!!?! - finally finished!

Oh, i am so happy!!!!!!!!!!

I finally finished my amineko!

*feeling touched

*i am not that big

*i'll be around

Tutorial - Knitting with beading

I promised my friend to write my step-by-step video on knitting with beads. I did the recording about a week ago, but I didn't manage to write it in my blog.

Anyways, I tried knitting with beads around two years ago. Not a big fan of it, but I still managed. From several ways in knitting with beading, I like the crochet hook best. But, I was a bit unhappy with the hassle of changing the needles and sometime the bead fell off from the crochet hook, so I was going to try to use dental floss. Yet, before I try it, I thought of using sewing needle + thread which secure the beads better. And there I went...

DISCLAIMER: yes, somehow that day... I can't speak english properly. It seems like i forgot my english after speaking chinese for several hours. So pardon me with the sudden weird english. I will replace the video if I have time in the future. Meanwhile, bear with me....

This is the first beading method that I learned: Crochet hook method



 And then, the sewing needle + thread that I found more useful than the crochet hook method




This one is pre-stringed, I practiced and decided that I didn't like it, so I changed to Crochet method.




Now, what's the difference between the pre-stringed and the other two methods？
Well, look at the below picture...

If it is pre-stringed, only 1 strand of yarn that goes inside the bead, and the bead will not be positioned in the middle. It may look like it is positioned in between stitches (top row bead). If the bead is attached during knitting using crochet hook or other (similar) method, the stitch will go through the bead hole, so there are 2 strands of yarn going through the bead hole. The bead will look like it is trapping the stitch (bottom 2 rows).

There's also another method of pre-stringing the by doing slip-stitch. But I personally dislike it... But you can watch it from this video from knitpicks.

I hope my illustration and tutorial helps!

Sat afternoon

Means coffee, project, and companion.

??!? - what am i making?

Teaser?

Hopefully i can finish this quick!

Distant part 2 - doing the magic

Honestly, i dont know the characteristics of this yarn (yet). Let me just wet block it and see...

I am doing the magic right now...

Distant part 2 - after 24 hours

4 am in the morning, after almost 24 hrs of continuous picot bind off... Damn... I finally finished the shawl.

I cant stand it anymore so i just dump it to soak a few hours. I'll bind it off when i am awake.

Doh....

Tutorial - Picot edging in knitting using crochet hook

While I was doing my distant hours, my lazy knitter side kicked in and I decided to make my own cheat of picot edging. Picot edging is such... troublesome.

I like using crochet hook since I feel like I have more control in it. 

Video is below, hopefully it's useful for you all! ^^

Distant part 2 - surgery

Always have surgery. What is wrong with me?

But this is the first time i successfully did a 2-sided lace surgery.

Stash, i love you...

Suddenly i feel the urge to rummage my stash... And after touching, poking, patting... I feel like.... I have eveything that i need. Hahahaha...

I saw this white lace silk from lotus...

And think, what should i do with this? A superb wedding shawl? Dye it? Hmmm... I have 1000 meter of it. 

And then, this thing...

Few rows away from BO and i ran out of yarn. Rip?

And this

I am going to use it for demonstration today at the KO.

And this one... One ball left since all her friends are sent away to warm 2 guys.

What should i do with this last wool?

... Wow, i have a lot to do!

Review - chinese bamboo circular needles

Let see... I bought my first pairs of bamboo circs from a local online shop owned by one of supposedly famous knitter in indonesia. She sold them for IDR 20-30K per pair. But then, ebay become my friends, and thanks to Chris who broke my 2 mm bamboo circs by sitting on it, i decided to buy from ebay.

And... It was awesome! 

33 pairs of 3 different length (40, 60, and 80 cm) of 11 sizes cost me only...... US$ 10. I cant remember whether it cost me any shipping fee, but i'm quite sure that even if it did, it only cost a dime or two.

And three weeks later, i have 33 new circular pairs.

These bamboo needles actually became my traveling best friend. Light weight, easy to sneak into the cabin without further questions, can be easily stored and stowed (or shoved) into my bag and even my tiny pouch. 

