slacker ponderings and continuing design...

Yesterday, I went grocery shopping and it was an eye opening experience. I don't know why. Maybe I've I've never noticed it before. But it was as though everyone were zombies. And I had to think for a minute, do I have my zombie apocalypse kit ready at home (which by the way I do NOT!)?

I don't like shopping on Sundays. I prefer mid morning, mid week. With the old folkies. But Sundays are easier, because it's about to be a new week. We're all thinking of the new week. That's all we're thinking about, apparently.

I couldn't believe it, but I was standing in the freeze dried fruit aisle, pondering my choices. When all of a sudden a lady comes and stands directly in front of me. She was so close I could smell her hair. And I could see nothing, she was directly - and I mean very much so - in front of me. So, I said, "um, excuse me, did you not see me here?" I mean, I was curious. Wouldn't you be? She turned and said, "what?" I said, "you just stood in front of me like you didn't see me here. Like this. In front of what I was looking at. How could you miss me?" And she, in a daze, said, "oh, I am sorry." So, then I concluded, that despite her blatant rudeness, she wasn't meaning to be rude. She was just being completely absorbed in her own world. And I thought, 'how sad.' But then I thought, 'well, thank goodness she isn't a zombie.' But I guess, in a way she was.

Anyhow, I haven't followed through with my resolution to do more random kindness acts. Oh, I am such a horrible New Years Resolution Keeper, aren't I?

I've been thinking about if I won the lottery. And yet, I never buy lottery tickets. I do feel like quite the slacker as of late.

But! Alas, knitting.



I never was a mathmatician. Never will be. But it's simple math, really.

(continuing from this post)

Let's see, if you cast on 190 stitches (which should turn out to be 36 inches, not including a little stretch), and you want to decrease the skirt over all up to the waist of 22 inches (which would be 5 (sts per in) x 22 = 110 stitches), well then we need to figure out how to decrease and when. Right?

We will be decreasing 80 stitches (190-110 = 80) over 16 inches. If we have 6 rows per inch, then 16 inches = 96 rows. I thought it would be easiest to decrease 10 stitches, 8 times over all. 96 divided by 8 = 12, so we will decrease at every 12th row. Or, approximately every 2 inches.

I placed markers like this: at beginning of round, after 32 stitches, after 31 stitches, after 32 stitches, and after 31 stitches. Decreasing will be as follows:

K2tog, knit 28, k2tog, sm, k2tog, knit 27, k2tog, sm, k2tog, knit 28, k2tog, sm, k2tog, knit 27, k2tog, sm, k2tog, knit 28, k2tog.

At each decrease round, you will need to make sure that you decrease the numbers in between the stitches by 2. So, for the next round, the 28s will be 26s and the 27s will be 25s and so forth.

Is this too crazily confusing?

Well, to make matters even more confusing, I decided to knit a lace stitch for the bottom of the skirt. To add a little flair. But you don't need to. And I didn't need to. But what I find is that I like a pattern that I have to pay attention to the detail. For some reason, it makes it go faster. ;) And you know I like fast. (if you'd also like that lace stitch pattern, let me know and I'll email ya...)

So.

I've been at the knitting again nonstop. wooohooooooo.......



xxoo, have a good day, y'all and restock your emergency zombie kits....
Gilda

My very first steps in designing

Let me start by saying I haven't been very good at my NY resolutions. I said I'd be kind, but the other day, there was a little old lady driving at about 35 mph on the freeway (the one where you can go 60mph, which really means you can go up to 70mph!!!). I passed her and then gave her the evil eye. And then I thought about how I wished I'd had signs in my car to flash at people. Oh, I am bad, aren't I? Well, my signs would say stuff like this:
* Hey buddy, use your signal! I can't read your friggin mind.
* Pay attention to the road, slacker. My lane is not your lane!
* Hey, thanks for letting me merge. NOT.
* GET out of the road, slowpokes.
* Go at least the speed limit!
Funny, funny thing about how I have road rage on the freeway - I didn't drive on the freeway until I was 30. Sure, just a handful of times before that. And now look at me - I am Queen of the road! ;)
Hehehehehe.
Well, now, I must carry on with my designing process. Now, going forward, I am going to assume a few things and if that aggravates the heck out of you and you don't know what something is or you want me to explain, please leave a comment and I'll reply. Otherwise, it's probably simple and you think I am crazy for sharing what I think is some little secret into the designing process.
First and foremost, you are going to need one of these:

