alteration of the way I see things. The spirituality thing is also dead on. I don't talk about it much (I'm pretty reserved, remember? ;o), but that's mostly because those things are so very sacred to me. It's not something I'll often drop in casual conversation, but is reserved for times and places when I know that those things won't be made light of, or ridiculed.
Right now we live in a rural area, in an anomaly of a small subdivision. I have a great view of a pasture and forest from my living room, but all around me are other homes and other people. Even with exceptionally large lots (most are about an acre), I feel pretty closed in.
I'm also right dab-smack in the middle of learning to express myself more. It has come as a bit of a rude awakening to Vern, (for the first five years of marriage, I didn't much), but he has proven that he's worth every last bit of love and devotion I give him by only respecting and valuing me more. I feel like I'm just now beginning to understand my own needs, and how to balance them with the needs of my family and others around me. Learning to say no has been a huge leap forward; along with consciously deciding to no longer be "busy" like everyone else.
Thanks, Cami. That was fun. :o)
So, today is going to be a good one . . . not because the stars said so, but because I decided on it when I woke up this morning. ;o)
Make it a good one!
Friday, July 27, 2007
In Living Color
Still not as pink as real life . . . I wish that I could turn off the built-in red filter that pretty much all terrestrial cameras have. (High-end Astronomy digital cameras don't have the red filter--and boy, do you ever pay for it!)
Here is the set of Hawaiian sea blue markers I made. (And I'm keeping these! lol Modelled by the baby herself. Not too shabby, eh?)
Still prettier in real life . . . but I hope you get the idea. These are so much fun to use. :o)
Maybe this is better . . .
Now, I'm going to go take care of a few mundane things and do some knitting if it kills me. ;o)
Here is the set of Hawaiian sea blue markers I made. (And I'm keeping these! lol Modelled by the baby herself. Not too shabby, eh?)
Still prettier in real life . . . but I hope you get the idea. These are so much fun to use. :o)
Maybe this is better . . .
Now, I'm going to go take care of a few mundane things and do some knitting if it kills me. ;o)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Bead Happy
I need to stop. This is seriously eating into my knitting time.
Here is most of a set I made a while back. The colors are really a pretty mauve/purple there in the middle, with the one on the right a dark mauve purple, and the four on the left irridescent dark burgundy. (I've gotta get me some medium gray background material. This brown stuff is horrible!) But be that as it may, I just love these little markers. They're teeny tiny, and only fit up to a US6; but I still love them.
Here's the roaming marker in that set. (Please ignore the fingerprint on the bead! lol)
One of the tonal blue set I made at the same time. (Ugh. Brown stuff must go. That seed bead is a wonderful, irridescent amber. Not whatever color that is.) This set has cobalt and deep periwinkle markers. I love making big sets of stitch markers with some variety. They're so fun to see hanging all together.
Oh, and here's the WIP they're all on. It's Knitting Daily's Summer Shawlette. (If you can't see the pattern, it means you need to get with the program and sign up for Knitting Daily already. ;o) That's Nature Wool in a wonderful garnet colorway on 6mm KP Options. (US10.) I wish I had bought a Whole Lot More when I got that single skein. We'll see if it's enough to make a full shawlette, or just a wide, crescent-shaped scarf.
And, meanwhile, my sweet MS3 waits patiently, cozying up behind the Nature Wool. (I feel a little funny posting photos of blurred charts--it's like there's nudity to hide! ;oP)
Just when you thought my bead frenzy was over, what did I do tonight instead of knitting on MS3?
I made more . . .
I'm going to take some better photos in natural light. These are light baby pink. Wonderful, make you smile, girly pink; and two barely distinguishable light lavender cubes tossed in for variety. You can see the roaming marker, as well as the round marker with the fun dangle. The fringe beads on that dangle are irridescent light purple . . . pretty enough to make you cry. So, have some hankies ready for tomorrow's post. ;o)
And lastly, this is what I saw out of my window tonight, and then walked barefoot in the cool grass to catch.
