New look Knitaholic

Fingers crossed that this 'new look' is more readable than the old version. Firstly, thanks to Ozknitter who tried to help me by sending me instructions on how to change my old template's background to white. Unfortunately as Blogger is a very fickle beast (we are talking about a system that capriciously decides to not upload photos for days on end, or not upload new posts on the blog for a few days, even when it tells the author "blog successfully republished"), it decided to interpret a few simple changes to the code as "let's turn half the blog white and half the blog pink and put strange pink and white blotches all over the place" (which I gather is how the blog had been appearing to some people before I started tweaking). I'm not going to slag off Blogger as it is a free system and I've seen almost as bad stuff come off expensive commercial programs, but I was VERY frustrated.

Anyway, I managed to finally upload a brand new white-background-based template which would accept most of my personalised links. I decided to simplify things by taking off most of the fancy buttons which used to be in my side-bar as they took up way too much space. So this is a very minimalist look blog for the moment. I'm not used to it myself yet but I would prefer it first and foremost to be a readable blog. If it's as fickle as the pink one, let me know and I'll reinstate the old template.

Multiple projects on the needles

Firstly, apologies to Karen and anyone else who is having trouble reading this blog. I know nothing about html and am one of these people who is blogging on the fly with pre-defined templates and cutting and pasting and bandaids and prayers and swear words holding it all together. Barely and badly. I gather this template isn't very readable on some systems. I tried today to select a more simple white-background template. But for some reason every time I tried to make the simplest change (such as replacing the 'edit me' link with a real link) the font changed size and the sidebar ended up on the bottom of my blog. And I started growling and pulling my hair in frustration. Which is not very good for me or my hair. So template editing is on hold, at least until the weekend.

My first Trekking sock is going well - 17 cm down the leg - I'll knit to about 20 or 21cm before starting the heels. Due to the delicate nature of the needles, the over-crowding of Melbourne's public transport, my general klutziness and the thugs in private school uniforms (isn't it nice that some of these schools are now accepting thugs from all ethnic backgrounds, not just WASPs, as long as they have the money and a bad attitude? - but I digress), I am leaving this project at home.

I'm a little bit freaked-out because a few days ago I posted a question about avoiding little holes when making short-row heels on the Wiseneedle website and the owner of that site decided to answer the question, complete with pictures, on her own blog, String-or-nothing. OK, I'm sure I'm not the only person in the world with this question but it's scary the impact one can have. Even the formidable Carol of Go Knit in Your Hat has started adding in metric disclaimers in her posts after a few of us Australians made comments about American cultural imperialism in the knitting world.

The girls at Stitch 'n' Bitch last night saw me struggling with about four attempts of starting a Prime Rib Tea cozy - I am pleased to announce that I have finally got it going. I ended up only casting on 50 stitches as it is for a small teapot. It is being made for my boss who in a previous life owned a second-hand bookstore. He's going to locate the old knitting books from the store in return for a tea cosy. If I'm lucky the books will include one of the rare collectables famed in the knitting world. More likely it will be a collection of Patons patterns from the 1980s.

I'm actually very impressed with this pattern. This girl (woman?), Megan Mills, from New Zealand worked out a way of doing Prime Rib in the round. The great EZ would have hated it (as it involves lots of purl stitches) but my dislike of sewing up far exceeds my dislike of doing purl. And it is quite easy once you get going. Hint to anyone else making the tea cosy - it is much easier if you cast the stitches onto a very fat needle (I used a 9mm) and then slip them onto the 4mm needles. No need to learn a fancy Old Norwegian cast-on or other such nonsense.

I also talked to the girls at Stitch 'n' Bitch re: the bands on Gabi's cardigan and learnt they are meant to be as short as they are - I need to s-t-r-e-t-c-h them massively as I sew them on as otherwise they will droop and get baggy. So I will definitely get off my backside and do that this weekend as Miss Gabi is nearly 2, winter has set in and that cardigan needs to be finished.

Living dangerously

I bought myself some bamboo DPNs the other day and they are just heaven to use. The texture is perfect - neither so slippery that the yarn slides off at any opportunity, nor so sticky that knitting is painful.

