Life and times of a crazed knitter

Why I should never be allowed to get bored

2011-08-06T18:03:00.001-05:00

So I'm at Lily's and I forgot my knitting. I was pretty annoyed since I'm watching her amazing TV set up and I should be knitting. Anyway I decided to brush her cat, Harry, while I watched and well she has two of those slicker brushes that are very like wool carders and after brushing him a bit I was playing around with them because I don't have carders yet but I do have an alpaca fleece lying around somewhere and I don't want to pay $150 if I don't have to. What if I'm no good at carding? What if I hate it? So anyway I was carding some cat fur and I started rolling it out and twisting it and it wasn't really working, it wasn't staying twisted so I realized I needed a drop spindle. Now naturally someone as crafty as Lily has a drop spindle but she also has yarn on it and I didn't want to screw anything up so I decided to make one. So yes, that is a drop spindle made out of a pencil, a push pin and 4 note cards that I glued together with about 3 feet of 100% Maine Coon yarn. And it only took about 2 hours... send yarn... please...

It's always feast or famine isn't it?

2011-07-26T14:31:00.001-05:00

After months of no knitting, even at group, in the past week I have finished two on needle projects and written 3 patterns. Well almost written. Well not so much written, more... knit. I'm really bad at writing patterns. This is not to be confused with being bad at knitting something with no pattern, because I'm very good at that, it's the writing down part that gets me. Over the years I've discovered that I knit by sight and I do certain things the same way all the time so I tend to want to say things like, "make a toe" or "work the cable for 3 turns then branch off to the sides" and have that make sense to people. That... is where Lily comes in. The only way I can think to put it is that she knits by row. She is the exact opposite of me, she will take a chart and write it out and then create a spread sheet and work from that where I prefer a chart otherwise I don't get it til after I've knit the first repeat. She is extremely helpful for someone like me who has a notebook full of random words and the occasional picture that for someone like me is a book full of patterns I've written. She will be the one to find order in the chaos. She will be the person to look at my written patterns and say, "No. That is too vague. Write that out clearer." Which happens to be exactly what I need. We are getting together to watch Leverage tonight and I'll run the first drafts by her and maybe I'll have something to post soon! Now if I can just keep up the momentum...

Ok for real this time...

2011-07-21T01:56:00.001-05:00

So I finally figured out how to log back in and rig my phone to my blog so I will try to keep up with the posting from now on. I am also going to try and write some patterns and actually make them readable for others so that I can try and sell them on ravelry and such so off I go :)

I'm back! Sort of...

2011-07-21T01:33:00.002-05:00

So I haven't seen anyone in like, forever...

2009-03-03T01:24:00.002-05:00

So here it is the update on my life. I've been working like crazy although still only four days a week and I still don't have the keys I need to get to the safe or the stock or anything but hey money is money, I am currently staying at Hyde's place, (the boy I met at Arisia,) but there's nothing going on there, (Thank GOD!) I'm not sure for how long cause I'm just waiting for Morrigan's mum to move from the bedroom to the living room and then I can move in there but I don't know when that is happening and I haven't really knit anything in about a month. I just about finished my top hat but I don't like the brim so I think I'll frog that part and try again and I'm almost done with my navy blue bowler hat that I haven't really mentioned to anyone yet cept Lily and Morri so I've been crocheting a lot lately. Just in case you think I may have gone to the dark side though my uncle's bday is in about a week and I need to speed knit his ass some socks which I already have the yarn for so at least I'm not spending anymore money. So yeah, still living out of boxes, still not having a life and to top it all off I haven't been to knitting in about a month because I always have to work. Sweet right? The hand is a great deal better although not well yet but it is definitely better than it was so I guess that's something. I'll try to keep up with this anyway since I have access now so at least you all won't think I found the edge of the earth and fell off. Gotta go to sleep now huzzah!

I don't have too many projects! I don't...

