Weekend Update

Today I went to see Monet's London at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete. It was a nice exhibit with several Monet's and a lot of Whistler's work. My only misfortune were the two women who thought they were art critics who followed me everywhere around the museum discussing each piece of artwork in detail (nothing wrong with that really) but being totally incorrect on the style of the paintings. What ever happened to just enjoying art for art sake. What had me giggling was they saw the O'Keefe the museum had and said oh it can't be an O'Keefe. Like our small museum could not own an O'Keefe never mind we have 4 Monet's in the collection.

On to the knitting...

I have another body bag to do something with I am just waiting for some inspiration to hit on how to jazz it up.

Here it is out flat after cast off..

Sorry this is do dark, but a view hanging by the seaming thread, which I won't cut until I figure out whether I am going to need them for embellishment.

And lastly, my Noro Silk Garden hat, which needs to be washed before I wear it, to get any lingering dye chemicals out. It is the blue and purple areas that I am getting reactions from. I do love this yarn, just wished I wouldn't get a reaction from it.

Long Posts...

First off: The Surprise Beaded Object.

This is how far I have gotten in 2 days, day 1 was spent creating a provisional support so the beads would not have tension issues. Originally, the surprise was going to be an amulet pouch done in tubular peyote. But it didn't look quite right, so I sat back for a couple hours and thought about it. I decided I would do a flat odd count peyote and for the back I am going to either do right angle or netted to give it some body. Right now it is very fluid, unlike Mardi Gras. For non-beaders this is due to the type of beads I am using for each product. MG is Delicas which are like little cylinders that when beaded peyote is like laying tile. This one is Japanese seed beads. I selected them because they give the finished project more texture and shading without lots of colors because they are more round. End of beading lesson 1.

There are only going to be 3 colors here --I feel at a loss without all my watercolor trays holding beads surrounding me. The colors do give it away for who the surprise is going to be for.

I am thinking of having a contest, first person to guess who is going to get this surprise will get something but not knitting related.

Beaders also have some great toys. Case in point: My thread burner. It burns the threads so they don't fray and make it so you don't have to use glue or nail polish to secure knots. But it was a tad costly...$25 and the worse part I already have one...it is a wax carver for carving wax to make casting forms which costs about half the price. Dang.

Next continuing in the beading tradition but with some knitting....

The Knitted Beaded Amulet pouch. It is half done. I will have to say I am liking it better now that we have beaded in the mix. Also the thread is easier to knit when the beads enter the mix. This is not exactly what I want to do Bead Knitting-wise but it is a start. I have learned a lot so far including I can write a better book than the one I am using. The beads are Czech matted beads, they make a grating sound when moving past each other which takes some getting use to. This is due to the chemical they use to matte the glass makes them very finely rough, that is the only way to explain it. Why Czech? Because the Czech have people who put the beads on temporary string, which translates I can run my needle down them and transfer the beads thus not having to dig out a bead spinner and instructions.

Beads and Knitting--not to shabby.

On to the knitting:

My first pair of socks are done and need to be washed. I did wear them to work one day last week and no one believed I had knitted them. But I will have pictures soon.

On the needles now--

Noro Daria that I am making a purse with. Why a purse... because seriously that is about all you can do with it. It is not soft. It does not have a lot of flexibility to the thread. It has texture. It is a B*TCH to knit with I said it is like knitting with plastic washing line cord. What is most odd is my knit is far looser than my purl, so I actually have to change how I knit and purl. English for the Knit and my normal way for the Purl, which is Combined. Seriously, avoid this unless you want a challenge. And I am going to have block it to get it to straighten out a bit

.Close Up

Please block me...

Next adventure with Noro...Noro Silk Garden to be exact. I am making a skull cap from one of the Noro books. I love this color way. I love how it looks and the feel of it. But the yarn don't love me. I am actually allergic to something in the yarn. Now since I have worn all the fibers used to make it in one form or another I know it is not the fiber. It is the chemicals they use to dye the sucker. I washed the yarn and I can knit it without my hands going poofie and itchie. I don't think I will be using this yarn to make a sweater, but it depends on how it goes once I give it a good wash.

