Here is a parody on a Dixie Chicks song:
It does not, I guarantee, make fun or bad comments about them.
However, it was the song that suited my purpose.
But you must keep scrolling down.
Muhahahaah!
Down.
Tortured, Tangled Yarn (Tortured Tangled Hearts)
Well, there was a little tangle (Well there was a little falter)
In that none center-pull skein (At the alter of confession)
As I was a-windin, (Down on its knees)
It brought me to my knees (True love did fall)
After several minutes of (After thirty one days of)
Ineffectual pulling, (Sleepless nights)
I gave up and (She woke up to)
Left the room (End it all)
With 880 yards in that skein(With "I love you" on a fresh tatoo)
All tangled up (Engraved upon his chest)
It took several hours and much work (She tore her name right off his heart)
So here's to the untangler! (So here's to the unblessed)
Oh, yarn, oh yarn, you fickle thing (Oh love, oh love, you fickle thing)
Such beautiful colorways and lovely skeins (Such pretty words and golden rings)
It was a mistake to wind without a swift (It was a broken dream right from the start)
Bless the tortured tangled yarn. (Bless their tortured, tangled hearts)
Well, if you do this, (Well, a blast of confusion)
Be sure you're willing (Coupled with delusion)
To commit time and trouble (Makes the best layed plans)
A shawl's worth the work (Sometimes fail)
To me, but perhaps not to you (They wined and they dined)
So be warned, this don't do. (Had peace of mind)
I wound and wound (She bought a gown)
And wound some more (And he rented tails)
For a spongy ball of yarn. (But the might cloud of destiny)
I started the shawl (Came drifting through the gates)
And created 5 snowdrops to date. (And busted up what could have been )
(A perfect hopeless case)
(Repeat chorus twice)
Oh yarn, Oh yarn, you fickle thing,
Such silky fibers and pretty string
It was a tangled dream right from the start
Bless that tortured tangled yarn.
Oh yarn, Oh yarn, you fickle thing,
Such beautiful colorways and lovely skeins
It was a broken dream right from the start
Bless the tortured tangled yarn.
I was trying, as you might guess from a bit of a reference in my rather bad parody, to make this pattern from here with this yarn from here. (BTW, the link to the pattern will open a PDF, which could possibly cause a case of slowness of the computer.... So if opening PDFs is a problem, go to the "here" link for the pattern and it is the second project linked on the right side that the author designed. ) I can do better than this, but I didn't. Curious question: am I doing something wrong because my shawl looks more finished/less messy than I think it ought to?
Also: The yarn splurges are indefinately cancelled.
I am very busy with schoolwork. Oh the pull of WIPs!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
Wishes...
At last, some pictures:
What I wish:
I could have at least one of the following (ONE, probably not more!):
Kromski Polonaise
Kromski Minstrel
Kromski Mazurka
Kromski Prelude
Kromski Symphony, especially
Or even one of these:
(Why, I don't know, but the Ashford pictures did not appear...)
I wish I might get one of these as a beginner's model:
Schacht Wolf Pup
Wishes will be continued next week!
What I wish:
I could have at least one of the following (ONE, probably not more!):
Kromski Polonaise
Kromski Minstrel
Kromski Mazurka
Kromski Prelude
Kromski Symphony, especially
Or even one of these:
(Why, I don't know, but the Ashford pictures did not appear...)
I wish I might get one of these as a beginner's model:
Schacht Wolf Pup
Wishes will be continued next week!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Tragedy!
Okay, it's not a great tragedy, but all the needles were accidentally pulled out of the gray sock in progress. Some of the stitches, too!
No picture....
I am very busy and very tired as of late. Thus, this is not a particularly long entry. More may come tomorrow.
No picture....
I am very busy and very tired as of late. Thus, this is not a particularly long entry. More may come tomorrow.