2009-01-30T12:44:00.002-05:00

Ok so I know that I'm supposed to be finishing my pink sweater and everything but I REALLY want a steampunk hat. Now that I know what this stuff is and realize that there are others like me who have always been fascinated with the industrial revolution and such I want to put myself out there as a fellow supporter. I have always been steampunk I just didn't know there was a name for it and now that I do I want to fully embrace it all. (I wear things on my sleeve, or my backpack if you knew me in high school,) I love it and I want something obvious to wear around and display it. So I decided on a hat, (like I don't already own about 47 hats,) and I want a top hat like bowler crossbreed because I think that is what will look best on me but here's the thing; I want it in purple. Or possibly navy but like a Sapphire kind of navy. I want a jewel tone anyway, some nice deep eggplanty blueish purple top hat hybrid thing. So where do I find that? I don't I make it and that is why I just want to throw all my other projects aside and make myself my lovely hat that will not go with anything I own at the end of it. Pretty sweet eh? Also I finally got some hours at work so I will have even less time than usual to do it in. Awesome right? On the other hand getting hours means that I will have the money to pay for the supplies that I need to make my special hat. It's a vicious circle. So yeah,... I think I need to head to Windsor today and see if I can't find my perfect color in lamb's pride maybe, (so I can felt it when I'm done,) so I can whip up my patternless hat and dig myself a little deeper into this hole I've been working on for quite some time. HA! and I think I might crochet it too! (I am NOT a good crocheter,) oh I've gone off the deep end, anyone feel like saving me?

P.S. I finally got a real wrist brace thingy so my hand is actually doing better woot.

Everyone said 2009 would be better...

2009-01-20T16:36:00.002-05:00

Ok so I got the call this morning that I got the job at Logan airport that I interviewed for last week and I am so unbelievably happy that I can hardly sit still! I mean fuck, I got fired in July and had one four hour temp job since it's about fucking time you know? Also Arisia was a complete blast, maybe the best year ever; I met up with some people that I hung out with last year and actually gave them my info for once, (I was very generous with my business cards this time,) and I met a bunch of new people that I fully intend to hang on to for life or longer. Things are looking good so far. I start my job tomorrow which is awesome but sucks because I still haven't quite recovered from all the late nights at the con but I also haven't slept in my own bed since Thursday so that might have something to do with it. Also I am now kind of in love with Steampunk and I already have several hair and jewelry designs floating around in my head which of course I want to run out and get started on right now but I am doing no more crafting until my hand starts working again. I am wrapping it up tonight and I am not unwrapping it until I can move my goddamned wrist without flinching! I am however going to throw everything that didn't sell at the con up on Etsy like, right fucking now and hopefully we will all recoup the expenses from the hotel and supplies. BTW big huge thanks to Dawna and Lily for helping out me and Morrigan with the shop at the con I don't know what we would have done with out you! Love, kisses, and everything wonderful :)

Good night good times...

2009-01-18T12:00:00.002-05:00

So last night was the big Sat night rave at Arisia that I have been telling everyone about forever and Morrigan, Dawna, Lily and I all went and ran into our friend Andy from high school and danced the night away. So yesterday was pretty good; I sold a couple bracelets, danced till I couldn't stand up anymore and may have also hooked a boy. I don't expect today to beat yesterday but it would be nice if it tried. Also since I didn't mention it before I had an interview last Thurs and it went really well I think so God willing I will have a job very soon! So far so good but I want the job to call and the boy to come reaffirm that he still likes me after last night. Pray for me man...

Keep breathing keep breathing...

2009-01-17T13:38:00.002-05:00

ok so I am currently in a small amount of panic. I am also currently in the Cambridge Hyatt Regency hotel. I am sitting in a room with the door propped open with everything I've made in the past few months laid out on a bed waiting for people to come and look at it and possibly buy it. One bracelet so far and I was very proud of my little bracelet going off into the world all on it's own to be an independent little piece of jewelry but I was also slightly panicked at the thought of letting it go off into the world on it's own; what if I hadn't raised it right? What if it wasn't ready to leave and was in a emotionally fragile state? What if I had officially lost my mind? I guess there's no real way to tell so I should just accept the way things are and move the fuck on... Love from Arisia!