So so innocent here...so so deadly to the hands....

Lastly, we have Plymouth Flirt and Eros knitted together for a scarf. The yarns on their own are not too impressive but when combined look very nice. One night at my LYS, a woman had a scarf made with this yarn and showed me what she used. Out the door I walked with them, though I have changed her pattern to this. It reminds me of the ocean and sea weed for some reason. And it needs beads...it just does. Leaded Crystal to be exact going to add some BLING to this one.

Don't Hate me because I am pretty...but I do need some BLING.

Working towards Spring Break...

No pictures today...not much knitting going on to say honestly. I have been working on finishing the few assignments and online quizzes, so I can enjoy doing no school work next week. That and watching slash song vids while reading slashy fanfic. Life is good.

Of course it is, I survived my Area Contest for the most part. The contest was Wednesday it went rather smoothly considering I had a panic attack at 2 am thinking I did not book the auditorium. The librarian had a good chuckle, since I booked it over 4 months ago.

The trophy place managed to get the name plates on the correct trophies, really who gives a second place trophy bigger than the first place trophy. They, however, messed up on the logo. The trophies are being fixed. Everyone took it in stride, we were not struck by a tornado and only got a bit wet.

Work continues to be work, though everyone is on pins and needles (not of a good kind) because there is suppose to be another round of job cuts. Though it makes you wonder how they expect work to be done with no one to do it. I guess accuracy and efficiency are not really standards and courtesy seems to be flying out the window in some areas, but it is a nice show.

Don't you love your Mail Person during SP time???

Sorry, this is not a long post, but I wanted to get these up before I had to dash for the night. I have an Area Contest tomorrow night for Toastmasters, mind you I am not in it--just organizing it as the Area Governor.

They were almost too pretty to open. I love the color scheme.

A very funny St. Patty Card, Hello Kitty Shoe Charms to be used as stitch markers or shoe charms, a Hello Kitty Diary, a St. Patty Smiley Pin, and a St. Paty mug. SO VERY COOL! 

The inside says: So much for the wind being always at your back. 

This is not easy...

Actually, it is F-ing hard. This little piece took 3 attempts at knitting after caston and keeping the stitches on the needle. Before the beads started to be added each row took about 20 minutes to do 20 stitches.
Why...there is no grip it is like skating with teflon blades on ice. Stitches flying off the needles left and right. The needles 0000. Yup you read right 0000 needles, with thread.

Lookie...a beaded knitted bag (or what will be)

With an earring stud to show you how small it is. 

I'm a bad bad knitter....

I am a bad knitter...

This came in the mail and I was far more excited about
it's arrival than any yarn has gotten me.

Beads, two issues of Wire Artist, and supplies and a book for some knitted bags.

These are some beads for a secret project I am working on that is going to go to someone who is having problems right now. The colors might give it away.

This is a ring I want to make from one of the issues of Wire Artist. I will probably work on it next weekend.

BUT...

It has begun...

I'm stringing beads on to DMC #8 perle cotton.

Here is a close up of the beads. They are 11's czech matte in blues and
greens.

By the time I get the beads strung I will be done with my socks and my first knitted bag will begin.

On the yarn front...

Some Firecracker yarn in Fresco and Rowan Calmer in Zeal.

Lorna's Laces: Black Purl in Sportsweight and Helen and River in Fisherman.

Katia Mohair

Turn it over and it looks like a Tribble or Aunt Lilly's hair piece.

Meet the Enemy

Meet my enemy...my Anatomy book.

Sure it looks all innocent like. But since I have owned this book, the thing has attacked me at least once a week. It falls and aims for the same foot every time. My poor left foot. This weekend it actually drew blood.The book is heavy but worse of all...
Doesn't it look so innocent here.

Damn awkward in size
Click on the pics to make them bigger.

This is a pic with a standard sheet of paper on top.

This one to show my true geekdom.

The thing is about 1-2 inches bigger than the item on top of it. Holding it is just awkward and finding a book bag to hold it in is just about near impossible. I tote it around in an old laptop bag since it will not fit in either one of my backpacks.

I'm such a nerd!