Sorry,
Arachnera
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Busy-ness
I haven't forgotten my blog, I've just been busy. All three pairs of socks in progress are at least half done. I learned to spin on a spindle last night. (Needless to say, I still have slubs.) I tried nalbinding using this tutorial: Phiala's Nalbinding page. I have been taking swimming lessons at the local Y(MCA). I have been to the Weaver's Loft. I got a latch hook kit (Rainbow Flyer from Caron, but I call it Odonata [toothed; the order to which dragonflies and damselflies belong. Because, at least I think, that's a dragonfly.]) I have been working on watchbands for a watch face I got at the local Jo-Ann's Fabric Store. Unfortunately, I still have problems getting pictures up. (If you must know, 1.44 MB, the capacity of a floppy, isn't very much space for pics of socks, bracelets, etc. )
About spinning(And nalbinding):
A good friend of mine very generously taught me to spin on a (very tiny) spindle and gave me some fleece to get started last night. I think the fleece still has some lanolin in it, making it soft on my hands (and face!) (also, my hands aren't that sensitive to scratchiness), but the yarn is slightly scratchy. I already love spinning, though my yarn is thick and thin still and I am not spinning on a wheel, which I thought I would prefer. By the way, don't ask, but don't try spinning using cotton balls and a homemade spindle, or nalbinding using a small tapestry needle (similar to ones I used for needlepoint on 7 count plastic canvas) and Wool-ease. That nalbinding does not work out too well because I get the impression that you need slightly loose stitches and you will get small ones with this, plus somehow the process seems to be contrary to the twist of the Wool-Ease and the Wool-Ease won't felt. Nothing wrong with the materials, they just didn't work for my purpose (With the spinning, however, not so.)
Anyhow, I never got the Macreme Pouch up to my website, nor did I ever get to do the neccesary research for the other item I wanted to write. But I am starting something: yarn reviews! These are not yarns I buy specifically to be tested, and thus may not be exactly periodical. They are just yarns I happen to encounter in my knitting life. And another new feature: yarn splurges.
I have to be allergy tested today. Blah.
I am not, contrary, to what my comment on acrylic might have lead you to believe, what you'd really think of as a fiber snob, nor do I really have anything against Red Heart or the company that makes it. I simply find that certain colors/types of Red Heart are very scratchy and that the plain colors can get a little boring. If you can believe it, though, for most of the first years that I knitted (not too long ago; I learned during '00 or '01) I used plain, untextured acrylic. Now I use some of Lion Brand's yarns and plan to order some more yarn from Knit Picks. Which brings us to the first yarn review. If only I could keep from jumping around.
Dancing
From www.knitpicks.com
Color:
Unfortunately, as you can guess, I don't have a picture, but you can see it at www.knitpicks.com. I ordered the color Swing, which ended up as my Swing(or Dance) over the Rainbow socks. I believe they no longer have that particular color available, but it, if you wish to know, it has most of the colors of the rainbow. It does have one problem, or at least it might seem that way to some people: the colors make little pools, and sometimes the yellow and purple in the yarn made pools of stripes. This wasn't much of a problem to me. I would not advise using a complex pattern that you want to be able to see with this yarn (or at least not with this color). I used Elongated Corded Rib from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks; though I couldn't see the pattern, it made the sock lacy. Oh, by the way, there is a white strand of something or other around the yarn, which gives it an interesting look.
Quality:
Well, this yarn is soft. It's a Cotton/Wool/Elastic blend, but I didn't really notice the elastic. (I don't know... I've never knitted with Cascade Fixation(cotton/elastic), but this didn't seem to behave like I thought elastic blend yarn would.) I personally thought it behaved like slightly stretchy sock yarn. It's from KnitPicks, so the value is pretty good to me. I had one minor problem: I bought two skeins of course, to make a pair of socks, and each skein had at least one knot in the yarn. To me it didn't matter a whole lot, but to you it might. I did have a comment from a fellow knitter at last night's knitting group on the softness of the yarn. I do, although I didn't mention it previously, have what's known as atopic dermatitis, also known as ezecma, and it's really bad on my hands and feet. Ironically, the dryness makes the palms of my hands pretty tough, but the other parts of my feet are pretty sensitive. These socks did not bother them at all. I knitted the socks on size US. 2's. I have a bit of a problem with gauge on socks, more on that later, but I didn't measure the gauge.
Overall:
I'd give it 8 on a scale of 10, 1 being "Don't buy this stuff, it's the worst yarn in the world" and 10 being: "You must have this yarn."