Ok so new year new start...

2009-01-03T12:16:00.002-05:00

And all that fun stuff right? Ok so here's the goal; less smoking, less white food, more running. You can't change the world, you can only change yourself. Well I'm behind on that. Or maybe I changed but just not for the better and well I'm done with that; it's time to get my shit together and get going on my grown up life. I am out of school and it's time to start being an adult, (actually it's a bit late but at least I got there within a year.) time to stop being a lazy punkass and do everything I'm always talking about doing. That's one of my other things; I'm an Aries and no one ever knows it, in fact it's usually their last guess. Well not any more, I used to be a pretty blatant Aries and then I got beat down by people and school and everything else. Well I liked being upfront, and confident, and not giving a shit what other people thought and I'm gonna try and get back to that. Also I hacked my hair. I don't know. I really think that sometimes when I go to cut my hair that my hands are possessed by little demons that cut off more than I meant to while I just watch in horror unable to stop them from continuing. I guess that's about it for now, I am going to really have to buckle down to get everything finished for Arisia in two weeks so I may be incoherent for the next few weeks, (like anything could beat my cracktastic Christmas Eve post,) but if you're going to the con look me up and you'll get to see me overtired, broke, and high on sci-fi fumes. What could be more fun. Ok I'm done.

I did good this year...

2008-12-24T16:51:00.002-05:00

Christmas is done muthahfuckah! Yes, yes finally I finished all my Christmas presents before 3 AM on Christmas eve bitches! I am fairly proud of myself. They are even wrapped with tags and ribbons! Why? Because I rock that's why! I looked up the start date on Ravelry and I made 14 pairs of slippers, one pair of socks and three bracelets in just over a month. I'm so happy right now I can't even deal with it! Now I'm gonna take a few days off, (which means about three hours, by the way,) and then I start banging shit out for Arisia. I really hope we do well at Arisia, I can't wait, it's my one big social event of the year and this year I'm gonna snag my ass a jedi if I have to use a trank gun to do it. (I'm a little wired right now if you haven't noticed; I've had a lot of coffee and about 3/4 of a bottle of Coke, which I never drink so yeah, bit loopy.) Also I think I'm actually gonna wear a skirt tomorrow! I know! Try not to go into shock now I do own skirts. And occasionally I do actually wear them. Out of the house. In public. And I believe tomorrow will be one of those days, gots to keep the family on it's toes you know. Anyway I've got to run back to Andrea's, (I'm cat sitting Harry again,) and get said skirt as well as drop off my crap since I am in fact not staying in Avon beyond Christmas dinner as I had originally planned. (I am going to see a friend's metal band on Friday and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on Saturday so it's easier for everyone involved if I just stay in town til New Years.) Yeah definitely wired. Ok I should stop now, Goodnight!

Cat Sitting...

2008-11-25T14:30:00.002-05:00

So I am currently abusing the internet at BareBlueSkin's place while keeping Harry company. He is adorable but he sure misses his mama, I just try to keep him distracted long enough to not be mopey. I also finished my uncle's socks and am almost done with the first pair of slippers as well. I guess that's progress. I don't know I'm all weird lately and I can't figure out what's wrong. Hopefully I'll snap out of it soon. Meanwhile I will continue to fill my stomach with junk and my head with fluff; otherwise known as sugar and bumpy-cover-books and (god willing,) my lungs with clean air. Desperately trying to quit smoking but I don't want to talk about it and by quit I don't mean never ever have one again. Just, you know, mostly not have any for long periods of time. What can I say that's the best I can do. Also working on the running thing, my knees tried to revolt yesterday so I was pretty pathetic but if I go easy on them maybe they'll be more compliant tomorrow. I guess that's it.

Making an effort here...

