In my previous post, I mentioned that I purchased my yarn at a craft store. I'm no knitting snob. I don't see the point of spending an obscene amount of money on tools and supplies at the LYS if I can find them at a lower price at Michaels or online. That doesn't mean I possess indiscriminate tastes when it comes to knitting; I look for a balance of value and quality. I listen to the experts, not to the snobs.
The projects I post will therefore be available to all knitters. Sometimes I may have found premium yarn at a discount price, and I encourage you to do the same. Look on eBay or Craigslist, or swap with other knitters. Use coupons. Look for sales and clearances. My advice holds for all types of crafters: you don't have to be loaded to produce quality crafts.
One of my favorite yarns is Caron Simply Soft. It comes in an impressive variety of colors, and it knits up very nicely. Michaels runs 2-for-$5 specials on Simply Soft quite often! Loops & Threads Snuggly Wuggly, the new proprietary brand at Michaels, makes fabulous baby items. And who doesn't love a dishcloth knit from super-affordable Sugar'n Cream? Occasionally, I stop by the LYS (The Knitting Corner) to check out their clearance bin. I've found some wonderful yarns there. The ladies at TKC also possess a wealth of knowledge. If you're in the area, go there!
I do not skimp on needles, however. Needles are the durable goods in your knitting bag; choose them well. I prefer wood over metal, and I don't mind paying a little extra for needles that will last and that will make things easier on me in the long run. (As I've mentioned, I have early-onset arthritis, and metal needles, with their coldness and inflexibility, tend to exacerbate the condition.) Clover (bamboo) and Brittany (birch) make up the majority of my needle stock. I have some Lantern Moon needles -- a set of single-points and one circular needle -- that were a gift from my fellow creatively minded dad, but purchasing them regularly would bankrupt me. If someone gives you an expensive knitting-related gift, cherish it!
My point here is that, while there are costs associated with the craft of knitting, one can keep expenses down by being a smart shopper and by not worrying about what the snobs think. And really, doesn't that go for everything in life?
Friday, March 19, 2010
Felted knitting needle case: the beginning
I had a revelation about wool yarn, and it has to do with cheese. Stay with me here. Wool is an animal fiber, but harvesting wool doesn't directly require the slaughter of sheep. Cheese is an animal product, but it doesn't directly require the slaughter of cows (or of goats, or of sheep, etc.). Therefore, if I find it ethically acceptable to eat cheese, I must find it ethically acceptable to wear wool.
(You can argue with me that I'm supporting the meat industry through my consumption of cheese, and that's fine. I accept your argument as valid. I simply prefer to accept the logic that by dropping out of the animal-product industry altogether, I give the industry no incentive to change its ways, and therefore I sabotage the overall goal of making life better for animals. For the record, I still refuse to wear silk or leather. I know my boundaries.)
I realized that by not using wool, I was severely limiting myself in the world of knitting. No authentic South American or Irish styles? No felting? Nonsense! So I picked up some wool -- Patons Classic Wool -- at the craft store, and I got started. Here's the beginning of my first felted project, a needle case. I've cast on 85 stitches, using US size 9 needles, and I'm working in stockinette stitch. The project should take about 3 balls of wool. The color is "Regency", a gorgeous blend of pink, red, orange, and brown.
I love how the wool feels in my hands, and I adore how it looks in this gauge. Also, wooden needles are heavenly for my prematurely arthritic hands. If you make the switch from steel to wood, you'll never look back. The needles' surfaces get even smoother with use. It's a beautiful thing.
Even my cat is getting excited about the project. Or she just wants to play.
So that's the beginning of my new project. I'll post an update when I get to the actual felting.
Happy knitting!
(You can argue with me that I'm supporting the meat industry through my consumption of cheese, and that's fine. I accept your argument as valid. I simply prefer to accept the logic that by dropping out of the animal-product industry altogether, I give the industry no incentive to change its ways, and therefore I sabotage the overall goal of making life better for animals. For the record, I still refuse to wear silk or leather. I know my boundaries.)
I realized that by not using wool, I was severely limiting myself in the world of knitting. No authentic South American or Irish styles? No felting? Nonsense! So I picked up some wool -- Patons Classic Wool -- at the craft store, and I got started. Here's the beginning of my first felted project, a needle case. I've cast on 85 stitches, using US size 9 needles, and I'm working in stockinette stitch. The project should take about 3 balls of wool. The color is "Regency", a gorgeous blend of pink, red, orange, and brown.
I love how the wool feels in my hands, and I adore how it looks in this gauge. Also, wooden needles are heavenly for my prematurely arthritic hands. If you make the switch from steel to wood, you'll never look back. The needles' surfaces get even smoother with use. It's a beautiful thing.
Even my cat is getting excited about the project. Or she just wants to play.
So that's the beginning of my new project. I'll post an update when I get to the actual felting.
Happy knitting!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to my big sister! We won't discuss age, but it's a milestone birthday for her. Time to celebrate!
Knitting projects: March 2010
What am I working on? A felted knitting needle case, a third baby sweater set for Etsy, and a sweater for my niece.
The needle case is taking forever, naturally, because felting involves knitting a much bigger piece of fabric than one needs. (The fabric shrinks quite a bit during felting.) I'm trying to be patient with myself, using the needle case as "therapy knitting" between baby sweaters. I'm also taking pictures of the needle case as it progresses, so I'll be able to post a step-by-step.
The baby sweater sets are a little complicated, but still very fun to make. A set consists of a hat, a wrap sweater, and a pair of booties. I've made so many booties from this particular pattern that I can now make them without looking at the pattern. I've even thrown in some embellishment without screwing up the finished booties. I love it. This must be how my grandmother knitted: from memory, from intuition.