I have seen it on other knitting blogs so I took it (very odd seeing it on knitting blogs mind you):


My defense is I was an engineering major in school. Thankfully my score was only 80. Then again I was also the social butterfly.

Post Mid Term Shop Therapy

This is all Felicia's fault...she picks the best yarns out. I saw the Jaggerspun Zephyr on her site and told myself I would have to find someone who carries it and order it at some point. I never thought I would find it locally. But I did this afternoon. Unable to resist. I picked out Jade, Iris and a black. I really need to get another Jade one I think. Ooh another visit to there the trial of it all. All of these are earmarked for some shawls. The Jade is going to be one of the ones out of Scarf Style.

On the sock front:

Look a sock!!!!

Look 2 Socks!!!! I have heard about the dreaded second sock. To avoid this I cast on and started the second sock. They are about at the same point.

Close up of the heel. I have no clue what short rows should look like. I don't know if I want to know because I am quite happy with how these look. Now I just need to figure out how to make my purl side ones look just a nice. They are a bit more rustic in appearance.

Books are Great...Surprise ones are even better...

There were many surprises in my mail yesterday.

First some Nancy A. Collins books I had ordered through Amazon Market Place. Nancy has created one of the best vampires out there: Sonja Blue. Sonja is not no run of the mill vampire, her creator left her for dead and infected to become a vampire. But modern medicine stepped in and saved her or did they.

Instead Sonja is only half way infected. She has two sides in battle: one is the person she has become a mixture of her vampire and original self and the Other, the demon locked within her. I was attracted by the covers of the original books and have them all plus the newer re-releases.
Also Sonja in the second book has one of the best lines. "Daylight Phooey."

This time around I got two books I did not have:

Dead Roses is a series of short stories and Darkest Heart takes of the short stories and extends it.

I also got:

I know it is not everyone's cup of tea but I am studying Crime Scene Technology. I have to admit I read it last night all the way through. It is about time of death and the history of how the knowledge of determining it came to be. It centers a lot on insects towards the end because they have a set time period and arrival times. And because of known insect behaviors they can account for weather conditions and the likes to adjust times.

But the best surprise was a book sitting on the table. A book that has been mysteriously left there. One that had been intercepted before I could open it.

It had a little post it note on it. My mom had gotten it and she had opened it thinking it was hers. (My wishlist has her name on it for some strange reason probably because she changed my name to her name at one point for an order when we shared an account.)

She realized it was probably from one of my Secret Pals or a friend. She didn't recognize the name so she thought it best if didn't see the packaging and all that.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! This was a great way to end a stressful Mid Term week. I already picked out two scarves I want to make and a shawl.

Update: My AK Secret Buddy sent this. Thank you so much. I love scarves even in Florida. They are practical in my office where I am always cold.

Finally...Midterms are DONE!!!!

I just finished my last midterm- Anatomy. It was not as bad as I expected but it has been worrying me. I am doing well in the class and was a bit afraid of this midterm but I survived. I have not done any knitting or beading since last week other than looking at the pretty eye candy. But I am taking the next two days off so I can RELAX a bit before jumping back into things.

I's sick...

I got sick this Friday. Started of with sniffles. So now I am coated in Vapor Rub, medicated to the gills, and remember why breathe right strips are godsent.

But with illness has come clarity on my second sock. I messed up on the toe. Well dang, knew it didn't look right. But I do not have to frog. Nope no frogging needed. Why because one of my feet my toe is more boxy than the other. So I need it more squarelike toe.

So my socks will have feet designations.

Well, things have gotten interesting. I didn't do as well as I would have liked on my Logic test...but I am sick and running a fever now. I don't think logically under the best conditions. So, this was no fun.

When I finished my test, I went back to working on my sock. And I kid you not I looked at it as said. "How do I purl?"

Then when I started I tried to turn my heel in the middle of the thing. Luckly, the yarn changing color made me realize something was wrong 5 stitches into it.

But some good news and bad news...
The Good. I am getting my Mirrix loom ( I have been wanting one for ages and I have some extra money from the car repairs that were not needed.

Ain't she lovely!

