Eye Candy Friday – More Playing with Color

I’ve clearly been thinking a lot about color since finding  Knitting on Impulse. So Eye Candy Friday this week is brought to you by

Red

Green

and Gray.

And photoshop’s stained glass feature, of course.

Thank you SP!

I got another wonderful gift from my SP yesterday.

Those Trader Joe’s praline things are delicious.  You should all try them. 

She also sent me a stunning Cherry Tree Hill Supersock mill end. 

These colors remind me of an evergreen forest. Dark, sprucy green, brown, and charcoal gray. It’s beautiful, and there is enough for a shawl, or a good three pairs of socks.  She even included another lavendar sachet, so the yarn smells lovely.  My stash smells absolutely wonderful now.

 Thank you SP!

Why I blog

Last week there was a bit of a kerfuffle over why people blog. If you missed it, see these relevant posts, and read the (hundreds of) comments. One of questions being discussed was “why do people keep blogging if no one ever comments?” From that question sprang the larger question: do we blog for ourselves, or for our “audience?”

I started this blog (and became involved in the Knitty Coffeeshop) for one simple, uninspiring reason. Over the winter that I planned my wedding, I started a bunch of knitting projects and didn’t finish anything. Once the wedding was over and the dust had settled, I decided that I wanted to tie up all the loose ends. There was a WIP along going on at the Knittyboard, and I set up my blog to post pictures of my progress. That was it.

At that point (way back in June 2006) I was shockingly ignorant of the knitting blogosphere. I was pretty ignorant of the online knitting world in general, to be honest. I had been using Knitty patterns for years, but I had never tapped into the community. I had never needed to. I graduated from college in 2005, so until relatively recently I had a large “real-life” community of knitters to talk to. I didn’t feel the need to reach out into cyberspace until I was in a new city, with all of my knitting buddies far away.

Once I started my own little blog, I became more aware of the other blogs out there. The first ones I found were, predictably, those belonging to prodigies and beloved designers. I was considered the “knitting sensei” among my college friends, but this level of skill was something new entirely. In new settings, I rarely speak unless spoken to, or unless I have something very important to say. I sincerely doubted that I would ever have anything useful to add to the conversation.

But I kept plugging away. And yes, I was blogging just for myself at that point. I enjoyed keeping a record of my progress, and being able to do “finished object” posts at the Knittyboard. I tied up my loose ends, and began some new projects. I finished those new projects, and I posted about them. I even whipped up a little free pattern, and posted that. What the heck, right?

Then something happened. I noticed that people started to find me by googling things like “Glasgow Lace modifications” and “Clapotis Noro Silver Thaw.” I do have useful things to say on those topics (add waist shaping, and be prepared to fight with the dropped stitches). I became aware of the fact that a couple of people had actually used my pattern. Maybe I am adding a little something to the conversation after all.  I hope that someday when everything is tallied up, I will have contributed some small fraction of what I have gained.

Anyway, now I’ll share with you yet another remarkable thing out there in the knitblog world. Cara of January One mentioned the fascinating color studies that have been featured at Knitting on Impulse.  She uses photo editors to pixellate photos so she can study the colors that the photos contain.  Her examples are totally stunning. While I am still a color-theory novice, it has been a fun thing to play around with.

Look at all those different blues and purples.  This will be addictive.

And finally, I will mention my very  favorite aspect of the knitblog world: the people.  I’ve “met” the most wonderful people in this cozy little world of ours.  I am excited to say that Ruth and Beth and I have started sharing our designs with one another in a private knitting design workshop.  I had been frustrated that I didn’t have anyone to give feedback on the designs I’m working on, because of course once you post about them it is harder to get them published.  Hopefully by sharing with Ruth and Beth and whoever else may join us I can refine some of my stuff and get it out there.  This will be fun.

Eye Candy Friday

Snowdrops

A tree in my neighborhood, with buds just visible

Almost there…

I finished the body for Wicked last night, and now I’m working on the left sleeve.

I like the way it’s turning out, and I’m sure I’ll wear it a lot once I’m finished. But good heavens, this is boring. Miles and miles of stockinette. If there is ever a time I bemoan my 43″ chest, it is now.  If I just banged it out it wouldn’t take that long, but it is hard to stay focused. I’ve been doing Walker Treasury swatches instead, because those are interesting!