The only problem is that I live in terror of accidentally snapping and breaking the delicate needles. Especially the 2mm ones which are almost as fine as toothpicks - albeit very long toothpicks.

I'm using the needles to knit up my first pair of 4-ply socks using the gorgeous Trekking yarn. This yarn has to be seen to be believed. It is actually four strands of finely twisted yarn and each strand gradually changes colour, creating an amazing kaleidoscope effect.

I used 3.75mm needles to cast on 64 stitches (as I have failed to learn any of the fancy techniques for doing a loose cast-on), slipped them onto 2.5mm DPNs, knitted 3cm of k2p2 rib, changed to plain stocking stitch and after the sock was 9cm in length changed to the 2mm DPNs. I was quite surprised by the difference 1/2 millimetre makes.

After my abject failure to calculate gauge last socks I decided to live dangerously and just follow the pattern, only substituting needles one size smaller at each point as I seem to be a slightly loose knitter - especially when the needles are so delicate. The ribbing was driving me nuts so I decided to make these a plainer pair of socks - hopefully this will not prove to be a mistake.

This is definitely a home project - there were a few near misses when I was merely a passenger in the car yesterday. I shudder to think what the private school thugs on the train could do to my needles with one careless shove. I'm not comfortable living that dangerously.

Sharing the warmth of wool

It was so cold yesterday that I wore one of my hats all day, even inside the house. It got me thinking about people who aren't as lucky as me and don't have a hat. Or even, in some cases, a house.

A quick whip around the house found no less than 8 hats which were not being used by either my husband or myself, nor had they been listed in my Etsy store. There are at least two worthy projects in Melbourne dedicated to collecting handknitted items for people in need - Knitters for Melbourne's Needy and the KOGO (Knit One Give One) project. Interestingly they were both started by Jewish women who I have me - pensioner Rifka Knox founded Knitters for Melbourne's Needy, while the KOGO project is an offshoot of the Ardoch Youth Foundation which was started by teacher Kathy Hilton when she discovered that one of her students was living in a Brotherhood Bin but still trying to come to school and get an education.

According to the website, Knitters for Melbourne's Needy is not currently accepting any more knitters (I suspect the project has grown beyond the capacity of being able to coordinate so many knitters) but is always in need of more wool. KOGO, however, is only in its second year and as such is keen to get more knitters involved.

Opal socks finished!

Things I am happy with: I finished these relatively quickly (2 weeks); I got the needle size right (3mm), the stripes pretty much match up.

Things that need improvement: I made them too large - 64 stitches is definitely at least 4 too many, I still somehow get a row of holes where the short rows are matched up with the rest of the sock, the three needle bind-off on top of the sock is quite bulky.

The socks are quite warm so I will save them for wearing around the house.

Supplies from the Nethelands

Like I really need any more yarn...

It's called Trekking XXL and is even nicer in real life. I haven't started knitting yet but it feels better-made than the Opal. It's a German brand.

I'm finishing a matching sock to my oversized Opal sock.

Random non-knitting thoughts now on another blog

I'm trying to keep this blog knitting-focussed.  For my ramblings about fashion, plastic people and whatever else pops into my head, go to: http://www.marg101.blogspot.com

The Mr Happy jumper

I made Mr Happy for my friend's child probably about a year ago and he has just now grown into it, in time for the cold spell. He is such a happy smiling child that I put his name on the front and Mr Happy on the back. He proved to be a rather wriggly model, though...

I really have problems with gauge

I really have problems with gauge and sizing. This sock is a bit big and loose. But at least it is still warm.

Are you a Knitting Geek? (Version 1.1)

Well that didn’t take long. I knew I’d left out some items. To make it easier for those who did the beta version (1.0), all the new sub-categories are at the top so you can stop when it all seems a little too familiar.

This is an unofficial expansion pack of the original Geek Test, inspired by the final question “I can think of other things that should get me points on this test”.