I just love poofy pink sunsets. Don't you?
Here is most of a set I made a while back. The colors are really a pretty mauve/purple there in the middle, with the one on the right a dark mauve purple, and the four on the left irridescent dark burgundy. (I've gotta get me some medium gray background material. This brown stuff is horrible!) But be that as it may, I just love these little markers. They're teeny tiny, and only fit up to a US6; but I still love them.
Here's the roaming marker in that set. (Please ignore the fingerprint on the bead! lol)
One of the tonal blue set I made at the same time. (Ugh. Brown stuff must go. That seed bead is a wonderful, irridescent amber. Not whatever color that is.) This set has cobalt and deep periwinkle markers. I love making big sets of stitch markers with some variety. They're so fun to see hanging all together.
Oh, and here's the WIP they're all on. It's Knitting Daily's Summer Shawlette. (If you can't see the pattern, it means you need to get with the program and sign up for Knitting Daily already. ;o) That's Nature Wool in a wonderful garnet colorway on 6mm KP Options. (US10.) I wish I had bought a Whole Lot More when I got that single skein. We'll see if it's enough to make a full shawlette, or just a wide, crescent-shaped scarf.
And, meanwhile, my sweet MS3 waits patiently, cozying up behind the Nature Wool. (I feel a little funny posting photos of blurred charts--it's like there's nudity to hide! ;oP)
Just when you thought my bead frenzy was over, what did I do tonight instead of knitting on MS3?
I made more . . .
I'm going to take some better photos in natural light. These are light baby pink. Wonderful, make you smile, girly pink; and two barely distinguishable light lavender cubes tossed in for variety. You can see the roaming marker, as well as the round marker with the fun dangle. The fringe beads on that dangle are irridescent light purple . . . pretty enough to make you cry. So, have some hankies ready for tomorrow's post. ;o)
And lastly, this is what I saw out of my window tonight, and then walked barefoot in the cool grass to catch.
I just love poofy pink sunsets. Don't you?
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday . . .
to me!
(Okay, so it's 5 weeks and 6 days late, but I'm not complaining!)
Vern surprised me today by pinging me on MSN with: "Your swift is on it's way."
Check out the little video there at the bottom of the listing. Go ahead, I'll still be here. ;o)
Did you see how smoothly that baby turns? How it bounces back when the yarn hits a snag? Hallelujah, I've seen the light (at the end of the ball-winding tunnel)! This morning when I was fighting with my birch Joann swift, I vowed I would never use it again. And I won't. eBay, here it comes. (I'd never curse any of my blog readers with such a stubborn, stiff hindrance to knitting!) Now, before you start thinking that Vern is psychic (he does know a little about knitting, and saw my frustration this morning), I had pinged him a few minutes earlier with a link to that auction, as a friendly hint. I didn't think for a second he'd actually do it, though. He usually thinks things over for a day or three before making any kind of purchase. :o) Woo-hoo!
So, in a few days, I'll be winding all by my lonesome, instead of with several children helping me. (I'd run the old swift, while one child pre-tensions the yarn, another cranks the ball winder, and a third chants: "Mommy, is it my turn yet?" while the baby laughs and babbles and points her little chubby finger at the lot of us.)
In other news, despite the ball winding fiasco this morning, I didn't get any knitting done today. I did, however, make these (along with three meals and a little laundry and misc everyday stuff). First, a family photo.
Yep. Stitch markers. Four sets of which were made today. The sets are either five or six markers, in Not-so-wee (up to a 16mm needle), usual (up to 6mm) and Wee (up to 4mm) sizes. The two sets of purple ones are jumbo sized, with five markers each, one of which coordinates but stands out, for knitting in the round. The olive set is designed for lace, with six markers in Wee size, with one center stitch marker (it has a clasp that is easily repositionable), and one marker with a fun little drop on the bottom for marking the beginning of a round (you know, for all of the mobiuseseses you knit). You can see it there on the left of the green bunch.
