Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Come On Irene

While most people in the area are griping about Hurricane Irene's devastation (and believe me I do have some things to gripe about storm-related) I actually really enjoyed being stuck in my house with Randy all weekend. It was our first weekend of the summer that we were able to sit back and enjoy being by ourselves in our own home.

I must also say that it gave me a lot of time to organize my stash and completed items piles. I had bought two new Tupperware bins and I was able to spend Saturday night and Sunday morning organizing my "knitting closet." Organizing is one of my favorite things and it was so exciting to have gotten all of my things back in order.

I am now ready to start some new projects. Did anybody else get a lot done thanks to Irene?

Broke Knitter!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Colors of the Fall


Picture Courtesy of Fort Wayne Dance Collective
www.fwdc.org
 I don't know about you but fall is by far my favorite season! I really like the cool crisp fall air, the scent of homeyness and baking, and most of all, the colors. Reds, oranges, and sometimes even brown (scary to admit that I am turning into my mother!).

With the fall fast approaching I am very excited to start some new projects that will boast the festivities and colors of the season. I think I am going to make myself a new barn sweater or perhaps a vest. I would love some suggestions. Does anybody have any nice fall patterns or yarns that would best represent the fall?

Until Next Time,
Broke Knitter

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Injury!

I am about to say something I never ever imagined I would say - we had our first knitting induced injury last night. Let me preface this story by saying that its not really my fault! Living in a small apartment in NYC, Randy and I (along with Pickle, our cat, and Abby, our dog) are usually crammed pretty close together when we hang out around the house.

So last night I got out my Christmas tree skirt (yes the dang haunting tree skirt) and started to work on another panel. As loving and adorable as our terrier Abby may be, when Randy and I sit together on the couch she HAS to sit in the middle of us and stay the center of attention. So there we are all squeezed together and Abby decides its a great idea to chew on the end of one of Mom's knitting needles - a big big No No!

Randy and I pushed her off the couch and I scolded her for chewing on my needles and gave her one of her toys to play with. Well, Abby was not a happy camper. She decided it was time to start jumping all over the place as Randy and I are frantically trying to get her to behave. During this whole scene of us jumping around we wind up completely tangled in my ball of yarn and before I know it I hear a very loud "Ouch!" Yes, you guessed it, I had "stabbed" Randy with a knitting needle.

Poor Randy wound up with quite a good solid poke and he actually has a nice little bruise on his tummy. As hard as I tried not to laugh, I couldn't help it. It was like a scene from "Marley and Me." Here we are all tangled up and poking each other while the dog prances around the house.

Does anybody else have good knitting injury stories? If so, please share!
Broke Knitter

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The "Worlds" Of NYC Knitting

I have noticed a very interesting split in what I call the "knitting worlds of New York City." It seems to me that there are two types of knitters:

     1. The more hipster style knitters who love to buy from local/handspun spinners and who love spend most of there time being social knitters
     2. The "elite" style knitters who buy their products from stores where you have to ring a bell to enter and the yarn is all displayed in crates where you have to remove a lid to touch the product.

I find this very very interesting. Growing up my memories of knitting shops were always very similar. There was always more product in the place than they knew what to do with and people sat around being social and helping each other out. Finding an environment like this has been rather hard in NYC.

I find it very off-putting to have to ring a doorbell and have a store owner unlock the door for me to come inside and look around. It makes me feel very uncomfortable and makes me feel very pressured to purchase something. It is weird to me the idea that you can't just reach out and touch the yarn to feel its texture.

I always like to do the "neck test" before I purchase yarn. The neck test is something I have picked up from my mother. If you are picking out a yarn to make a clothing item, especially if it is something you want to be cozy in, you have to put the yarn against your neck to feel its texture. Is it soft enough? Warm enough? Does it match with my skin tone?

Anyways, I was very put off by two shops I stopped into last night looking for some notions (along with, of course, my needles!). I don't know about you, but I love to be welcomed into a knitting shop with lots of cheery faces and oodles of yarn. Who is with me?

Until Next Time,
Broke Knitter

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Frustration Anyone?

I think I had the most frustrating thing happen to me last night. I miraculously completed all my UFOs during the past two weeks which made me feel awesome and, to be honest, indestructible. Unfortunately, that indestructibility was about to be put to the test when I arrived home last night and plopped myself on the couch to start a new project.

Now, picking a new project to begin with is always a task and a half. Lets just say that my mind tends to wander and my eyes are usually bigger than my knitting ability. Needless to say, I have MANY projects tempting me in the closet just waiting to be started.

Picture and Pattern Courtesy of Christy Aylesworth
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hermione-hearts-ron

After about an hour of flipping through pattern after pattern I decided to start on a hat for my little sister's birthday. I found the pattern on Ravelry, and seeing as how she is a HUGE Harry Potter fan I figured, why not?!

Look at that hat! Nice and easy and I am sure it would be super soft and comfy.

So, I diligently grabbed the beautiful Silk Alpaca gray yarn I had put aside for this project, pulled out the pattern and  enthusiastically announced to Randy the commencing of Hermione's hat. I balled up the skein and I was grinning from ear to ear (starting a new project always gives me this weird giddiness and excitement).

And that's when it happened. I didn't have the right size needles! I know, I know, all you veteran knitters are totally freaked out by this concept (I swear to God that my mother has more needles than the Pope has Rosaries), but as a younger and more rookie knitter this does occasionally happen. As I learn new techniques I pick up more "gear." Since I am very very much a newbie when it comes to lace knitting, I didn't have any size 2 needles. And, for the first time, I am sorry to say, that my Denise interchangeable set let me down!

Anyways, this whole occasion left me very sad and frustrated and  poor Randy was stuck with a moping girlfriend for the rest of the evening. So, #1 thing on today's to-do list is make a quick run over to Knitting 321 (a tiny little knitting shop located at East 75th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues) to pick up some size 2 and size 3 circular needles.

I will not be thwarted again this evening. Happy Knitting and Here's to No Frustration!

Until Next Time,
Broke and Needless Knitter

Monday, August 22, 2011

Lace Lace Lace

After spending a week living it up in the Hamptons (I know, how chic of me!), I have realized that lace is totally back in. On the beaches and downtown I saw SO MANY women walking around in lacy beach cover-ups or tank tops with lace coverings.

While I have to say this excites me to see so many handmade pieces I am a little scared. My "mother-in-law" was in love with the look and is now dying for a handmade lace knit top to wear over a tank top. Oh Boy! Well, I guess Broke Knitter needs to reevaluate her Christmas present list. Bye-bye hat and scarf and hello tunic. Does anybody have any suggestions for a relatively easy lace top?

Until Next Time,
Broke Knitter

Friday, August 19, 2011

Renewed Spirits

Bronchitis stinks! But having two full days laying around feeling crummy does wonders for the UFO pile! Over the past few days I have been very under the weather and bored out of my mind. So, being the good doobie that I am (and honestly, feeling a little guilty every time I stared at the UFOs), I picked up some objects from the UFO pile and got to work.

Shockingly enough, I finished almost all my outstanding projects! YAY FOR ME! Wow, that accomplishment made me feel so much better! I now have empty space in my knitting cupboard and I am so excited to get started on the next big projects.

I am not the fastest knitter around, so I think it is time to start some Christmas present projects. I think a present for Ellen is the place to start!

Does anybody else have good ideas for Christmas present projects?

Broke Knitter!