Now the bad news is- they place that has the best price does not have them in stock. And the person I could get it from has it for $30 more without including tax...which translates to $30 less to spend on beads. I have waited over 2 years to buy her I think I can wait a bit longer. Though I am going to call and ask when they expect them.

Construction Zone

Please wear your hard hat at all times...Beware of falling pink items.The pink was getting to me.

Now don't get me wrong I like pink...just not as a blog. It's just so perky. The pink was getting to me.

Pink has it's place...just not in my blog. The pink was getting to me.

Just a few more changes and pink will be a distant memory.
The pink was getting to me.

Under Construction...

This space is under construction...please wear hard hats at all times.


I decided to change the look...the pink was getting to me. I just picked something until I could work on something better. That time has come...the pink was getting to me.

Expect changes. Hopefully, it will look better than the pink...the pink was getting to me.

Massive Update...aka got the camera working again

Huge Update in the Making...

Have camera will take tons of pics (got rechargeable batteries for it finally). Click on the image for a larger picture.

First off Sock Update:

I have done the foot of one sock and done my very first heel. I think it came out okay.

Could it be better yes, will I frog it to make it better NOO.

These are my learning pair. When I learn something new I tend not to obsess with perfection. It's the technique I am interested in.


I cast on for the other sock and is it looking better, yes. Can I live with them being odd, yes...

Mardi Gras bag Update
I have done a whopping 6 rows on it tonight.

Beading does not go fast with patterns with several colors. And this only has 20. The Trinity will have over 100. Most I have done so far has been 119 and it got ripped apart, beads sorted and will be redone- the stitch didn't suit the pattern.





Check out how stiff it is...it is odd. There is nothing holding it open like that but beads and thread. Only with Delica beads do I get things this stiff. I could go down to a single ply of thread but I don't know about that. Usually, I don't do amulet pouches in Delicas instead I make them flat peyote instead. It is pretty light so far so I'm not to worried about the weight.

Unlike...
This bag.





I found her in my bead stashed tucked away waiting for me to figure out what kind of neck strap I will use. She is pretty. But I don't really care for her. Gold is not my color. Seriously, when I started beading everyone said I should sell all the bodies it was making. I hate embellishing them I like making the bodies. Mainly, because I am a minimalist at heart and some embellishments can get fufu-ie. But I like making the actual bodies. Hmmm Body Bags by Kam-Might work.

Misc Stuff:

Here is my working bead tray, I have no clue why it is still this neat. Might be because I move all the little beads back to their homes when they decide to visit. Most of my friends hate working out of trays like these. And they are the ones at the end of the night scooping up one color of beads from their velux pads. I'd like to see them try it with 20 colors.

Speaking of Beads... here is what over $300 dollars in delicas look
like...well the top layer. Not very impressive. But those are just my Delicas (at least I think that is all of them).

Knitting with beads...I have bought a kit. It was on clearance and now I see why.

They are 8/0's from the looks of it. They are laying on top of the gold bag
which is a combo of 11/0s and 6/0s

Funny: Read this comment about rough beads...as along as I have beaded I have never came across a seed bead that would cause fraying to a thread other than bugles unless they were big beads who should not be on thread. And how does one cut off a glass bead? I have busted them with pliers but never cut one off.



Also check out the thread, I have never had good results with this type of thread with normal beading (translate: Breaks, knots, etc. Avoid at all costs). So now the quest begins to find something to knit with that is not this nasty thread.

Will I ever knit a garment with beads...no. No matter how many people tell me that I should. I probably won't why...beads really hate to be washed. All the really cool beads that people tend to go OOOH AHHH over have treated surfaces and those surfaces will come off with just wear. Now imagine washing them. Seriously, if you want to put beads in a garment look at them first. Make a swatch and wash it and abuse it. If the colors hold up then they should be fine. Stick to the opaque and transparent beads without surface finishes. Beads really don't like abuse.

My current favorites that I have made:

Starting at the bottom:
These beads all came from a Purple Bead Swap
Seed beads and black rice pearls
Swar. crystals ( I saw this bracelets for sale and decided to make my own)
Another caterpillar bracelets in blues and greens.