Craft Adventures

Knit Geek is not geeky enough these days

dabetswe — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 03:57:25 +0000

I have not been knitting or crafting as much at all these days. Being a working mother carving out her career path while dealing with Terrible Twos and Threes and the inevitable Sibling Rivalry is handful enough for me. I have started returning to knitting as a way to relax and chill out, though not by far anywhere close to being a hobby status. It’s more like survival status. I did finish the Vegas scarf that has taken 3 years or so to complete.

More yarn

dabetswe — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:50:24 +0000

I was having a “Me Day” to have a break from being a mom. I got myself a massage and went to an LYS prior to my appointment since they were just down the block from each other and I knew from the email newsletter that there was a sale going on at Piedmont Yarn & Apparel. I went straight for the bin and found a lovely white yarn with specks of colors and a peachy cotton yarn. Price tags were so low at $3.99 and $1.99 respectively that I just had to get them. I got two of the former and four of the latter. when I got to the cashier, there was a further discount of about 25%. I couldn’t believe it! now I just gave to figure out what projects to make out of them.

Inspiration from my offsprings

dabetswe — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:52:19 +0000

Ones I procreated and created into being are creating and creative for my knitting right now. I have not knitted for a long long time, since I gave birth to my DS almost 5 months ago. Then, I realize, I need to get back into my own world of arts and thoughtfulness and play, and get some space to relax and meditate…with what I do well with in that regard, which is knitting. So I picked up my needles and an old yarn I purchased from a used art depot, and looked at a stitch dictionary, and decided to knit my DD a red scarf with lace hearts on it. The hearts stitch pattern comes from VogueKnitting: The Ultimate Knitting Guide book. I added a garter stitch border to it and will add crochet picot edge once I’m done with the scarf. I suppose it’s on my own design, although I can’t completely take credit for it since the stitch pattern comes from the book.

So far I’ve came across a few mistakes and errors here and there, and I did re-work some of them, while others, I couldn’t figure out where I erred so I just kept on going.

Of course, I still have many other projects still WIPs and hope to finish them some day when I have more time and space. For now, baby and kid items are faster and simpler, and seem natural to take on since they are for my lovely children that I’ve been spending a lot of my energy on these days.

Machine punched through…

dabetswe — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:12:29 +0000

That line is from a song by Moist, a Canadian band that’s my favorite all time band. Anyway, I’m feeling like a machine lately..in a good way. A feeding machine for my baby and a knitting machine for my crafts. I finished the hat I was knitting for my sister’s boyfriend. I hope it fits him and he likes it and actually wears it. It took me a little more than 2 weeks to complete it. I knit rather slow, I think, but also because I’ve got 2 kids to take care of, which is much of a distraction.

Now I’ve started on a pair of fingerless hand warmers called Inverness Diamonds Handwarmers by Creative Yarn. I love it as it’s a very fast and easy project and beautiful to knit. It’s for my sister’s birthday, which is in 2 day time. I don’t think I’ll finish it in time, much less in time to send them by her birthday, of course. But I did complete one of the pair in 2 days and if I do have time today, I might start on the other one, and who knows, surprise myself with completing it on her actual birthday. I’m not counting on it though. At least, it won’t be too late, maybe only a week. That’s an accomplishment for me these days.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING by the way!

So here are the pictures:

Handwarmer:

Hat:

Yarn sale

dabetswe — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:43:40 +0000

I was seeking some shopping therapy the other day and went to ArticlePract in Oakland to browse around and my yarn fix even if I wasn’t going to buy. However they were having a sale in the back hallway and I bought 2 bags of delightful yarn at 40% off. They are Rowan classics in bamboo and Louisa Harding Kahmir DK, both in shades of white. Here are pictures:

Belated Birthdays

dabetswe — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:48:43 +0000

I’m working on a (hopefully) quick project for a hat for my sister’s boyfriend. It was his birthday on Halloween Day. After some consultation with my sister on what he might like (nothing too fancy, apparently), I started working on this pattern Running Beanie from WollyWormHead.com . I’m also trying to see if I could start a cross-stitch project for my sister for her birthday, coming up in 2 weeks. I’m sure I’ll be finishing it and sending it much after her birthday has passed. I haven’t ever really done a cross-stitch project before so I’ll see how it turns out. I attempted a while ago but it never went anyway because it was too complex and I didn’t have the time to learn it. I’m still rather busy with being a mother, but I’m hoping these simple projects won’t take up too much time, and will at least get me started again with my creativity.

Here is the picture of the hat I’m thinking of:

Inspirationz

dabetswe — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:37:32 +0000

I have not been knitting or crocheting or being creative in any other way for a long time. My recent pregnancy had kept me rather mellow. Now the baby was born October 18th with very smooth and fast labor and my body is back to its usual self, I’m trying to get back to creativity. Of course, the work of a mother to a newborn takes up pretty much all of my time and energy too, so it’s an uphill journey to return to my artistic world. Still, I do feel blessed with the family I have and such contentment gives me room for self reflection and exploration of existential concerns.

My father just gave me some textile my mother had bought in Burma. Looking at them, I thought about my wish to be able to knit patterns that represent or translate these ethnic designs. It’s quite complex and I’ll need to really master Fair Isle color knitting before I can venture on this idea. Nevertheless it is worth keeping as an inspiration.

dabetswe — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:57:37 +0000

Here I have completed the hat for my new baby:

I have started working on a bag modified from the “True Blue” pattern found in “25 More Bags to Knit” by Emma King. It’s called Berzekley Bag, as the colors remind me of the city in which I reside. I like knitting bags, I realize. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I also have a huge collection of bags in my own wardrobe. In any case, I’m also going to get started on the kit I bought from Knitpicks.com , which is a farmer’s market bag. I’ll make one for myself, and one for my sister. She’s into all this environmental stuff, so I think she’ll enjoy it. She was asking for a bag after seeing the picture of the bag I made for my dad. I still have the bobble/cable sweater from Vogue in the works, stuck at and yet to be figured out with one phase of the pattern. Then, there is the Vegas scarf that is halfway done. I just need to join new yarn.

The other day, I was at Piedmont Yarn & Apparel in Oakland, and bought a couple of balls of yarn on sale in the discount bin. Their labels were missing, but they were quite nice yarn. I couldn’t help myself, even though I’ve got lots of yarn in my stash already. I was organizing them in my Ravelry stash account.

As for pregnancy, it’s been really hard on me. I’m glad I’ve got knitting to help me relax and feel capable.

Summer Vacation

dabetswe — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:55:22 +0000

Summer is here. And I finally ended my part time paid internship placement at the college campus. It was good experience but it was rather stressful work environment too. I’m glad to now have more time for real stuff like knitting and my crafts, and my family, and concentrating on my training at the other internship placement that is helping me grow as a person too. I managed to finish up the projects in hibernation, such as the satchel bag for my dad and my wisp scarf/capelet. Here is the completed picture of the satchel, which I mailed off a few days ago to my dad for his combined 2 years worth of birthdays and Father’s Days gift. I haven’t a real good picture of the scarf yet so I’ll post that later. I am just so happy to be able to really work on my creative side. It keeps me happy and feeling alive.

I’m enjoying my Summer travels to Upstate New York for a long weekend, and in another couple of weeks to Seattle for another long weekend. Hopefully, I can fit another trip before the Summer ends, and before the new baby arrives. We’re getting closer to picking out a name for the baby boy (yes, it’s a boy!). I am working on a kitting up a simple hat for the baby boy. Still got booties to knit for him. I hope I can make it all in time as I also want to start on another project, maybe to sell on Etsy.com this time. I think I’m ready to sell some knitted stuff on my Etsy store. I also bought some more yarn at my favotire yarn shop in Oakland recently. I busted out my stash the other day and my husband saw it, and was surprised at the stash I had. I know I have bought a lot of yarn with intentions for projects. I probably should start working on some soon, instead of keep adding to the stash without actually working on it at a good pace. Of course, one can say, there can never be too much yarn. I will post later what new yarn I’ve got. I am in a resort right now, taking a break while my baby girl (she’s so big now) takes her nap.

Back on Thread

dabetswe — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:13:53 +0000

I’ve picked up the Satchel Bag for Dad that I put away for hibernation, and finally started moving along with it again. I was a bit stuck with the I-Cord Bind Off part, but eventually figured out I needed another dpn to help me work that thing. Duh! I do like how I-Cords look…it’s just confusing when they don’t write the instructions broken down into minute details, only since I’m still such a beginner, even if I do attempt big projects from time to time. I hope to complete it by end of this weekend although, I’m not sure if that will happen. I do want to mail it to my dad in time for Father’s Day, especially since it’s meant for last year Father’s Day and his birthday this year, and I guess, now this year’s Father’s Day, all combined into one gift.

Speak of gifts…I finally found the best present I could think of for my wonderful hubby. It’s always so hard to find something for him because he’s so special and he’s got his own taste in things. And what can you get a man who can get anything for himself? Certainly an experience but I don’t cook very well, not as well as he does, and I’m not very resourceful about parties and travels, as he is. And I’m also very very VERY limited in my own personal income, so I can’t afford to get him something costly. If I spend more, it’ll be more from his income and what’s the point of getting a gift that he’s paying for? Anyway, like I said, I finally got something I could afford that will mean something to him, I think. I can’t wait. It’s both for Father’s Day and especially his birthday.