Simply select the most relevant answer from each sub-heading – if none apply, you score 0 for that section. I haven’t adjusted the numbers required to reach Certified Geek Knitter status as it looks like I may have set the bar a bit high the first time around; you now have an extra 6 categories to score points on.

I hope to continue to build upon this quiz – constructive comments and suggestions welcome.

______________________________________________

Knitting for charity
I’ve donated hand-knitted items that didn’t quite work out exactly as I intended to charity (1pt)
I’ve donated one or more quality knitted items to charity (2pt)
I am a regular knitter for charity (3pts)

Sock knitting
I enjoy knitting socks (1pt)
I make at least one pair every two months (2 pts)
I now only wear hand-knitted socks (3pts)

Gift giving (part 1)
I’ve given hand-knitted items as gifts (1pt)
And they aren’t always scarfs (2pts)
I spend more on yarn to knit a gift than I would otherwise spend on the gift (3pts)

Gift giving (part 2)
I enjoy making knitted items as gifts (1pt)
My friends and family know to expect a hand-knitted item as a gift (2pts)
I start planning for Christmas in June (3pts)

Cat companionship
I live with one or more cats (1pt)
I no longer live with a cat due to the unfortunate incident in the yarn stash (2pts)
I have made a kitty pi bed for my cat (3pts)

Knit-a-longs
I’ve participated in a knit-a-long (1pt)
And finished the item (2pts)
I’ve hosted a knit-a-long (3pts)

Blogging
I blog regularly about my knitting (1pt)
On more than one site (2pts)
I have established and administered a specialised knitting blog site with multiple members (3pts)

Terminology
I know what at least 3 of the following terms mean in relation to knitting or blogging about knitting: frogging, KAL, LYS, WIP, SP, DH, KIP, SABLE (1pt)
I know what all those terms mean (2pts)
I regularly use those terms in conversation – and haven’t you left out a few? (3pts)

Fun fur
I know fun fur is Muppet murder (1pt)
I deliberately forget that I may have used it is the past (2pts)
I correct people when they describe eyelash or other novelty yarn as fun fur – correct terminology is important (3pts)

International Linguistics
I recognise that yarns and needle sizes are called by different names in different countries (1pt)
I have a conversion chart to guide my way in the knitting world (2pts)
I am an American who understands the metric system (3pts)

Stash building (part 1)
I have yarn for more than one future project in storage (1pt)
I have a dedicated bookcase/cupboard/room for my yarn (2pts)
I have reached SABLE (Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy) point (3pts)

Stash building (part 2)
I recognise that non-knitters may consider I have an excessive amount of yarn (1pt)
I have tried to go on a yarn diet (2pts)
I fell off the wagon (3pts)

Local Yarn Store
I have a favourite local yarn store (1pt)
Where I am signed up to the loyalty program (2pts)
Several different local yarn stores regard me as their best customer (3pts)

Buying online
I have bought yarn online (includes eBay) (1pt)
From another country (2pts)
I have a list of favourite suppliers of yarn located around the globe (3pts)

The Knitting Olympics (part 1)
I took part in the inaugural Knitting Olympics (1pt)
And joined a team (2pts)
And made a specialised button for the team (3pts)

The Knitting Olympics (part 2)
I put a Knitting Olympics medal on my blog site (1pt)
On the permanent sidebar (2 pts)
Even though it is not gold (3pts)

Stitch ‘n’ Bitch (part 1)
I am a member of the local Stitch ‘n’ Bitch (1pt)
I am a member of more than one Stich ‘n’ Bitch group (2pts)
I organise/administer a Stich ‘n’ Bitch group (3 pts)

Stitch ‘n’ Bitch (part 2)
I understand the significance of ‘Free to Stich, Free to Bitch’ (1pt)
I have put a ‘Free to Stich, Free to Bitch’ button on my blog AND/OR purchased ‘Free to Stich, Free to Bitch’ paraphernalia (2pts)
Even though I am not in the United States (3pts)

Knitting in public
I knit in public (1pt)
I knit on public transport (2pts)
Even if I don’t have a seat (3pts)

