Ravelry Teenage Knitting Group?

There doesn't seem to be a general Teenage Knitters group on Ravelry, and I need at least 3 people to be interest. My query on the subject seems to have been lost among proposals for some interesting groups (Blue Eyed New Zealand Sheep Herders Who Knit Purple and Orange Knee-Highs, Former Knitters Now Living in Mental Institutions and Can't Get Needles) and so here it is: if you are interested, please let me know, and I'll start the group. This should be lots of fun.

Both 'examples' of group proposals are, of course, ridiculous and fake.

Ravelry

Wow.

My name on Ravelry is Genuine.

And I am in absolute awe.

General Consensus?

Nah.

Well, that's on Limenviolet's message board, which is a scream. And I love limenviolet, so...gotta pick the right nickname!

Sell-Trade-Swap Ravelry Invitation...Maybe?

I am caught between a rock and a very, very hot knitting community right now.

I signed up on the waiting list for Ravelry in July. I had quite a few people ahead of me. I received my invitation last night.

On one hand, I want to sign up as fast as my tiny brain can settle on a decent moniker. I'm Sweet_Liar on Knittersreview and on Limenviolet, but Ravelry seems to call for something new and subversive...dangerous.

On the other hand, I am usually in a state of perpetual broke-ness, and the wanting of the pretty sock yarns. The wanting of the soft Mongolian cashmere. Anyway, so my yarn deprived brain hatched a scheme that only mine could.

Sell it.

Ummm...sell an invitation?

I even went so far as to see if I could email the invitation to on of my other email addresses. Yup. So, I could email it to someone, though there'd probably have to be some fiddling around to swap everything over to their email, so that I wouldn't get their ravelry related messages; I'm not sure.

So, I decided to turn it over to the bloggers. Should I sell, trade, swap or whatever my Ravelry 'invite', or should I just turn my tiny mind to settling on a nickname?

This should be interesting.

Yarn Deprivation

Save me from myself.

Today I mailed away the only yarn that I could make anything with; the Sundara sport that was supposed to be sock. Yarn is coming, I tell myself. I just won a contest and yarn is coming. You don't like acrylic. Yarn is coming.

I seriously think that I am about to go a little nuts.

I have nothing to knit with. Yesterday, at Crafts 2000, I was fondling LionBrand Cotton-Ease like it was Mongolian cashmere. The only non-synthetic thing there besides scratchy kinds of wool, was some bamboo stuff that was very, very silky and cute. I bought the 25th Anniversary issue of Vogue Knitting, and told myself that I could wait.

Confession: I do have something to knit. My older sister, couple months ago, stole some baby blue acrylic stuff with a silver thread running through it and started a garter stitch scarf. Fine, whatever. Didn't finish it. It's very soft, despite the fact that it will be totally suffocating to wear (I've tested) and I've been knitting that with a single minded crazedness.

Oh, and a leftover ball of my Lorna's Laces sock.

Knitting can be dangerous. Where's the clinic for knitters in withdrawal?

My consolation?

You signed up on July 16, 2007
You are #17194 on the list.
233 people are ahead of you in line.
18173 people are behind you in line.
47% of the list has been invited so far

If you don't know what that means, never mind.

I. Won. A. Contest.

I won a friggin' contest!

Diane, at her blog

And In My Spare Time , entered several different items into a local fair, including a beautiful little green sweater that I love, only it wouldn't fit me. She took home 4 ribbons, 2 blue, one red and a white. I guessed that the blue dress and a the green sweater that I love, had won first place. Check out her blog for the revealing of the prize winnahs. Then, I get this little happy comment telling me that I had won the contest. Sock yarn, in a as yet to be revealed colorway.

I am really, still in shock. The most that I have won? I went to a science museum, and they had this Indiana Jones type room where you had to find these different signs or clues that would light up on the wall. You played Simon type games, and the one that I aced was a laser light obstacle course where I ducked, weave, scrambled and crawled to find the next clue. Once we (my bros and sistahs) had all the clues, we punched them into this wacking great box thingummy, and the door of this tall, skinny room opened, and our big prize? A couple of animated heads on the wall sang about Wisdom and crap. I was young. I wanted a bag of gold. Or candy, at least.