When I first started knitting, my knitting guru said, "you need to swatch to check your gauge." And I replied, "blah, blah, blah, whatever." I thought it was a waste of time. And, honestly, sometimes it is. But if you are making clothes, it's a must!
I am going to be making my daughter a skirt. To tell the truth, I have never made a skirt. So, this is a learning process for us all ;) But, I'm using what I've learned with other projects and applying it to this one.
So...back again to the swatch.
I used my new Rowan Wool DK with size 7 needles (oh, Kristy, I invested in size 7 needles ;)) I like my yarn a little loose, with movement. The yarn calls for 6 needles, but I'll use 7. I cast on 20 and knit about 4 inches to create somewhat close to a 4x4 square.
(Here is a little trick from me to you: don't bind off. I leave my sts on the needles so I can rip it apart and reuse the yarn.)
Now, always count the stitches at least twice. First, stitch wise and then row wise.

Using my Rowan Wool DK and size 7 needles, I have 5 stitches per inch, or 20 stitches per 4 inches. When I go to make calculations, this will be useful information.
Then, I count row-wise:

I have 6 stitches per inch, or 24 rows per 4 inches.
Next, I calculate the measurements of my model. Here she is:

But I decided to just use a skirt that she liked for measurements.

Here is the breakdown of the information I gathered:
1. waist = 22 inches, un-stretched
2. length = 28 16 inches
3. high thigh = 28 inches
4. low thigh = 32 inches
5. bottom = 36 inches, un-stretched
I think I'll knit bottom to top, because I like knitting things where I have to decrease as opposed to increase. Right? Don't even call me silly! So, the question is....drum roll.....how many stitches do I need to cast on?
Well, we know we can knit 5 stitches to an inch. And we need the skirt to be at least 36 inches across. I am going to go out on a limb here and say I'd like to add an additional 2 inches to the bottom for twirl, so we need at least 38 inches. 38 times 5. See, 5 = 1 inch. So, we need to cast on 190 stitches.
(((When I say we, I mean you and me. If you want to join me...)))

Knitters block

I can't believe I am saying this, but I am having knitter's block. It's like all of a sudden, bam, I can't knit. Oh sure, I have been at the needles almost 24/7, but anything I start, I rip right back out. What is going on with me? Did I pressure myself too much with the chevron?



My husband says it's because I am getting bored with the smaller accessories and I need to challenge myself more. And maybe he's right. Actually, I know he's right. It's just that I was trying to find my niche, my brand, ya know. But that didn't work. I just need to knit to knit. And be excited about the projects I am working on. I don't want it to become mundane. Well, then, I would rather have a knitting machine, now wouldn't I?

(boring, boring fingerless mitt!)

So...I have something I am thinking about doing. It's going to take a little sketching and measuring and calculating. And I was thinking, hrm, would you like me to show you my process for designing something? Well, then, cheerio, come back tomorrow then.

Anyway, here's my reading list this week:



and

(except it's the nook edition and not the kindle edition. Thought I'd clear that up, because, well, I love my nook ;))

linking up to the yarn along.

See you tomorrow!!!

xxoo, G

Well, hello 2012 number 2.

A little while back, a fellow HANDMADEMN team member asked for volunteers for a feature they have on their blog, called Getting to Know You. I, of course, said I'd love to! And wouldn't ya know it - there it is on their blog for the very new year.

It's been 3 days into 2012 and I like it!

Here's a snip it, and then follow the link to go check it out>>>

MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2012
Getting to Know You: A Handmade Princess
by Anna from Seedling Design

This is a chance to get to know some of the members of HandmadeMN and a little bit more about what they make and do in their own words.
Today we are getting to know Gilda from A Handmade Princess who lives in Minneapolis.

Read the rest at http://etsymn.blogspot.com/2012/01/getting-to-know-you-handmade-princess.html

Well, hello 2012.

I rang in the new year by banging pots and pans. We did this as a kid, but it seems I might be the only one outside of my family who knows what it is. Well, it's noisemakers for the cool. What you do is, go in your pots and pans cabinet, get out the noisiest pot with the noisiest lid and grab a metal kitchen utensil for extra noisiness. Then, bang your happy heart out. It's so loud, it will drown out the nighbor's fireworks, and your dog's howls. You'll be the best noisemaker in town. So, keep that in mind for next year.

Wow, I can't believe it is 2012. I feel so futuristic. When I was in 8th grade, I saw a commercial by At&t showing people talking on their phones on the beach and I thought, that would never, ever happen. But it did! This IS the future! Okay, I know, that was kind of a weird anecdote, but whatevs.

Guess what! I made another single chevron mitt.



But, of course, I am on some mission to perfect this chevron mitt endeavor, so I thought perhaps it was the thumb that was driving me crazy and so I attempted what I've never done before: the after thought thumb. And I love the outcome. So much so, I made a second one AND I am keeping the pair for myself.