Yarn snobbery (part 1)
I prefer to knit with natural fibre yarn (1pt)
I prefer to knit with Jo Sharp/Debbie Bliss/Noro/Rowan brand yarn (2pts)
I prefer to knit with my own handspun yarn (3pts)

Yarn snobbery (part 2)
I can’t believe I ever knitted with acrylic/craft yarn (1pt)
I feel sorry for or despise people who knit with acrylic/craft yarn (2pts)
I think acrylic/craft yarn should be banned (3pts)

Needle snobbery
My favourite needles are made out of bamboo (1pt)
I have disposed of the cheap plastic needles that may have once been in my collection (2pts)
I only knit with Addi needles (3pts)

Gender (Bonus section)
(Don’t whinge; the girls get bonus points in the original Geek quiz)
I am male (1 pts)
And heterosexual (2pts)
And my male friends know I knit (3pts)


Score
40+ Certified Knitting Geek. I’m sure you have lots of ideas for additional questions for this quiz. Please leave them in the comments section.
30-39 Aspiring Knitting Geek. You’ll get there soon.
20-29 Knitting Geek in training. Keep reading the knitting blogs.
19 or less Are you actually a knitter?

All content is copyright Margaret Bozik 2006 and may not be reproduced without permission.

We have heel turn

It took me only two goes this time around to do the heel turn properly. I think I'm going to enjoy wearing these socks but I'm not enjoying knitting with this yarn as much as the 100 percent wool. The Opal yarn splits a little when unknitted and re-knitted. It is 75 percent wool and 25 percent nylon which is meant to be more durable than pure wool but we'll see.

My attitude to yarn is very 'grandma'-ish. The more I knit, the more I like pure wool.

Are you a Knitting Geek? (Version 1.0)

The unofficial expansion pack of the original Geek Test, inspired by the final question “I can think of other things that should get me points on this test”.

The world of knitting and blogging about knitting is a wondrous experience for those involved but barely comprehensible to those outside the fold.

Unfortunately as I am a geek with no programming ability, you’ll have to add-up your own points as you go. Simply select the most relevant answer from each sub-heading – if none apply, you score 0 for that section.

I hope to build upon this quiz in the future – constructive comments and suggestions welcome.

If you enjoy this quiz, please refer others to it via an email link.

I like to see the numbers go up on the site-visit counter.
_______________________________________

Blogging
I blog regularly about my knitting (1pt)
On more than one site (2pts)
I have established and administered a specialised knitting blog site with multiple members (3pts)

Terminology
I know what at least 3 of the following terms mean in relation to knitting or blogging about knitting: frogging, KAL, LYS, WIP, SP, DH, KIP, SABLE (1pt)
I know what all those terms mean (2pts)
I regularly use those terms in conversation – and haven’t you left out a few? (3pts)

Fun fur
I know fun fur is Muppet murder (1pt)
I deliberately forget that I may have used it is the past (2pts)
I correct people when they describe eyelash or other novelty yarn as fun fur – accurate terminology is important (3pts)

International Linguistics
I recognise that yarns and needle sizes are called by different names in different countries (1pt)
I have a conversion chart to guide my way in the knitting world (2pts)
I am an American who understands the metric system (3pts)

Stash building (part 1)
I have yarn for more than one future project in storage (1pt)
I have a dedicated bookcase/cupboard/room for my yarn (2pts)
I have reached SABLE (Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy) point (3pts)

Stash building (part 2)
I recognise that non-knitters may consider I have an excessive amount of yarn (1pt)
I have tried to go on a yarn diet (2pt)
I fell off the wagon (3pts)

Local Yarn Store
I have a favourite local yarn store (1pt)
Where I am signed up to the loyalty program (2pts)
Several different local yarn stores regard me as their best customer (3pts)

Buying online
I have bought yarn online (includes eBay) (1pt)
From another country (2pts)
I have a list of favourite suppliers of yarn located around the globe (3pts)

The Knitting Olympics (part 1)
I took part in the inaugural Knitting Olympics (1pt)
And joined a team (2pts)
And made a specialised button for the team (3pts)