Mmmm. Candy.

Sundara is an A-hey-gel.

Angel.

Not only does she still have my sock yarn, she is going to mail me a label so that I can mail the sport right back to her, free. Apparently there was a data mix-up, and it's still there!

I am feeling the looooove!

Buy her yarn!

Damn, Damn, Damn.

There ends the nasty language.

But ----!

Today in the mail, I have received the most absolutely beautiful yarn I have ever beheld in my entire knitting life which hasn't been long, but oh my yarn. Rich mulberry mingled with dark ash tones that lighten to a faintly orange brown and---words fail me. The yarn itself is delightfully squishy, even more so than my Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, probably because this is merino.

There's just a slight technicality.

This is sport merino.

A few weeks ago, I ordered one of the last of one of
Sundara‘s yarns. Wonky link again.

It was in the Sweet Brier colorway, and, again, let me say that this is so beautiful I can hardly speak.

Why no picture?

Well, see, I ordered sock yarn. Sock, sock, sock.

I knew that such beautiful yarn couldn't be in stock. That, or her new shipping facility mixed things up, and some evil women somewhere is cackling, and clutching my sock yarn!!!

Anyway, I am desperately hoping that this is a mix-up. This stuff is so good, that I almost wouldn't care, but you can't make socks out of 225 yards of sport weight. Not me sized socks, anyway, and I have small feet!

Pray for me, chant, rub beads, whatever.

My Secret Life as an Ass-assin

Sock Wars

Check it out.

Oh.

My.

Sock.

Looks like fine. I hope that I don't get killed too fast.

Crappy Pic of Finished Socks

First Pair of Socks Knit, Evah.

Freaking, freaking, freak, freak, freak-out.I have finished my first pair of socks.

Total Time Spent Knitting Pair of First Socks, 18 days.

I am so impressed with myself. Especially since I ripped out the heel turn, heel flap and entire leg of the first sock and reknitted the **&%& thing. Actually, I might have finished sooner if I hadn't lost one of my needles. And tonight we have a poetry reading at my Borders, and I have nothing to knit, but a pair of socks to wave at my non-knitting friends.

When I began, I told myself that if I could knit socks, I could knit anything. Well, I have. And after the first sock, I told myself that I would be a real Knitter if I finished my second sock right away, dodging the second sock syndrome.

Triumph!

Socktoberfest

I have always had a weakness for October. Possibly because my birthday is in October, but it's also the weather. The intense blue of the sky, the maple trees across the street that turn glorious reds and oranges. The sharp, gusty winds---we really get some wind through my neighborhood; perhaps because it's coming off the hills into the valley.

When I spotted an October sock knit-along, I zoomed in for a look. Hmmmm. Hmmm.
Socktoberfest starts October 1st, although you can start your socks before then, and was started by the well-known Lolly, of Lolly Knits Around. Check out the blog
Here.

Apologies for wonky links.

I just may join, although I am wavering slightly. Gotta think about it.

However, I did not hesistate one second when I found this group,
Outlaw Knitters . You know (at least, if you are me, you know) that you're in good company when the blog tagline is, "If You Don't Knit, You Ain't Sh*t".

Check out the fabulous pic at the top, designed by the Mrs. H, aka The Outlaw Jenny Purl's daughter, Sarah. I immeaditely decided that this has to be put on a bag, or something. By someone cleverer than me. Sarah is still tweaking the design slightly.

In other news, a
Pirate Themed Contest at Gallant Duck‘s Blog is happening. Check out the hilarious comments. All you have to do is leave a comment in piratese, between now and the 19th, and she'll announce the winner on the 21st. This is because International Talk Like a Pirate Day is tomorrow. Start practicing those gutteral growls and polish the grog mug. Don't be left out on this acclaimed holiday!

Busy, busy, busy on the knitting news front!

Journals of a Traveling Knitter: Knitty Serendipity PT 2

I left on Thursday, to travel to VA. Immediately upon arriving at my hotel, I whipped out the lap top computer, and found a nearby store. Upon inquiring on the best route from the woman at the desk, she informed me that she thought that the store was closing soon. This helpful woman called the owner, and found that she was, indeed, closing early for health reasons. Whatever. She also recommended another shop, still open, that she intended to take classes from this fall. I think that she was beginning to knit. Chalk one up for Knitty Serendipity. My own phrase.

