Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Coding (knit) dreams

I'm still struggling with Java and a computer that coughs up a BSOD a couple of times an hour. I maxed out on frustration last week and ordered a new computer which arrived Monday. A cute little thing. I just need time to yank apart my desk, dig out all my source CD's/licences and install everything. A depressingly large task overall...






I've had a couple of major lightbulb moments this past week or so, proving that my brain is not totally ossified. I awoke Sunday morning from a very vivid dream about coding a new sweater and trying to figure out how to instantiate the sleeves. Bizarre, and totally geeky.

And!
I finished this:

Stealing a page from Michelle Ciccariello and Stephanie Japel this is a top-down raglan done in Little Arrowhead Lace with ribbed lace borders. My first ever garment design, made with Berroco's Ultra Alpaca (love this yarn). I'm really happy with how it turned out - surprisingly it looks good on everyone who has tried it on, from size small (a petite customer came into the shop & I foisted it on her) to size large (me - I hate taking photos of myself and right now I look downright haggard). My SnB group is lobbying for me to send it to Knitty which is totally flattering but I don't really know if it is unique enough - and until I can actually write up the pattern heaven only knows if it can be duplicated! I took lots of notes which were unfortunately on multiple pieces of paper that are, well, pretty much anywhere I happened to be. I did get better on the lace border (because it took me about a dozen freakin' times to get it right) and recorded that part on my Palm Pilot, and really that was the most difficult part. I charted the body lace increases too, so maybe it won't be as difficult as I'm making myself believe. Maybe.


This amorphous blob still on the UFO list is the Teacher's Luna Moth. I really do not like the yarn - Colinette Pariesenne - because it is so... sticky. It clings to itself and anything it touches, and it has an odd thick and thin quality. I'm concerned because I chose Swarovski crystals to put on the final half-repeat and some of the yarn runs so very thin I'm afraid the crystals will tear up the yarn but I really hated sewing them on a previous version. .






I'm also trying out a new felted purse design based upon a handbag that I already own -

I'm still stalled on this felted purse but for a stupid reason. I really want to take photos of the appied I-cord edging because it is different from any of the other freebie patterns at the shop. My wonderful plan is to have actual photos posted on the shop's website for customers to look at. A novel idea (hah!). But try as I might I cannot take photos of myself knitting - I gave it a go yesterday armed with a tripod and my little camera set on time delay but never got quite what I wanted. DH is in Chicago this week, and daughter Rachel is slammed with school, water polo, music, homework, etc., etc...


I also signed up for classes at Stitches West 2008 this morning. Under the "Learn By Holding Your Feet To The Flames" category I've chosen a twelve hour Fair Isle techniques class. This should be (ahem) interesting.

6 comments:

LisaW. said...

TWELVE hours of fairisle...holy cow you are a masochist...or maybe you just really really really want to learn fairisle...sounds like something i'd do! and love love love that shrug. your friends are right.send to knitty...or at least magknits...i'm not a shrug sort of gal but i really love the drape, the color, the lacyness, the edging..ok..truly just everything.

Suzann said...

The shrug is one of the loveliest I have seen. You should remove the pic from your blog and send it to Knitty or as Lisa said Magknits.

Grace said...

i would love to learn fair isle. that should be some class. Your shrug is lovely and I love the bag design too!!!

junior_goddess said...

Twelve hours of Fair Isle? Honey, just go to the Philosopher's wool website and watch the stinking video. Save your yarn money. Really!


I'm anxious to see how the bag turns out, and the shrug came out great!

junior_goddess said...

PS-I was working on a Dale of Norway pattern, and one of the geeks looked at it and said that coding was easier. HAH! Knitting is binary, right? Get your geek on!

threejays said...

Your shrug is absolutely stunning! When I saw it on the elann chat center, I zipped right over to your blog to see if you were selling or publishing it. Do consider writing it up and sending it to Knitty or Magknits. I think Knipticks may pay for patterns they use. Not sure about elann, if they have their in-house designers.