Friday, September 18, 2009

I am frustrated.

My hands have been hurting, a lot. I think I have tendonitis in my fingers. It's from too much knitting, but (of course) I still want to knit. Time is getting away from me. I have Christmas gifts and other things to knit. I want to knit, just for the serenity, the calmness, the joy it gives me. Yesterday I didn't knit a stitch. I did not like that, at all. My hands still hurt today. But I'll take at least the morning off, since it's library day anyway.


Another reason I'm frustrated is that people are having difficulties downloading my patterns from my pattern blog. I didn't consider the fact that not everybody is using Microsoft Windows Vista when I saved my patterns as "xps" files (whatever the heck that means). So some people are able to access the files (I assume they are Vista users) while others are not. I need to save the files as another file type and see if that makes them accessible. If you are one of the people having trouble accessing the files, please bear with me as I attempt to solve this problem. I'm just relieved at this point that the mistake was mine, and I don't need to find another file storage site. I apologize for my shortsightedness. I just wanted to let you know that I am, in fact, working on it.


Here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on...or at least what I want to be working on...


It's a top-down in-the-round poncho for Princess. I've only spent one evening and one full day working on it (which is partly why my hands hurt so much) to get it to this point. It's very easy...I started with my new favorite cast-on: the tubular cast-on(I love it because it's much stretchier than the traditional long-tail cast-on...did about an inch of ribbing, then began increasing, just like I would for a raglan sweater, with basic rope cables between the increases. I haven't decided yet whether I will continue increasing, because if I do, this thing is going to be huge; it will be a square if I lay it flat. But then, Princess is a very active little girl, and I think she might need that extra space to be able to play as hard as she'd like. So at this point I'm undecided. Anybody want to offer an opinion on the issue?

2 comments:

  1. Continuing to increase will make it a poncho, stopping the increases will make it a capelet. The capelet will have a bell shape, the poncho will have a square shape. A poncho would not be a good play type of garment, it could get caught in things. But a capelet would need to be short to allow her arms to get out to grab things. For the most part, I wouldn't want my child playing in a poncho or capelet, leave those type garments for warmth going to and from some place. If you knit it as a poncho the increases would be worn at the front and back neck, and on top of the shoulders. If a capelet, the increases are worn at the front and back of each shoulder.

    How to say this without seeming preachy, because I don't ever want to stifle creativity. And this is just a common rule in knitting, which most YouTube and blogs don't indicate. But, as to the tubular cast on, it is generally only used with smaller gauge yarns. In looking I assume your yarn is worsted or bulky? While it does provide more stretch, the thickness of the yarn does not allow for as pretty of a ribbing as other cast ons. Again, I am only imparting some information most do not get from online sources.
    A great book for knitting info is Katherine Buss' "Big Book Of Knitting". It has been a wonderful reference book for me in the past. Learning some of the common rules of knitting can only help you in your desire to design more knit wear. It's not to say all rules must be obeyed. But, in looking at patterns created by the more noted designers, you will find they use the techniques that have become the rules.

    Do let your hands rest. If you can't bear to stop knitting each day, try to take breaks during your knitting time each day. Even if it's just a 5 minute rest. A daily regimen of Ibuprofun can help too. Happy Knitting!

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  2. I hear you on the hands - I have been doing tons of spinning to meet a goal, and my drafting hand is killing me! So much so that when someone at church this morning shook my hand, it was all I good do not to yelp! But I still want to spin!

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