This yarn store was crammed. Here's a word to the wise LYS owner

1. Air condition your upper room. Between sheer astonishment and the incredible heat, I nearly passed out, and you would have had to lug me down those narrow stairs. Not pretty.

2. Have more colors.

OK, there was some sale going on, so she probably got cleaned out, but she had millions of different colors of Trekking, and about 13 skeins of Great Adirondack in the same color. Exaggeration, but I wanted to get something, sock yarn seemed perfect, but the color selection was boring. Also, I failed in my quest for the perfect yarn for the Endpaper Mitts. I do not want baby blue and pink mitts!!! And I can't use crazy colored sock yarn for a Fair Isle project!


That said, I enjoyed fondling the Mongolian Cashmere (wow) and looking at that cute bag, perfect for portable sock knitting. I enjoyed the colors, everything. I didn't enjoy the $55 price tag. I don't mind spending money on stuff that I really like, but that's a bit much. Maybe $25. Someone with more money will certainly buy it sometime; it was lovely. I felt bad that I couldn't find anything that I wanted in the limited amount of time that I had there, but I couldn't find anything really, really perfect.

Used book sales attract me like a fly to honey, and one was very nearby. I stood (sat) in line, and whipped out my sock. Understand that I have never seen anyone else knitting in public before, although I am fairly oblivious to my surroundings at all time. Imagine my delight and astonishment to see a woman, just ahead of me, using fine metal needles in a thin white sock, her thread-like yarn coming from a large cone that she carried in a bag on her arm. Knitty Serendipity Strikes Again!

Most of the sock had been rolled up and pinned in place, to keep it from draggling. My family is afraid of my knitting, but hers was absolutely amazing!

I am not the type of person who just jumps into conversations, right and left. That is my older sister, and everybody loves her. However, I felt more confident in our shared interest, and discovered that she was knitting knee high 1800s period socks, in cotton! I don't usually gush, either, but these were freaking cool socks. She gave me some helpful tips on where I could find stuff to do this, including a yahoo group called VicKnits, who do this stuff for a living. I'm joking, but it's a cool group, and I joined.

Knitty Serendipity struck several more times, in the several women who wanted to know what I was using, just wanted to see a sock (that one was a knitter, but had never tried socks) and the 50% copy of the Stitchionary book at a Barnes and Noble. $15 instead of $30 suits me just fine!

All in all, a very good trip!

Journals of a Traveling Knitter: Knitty Serendipity PT 1

Look at that sky! Aren't you jealous! There's a cool autumn breeze, and that slant of light that is fall, incarnate. Look at that sock! Isn't that first sock, incarnate?

The broom stick skirt in the background? That's me being Bohemian. All I need are some wooden beads, a couple, preferably, colored turquoise. The late update today is Me, Being Tired From Travails and Travels. Check out the next post, because the pics screw up my format, and I wanted my readers to be able to be able to read the freaking post.

I Want It Freaking Perfect!

Or, the curious incidence for a desire for perfection within the soul of an utter, confirmed and unrepentant slob.

Mess doesn't bother me. I can work, surrounded by heaps of disorganized items. Not only does it not bother me, I usually don't notice. I have never become irritated with myself because I can't find something that I have lost. I swear at the lost item, but it never occurrs to me to 'get my act together' which sounds highly unpleasant, and probably involves lots of Post-It notes and New Year resolutions.

I deliberately wear mismatching socks. I wear color combinations that make my family start to weep copiously and I sashay on, unmoved. I do hate to be dirty, personally. If, in the middle of the day, I think that I need a shower, CLEAR THE WAY, I am taking a shower.

A few of my family members are different. My dad, for instance. He just does not work well in a messy enviroment. It drives him crazy. My sister inherited this. Something in their soul clicks, and they feel peaceful, in control, and happy when they are surrounded by organized bliss. They hate people like me. They can't understand, or refuse to believe, that I actually don't care and am not bothered by the 5,732 pieces of paper strewn over my room, the 3,800 notebooks, the uncountable number of books, discarded clothing, pens, knitting needles, empty cups, plates, etc all forming a jungle out of my bedroom.

I become highly indignant and panicky when someone attempts to move, touch, or otherwise harm my belongings. WHAT DO YOU MEAN you threw out that peace of paper, you robot of organization, that had a POEM on it, OK, still unrevised, but I NEED THAT PAPER! I NEED ALL OF MY PAPERS!

However, I have discovered something unique in my knitting. I want my knitting experience...to be perfect. As I scoping out my new project, I ponder. Hmm. Yes, those Lantern Moon double pointed ebony needles cost over $30. And I would still need to buy the other needles for that project. Oh, and the yarn, which would also have to feel perfect, and be the perfect color combination (Endpaper Mitts, you see). If I had my way, making those freaking Endpaper Mitts would probably cost $70-80 dollars.

But, you see, if I didn't/don't, then I would be unhappy. I would know, deep in my soul, that I need those ebony needles. I would feel frustrated, unhappy, and angry with myself. I want to sit down and think: yes. Here are my needles. Here are the perfect yarns. Here is the perfect pattern. I am ready.

Starting my Hedgerow socks was like that. I splurged. But I had exactly what I wanted. I spent $33.19 on yarn and needles. To make socks. Wasteful, extravagant? No. A simple indulgence of my little known, inner perfectionist.

Finished Sock/ Wave-Lengths/ September 11th was a Beautiful Day

Before you lynch me for saying the September was a lovely day, understand that I speak in an absolutely literal sense. The sky was a intense, fall blue. The breeze was just slightly icy, and chimes filled the air. It was perfect. Even after I heard the news, what was imprinted most deeply on my mind, was a plane crashing into the first tower, over and over and over again on television. And how it happened on such an impossibly beautiful day.

And I finished my sock. The batteries on my camera are shot, so, no pictures. Sorry, I will very soon. And I found out something really, really weird.

Eunny Jang and I are on some kind of similar wave-length. First, I saw some cute gloves on a blog, and remembered the name. {Endpaper Mitts} OK, so I google it, find her blog. Oooh, and look at these {Anemoi_Mittens} .

And then I found out that the Tangled Yoke Cardi in the Interweave Knits mag was also designed by her. Freaky-weird, 'cause that's what I wanted to make from it, along with the Ann Budd socks.

Weird. Weird. My brain is shot today.

Hedgerow Saga

Behold: the heel is turned, stitches picked up, knitted, and I have called it very good. But there's more to this halfway sock than meets the eye.

I'm not going to go into a lot of knitterly detail that will bore you. Suffice it to say that when I was supposed to decrease by one stitch, I decreased by about fourteen. Which doesn't really work out very well. I had knit the leg, heel flap, heel turn, and picked up the stitches, and knit for about two rows.

Also; this leg was supposed to be 6 and a half inches. It was 7 and a fourth. I flubbed a tiny bit on one stitch. So I faced up to what I had to do. I told myself: it's a beginner sock. Don't worry.

And frogged. The Whole. Freaking. Thing.

What you are beholding is the reknit sock, minus mistakes, except for one tiny one which you can't see even if you are looking for it, since it is on the inside of the leg. Family Members are quite impressed with that fact that I have actually made something that looks like a sock, and Family Members have nearly had a heart attack at the idea of 'undoing' all the work and

knitting it again! They're all afraid of the idea of knitting a sock at all. It's the DPNs.

All the decreases are done, so I just have to knit the foot part for a little bit, and then start doing decreases again.

I am going to be interested to see how these socks fit (or sock; if you're going to be bloody technical about it) because my feet are a somewhat annoying shape, and I finally figured out why shoe shopping was such a hellish ordeal when I was a kid. My ankles/heel are much narrower than most people's are, and my toes/front of my foot/ is wider. Duck feet, really. So when I buy shoes, the heel is always looser, because a shoe size smaller and my toes are screaming. See Mom, I wasn't lying when I said that the shoes that fell off the back of my foot still pinched the front.

(She still isn't convinced)