The Knitting Olympics (part 2)
I put a Knitting Olympics medal on my blog site (1pt)
On the permanent sidebar (2 pts)
Even though it is not gold (3pts)

Stitch ‘n’ Bitch (part 1)
I am a member of the local Stitch ‘n’ Bitch (1pt)
I am a member of more than one Stich ‘n’ Bitch group (2pts)
I organise/administer a Stich ‘n’ Bitch group (3 pts)

Stitch ‘n’ Bitch (part 2)
I understand the significance of ‘Free to Stich, Free to Bitch’ (1pt)
I have put a ‘Free to Stich, Free to Bitch’ button on my blog AND/OR purchased ‘Free to Stich, Free to Bitch’ paraphernalia (2pts)
Even though I am not in the United States (3pts)

Knitting in public
I knit in public (1pt)
I knit on public transport (2pts)
Even if I don’t have a seat (3pts)

Yarn snobbery (part 1)
I prefer to knit with natural fibre yarn (1pt)
I prefer to knit with Jo Sharp/Debbie Bliss/Noro/Rowan brand yarn (2pts)
I prefer to knit with my own handspun yarn (3pts)

Yarn snobbery (part 2)
I can’t believe I ever knitted with acrylic/craft yarn (1pt)
I feel sorry for or despise people who knit with acrylic/craft yarn (2pts)
I think acrylic/craft yarn should be banned (3pts)

Needle snobbery
My favourite needles are made out of bamboo (1pt)
I have disposed of the cheap plastic needles that may have once been in my collection (2pts)
I only knit with Addi needles (3pts)

Gender (Bonus section)
(Don’t whinge; the girls get bonus points in the original Geek quiz)
I am male (1 pts)
And heterosexual (2pts)
And my male friends know I knit (3pts)

Now tally up your score...

Scoring
40+ Certified Knitting Geek. I’m sure you have lots of ideas for additional questions for this quiz. Please leave them in the comments section.
30-39 Aspiring Knitting Geek. You’ll get there soon.
20-29 Knitting Geek in training. Keep reading the knitting blogs.
19 or less Are you actually a knitter?

All content is copyright Margaret Bozik 2006 and may not be reproduced without permission.

I've turned a corner (not just a heel) in my knitting

For the past couple of weeks as Melbourne's temperature plunged I have had my hand-knitted purple socks on almost permanent rotation.  I wear them, wash them and curse how long they take to dry before starting the cycle again.

 

I have dozens of pairs of machine-made socks including a few expensive pure wool pairs in far more useful colours (such as black) but it suddenly struck me that my thick hand-knitted purple socks were truly my favourite.  I wasn't wearing them to show off my knitting skills or for any other reason apart from the fact they were warm and well-made and I liked them.

 

So maybe, just maybe, I should knit another pair.  For the one person who I knew would truly appreciate them.  For me.

 

So I pulled out the Opal 6-ply; checked my foot circumference and gauge against the sock pattern sizing chart where it fitted exactly between two official sizes, reminded myself that I had a brain and cast-on a number of stitches between the two sizes (64), figured the ribbing that can both expand and contract would take care of any inconsistencies, and started the first ever item which I was making for a very specific purpose for myself.

 

Don't get me wrong.  I love all the hats and scarfs I have made and wear them often but I never felt compelled to make them in quite the same way.  Usually I have wanted to try out a pattern or yarn and more often than not the end result is something I am happy and proud to wear and say I made.  But this time it is different.  I want another pair of socks made by me for me that fit exactly.

 

Speaking of the 6-ply Opal sock yarn...

I had a call from Rachel last night.  She got the DLB Hat and is so sleep-deprived with a new baby and toddler under the age of two she actually thought I had made the hat with genuine fancy fair-isle knitting for her bub.  So I explained the concept of self-patterning sock yarn and promised to show her a strand when she is next in Melbourne.  She reminded me that she had a complete collection showing the development of my knitting from plain cotton baby jumper onwards.

 

I have to finish Gabi's cardigan.  I've done the supposed hard bit.  I will beat those silly cardigan bands.