The sweater for my niece continues to be a pain in my butt. This item represents the first time I altered my basic wrap-sweater pattern. I altered EVERYTHING: the yarn, the gauge, the finished size, the fastenings. It's coming together, though, and I should be able to fit it on the kid later this week while I'm visiting my sister.
I've always been a more skilled editor than writer, hence the compulsive pattern alterations. I've designed several items from scratch, which is satisfying in itself, but I do relish a good alteration. Perhaps I am a knitgeek.
What's in the future for my knitting? More needle cases and other felted items (contingent upon a successful first attempt), and perhaps some summer goodies (cotton tank tops), some gift items, and definitely more baby stuff. (Note: I'll open the Etsy shop after I finish this darn baby set!)
I'll be out of town for several days, but I'm itching to post my favorite brownie recipe (and some step-by-step photos) when I get back!
The needle case is taking forever, naturally, because felting involves knitting a much bigger piece of fabric than one needs. (The fabric shrinks quite a bit during felting.) I'm trying to be patient with myself, using the needle case as "therapy knitting" between baby sweaters. I'm also taking pictures of the needle case as it progresses, so I'll be able to post a step-by-step.
The baby sweater sets are a little complicated, but still very fun to make. A set consists of a hat, a wrap sweater, and a pair of booties. I've made so many booties from this particular pattern that I can now make them without looking at the pattern. I've even thrown in some embellishment without screwing up the finished booties. I love it. This must be how my grandmother knitted: from memory, from intuition.
The sweater for my niece continues to be a pain in my butt. This item represents the first time I altered my basic wrap-sweater pattern. I altered EVERYTHING: the yarn, the gauge, the finished size, the fastenings. It's coming together, though, and I should be able to fit it on the kid later this week while I'm visiting my sister.
I've always been a more skilled editor than writer, hence the compulsive pattern alterations. I've designed several items from scratch, which is satisfying in itself, but I do relish a good alteration. Perhaps I am a knitgeek.
What's in the future for my knitting? More needle cases and other felted items (contingent upon a successful first attempt), and perhaps some summer goodies (cotton tank tops), some gift items, and definitely more baby stuff. (Note: I'll open the Etsy shop after I finish this darn baby set!)
I'll be out of town for several days, but I'm itching to post my favorite brownie recipe (and some step-by-step photos) when I get back!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Life Lessons
I've been on a blogging hiatus since November. Four months. The break wasn't intentional; it simply was. Because my life is now going in a different direction, so is The Total Betty. I wanted to stick to recipes and happy-fluffy-sunny topics here, but life isn't all about happiness, fluff, and sunshine. It's about everything. Also, I don't spend as much time baking as I used to. I am now living in a home with an electric oven, and I'm a gas girl all the way. (Pause for fart jokes.) Kinks must be worked out, because my last couple batches of pan cubano have come out with burned bottoms. (Pause again.) I have returned full-force to my favorite hobby, knitting, and I'm about to open up an Etsy shop. I'll post a link here when everything is straight. I'll keep posting recipes (including a step-by-step of a delicious chocolate cake), along with knitting projects and updates on life as I live it.
So here I am, in all my self-indulgent glory, to write about whatever. I've learned a few things in 30 years, and while my impressions of life are constantly evolving, I believe I've stumbled upon some truths. All this may change some day, but for now, it gets me through.
Please don't think of this as a pessimist's guide to life. I'm a realist, and if an optimist believes that the glass is half full and a pessimist believes that the glass is half empty, then a realist knows that if she hangs around long enough, she'll be stuck washing the glass. These things are going to happen. How you react makes all the difference in your quality of life.
1. People will disappoint you. This includes the people you love dearly. Recognize their faults, forgive them if you can, and move on. It's going to happen, so don't be surprised when it does. Shock makes things worse.
2. The people you love will leave you. Whether this is of their own volition or the result of an act of gawd, it will happen. They will leave. You will cope.
3. Disaster and tragedy will strike. You may walk away with barely a scratch, you may break a bone or suffer a permanent injury, or you may develop a lifelong complex about faulty electrical wiring. (Oh, was that just me?)
One more lesson: despite all the setbacks and disappointments, you will hope for better. You will expect the next situation to be an improvement upon the last. This crazy optimism is, in my opinion, the essence of being human. At the risk of oversimplifying a complex situation, every human has two choices: to suck it up, or to pack it in. You live, or you don't.
If you are alive, you are a survivor.
(Happier, fluffier, sunnier topics are to come.)
So here I am, in all my self-indulgent glory, to write about whatever. I've learned a few things in 30 years, and while my impressions of life are constantly evolving, I believe I've stumbled upon some truths. All this may change some day, but for now, it gets me through.
Please don't think of this as a pessimist's guide to life. I'm a realist, and if an optimist believes that the glass is half full and a pessimist believes that the glass is half empty, then a realist knows that if she hangs around long enough, she'll be stuck washing the glass. These things are going to happen. How you react makes all the difference in your quality of life.
1. People will disappoint you. This includes the people you love dearly. Recognize their faults, forgive them if you can, and move on. It's going to happen, so don't be surprised when it does. Shock makes things worse.
2. The people you love will leave you. Whether this is of their own volition or the result of an act of gawd, it will happen. They will leave. You will cope.
3. Disaster and tragedy will strike. You may walk away with barely a scratch, you may break a bone or suffer a permanent injury, or you may develop a lifelong complex about faulty electrical wiring. (Oh, was that just me?)
One more lesson: despite all the setbacks and disappointments, you will hope for better. You will expect the next situation to be an improvement upon the last. This crazy optimism is, in my opinion, the essence of being human. At the risk of oversimplifying a complex situation, every human has two choices: to suck it up, or to pack it in. You live, or you don't.
If you are alive, you are a survivor.
(Happier, fluffier, sunnier topics are to come.)
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