This is what happens when my husband wants to stop taking pictures and go to bed.

That’s about where I am with this sweater.

Now to plan my next sweater. I need something challenging that will hold my interest. Perhaps Serrano.  That would be nice for the summer. But Venezia has been whispering in my ear lately. I’m just not sure if I’m ready.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Brought to you by Wicked, Pomatomus, and the color green.

Edited to add:

And a card from my SP!

Thank you SP!

My Shiny New Dining Room

I didn’t do much knitting this weekend.  That’s because my mom, my husband, and I painted the dining room in our new condo.

I LOVE the way it turned out. We used Benjamin Moore paint in Yarmouth Blue, which is a very nice color. The dining room had been light blue before, but the shade was off. It was cold, and icy, and just not a pleasant dining room color.

I’m not sure if you can really tell from the photo, but it feels much more inviting and pleasant now.

Next order of business: decide what color to paint the den (currently blinding orange, and visible in the third photo)

 Then when I got back to my old place, I found a package from my Secret Pal!  She sent me lovely Lorna’s Laces sock yarn in a very warm shade of brown called “Harvest.”

She also sent beauty soap, lavender hand lotion, and a wonderfully fragrant lavender sachet.

I love the scent, and it is tucked in with my stash now. Thank you SP!

Eye Candy Friday

The ice is finally starting to melt.  While that is beautiful enough in itself, the water has worn neat-looking channels into the ice that remains.

Where are they now?

As I was moving my blog, I ran across posts that feature WIPs that I haven’t mentioned in awhile.  Time for an update!

Lady Eleanor:
I made some great progress in November, but then gave up on it and never mentioned it again. Sadly, Kureyon seems too “sproingy” for a wrap like this one.

See?  It just doesn’t have the drape that I would want. 

I’m disappointed that it didn’t work out.  I really admire all of the other Lady Es that I’ve seen in blogland, and I want one for my own.  By more disappointing is that fact that I already had a kickin’ hat that matches the failed Lady E.

I finished this hat in November, and I’ve been wearing it all winter. I haven’t posted about it, because I wanted to model them both together. That and I’ve been meaning to write up the pattern, but I forgot exactly what I did. I’ll figure it out, and post the pattern before it’s hat weather again.  I plan to try again in Silk Garden.  After using it for a Clapotis for my MIL, I think it would be great for Lady E.

Sweater for my Mom:
Oof. I’ve been fiddling around with this forever. I’m using Manos in “Flame,” an absolutely gorgeous range of reds.

I’m not quite sure what I’ll do yet. I need to do something really nice to allow this great yarn to shine the way it deserves to.

Red Light Special:
I realized that I accidentally skipped a row, and I can’t bring myself to tink back just yet. It’s stalled in a relatively early stage.

Clapotis:
Clapotis is coming along, slowly.

I’m actually satisfied with my progress. I’m enjoying the process of knitting with Lion and Lamb so much that I’m not in any great hurry to get it done. I work on it when I want something soothing, and blue, and beautiful.

Wicked:
I detached the arms this weekend

I hadn’t been hurrying on this either, but now I sort of am. I want to wear it before it gets too warm!

 In the meantime I’ve had a couple of secret projects going, and I’ve been working on socks.  It would probably do me good to do a WIP roundup every month or so, just so I don’t forget all that I have on the needles.

Welcome

Hello everyone!

This is the first post in my new WordPress blog.  I decided to make the switch to WordPress for a couple of reasons.  The system is very easy to use, and I think it gives a clean-looking, organized result.  I was having some issues with Blogger, and their “Help” system was decidedly unhelpful.  WordPress, by contrast, has excellent support.  I had trouble importing my Blogger posts, and a nice fellow named Mark helped me.

The most significant reason that I made the switch was the “pages” feature of WordPress.  Now I can have a page for “Original Designs,” and my Chevron Bag pattern can live there.  I also took the occasion to write up the pattern for my Heart Lace Socks.  You can find it in Original Designs, or click here.

Over the coming months, I hope to add more to the Original Designs section and build a Finished Objects gallery. Thank you for visiting my new home.