Up next is a semi-precious gemstone set (read: fancy polished rocks) in Not-so-wee. I figure since a US17 needle is 12mm, these should work just fine for just about everyone. (Note: if you regularly knit with, say, size 35 needles, I think I might even be able to come up with something. ;o) The square rocks are Autumn Jasper (one of my absolute favorites), followed by assorted tumbled agate/adventurine/marble/whatever nugget drops, and some Swarovski crystals tossed in for good measure.
And last up, a set designed by my 7yo DS.
Not too shabby, eh? He stacked the beads and bent the headpins, I cut & curled & linked the rest. It was hard to keep him from taking off and designing thirty more sets while I was working on this one . . . that boy has a good eye for color. I never would have put the red seed beads with that turquoise--too daring. Too intense. Too bold for the woman who loves soft, soothing colors. (Witness the sweet purple, above?) But I really ended up liking these. There's no way I can keep them, though, because the little capitalist knows that these are destined for my LYS for resale, and he wants his cut. ;o) We'll see how it goes.
And now, I'm off to get ready for bed, and try to sneak in a few rows of Clue #2 before I crash.
Sweet knitterly dreams to you all . . .
(Okay, so it's 5 weeks and 6 days late, but I'm not complaining!)
Vern surprised me today by pinging me on MSN with: "Your swift is on it's way."
Check out the little video there at the bottom of the listing. Go ahead, I'll still be here. ;o)
Did you see how smoothly that baby turns? How it bounces back when the yarn hits a snag? Hallelujah, I've seen the light (at the end of the ball-winding tunnel)! This morning when I was fighting with my birch Joann swift, I vowed I would never use it again. And I won't. eBay, here it comes. (I'd never curse any of my blog readers with such a stubborn, stiff hindrance to knitting!) Now, before you start thinking that Vern is psychic (he does know a little about knitting, and saw my frustration this morning), I had pinged him a few minutes earlier with a link to that auction, as a friendly hint. I didn't think for a second he'd actually do it, though. He usually thinks things over for a day or three before making any kind of purchase. :o) Woo-hoo!
So, in a few days, I'll be winding all by my lonesome, instead of with several children helping me. (I'd run the old swift, while one child pre-tensions the yarn, another cranks the ball winder, and a third chants: "Mommy, is it my turn yet?" while the baby laughs and babbles and points her little chubby finger at the lot of us.)
In other news, despite the ball winding fiasco this morning, I didn't get any knitting done today. I did, however, make these (along with three meals and a little laundry and misc everyday stuff). First, a family photo.
Yep. Stitch markers. Four sets of which were made today. The sets are either five or six markers, in Not-so-wee (up to a 16mm needle), usual (up to 6mm) and Wee (up to 4mm) sizes. The two sets of purple ones are jumbo sized, with five markers each, one of which coordinates but stands out, for knitting in the round. The olive set is designed for lace, with six markers in Wee size, with one center stitch marker (it has a clasp that is easily repositionable), and one marker with a fun little drop on the bottom for marking the beginning of a round (you know, for all of the mobiuseseses you knit). You can see it there on the left of the green bunch.
Up next is a semi-precious gemstone set (read: fancy polished rocks) in Not-so-wee. I figure since a US17 needle is 12mm, these should work just fine for just about everyone. (Note: if you regularly knit with, say, size 35 needles, I think I might even be able to come up with something. ;o) The square rocks are Autumn Jasper (one of my absolute favorites), followed by assorted tumbled agate/adventurine/marble/whatever nugget drops, and some Swarovski crystals tossed in for good measure.
And last up, a set designed by my 7yo DS.