A friend of mine gave me a gift certificate for a yarn store and it was burning a hole in my pocket, so I hurried and went...and got ohhhh a nice, soft, 100% wool yet machine washable yarn by Rowan (Pure Wool DK).



I loved it so much, I decided to go online and buy more (I took all they had at the yarn store). And it is impossible to find. It's a yarn from 2007 I found out, but only two places I could find online carry it. One has really dark colors and the other has the vibrant colors I like AND it's only 5.60 a skein (normally 7.50 a skein) AND it's in clearance so this is probably it and then it will be discontinued (I'm guessing). So, please talk me into buying it. Please, please. (or, hey, I'll probably just talk myself into it ;))

Anyway, 2011 was not a bad year. And I'm hoping 2012 isn't either. But who doesn't have a little work to do to better themselves? So, without further ado, here are my resolutions:

1. be more thankful;
2. be more kind; a friendly act a day!
3. be more sympathetic; volunteer!
4. be more money conscious; go to shopping addicts annon.?
5. get serious about my etsy shop.
6. offer free, or cheap, unique patterns here on my blog
7. learn photoshop elements
8. write more letters
9. figure out how to do this blog thing
10.get a job that I like

And with #5 in mind, I'm already going in the right direction. I had tags made. woot.

I lurve chevron

Now that we have the Christmukkah tree put away, our house feels so much more feng shui. And now that I added a few more stars to my collection, well, life is good. Good enough to knit and knit. And so, here is where I sit and knit:

I've been working on some fingerless chevron mitts. I love chevron, don't you?

But now that I've knit just ONE mitt, I'm thinking it's a toughie for knitting.

Chevron is more of a crochet thing, no? Or am I just being a slacker? But, but, look at all of these strands of yarn:

That looks like alllottta work, right? Oh no. It's true, I'm a knitting simpleton. I like quick, but pleasurable and soft on my hands kind of knits. And I'm cool with that, yo.
So, I am abandoning this project. I only have one mitt, but the little one likes it, so I'll give it to her.

Who knows, maybe I'll go back to it tomorrow, but probably not.
xxoo, G

Edited to add: I am link up to a yarn along. Want to join? Here's the link: http://www.gsheller.com/2011/12/yarn-along-58.html

hallo.

Hallo is my new way of saying hello. It's an Irish thing. I got it from my new favorite book, Tara Road. And that book, by the way, is written by the same author who wrote Circle of Friends. Remember that movie? It was so good, I had to read the book. But it was a loong book. As was Tara Road. Back then, I wasn't into BIg books, but now I am. So, hmm, there's a tid bit about me I bet you didn't know;)

Anyhoo, how was your Christmas? In my house, we say, "Christmukkah." This year, Hanukkah was on the 21st. Usually, I wait to put up the Christmas tree until after Hanukkah, but this year there was no way, no how I was gonna wait THAT long! So, poor Hanukkah got a back seat to Christmas this year. My husband did make some Kugel and latkes though. If you ever want a good latke, you should come to my house on the first eve of Hanukkah. My husband makes a mean latke. Totes!

And this year, we did things a bit different. First of all, we had a Christmas eve party at my older brother's house. He was a bit tipsy (in Ireland, they say pissed up. I've always thought that was funny!) and fun! We had my mother on the skype. And we had a dance party in the cleared out dining room. Then, we had performances by almost everyone. I did a magic trick. (I do have one magic trick I've always kept up my sleeve for when I work with kids. I can turn one penny into TWO. Really!) My son played violin and my daughter sang. 'Twas a very good evening! Here's a little collage of the evening: (note the last picture - that's all the garbage from opening presents!)



This year, I decided to do presents differently, too. Instead of buying the kids a BUNCH of presents that just end up at goodwill after a month, we bought the kiddos one big (expensive) present each and one small gift from Santa (and stocking stuffers). I spent about what I normally would, but the reactions were the pleasantest of all the years so far.



For my birthday (which was this month) I got photoshop from my husband. I have no clue how to use it. I've been using Picnik.com (love, love, love picnik!) so switching to photoshop has been really confusing for me. It took me about 8 hours to figure out how to add actions (presets). So, after I figured that out, I started practicing with my knitting photos. And then I finally listed a few items in my etsy store. whew. I have sooo much to learn. So, if you have any tips, let me know!



In the mean time, I have two random funnies:

1. My daughter calls chess CHEST. And that makes me giggle!
2. Here's a cute knitting cartoon that I passed around on facebook. I hope you like it as much as I do: