Did you know this awesome online map and reviews of LYS's existed? Check it out and add your lys. http://www.knitmap.com/
Do you twitter or are you on facebook? LMK in the comments and I'll add you. Just an fyi I hate facebook but I get tons of hits from there. Awesome way to expand your reader base.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Yarn and needles review
Just a little review from me about Lorna's Laces sock yarn, some bamboo/wool dh bought me a year ago, knitpicks vs hiyahiya needles.
Lorna's Laces. LOVE it! Made from wool and nylon the yarn is soft and slides easily but not too easily through my fingers. No splitting or rough feel to it. Very gentle on my eczema fingers. No irritation. I must buy more!
Dh bought me way too expensive yarn last year from a LYS. It's 75% bamboo, 25% wool. I can't recall now if it's superwash. Oops. Oh well. I'm loving the colors but I hate knitting it. It is super thin (I know, it IS sock yarn) and is rough on my sore fingers. I'm knitting 4 rows then switch to my yarn over cable socks.
I found out the hard way that my size 1 hiya hiya's are smaller than my size 1 knitpicks. I cast on my first sock for yarn over cable socks, got the toe and one pattern set done. Decided to use the hiya hiya to start the second sock and then slipped it over to the knitpicks. The toe is obviously smaller. Oops. At least they are for me. Also, the hiya hiya's feel lightweight flimsy. The knitpicks are lightweight but sturdy. I am doing another pair of socks on the hiyahiya's 2 @ a time, magic loop and I'm not liking it. The cable doesn't seem flexible enough.
So, my picks are Lorna's Laces and knitpicks needles. Which, as luck would have it are the two I'm using on my yarn over cable socks.
I have some
Lorna's Laces. LOVE it! Made from wool and nylon the yarn is soft and slides easily but not too easily through my fingers. No splitting or rough feel to it. Very gentle on my eczema fingers. No irritation. I must buy more!
Dh bought me way too expensive yarn last year from a LYS. It's 75% bamboo, 25% wool. I can't recall now if it's superwash. Oops. Oh well. I'm loving the colors but I hate knitting it. It is super thin (I know, it IS sock yarn) and is rough on my sore fingers. I'm knitting 4 rows then switch to my yarn over cable socks.
I found out the hard way that my size 1 hiya hiya's are smaller than my size 1 knitpicks. I cast on my first sock for yarn over cable socks, got the toe and one pattern set done. Decided to use the hiya hiya to start the second sock and then slipped it over to the knitpicks. The toe is obviously smaller. Oops. At least they are for me. Also, the hiya hiya's feel lightweight flimsy. The knitpicks are lightweight but sturdy. I am doing another pair of socks on the hiyahiya's 2 @ a time, magic loop and I'm not liking it. The cable doesn't seem flexible enough.
So, my picks are Lorna's Laces and knitpicks needles. Which, as luck would have it are the two I'm using on my yarn over cable socks.
I have some
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Latest project pictures
Livie's yoga socks made from Berroco Sox "Lancaster". I hate the colorway and the feel. She's thrilled to have them. Everybody's happy!
Levi's one lonely "yoda" sock. Made out of some cheap acrylic. I have tons of cheap acrylic.
100purewool in "babies". I made my yoga socks out of this and love it. Of course, no picture of FO.
And beautiful Lorna's Laces, "child's play". I'm making my yarn over cable socks in this. I'm about halfway up both feet. I'm flying right along amazingly enough!
Friday, January 9, 2009
projects current and in the future
I stayed up way too late getting my pretty pair of socks started. Oh yeah I lied about my next project, didn't I? I still plan on doing the entrelac shawl but I need to figure out what yarn to use. I also have some birthdays in the next few months I need to knit for.
For Levi's 5th birthday (swoon five years) I am making him a spider man blanket. I finally just ordered cheap, washable acrylic through Joann.com. It has arrived. He knows it's spiderman yarn and for him. Hopefully I can keep the actual project a secret. Hopefully I'll get it done before April 16th!
I made me another pair of yoga socks. I didn't like the colorway or fit of the first pair so I gave them to my oldest. Then I knit 1/2 of a pair of yoga socks for Levi. He wants everything I make. So he's been running around in one blue yoga sock for a couple of days now. I cast on my second pair immediately following my yoga class on Tuesday. I knit like the wind to get them done for Thursday's class. I cast off as the babysitter arrived at 3:15. I leave at 3:30. I wore them and they were a hit. I made them in100purewool (of course) worsted in the colorway "babies". I'm running low on PW so my options were limited.
Also, a couple of nights ago, dh held Lucy and rocked her to sleep so I could cast on for Yarn Over Cable Socks from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I am using Lorna's Laces in "child's play". It's pastel-y and rainbow-y. Now, normally I hate pastel's. I won't wear them. But socks? They are different matter!
The book gives two options for toes. Oh yes, these are toe up and I will be doing them two at a time for better match when they are done. I cannot knit two items separately and get the same tension. So I have to knit both at the same time. So, I chose the short row toe. I hate wrapped short rows. You'd think I'd remember this. But no. I punish myself. It takes alot of focus and concentration, which on a good night, I don't have. So it took me 3 nights to do the first sock's toe. Last night I managed to finish the toe and do one pattern set on the first sock. Then I tried to go to bed. I tossed and turned. That second sock was calling to me "Cast me on!" So, I tiptoed back out to the living room and to the sound of nothing I cast on and did a couple of rows of the toe. Pure bliss. Oh yes, it also uses the provisional cast on which is pretty cool. Fortunately for my sleep deprived brain the baby started crying so I was forced back to bed where I finally slept (here and there, anyway) til 5:30.
For Levi's 5th birthday (swoon five years) I am making him a spider man blanket. I finally just ordered cheap, washable acrylic through Joann.com. It has arrived. He knows it's spiderman yarn and for him. Hopefully I can keep the actual project a secret. Hopefully I'll get it done before April 16th!
I made me another pair of yoga socks. I didn't like the colorway or fit of the first pair so I gave them to my oldest. Then I knit 1/2 of a pair of yoga socks for Levi. He wants everything I make. So he's been running around in one blue yoga sock for a couple of days now. I cast on my second pair immediately following my yoga class on Tuesday. I knit like the wind to get them done for Thursday's class. I cast off as the babysitter arrived at 3:15. I leave at 3:30. I wore them and they were a hit. I made them in100purewool (of course) worsted in the colorway "babies". I'm running low on PW so my options were limited.
Also, a couple of nights ago, dh held Lucy and rocked her to sleep so I could cast on for Yarn Over Cable Socks from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I am using Lorna's Laces in "child's play". It's pastel-y and rainbow-y. Now, normally I hate pastel's. I won't wear them. But socks? They are different matter!
The book gives two options for toes. Oh yes, these are toe up and I will be doing them two at a time for better match when they are done. I cannot knit two items separately and get the same tension. So I have to knit both at the same time. So, I chose the short row toe. I hate wrapped short rows. You'd think I'd remember this. But no. I punish myself. It takes alot of focus and concentration, which on a good night, I don't have. So it took me 3 nights to do the first sock's toe. Last night I managed to finish the toe and do one pattern set on the first sock. Then I tried to go to bed. I tossed and turned. That second sock was calling to me "Cast me on!" So, I tiptoed back out to the living room and to the sound of nothing I cast on and did a couple of rows of the toe. Pure bliss. Oh yes, it also uses the provisional cast on which is pretty cool. Fortunately for my sleep deprived brain the baby started crying so I was forced back to bed where I finally slept (here and there, anyway) til 5:30.
Life has gotten in the way...
I think it's the oldest, most often voiced (blogged?) complaint of knitters. Life gets in the way of knitting time!
School has started back up and you would think that having 4.5 hours of just me and the baby at home would give me plenty of knitting time. Alas, it does not. Our morning starts about 6:15. The baby usually wakes up just a few minutes after I sneak out of bed so I only get a few minutes to pee and wake up in semi solitude. My husband heads out the door a few minutes after I awake. Then I wake the oldest up at 6:30 and from there until 7:45 it's a mad house.
This morning, amazingly enough, went pretty smoothly despite having to do spelling words for today's test. I hope she does well. She had no school Monday so we missed that day for practice and she didn't bring her words home on Tuesday so we only 2.5 days to practice. She struggled all through the first quarter and flunked almost everything. Finally, the teacher told me at the end of the quarter that she was doing very poorly and would flunk her. Um no. Not an option. So we worked our arses off every night after school adding a new subject every week until we were doing everything. Reading, math and spelling words. The week we started doing spelling words she got a 100. The next week only missed one. And she hasn't had a spelling test since beginning of Dec. There wasn't a test the last week before break. So I'm hoping today's test goes fairly well for her. I've really noticed an improvement in her over all daily mood plus she is kinder to her siblings because her self esteem has gone up.
So anyway, back to knitting. Life is getting in the way of knitting. My 4.5 hours of just me and babe is NOT enough time for knitting. For one before my son even gets on the bus between 9:15 and 9:30 she's cranky and wanting a nap. Until he leaves I pretty much have to devote every minute to him. Like right now, the baby is in her high chair eating her scrambled eggs. He's hanging on me begging for food (um, the cereal you requested is still on the table) and a drink. And he's not the type to let you ignore him even for a second. He hangs and whines and cries and takes things very personally. So, when he asks for something it's generally in everyone's best interest to just get up and do it. If you wait too long it tends to lead very quickly to a melt down that can last 20 minutes or longer. Then he is in a bad mood and so am I and I hate sending a kid to school in a bad mood thinking mommy's mad.
Ok Lucy's done with her eggs. Giving Levi a second breakfast.
Now where was I? Ok so at 9:30 it's me and the baby. Baby is cranky and ready for a nap. I have two options. The first is sitting in the chair, nurse her to sleep and knit over the top of her. Nice BUT...my second and most often chosen option is go lay down in bed with her and nurse her to sleep. And I usually fall asleep. If we sleep too long, say until noon (a guilty pleasure, I assure you), then I get lunch done and straighten up the kitchen, probably do a load of laundry and sit down to Days at 1. Levi gets back home shortly after 2. So, then it's back to catering to him, keeping the peace between him and the baby and by 3 if she didn't fall asleep on my lap during Days then she needs another nap. Same two options only I can't fall asleep with her and if she falls asleep on my lap not much chance she'll nap too long with Levi banging and stomping around the house. He's very sensory seeking so he stomps when he walks and he's constantly touching everyone.
It's exhausting to force yourself to be in a good mood when you're running on just a few hours of very interrupted sleep. He's like a sponge or a mirror. However I act, he soaks it up and returns it. If I'm impatient and short with him, he becomes very obstinate and even more uncooperative than usual. But if I sing silly songs, smile and hug him instead of rush through getting dressed and ready for school, he will pretty much stay cooperative and happy.
Boy, I do tend to ramble. You can tell I've not had much blogging time.
So, anyway long story short, life has gotten in the way of my precious knitting.
School has started back up and you would think that having 4.5 hours of just me and the baby at home would give me plenty of knitting time. Alas, it does not. Our morning starts about 6:15. The baby usually wakes up just a few minutes after I sneak out of bed so I only get a few minutes to pee and wake up in semi solitude. My husband heads out the door a few minutes after I awake. Then I wake the oldest up at 6:30 and from there until 7:45 it's a mad house.
This morning, amazingly enough, went pretty smoothly despite having to do spelling words for today's test. I hope she does well. She had no school Monday so we missed that day for practice and she didn't bring her words home on Tuesday so we only 2.5 days to practice. She struggled all through the first quarter and flunked almost everything. Finally, the teacher told me at the end of the quarter that she was doing very poorly and would flunk her. Um no. Not an option. So we worked our arses off every night after school adding a new subject every week until we were doing everything. Reading, math and spelling words. The week we started doing spelling words she got a 100. The next week only missed one. And she hasn't had a spelling test since beginning of Dec. There wasn't a test the last week before break. So I'm hoping today's test goes fairly well for her. I've really noticed an improvement in her over all daily mood plus she is kinder to her siblings because her self esteem has gone up.
So anyway, back to knitting. Life is getting in the way of knitting. My 4.5 hours of just me and babe is NOT enough time for knitting. For one before my son even gets on the bus between 9:15 and 9:30 she's cranky and wanting a nap. Until he leaves I pretty much have to devote every minute to him. Like right now, the baby is in her high chair eating her scrambled eggs. He's hanging on me begging for food (um, the cereal you requested is still on the table) and a drink. And he's not the type to let you ignore him even for a second. He hangs and whines and cries and takes things very personally. So, when he asks for something it's generally in everyone's best interest to just get up and do it. If you wait too long it tends to lead very quickly to a melt down that can last 20 minutes or longer. Then he is in a bad mood and so am I and I hate sending a kid to school in a bad mood thinking mommy's mad.
Ok Lucy's done with her eggs. Giving Levi a second breakfast.
Now where was I? Ok so at 9:30 it's me and the baby. Baby is cranky and ready for a nap. I have two options. The first is sitting in the chair, nurse her to sleep and knit over the top of her. Nice BUT...my second and most often chosen option is go lay down in bed with her and nurse her to sleep. And I usually fall asleep. If we sleep too long, say until noon (a guilty pleasure, I assure you), then I get lunch done and straighten up the kitchen, probably do a load of laundry and sit down to Days at 1. Levi gets back home shortly after 2. So, then it's back to catering to him, keeping the peace between him and the baby and by 3 if she didn't fall asleep on my lap during Days then she needs another nap. Same two options only I can't fall asleep with her and if she falls asleep on my lap not much chance she'll nap too long with Levi banging and stomping around the house. He's very sensory seeking so he stomps when he walks and he's constantly touching everyone.
It's exhausting to force yourself to be in a good mood when you're running on just a few hours of very interrupted sleep. He's like a sponge or a mirror. However I act, he soaks it up and returns it. If I'm impatient and short with him, he becomes very obstinate and even more uncooperative than usual. But if I sing silly songs, smile and hug him instead of rush through getting dressed and ready for school, he will pretty much stay cooperative and happy.
Boy, I do tend to ramble. You can tell I've not had much blogging time.
So, anyway long story short, life has gotten in the way of my precious knitting.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Where to file complaints
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/264507 says "no later than January 30 2009 to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Office of the Secretary, email
Sec102ComponentPawrtsTesting@cpsc.gov . They can be faxed to (USA) 301 504-0127
Snailmail:
The Office of the Secretary,
Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Room 502, 4330 East-West Highway,
Bethesda, Maryland 20814 US.
Comments should be captioned: Section 102 Mandatory Third-Party Testing of Component Parts'"
edited to add I tried emailing and got a return error email. Have no idea why.
Sec102ComponentPawrtsTesting@cpsc.gov . They can be faxed to (USA) 301 504-0127
Snailmail:
The Office of the Secretary,
Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Room 502, 4330 East-West Highway,
Bethesda, Maryland 20814 US.
Comments should be captioned: Section 102 Mandatory Third-Party Testing of Component Parts'"
edited to add I tried emailing and got a return error email. Have no idea why.
Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA
If you think this doesn't affect you then think again. Go to this website and read the comments. That will begin to give you an idea of just how many people will be affected by this poorly written law. I'm all for regulating China from killing our kids. I've been ranting to my family for years to quit buying my kids crap from China (most don't listen). Now the lawmakers are going to the opposite extreme.
http://sites.google.com/site/handmadetoyalliance/
Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA
A Proposal From the handmadetoyalliance.org:
In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small parts, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.
The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.
All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational toy manufacturers to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each toy have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and updating their molds to include batch labels.
For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers, however, the costs of mandatory testing, to the tune of up to $4,000 per toy, will likely drive them out of business. And the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007. Toy makers won't be the only ones impacted by the CPSIA, the thousands of US businesses who offer clothing, jewelry and other gifts for children --in essence-- the entire children's industry will be as well.
The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade children's products will no longer be legal in the US.
Thriving small businesses are crucial to the financial health of our nation. Let's amend the CPSIA so that all businesses large and small are able to comply and survive!
- Cecilia Leibovitz (Founder, CraftsburyKids.com) Dec 12 @ 07:04PM PST
http://sites.google.com/site/handmadetoyalliance/
Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA
A Proposal From the handmadetoyalliance.org:
In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small parts, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.
The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.
All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational toy manufacturers to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each toy have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and updating their molds to include batch labels.
For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers, however, the costs of mandatory testing, to the tune of up to $4,000 per toy, will likely drive them out of business. And the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007. Toy makers won't be the only ones impacted by the CPSIA, the thousands of US businesses who offer clothing, jewelry and other gifts for children --in essence-- the entire children's industry will be as well.
The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade children's products will no longer be legal in the US.
Thriving small businesses are crucial to the financial health of our nation. Let's amend the CPSIA so that all businesses large and small are able to comply and survive!
- Cecilia Leibovitz (Founder, CraftsburyKids.com) Dec 12 @ 07:04PM PST
New lead testing law sucks!
http://thedomesticdiva.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/cpsia-what-childrens-clothing-designers-and-manufacturers-need-to-know/
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/blog/
Seriously. A new law that says all children's items has to be tested for lead. Sounds great right? What about those moms that make cloth diapers to supplement their income? What about your yard sale next spring? What about those adorable boutique OOAK (one of a kind) ebay clothes you buy? All affected. Toys at the store? Will skyrocket! Please check out the link and pass it on.
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/blog/
Seriously. A new law that says all children's items has to be tested for lead. Sounds great right? What about those moms that make cloth diapers to supplement their income? What about your yard sale next spring? What about those adorable boutique OOAK (one of a kind) ebay clothes you buy? All affected. Toys at the store? Will skyrocket! Please check out the link and pass it on.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Yoga socks, rib-a-roni and kitty hats
I finished up Becca's kitty hat. It's cute. My MIL, Dee, saw it and has put in a request for one for next year. It seems like it's big but it fits me and Dee. Oh and my hubby. He was an unhappy model. Pics uploading now. I finished up the poms poms on the hat and immediately cast on for my yoga socks. Fast and easy. The only thing that didn't work for me was the two rows knit flat between the ankle and foot of the sock. Just two rows has you knitting in reverse so I did 3 rows then did the knit cast on for the new stitches. Piece of cake. I am using berroco sox yarn in the Lancaster colorway.
Oh I also finished up Levi's replacement hat. It's done in 100purewool, Reign. I think it gives me seizures when I look at it. It fits under his helmet though and I made it a little longer than the mesto hat so it'll fit next winter too. If I can stand to look at it for another winter.
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