 

Worst case scenario I'll bring it to the next Stitch 'n' Bitch and throw myself on the mercy of the other knitters of Melbourne.

Prime Rib Mohair Scarf

I ended up abandoning the snake scarf. The curves irritated me and it was too skinny and I decided that I preferred the other short-row scarf patterns I had already done. But my aunt still deserved a scarf and I still had the blue colourway skein of mohair begging to be knitted up.

I ended up using a stitch called 'Prime Rib' that I had never heard of before reading Elizabeth Zimmermann and am still unsure why it is not in more common use. Because it is a really easy, fast knit for the intermediate knitter. It is not a beginner stitch, because the one bad thing about it is that you can't go back and correct mistakes without knitting every stitch back - but the same is true of every cable stitch and this is much easier than cabling.

So here is my 'Prime Rib' scarf pattern. Ingredients - 100 grams of 12-ply (that's 'aran' or 'heavy worsted' or 'triple knitting' for the Americans) brushed mohair and one pair of 9mm needles. Cast on 20 stitches (note, must be an even number).
Set up row: Knit one, *bring yarn forward, slip as if to purl, then with the yarn remaining forward knit one (thus creating a double loop). Repeat from * to last stitch, bring yarn forward, slip as if to purl.
All remaining rows: Knit one, *bring yarn forward, slip as if to purl, then with the yarn remaining forward knit two together (which still creates the double loop). Repeat from * to last stitch, bring yarn forward, slip as if to purl.

Don't be phased by all the words; just do it and it will make sense and it will be the most simple and fastest rib you have even made (as you never actually have to complete a purl stitch - EZ hated purling and invented a multitude of ways to avoid it). The main thing is to ensure at the end of every row you have exactly 20 stitches in the pattern of a single on each end and a pattern of single, double loop, single, double loop, etc in between, and all will be well.

The scarf ended up being 245 cm or 98 inches in length and 15 cm or 6 inches in width, which is very respectable for a mere 100 gram skein. I cheated a little by tugging the length as I knitted but in retrospect it did not even require that.

The colourway and the fluffy pattern give the scarf a very 1980s look but it is warm and cosy and the 1980s are very retro and trendy for those who care about such things.

My aunt will just see a handknitted scarf made out of a yarn and colour her sister would have loved. And that has more meaning than any fashion.

The problem with mohair

The problem with mohair is, well, that it is hairy. Which means that it is likely to shed fine hairs on the rest of your clothes, as though you have been cuddling a goat, rather than just wearing a garment made from its fleece.

The upside of mohair is that it is both lightweight and warm and very soft, unless, of course, you are allergic to it.

I am trying very hard not to behave like an offended sensitive artist just because a friend of mine chooses to wear a store-bought Made-in-China acrylic feather yarn scarf , instead of one of the hand-knitted hand-dyed lace mohair scarfs I had spent hours making.

Because after all, acrylic feathers will never shed, unlike mohair. And I am, after all, the ultimate pragmatist.

So maybe in the future I should stick to gift vouchers instead of trying to find exclusive yarn to make something that won't be found in every discount chainstore.

The advantage of metal DPNs

Last night was pretty productive. I finished a DLB hat for Rachel's new baby, Michael. You may as well check out the picture here as I used exactly the same pattern and yarn as the hat I made for Caroline's baby.

Much as I love Rachel, I have to admit that I was also motivated by the desire to check my gauge knitting Opal 6-ply yarn on 3mm needles and I hate knitting plain swatches - they seem like a waste of time. One may as well knit a hat.

Anyway, my gauge is 25 1/2 stitches to 10cm on 3mm needles which is useful to know if I knit socks or fingerless mitts out of the yarn.

I also discovered another advantage to metal DPNs. They bend but do not break when a Thug in Private School Uniform decides to shove me in the train. And the blood wipes off quite easily.

OK, I'm joking about the blood, but it did leave a nasty indentation in his arm - and didn't permanently destroy my needle.

Maybe next time he'll think twice before slamming his way through life.

Probably not.

