Bean Counter's Knitting & Stuff

Bean Counting Knitter

January 31, 2011

Kiki bed?


So the other day while "tossing" my stash this project saw the light. I stepped away for a few minutes and when I came back I found Kiki burrowed into the fabric. She was making a sweet cooing noise too. It got me thinking perhaps I could resurrect this project into a squishy kitty bed.

I have some negative feelings towards this project. I knit it while on Federal Jury Duty a couple summers ago. We returned a guilty verdict in the murder trial and I can't help but think about that time when I look at this project.

As as side note the judge sentenced him, a 29 year old, to 40 years in federal prison. We were told that in the federal system there isn't parole. He will be 69 years old when he is free again. 

January 30, 2011

Conquering Intimidation!

My husband surprised me with a Nikon Colorpix 7000 for Christmas. Quite honestly I have been scared it. I would take it out of the case, take a couple pictures and put it away, which isn't how I normally roll. I take pictures of everything.  

I had some serious intimidation going on with this camera. I am glad he didn't purchase the full on SLR because I might have broken out in hives or something. 

A couple weeks ago I met up with a friend at Barnes and Noble. While there I purchased Digital Photography For Dummies. I have been reading a few pages a day and I think it's slowly sinking in. 

Confession: I didn't have the guts to show my friend the book because I was feeling very dumb . She takes awesome pictures with her SLR camera.  

 This past week I decided to embrace my inner child and let myself enjoy the process of taking photos and learning. This morning I took this picture.  Its of a tomato plant growing in my Aerogarden.  I love the detail of the tiny fibers on the leaves and branches. Yep that is a baby tomato growing there too.

Yesterday was craft area clean-up day. Poo and Kiki love when Mommy plays in her stash. Kiki liked the bowl from Global Gallery where I keep various yarn balls/hanks acquired until they are incorporated into stash. 

Its pretty rare to be empty and she didn't miss a beat to fill it with her sexy self. Poo on the other hand had fun making a bed out of the 9+ hanks of Tahki Donegal Tweed. The two ball/hank of red were left over from my Sonya's Susie Hoodie. The other 7 hanks were a gift from a friend. I am searching out a pattern for a sweater to use these 9 ball/hanks. 



This yarn is amazing!

January 25, 2011

Work in progress

It is funny.... I recently had my hair cut VERY short. There has been mix reaction. There are those that come up and excitedly say something like your hair is amazing. Then there are those that either don't say anything and act like nothing has changed or those that say wow your hair is really short. I know this later crowd doesn't really care for it. At first I was hurt but now I think it is funny. People are judgmental ~ myself included. I have been working on my judgmental self. I am a work in progress and I need to remember everyone else is too.

Yarn is a work in progress. It is fiber that has been spun into yarn. Yarn is then used to make something so it is a work in progress.

One of the projects I am working on is with Noro. Noro is amazing. The colors are rich and just make me happy. There is one thing that has pissed me off with this round of Noro. It is the breaks in the yarn. I realize yarn can't go on forever. I have come to accept there will be yarn splits. What really gets me mad is when the join is knotted very tight. This doesn't get me as mad, though, as when the yarn joined is a patterned color yarn and joined in the reverse order. WTF?

I was listening to the latest Knitmore Girls Episode 136 this morning and they discussed yarn splits too. They had been reading EZ recently who was of the school that one should write the manufacture when a yarn split is found in a ball. I believe there is an acceptable number of splits per ball in the yarn industry. More than 3 (??) in one ball is considered a no no and you should be able to get a refund. I am sure someone will read this and post further details.

So all this said... Yarn is a work in progress. I think sometimes I can get all spun up and it really just depends on how tolerant I am and can be as with anything in this wonderful life. 

January 19, 2011

TSA and Knitting...


Transporting Knitting Needles & Needlepoint

Traveling with Special Items
Photo of knitting needlesKnitting needles are permitted in your carry-on baggage or checked baggage.
Items needed to pursue a Needlepoint project are permitted in your carry-on baggage or checked baggage with the exception of circular thread cutters or any cutter with a blade contained inside which cannot go through the checkpoint and must go in your checked baggage.

January 18, 2011

Darn it....

I have a few pairs of hand knit socks that are well worn. I am of the mind set to get as much wear out of my hand knit socks as possible. I have heard some say when the hole appears they throw them away. I just don't have the heart to toss them out until there isn't anything left to fix. If it can be fixed I am determined to fix it.....

I noticed a couple pairs starting to wear at the heel. I want to head off a hole. I like Knitting in Colors idea of picking up stitches and knitting over the hole. I intend to try this technique over the soon to be hole.  If I pick up stitches right at the edge of the heel and knit well past the worn part I should be able to graph the stitches to the bottom of the foot.  I would much rather knit a patch of fabric than darn a hole or God forbid throw them out.....



Stay tuned!

January 17, 2011

Toe up sock # 1 DONE!


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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter
I finished my first toe up sock yesterday. It is the Baudelaire by Cookie A.

I am still very luke warm on toe up.

January 10, 2011

Brambles finished


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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter
Brambles from Knitty

I loved knitting this hat. Blocking it was almost as fun. The directions say the following for finishing:

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block. The body of this hat grows and achieves its shape through wet blocking. Dinner plates were used for medium-length and long hats shown. The short hat was blocked using an inflated balloon. Both methods work well.

To prevent stretching the ribbed hat band, waste yarn was basted in a running stitch along the round between the ribbed band and the hat body. After the hat was soaked and placed over the blocking form, the waste yarn was cinched, to firmly stretch the cabled hat body. The ribbed band was then pulled vertically by hand and left to dry for a perfect finish.

Brambles


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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter
Saturday morning I had 90% of my existing hair cut off. That left an inch of hair remaining at the longest parts. It is the dead of winter here now and I learned really fast I need hats.

I was still craving cables so I cast on Brambles Beret from Knitting Deep Fall 2010. I am really loving this pattern. I am in the decrease rounds. I hope to block this hat tonight or tomorrow so I can wear it very very soon.

I stash busted for this project. I am using Berroco Vintage.

January 6, 2011

Action plan needed......

So I have been thinking. Yeah I know that is probably dangerous but whatever!

I need a plan to conquer the 12 projects in my 2011 Finishing Project. I have come up with the plan of attack. Every Thursday, until they are finished or frogged, I am going to select three projects from the remaining list and I am going to focus on those projects for the next week.

This weeks selection are:

Square Me Some Simple Reading Knitting (2011 Finish # 10)
Bean Counter's Baudelaire (2011 Finishing # 15)
Shadow Shoulder Shawl (2011 Finish # 4)

Perhaps I will take pictures of the current state of the projects and at the end of the week another round of pictures for progress show and tell.

This is a work in progress. I know that I need to take action to be successful and this is my action plan today.

I dream of cables....


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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter
I have been bitten by cables again. Perhaps it is my husband's impending trip to Ireland for work that has me so worked up about cables. Or maybe it is my love of cables. My Mom and Grammy loved to knit cables and I think I acquired that gene from them.

Earlier this week I received Knitting at Home and I can't stop looking at this book. Seriously there are 60 patterns in this book and I want to knit at least 16 of them.

The top of the list are these socks. I have to knit these socks. Never mind the fact that I have 10+ projects on the needles and they all have to be finished or frogged by the stroke of midnight on 1/31/11.

UGH!

January 4, 2011

Knitting at Home


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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter
*****Update***** Took a look over lunch and there are at least 16 items I want to knit from this book! WOWWWWWWW

This little gem just made its way to me via UPS delivery. I don't know why but I have been lusting after this book for a week or so now. Finally broke down and ordered on Sunday. I can't wait until lunch when I can crack it open and start drooling.

Still a cuff down girl!


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Originally uploaded by bean counting knitter



I am almost finished with my very first toe up sock. It's Cookie A's Baudelaire pattern published on knitty.com

While I am not in love with the toe up process I am grateful to have the skill in my knitting inventory. I know someday there will be a pattern that I have to knit and it will require toe up.

Nothing has changed because I am still a cuff down gal.

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