.32 Miles to Go and Still Snowing

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by Pearl in WIP

Tags

edging, cables, vogue knitting, cowl, lace, alpaca, blocking, prince edward county, snow, work in progress, knitmeter

That is correct! .32 miles to knit and I break the 5 mile mark on my KnitMeter! I’m still not sure I’ll make it, but we are in the home stretch. I must confess, I’m a little nervous I’ll finish at like, 4.98 miles or something. Never been much good at math.

The Punta Merisoft cowl, hat and mittens that started out as Two Drunkards wound up as seeded rib, thanks to the talented “Smariek Knits“. I’ve left the cables on the mittens, but frankly, those crazy-complicated twisty lines were giving me seizures. In fact, I found that the cables did not give the cowl or the hat enough of the slouchy stretch that I wanted. Though I have knitted each of these pieces at least twice, I’ve taken the high road and only logged the mileage once Man, they are taking FOR-ever to dry.

Cashmere Gloves

Bet I can finish these cute little cashmere gloves today! This is a great vintage pattern with really pretty results and are surprisingly easy to knit. There is a lovely, leaf-like edging that I am sure I’ll knit again.

I had this crazy idea that I would actually leave the house today but…

…crazy right? You can’t see it but just beyond the trees is a road. Sadly, it is still untouched by a snow plow.

About an hour ago, I was attempting to do the math…miles vs. hours. The equation looks something like this: .32 miles/61.75 hours. I figured I should reserve some of the hours for sleeping and eating. I thought about it and began to lament. No way I was getting the Birthday Cardi done. It looked like I’d make 4.86. Carl asked “What can you knock out real quick?” Well! What a question!

I’ve been wanting these fingerless gloves from Vogue Knitting for quite some time. I’m thinking I could knit ‘em up quick with the Drops Alpaca unravelled from the Bower Cardigan I’ll never finish. One step forward, two steps back.

Techno-Knits (There’s an app for that!)

21 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by Pearl in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

android, apple, ewe stash, iphone, j knit, knitting apps, smart phone, stitch minder, touch and go knitting, vogue knitting

Sew happy to find these sweet device covers from Sew Wonder on Etsy!

I’ve been an iphone user for quite some time…on both sides of the border. I love it, especially with the new upgraded camera on the 4G. I’ve never been much for apps, though and I guess it never really occurred to me that there might be knitting apps. There are! Tons of ‘em!

Here are some of my favorites.

The Vogue Knitting App allows you to keep track of your knitting life easily and efficiently. Store all of your projects—in progress, queued, and finished—with row and stitch counts, needle size and yarn used, and any notes you add for reference.

Jakro Software offers this app in a Pro version for $9.99, but also supports a lite version which is FREE! (The best kind of cheap There is also a Ravelry group for JKnit users.

Forget about paper clutter and notes, all the unraveling and rework because you forgot to increase 10 rows earlier, or feeling lost because you haven’t worked on your project for two months. JKnit Pro for iPhone and iPod touch will help you transform any knitting pattern into easy to follow, row-by-row instructions and will reward you with the benefit of comfortable, uninterrupted knitting. Unparalleled professional-grade features and versatility make this one-of-a-kind app a must-have for every knitter.

Here’s one I’m going to download today. I’ve been meaning to buy a counter.

StitchMinder is a free stitch counting utility application for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. The program provides four customizable counters that can be used to track rows completed, pattern rows, increases, and decreases. Counters can be configured to count upwards or downwards, and your counts are always stored when you close the program or if your knitting is interrupted by a phone call. Simply tap on the number to count up or down!

For the new knitwear designer (like me!) this phone-smartener does all your math for you based on measurements you enter. (Avert your eyes, Laura.)

Touch And Go Knitting (TAG) is the new way to short cut knitting’s biggest pain, MATH. Move beyond scarves and hats. Use one handed with your thumb or finger. When you touch an arrow, a yellow measuring tape instantly appears. Watch as the shapes change on screen while you slid the tape. Lift your thumb …. the sts/row and instructions appear as the yellow tape stores itself away. Being all thumbs is a big advantage with Touch and Go.

How ’bout this stash-buster?

Ewe Stash makes it easy for you to add new yarn, needles, or hooks to your stash and sort those items so that you can find everything at a glance. To minimize typing, much of the data for your stash can be inputed using convenient lists and pickers. For the cases where you do have to type, Ewe Stash can offer suggestions based on previous data. You won’t have to keep typing the same things over and over again.

Stuck for a technique? Check out Knitting Tutor.

Instructional step by step videos on learning how to knit.
This is not a static App. These videos are constantly updated by experts in their field. With the explosion of YouTube and other video sharing websites the amount of videos available is more than one person could watch in a lifetime. In this App we have spent a lot of time selecting some of the highest quality and most informative videos available for you to enjoy.

I must say, the mind reels.

(post-script: Though I am a newly-converted Mac user, you’ll notice I’ve linked all of these apps back to PCWorld. Apple, I’m disgusted to find, does not allow image sharing, even when back-linking to the app store. PCWorld allows image and data copies for which I am grateful. Also, most of these apps are also available as Android apps for your Android phone or e-reader.)

Two Drunkards Cable

27 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by Pearl in Cables, WIP

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Tags

cable needles, cables, cowl, knit cafe, merino, stitchionary, vogue knitting

I love to knit cables. There is something magical about those intricate, weaving, raised ropes of knitting wandering over a garter stitch ground. And no matter how familiar a cable stitch may be, there is always something of a surprise involved in seeing it spring from the needles. (I love those cute little cable needles, too!)

I love the infinite variety of cables, those that have already been invented and those that are just a twinkle in a knitter’s eye. Imagine my joy when I discovered Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume 2!

This expansive cable dictionary contains over 200 designs and includes charts and written directions. It is gorgeously photographed and indexed and so easy to use that I instantly began inserting cables into everything.

I started with this silly cowl. I wanted something that I didn’t have to wrap around my neck, something I could just pull over my head and…Wa Lah! Warm! And…it almost worked. The idea was for the top edge to sit right up around my ears (first winter in ten years, remember) and for the lower edge to lay comfortably over the top of my shoulders. I was kinda hoping it would sit flat under my coat, but…well, that’s another post. We’re here to talk about cables.

Isn’t this a wacky little number? This asymmetrical cable wanders unpredictably across the surface…reminds me of a drunk walking home in the snow. Hence, the name.

What a trip it is to knit! Every twist and turn is a surprise. Because there is no symmetry to this cable, I really had to keep my eye on the chart. (Don’t even think of taking this project to the Knit Cafe on Tuesday night!) My plan is to let the two drunks wander up into a hat, then separate them, allowing each to take his own wobbly path down the backs of my mittens.