But if I'm lucky he'll stab himself in the balls next time.

Last night I also pulled out the cursed lace cardigan for Rachel's other child, Gabi. I have done 95 percent of the knitting; I just can't work out what the pattern says about doing the bands. So I ironed the cardigan and looked at the pattern again and then put it aside. I have to get off my butt as winter is starting soon and there is no way the cardigan will fit her next year.

Tonight I should have dealt with the cardigan (how friggin hard can it be to finish the damn thing?) but I got distracted by another short-row scarf knitted out of Noro Kureyon project - String-Or-Nothing's Kureopatora's Snake Pattern scarf.

My excuse is that my aunt who is going through a tough time deserves a hand-knitted scarf. And Noro Kureyon colourway 126 is perfect for her.

It's suddenly dropped down to winter temperatures here so I wore my hand-knitted purple socks, purple mohair jumper and Noro Kuyeon diagonal short-row ribbed scarf and matching hat to work. I was very warm. And chuffed that I could get away with wearing my stuff in public. Even if I looked a bit batty with the socks.

An interesting article

Employers unprepared for blogging
By Craig Donaldson

WEB LOGS and ‘blogging’ present employers and their lawyers with new workplace relations issues, but few are prepared to handle them and many have not developed policies addressing the issue...

“Work-related blogging was once thought to be benign, but it is now one of the most complex and far-ranging issues in the workplace,” said Stephen Hirschfeld, CEO of the US-based Employment Law Alliance (ELA) and partner in the California-based firm of Curiale, Dellaverson, Hirschfeld & Kraemer.

Blog-related issues cover a broad spectrum well beyond concerns by employers over the web posting of company secrets, Hirschfeld said.

“For example, can the employer regulate off-duty blogging because they believe the content injures the company’s reputation, is embarrassing to a company, or disparages a company’s products, management or customers?”

Read more here.

Mohair Dreams in Pictures

It took me a while to work out how to photograph it, but finally some photos of Mohair Dreams that actually show the lacework (I had to turn off the flash to get the detail).

It's extremely light and fluffy (there is only 100 grams of mohair in the scarf) but it came out at 220cm which is a very decent length. Blocking in this case did not lengthen the scarf but it widened it to 17.5cm.

I'm very happy how it turned out. I was very determined to block and finish it tonight. Jackie's birthday isn't until next Tuesday but she's getting the present early (tomorrow). We've had a sudden cold change so she may as well have the scarf when it will be useful.

On the technical side, it appears that I may have knitted my first piece of (albeit simple) lace, rather than done lace knitting. According to the Knitting Curmudgeon there is a difference and as the alternate rows were not plain purl, it is actually knitted lace not lace knitting...

I got the pattern from this site (Mohair Dreams) so I am not trying to claim credit where it is not due but I am going to put down the pattern (which apparently came from January 5 of the 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Perpetual Calendar) in case the link disappears over time. Anyway, I got a completely different effect using one strand of 12ply Autumn Leaves mohair than she did using 2 strands of finer white mohair.

Cast on 25 sts
Row 1 (RS): K1, *K2tog, YO, P1; rep from * to last 3 sts, K2tog, YO, K1

Row 2: P3, *K1, P2; rep from * to last 4 sts, K1, P3

Row 3: K1, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, *P1, YO, sl 1, K1, psso; rep from * to last st, K1

Row 4: Rep row 2

Ye Gods! Another Finished Object

I am going to destroy my reputation soon. I finished the knitting aspect of Jackie's Mohair Dreams scarf last night, although it still needs some serious blocking. It came out at a good length considering I only had 100 grams of yarn - about 220cm. But it is also very light and fluffy.

I had a love/hate relationship with the lace pattern. It was reasonably easy to memorise in the end but too difficult to keep track of if I was also trying to talk at the same time (I am a multi-tasking kind of girl). I am hoping the detail of the lace will come out once it is seriously blocked.

But not too much detail. There are a few places where I seriously fudged to ensure I had the right number of stitches on each row.