2008-11-20T18:37:00.000-05:00

Ok, so anyone who knows me knows about my situation and how I have no internet at home but I am really trying to not be the most boring blog on the web so here I am, making an effort albeit slight to keep up with this.
Moving on... The Christmas season is officially upon us and surprise surprise, I'm not prepared by any stretch of the imagination. I am working on it though, I have bought four balls of *really* thick yarn and after one day am almost done with my first Christmas present. (One out of 10 or so but whatever.) I am working on it.
Also I have placed an order with a friend for lots and lots of beads! Yay! My new thing seems to be beads, go figure, I got approximately a shitload maybe two and upon receipt will start banging out bracelets of all shapes and sizes because I am going to try for a room at Arisia this year. Arisia is, wait for it, the Sci-fi convention that I go to every year and have gone to nearly every year since I was 11 and my uncle first took me. I can't wait and I am gonna sell the shit out of everything I own, and everything Morrigan owns, and ASN, and anyone I know so there.
ANyway, that's what's with me right now bouncing up and down waiting for beads and trying to make socks in the meantime. Hopefully talk to you soon...Muwah.

Almost there...

2008-05-15T12:23:00.000-05:00

Ok so I still have to write 1500 words on why Iago is sooooo gay for Othello but after that I'm done. I turned everything in and now I just wait till next Friday when the ceremony happens. Wow. These past four years really flew by. Also my first pair of sock wars socks went in the mail yesterday hopefully to be followed by many others. I took a little longer than usual I don't know what happened but now that I'm waiting for my target's socks to come I don't know what to do with myself. Should I start on the socks for myself or will that make me sick of socks? Is that possible? Deep questions that I have yet to answer... one thing I do know is gay Iago has to come first.

Why oh why can't I sleep...

2008-05-06T02:35:00.000-05:00

You would think that this whole not sleeping thing would have ended considering the huge amount of stress I just let go of but no it didn't I still can't sleep. I have to work tomorrow! Anyway, what was the stress you ask? Well I had two incompletes and I'm supposed to graduate in uh...*looks at watch* 17 days and if those weren't made into completes I wouldn't be. Also I found out that I had forgotten to take a class. Four years and I never took this one class I needed so I had to wrangle that somehow. Did I mention that I needed a 7 page paper and a 10 page paper for one of those classes? Well I did and I had about two days in which to do them on one of which I had to work. I would have had more time but if they were in late my name wouldn't be on the program. I personally don't care but when I mentioned the chance of this happening to my mom she made a sound like a kicked puppy. Anyway, long story short I did it, I got them in, I got a B, I'm graduating and my name is in the program. So my question now is why do I still feel stressed? I guess I just worry too much, I swear that's why I knit because I can't worry and knit I screw up too much and then my project flies across the room. I should feel relieved and tired. Maybe I should stop typing and work on my sweater, I'm hoping to get it done before sock wars 3, it might help. Yeah that's a good idea if I can't be awake at least I can be productive.

Yay I finished something!

2008-03-27T11:01:00.000-05:00

Ok so this isn't the first thing I've finished and it isn't the first thing I've finished this year but it seems like I haven't finished something in a while so I'm excited about it. I finished the lamb last night at group and it is sooo cute! I also finished the front of the purse yesterday but I almost gave myself a blister because the yarn is so tough. I love the way the purse is coming out but my hands are taking a hit from it. I also started my sweater. I think I just wanted to knit something soft and gorgeous instead of industrial cotton. I decided my sock wars practice socks would wait until after my baby set is done and yet my sweater is 3" long but whatever. My goal is to finish the baby set in the next two weeks and then everything else is just for me or for fun, unless someone else calls me with big news. All I have to do on the set is the back and finishing of the romper and booties. That's it. I can do that in two weeks no problem.

Sooo close...

2008-03-25T20:58:00.000-05:00

Ahhh! All I need to do is sew on the ears and the buttons but I'm too tired and I can't do it tonight I'll mess up I know it so it'll have to keep till tomorrow. I was going to have to bring the whole thing with me to knitting tomorrow anyway to show everyone so I'll just sew everything on at knitting. I have to go to my uncles tomorrow morning for pretty much nothing so I got to get up super early and find my romper and everything that goes with it so I have something to work on in class otherwise I'll be tempted to start a new project. Like my socks. Oh wait I know I'll work on my concert purse. Duh. I knew that I of all people could never be without an unfinished project to work on, I even bought short 3's to knit it with cause my 3's that I was using are about 48" long maybe 49" I haven't measured but anyway they are too long, they annoy me. This is good maybe I don't have to get up as early as I thought maybe I'll just say screw the romper for one more day and just work on the purse. Yeah I think I'll do that. Time for bed. Goodnight.

Almost there...

2008-03-24T22:54:00.000-05:00

Ok so I took the day off to recover from easter and then Mel came over because we had to celebrate her making it through lent so I did some work on the lamb and it's almost done! Yay! One garter stitch project almost off the needles. Once I finish this I can dig back into the dalegarn baby set that I really have to finish. I really want to start on a pair of socks for myself as well I just have to decide on a pattern, and find my new tofutsies, I don't know where it went. I got another ball at windsor that I liked and then promptly lost it apparently. Hmmm... anyway I have to work tomorrow so I think I'll finish the lamb since all I have to do is finish the hood and the button band really then I'll work on the socks for the store it's about time I finished those; seriously. Then when I get home I can find the romper cause somehow I lost that too and start working on that again. This is why I am stressing about the socks I want to start, I can't do another project all in one stitch! No more too boring. Ok so I have a plan for tomorrow at least that's a step in the right direction and maybe I'll actually accomplish something this year.

Didn't accomplish much today...

2008-03-23T00:56:00.000-05:00

Ok so I had to work today and the other woman I work with Judie hurt her shoulder and can't knit so she asked me to finish the sweater she was making for her granddaughter. I don't know how you use your shoulder when knitting but maybe I'm just weird. Anyway all she needed was one sleeve so that's what I did today one sleeve and a bit of work on Lamb sleeve number two. I really wanted to finish the sleeve before I left work today but it had to match and Judie made hers so damn long so I had to bring it home. I'll bring it in on Wednesday and leave it for her. Anyway I did manage to find my camera today so I took pictures of just about everything and put them on my ravelry. I knew this would take over my life. I can't stop looking at it which is ridiculous. I am now obsessed. What else is new? Plus my hair looked good today so I had to take some new profile pics. I should go to bed I have to be in Braintree at the ass crack of dawn tomorrow. Since when did holidays turn into torture days?

It only took ten years...

2008-03-21T23:53:00.000-05:00

So on Wednesday Mistyque and I taught my best friend Mel how to knit. Something I've been suggesting she do for the entirety of our friendship. Did she listen? NO! She finally agreed in the hopes of joining sock wars next year, we'll see, and now she is barreling away. She got some blue homespun and some 11 needles and already has more than a foot she has also vowed to knit further on her scarf by Monday than her friend Katherine has since she learned how to knit a little over a month ago. It was nice tonight we watched a movie and just worked on our respective projects; her on her scarf and me on my lamb. She is so excited so in honor of my finally having worn her down I am going to put her scarf in my project list so that the world can see if it sticks.

Ravelry will ruin my life...

2008-03-20T15:22:00.000-05:00

So my Ravelry invite showed up but didn't work so after talking to the wonderful help people I now have an account! Knitchik83 is on the site. Now if only I could get off the site. Too much to look at too much I want to make too many things to enter into my stash and library! Too much to do! So I better get back to it I still don't have any pictures up...

I swear I'm not crazy...