About spinning(And nalbinding):
A good friend of mine very generously taught me to spin on a (very tiny) spindle and gave me some fleece to get started last night. I think the fleece still has some lanolin in it, making it soft on my hands (and face!) (also, my hands aren't that sensitive to scratchiness), but the yarn is slightly scratchy. I already love spinning, though my yarn is thick and thin still and I am not spinning on a wheel, which I thought I would prefer. By the way, don't ask, but don't try spinning using cotton balls and a homemade spindle, or nalbinding using a small tapestry needle (similar to ones I used for needlepoint on 7 count plastic canvas) and Wool-ease. That nalbinding does not work out too well because I get the impression that you need slightly loose stitches and you will get small ones with this, plus somehow the process seems to be contrary to the twist of the Wool-Ease and the Wool-Ease won't felt. Nothing wrong with the materials, they just didn't work for my purpose (With the spinning, however, not so.)
Anyhow, I never got the Macreme Pouch up to my website, nor did I ever get to do the neccesary research for the other item I wanted to write. But I am starting something: yarn reviews! These are not yarns I buy specifically to be tested, and thus may not be exactly periodical. They are just yarns I happen to encounter in my knitting life. And another new feature: yarn splurges.
I have to be allergy tested today. Blah.
I am not, contrary, to what my comment on acrylic might have lead you to believe, what you'd really think of as a fiber snob, nor do I really have anything against Red Heart or the company that makes it. I simply find that certain colors/types of Red Heart are very scratchy and that the plain colors can get a little boring. If you can believe it, though, for most of the first years that I knitted (not too long ago; I learned during '00 or '01) I used plain, untextured acrylic. Now I use some of Lion Brand's yarns and plan to order some more yarn from Knit Picks. Which brings us to the first yarn review. If only I could keep from jumping around.
Dancing
From www.knitpicks.com
Color:
Unfortunately, as you can guess, I don't have a picture, but you can see it at www.knitpicks.com. I ordered the color Swing, which ended up as my Swing(or Dance) over the Rainbow socks. I believe they no longer have that particular color available, but it, if you wish to know, it has most of the colors of the rainbow. It does have one problem, or at least it might seem that way to some people: the colors make little pools, and sometimes the yellow and purple in the yarn made pools of stripes. This wasn't much of a problem to me. I would not advise using a complex pattern that you want to be able to see with this yarn (or at least not with this color). I used Elongated Corded Rib from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks; though I couldn't see the pattern, it made the sock lacy. Oh, by the way, there is a white strand of something or other around the yarn, which gives it an interesting look.
Quality:
Well, this yarn is soft. It's a Cotton/Wool/Elastic blend, but I didn't really notice the elastic. (I don't know... I've never knitted with Cascade Fixation(cotton/elastic), but this didn't seem to behave like I thought elastic blend yarn would.) I personally thought it behaved like slightly stretchy sock yarn. It's from KnitPicks, so the value is pretty good to me. I had one minor problem: I bought two skeins of course, to make a pair of socks, and each skein had at least one knot in the yarn. To me it didn't matter a whole lot, but to you it might. I did have a comment from a fellow knitter at last night's knitting group on the softness of the yarn. I do, although I didn't mention it previously, have what's known as atopic dermatitis, also known as ezecma, and it's really bad on my hands and feet. Ironically, the dryness makes the palms of my hands pretty tough, but the other parts of my feet are pretty sensitive. These socks did not bother them at all. I knitted the socks on size US. 2's. I have a bit of a problem with gauge on socks, more on that later, but I didn't measure the gauge.
Overall:
I'd give it 8 on a scale of 10, 1 being "Don't buy this stuff, it's the worst yarn in the world" and 10 being: "You must have this yarn."
First splurge:
1 ball of every color of all yarns except sock yarn and
2 balls of every color of sock yarn except those in 100 gram hanks=
As of 8/8/2006
547 items
$1,878.33!
Wow!
This is how the splurge works:
I go to a website, look at the stuff and place it in a cart. Nothing is bought, however. Then, I record it here at the blog. This feature should run until '07 at which time, ASAP, I will tally up what I would have spent and bought with these splurges. Also, I may revisit a site to (suposedly) buy more. I thought about writing down each and every item, but I don' t think that would work too well since today I had 547 items. Plus, I, not thinking about it, closed the window after writing down the price, so I don't have an exact record.
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