The pattern is what I would call anti-Zimmermann. Elisabeth Zimmermann developed a whole new way of knitting jumpers based on her hatred of knitting purl and sewing up seams (now you can see why I like her so much). While there are no seams, there is a lot of purl stitching in the lace, but surprisingly that aspect wasn't as painful as I would have thought it would be.

The most amazing aspect of this pattern is that I even started it.

The happy husband - Dr Who scarf complete

It may be just a simple garter-stitch scarf, but in terms of my husband's appreciation, the Dr Who scarf scores a 10. Look at his smile.

And here is a shot from the back:

And a close-up of the face

What can I say? I'm happy he is happy.

He keeps on pointing out how warm and how high-quality it is. Well, that's the beauty of hand-made knitted garments. You can't buy anything like it. No-one would pay the true cost of making a quality hand-knit garment, so if you have one, appreciate that the maker is giving you more than just something you'd pick up at a department store.

In terms of vital stats, I knitted an extra 24 rows to Sarah Bradberry's pattern but made the fringes shorter. I used pure wool yarn in various brands (Patons Fireside, Panda, Basics, Cleckheaton Country and Harvest) costing $30.50 from Spotlight (some was on discount). It probably took about 15-20 hours over a 3-week period. It taught me that garter-stitch can look good when it is not full of holes, twisted yarn doesn't hold its shape as well as merchanised yarn - but is a lot softer, and made me think about the ethics as well as quality of knitting in cheap imported yarn.

Why I'm not flashing my stash

Those involved in knitting blogland (and it never ceases to amaze me just how many people there are who knit and blog about knitting) may notice that I allowed April 1 to pass without flashing my stash.

There is a reason for this.

Dealing with a problem means acknowledging that you have one in the first place and I don't know if I am quite ready to acknowledge all the skeins of yarn I have stashed around the house, under my computer desk, in the spare bedroom and in my filing cabinet at work. I may not have quite reached SABLE point yet (Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy) but I am scared that I may be approaching it. And unfortunately(?) all the yarn I have left is GOOD yarn, proper wool, not novelty sh*t (I got rid of that on eBay some time ago), which means that I can't bare to part with it until it is knitted up into a useful item.

So this list is just off the top of my head and probably not comprehensive. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

10 balls Noro Kueryon 126 (most recent acquisition from eBay from a local Melbournian)
4 balls Noro Kureyon 148 (left over from the diagonal ribbed scarf and matching hat; yarn from Yarnela on eBay)
20 balls Jo Sharp DK viola (bargain on eBay from Perth mill that makes the stuff ,that I couldn't resist - one day I will turn it into a jumper)
19 balls 8-ply pink mohair (another eBay bargain)
13 balls 5-ply Cleckheaton burgundy (local Op shop bargain)
5 balls pink/purple Naturally 12-ply mohair (to be used in the yet to be completed drop-stitch shawl/scarf that I'm making instead of the silly poncho - from Box Hill Wool Shop in Balwyn Road)
2 1/2 * 150g balls 6-ply Opal sock yarn (bought from an eBay seller in the Netherlands - hi Astrid!)
10 balls 12-ply grey Cleckheaton Country (left over from a jumper I made for myself - I didn't want to run out)
16 balls 8-ply wool (in the form of a 1980s jumper kit)
20 balls 14-ply Patons husky (mostly in half-completed cursed jumper that I will unravel and turn into charity hats)
Probably about 15 other assorted balls of 8-ply wool
One skein of 100 gram 12-ply blue-coloured mohair

Quote of the day

"Take anything you find in an instruction book, including this one, with a large grain of salt... There are scores of different ways of doing things in knitting, and none of them are wrong, but they are sometimes unsuitable."

- Elizabeth Zimmermann, Knitting Without Tears

It's also a relief to discover that someone as knowledgeable as her also had issues with the long-tail cast-on. I will not feel guilty for continuing to use my "knitting-on" cast-on, although I will experiment with knitting between each stitch instead of through each stitch.

Today Melbourne has a sudden temperature drop so I am wearing my lovely warm purple wool handknit socks and over-sized grey handknit jumper. Mmm. Cosy.