2008-03-13T01:43:00.000-05:00

If I do say so myself... ok so I felt like I was gonna blow my brains out from all the garter stitch I've been doing. I needed something that required thought! So I decided to start on the Cherry Blossom Shawl by Kristin Spurkland. I found this pattern in a spring 2002 Interweave Knits I'm pretty sure I bought the magazine for this pattern but at the time I had no concept of yarn weights or lace or the fact that I hate mohair, (the intended yarn,) so I didn't try it out but now I need a challenge and this is perfect. Plus I bought 3 1300 yard balls of lace weight super fine merino in January with no real idea what to do with them. By the way never roll a 1300 yard ball by hand I swear it left permanent injuries, anyway, the pattern should take one ball and even though my knitting group thinks I'm crazy I already love it! I started it tonight in group and it's already like a foot in diameter and soooo cute! Honestly I might be crazy but I'm not stupid, the border is probably gonna make me want to die but everything up til then will save my brain from all my stupid baby projects. Plus it's gorgeous did I mention that? Made out of thread but gorgeous.

Too many projects...

2008-03-09T17:58:00.000-05:00

Ok so yesterday at work I turned the heels on my two at once socks which I am very proud of and avoided the annoying pink tentacle scarf all together. I finished the leg on my duckie which by the way I also found out that "duckie" is a word that only my family uses so when I say duckie I mean any kind of onesie or all in one including feety pajamas. Apparently back in the day the ones my family had had a little duck on the chest and someone started calling them duckies and it stuck. I now am taking a break from all things garter stitch to make a fingerless glove for Amber because I gave her a pair a while back and she lost one so I have to make a replacement. It's all for the best though cause I think my brain is dying from all the garter stitch. At least the duckie is on 5's so it works up quick as opposed to the romper on 1's. After all this stuff is done I am going to make that sweater for myself god dammit! I have wanted that sweater for like a year and I have all the yarn it's all just sitting there waiting for me and by god I'm gonna do it! Nothing else for no one until I get my sweater. After all of that I'll probably finish it and hate it and give it to someone else. Whatever.

Ok so duh...

2008-03-07T20:42:00.000-05:00

So I'm finishing up the foot of my duckie when I realize that my first post said nothing useful so I would like to amend that. My name is Cassandra and I am a senior at Mass College of Art and Design I am supposed to graduate in May when I will go from part time to full time at my job. I work at Knit and Needlepoint on Newbury Street in Boston as the resident knitter extraordinaire. I help people with problems and teach newcomers how to knit and occasionally crochet.

When I was 14 I bought Celtic knits by Debbie Bliss at a church sale and brought it home and promptly forgot about it. A few weeks later I picked it up and sat down with some 8's and a ball of canary yellow red heart and made a swatch of a braided cable pattern from a throw that would later make for my grandmother. After showing my mother and not being one to shy away from a challenge, (or necessarily knowing what a challenge is when I see one,) I immediately sat down and designed a cable knit purse for my aunt. I gave it to her a couple of weeks later and haven't really stopped since although I have learned that knit purses need to be lined.

I'm odd. I like small gauges, I rarely do swatches, I knit by sight, I write patterns that no one else can read and I knit continental so differently that no one else does it the same way. So anyway if you're ever in Boston on the train or on a bus and you see a chubby brunette with really long hair using small short or circular needles tell her to sit up straight. I'd really appreciate it.

Well that was easy...

2008-03-07T18:31:00.000-05:00

Ok so I've decided to start a blog about my knitting because lately I have been getting a lot of questions that frankly I don't actually know the answers to like; "How many things do you knit a year?" and "How many things have you made total?" While I don't know what brought on everyones' sudden concern for my yarn consumption I'm a bit curious myself. Also I have a tendency to make things and give them away without any kind of documentation that they exist so I need to work on that. So here I am waiting for my Ravelry invite and whiling my time away on a lamb all in one by Debbie Bliss, (my favorite designer by the way,) because I can no longer stand the sight of the Dalegarn baby romper that I am currently in the middle of. Also I think that I am trying to drive my self crazy because all of the Dalegarn things I have made in the last couple months are garter stitch. In cotton. On ones. Oh wait the border is on zero's! YAY! I feel like I lose a brain cell or two with every row. So I decided Ok I'll start on the lamb duckie. Row 1 Knit. Ok cool. Row 2 Knit 13 m1 blah blah blah... Hmmm when do I purl then I flipped to the picture and "Dear God!" It's garter stitch. Shit.