Not too shabby, eh? He stacked the beads and bent the headpins, I cut & curled & linked the rest. It was hard to keep him from taking off and designing thirty more sets while I was working on this one . . . that boy has a good eye for color. I never would have put the red seed beads with that turquoise--too daring. Too intense. Too bold for the woman who loves soft, soothing colors. (Witness the sweet purple, above?) But I really ended up liking these. There's no way I can keep them, though, because the little capitalist knows that these are destined for my LYS for resale, and he wants his cut. ;o) We'll see how it goes.
And now, I'm off to get ready for bed, and try to sneak in a few rows of Clue #2 before I crash.
Sweet knitterly dreams to you all . . .
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
MS3 Update - Clue one finished.
No, that wasn't a typo. ;o) I was surprised at how quickly the last few (okay, 10) rows went today. I really wanted to spend some nice time knitting quietly, and did all I could during naps today. I even got to snatch a few minutes this morning working on the forlorn FCSS. It's looking really good--I did a steam block a while back to see how it was turning out, and I really like the drape of that Knit Picks Shadow lace merino. Knitting on the MS3 has made me think a lot about how lace goes together, and it has made continuing on the FCSS a lot more straightforward. I finally, really and truly, understand how yarnovers fit into things, and how to watch as I knit each row to make sure that the previous right-side row's yarnovers are incorporated into the proper, increasing, portions of the shawl.
Oh, but this was supposed to be about my MS3. Right.
Here she is!
Wow. For some reason, the pattern stands out a whole lot better in the photo than in real life. I really like it! :o) This is JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk laceweight in Vanilla from Sarah's Yarns.
Here's a closeup of my cream soda seed beads:
They stood out much better before I uploaded the pic. Hmmmm. Anyway, you get the idea.
Here's how I'm managing my charts:
In order to honor Melanie's copyright of the pattern, I blurred it sufficiently to obscure the chart. I did try to let you see how I've marked off the rows on the left side. I've also written in row numbers so when I'm flipping the chart keeper over, it's easier to make sure that I've got the magnets positioned properly.
Here's a closeup of some of my chart technique. I write in the number of knit stitches when they appear in clumps, putting the number in the first knit stitch box after a pattern stitch. (Well, they're all part of the pattern, but you know what I mean.) It makes it so much faster to knit! It's also easier to keep my place as I'm looking back and forth from the chart to my knitting. Since I'm stuck with a black & white printer, I also write in B's where the beads should go. Otherwise it's hard to remember to not put them in every right-side center stitch. ;o)
And that, dear knitters and friends, is where my Mystery Stole sits for now. I've got the next clue (#2) printed out, and ready for notation and cropping to get it ready to go on the chart keeper for my next stint.
Have a great night!
Oh, but this was supposed to be about my MS3. Right.
Here she is!
Wow. For some reason, the pattern stands out a whole lot better in the photo than in real life. I really like it! :o) This is JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk laceweight in Vanilla from Sarah's Yarns.
Here's a closeup of my cream soda seed beads:
They stood out much better before I uploaded the pic. Hmmmm. Anyway, you get the idea.
Here's how I'm managing my charts:
In order to honor Melanie's copyright of the pattern, I blurred it sufficiently to obscure the chart. I did try to let you see how I've marked off the rows on the left side. I've also written in row numbers so when I'm flipping the chart keeper over, it's easier to make sure that I've got the magnets positioned properly.
Here's a closeup of some of my chart technique. I write in the number of knit stitches when they appear in clumps, putting the number in the first knit stitch box after a pattern stitch. (Well, they're all part of the pattern, but you know what I mean.) It makes it so much faster to knit! It's also easier to keep my place as I'm looking back and forth from the chart to my knitting. Since I'm stuck with a black & white printer, I also write in B's where the beads should go. Otherwise it's hard to remember to not put them in every right-side center stitch. ;o)
And that, dear knitters and friends, is where my Mystery Stole sits for now. I've got the next clue (#2) printed out, and ready for notation and cropping to get it ready to go on the chart keeper for my next stint.
Have a great night!
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