Actually, the cable of the needle is just like a small water hose. Transparent, and surprisingly, the joints are smooth enough, it never hurt my yarn. I always use my bamboo circs to start a project, especially projects that requires some maneuver and twist. 

Different with my metal, due to its material, yarn are not easily slide on the bamboo or the cable. This means that it's good for slippery yarn, like viscose, silk, or a very soft wool. But when you are looking for speed, bamboo is definitely never gonna be your best buddy. Bamboo gave you safety and steadiness. Very very light weight, so it wont hurt your wrist.

There are some brands (not sure which, but there are threads and blogs abt it) of bamboo needles that somehow easily frayed and damaged. To my surprise, after using them (read: abusing) for almost 5 years, none of my bamboo circs shed any fiber, chipped, broken, or detached from its cable.

Tips for chipped/frayed bamboo needles:

Paint it with your nail polish. Transparent base coat or neon color... Your choice!

Now let's go to the summary:

Advantages:

- light weight

- easy store, easy carry, travel buddy

- firm hold on yarn, friendly for knitting slippery yarn

- supadupa cheap!

- friendly material

Disadvantages:

- small sized bamboo needles (that looked more like a toothpick) are so so so fragile. Dont press them, or sit on them, dont grip too hard, as it will broke easily. And dont get angry and knitting with a 2 mm bamboo needle. no no!

- stitches are not easily travel from one aide to another on these chinese bamboo needles. Plastic-rubber and fiber is not a really a good friend. If you are going to knit thousands of sts, dont even consider using chinese bamboo circs. You'll get frustrated because you spend your time shoving and moving the stitches on the cable.

If you are looking for these chinese bamboo, make sure you are looking for those circs which size numbers are grafted deep (by laser, they said, but who cares) onto the needle. If it's only painted, it's gonna disappear after you abuse it for the hundredth time.

Remember, knitting is not about how famous your needle is, or how luxury and expensive your yarn is. It's about you, and the process, and what you do to make it beautiful. 

Review - needle - chinese metal needles

I bought my first chinese metal needles about 1-2 years ago, when i just left taiwan. I saw the offer of US$ 10 for 11 pairs of circs 80 cm. I thought, why not? So i bought them...

That is one of the best thing i purchase for my knitting. I really like them!

The needle is made from aluminum, anti-corrosive, light weight, and the needle-cable connection is so smooth. The cable itself is actually a metal cable seathed with transparant plastic. Although it is not that flexible, i am quite happy because... Compared to my bamboo needles, i can knit much much much faster already.

I am so satisfied with the needles, to the point when i saw taobao was selling the similar needle, full set of 3 lengths of circs and 2 different dpns length, each have 11 sizes from 2.5 mm to 5.5 mm, and it cost me less than US$ 30, i thought again... Why not? It's 55 pairs and i like the needles. So i bought it, and now... I am 55 pairs of needles richer than before.

So, to summarize:

Advantages:

- cheap

- light weight, doesnt take that much strength to use it

- smooth cable joints

- 11 sizes available ranging from 2.5 mm to 5.5 mm

Disadvantage:

- well, i wish it has more pointy needles for lace knitting

- cable is not that flexible. So if you hve to knit in circle using only a few stitches, better look for a circ with more flexible cable (for me, i have my bamboo needles)

Here are some pics:

Remember... To make a beautiful knitted project, it's not only about the needle, and it's not only about the yarn. How your knitting result is highly depend on how you knit it. And of course, the correct way to block it :D

Distant part 2 - so far so good

Well, after ripping back and restart the shawl, i finally got into chart A. So far so good. I'm still hesitant whether i am doing the right thing by not inserting the beads... But i just want to redo this shawl after my disappointment with that red sequined yarn. 

This chinese yarn however, is also a bit difficult to work with. Initially, i started using the yarn using pull center, but somehow it entangled each other, i was frustrated, and then i found out that i didnt do all the YO on the edging... And then just restart. This second time, i decided to just pull inward. 

(Yarn color is actually dark purple. My iphone definitely hates purple, because it can never take a correct color in all this yarn's photos)

The way the yarn works feels the same with those acrylic yarn that i used for my cross stitch projects when i was in elementary school. But after the stockinetye established, the right side feels soft, while the wrong side feels a bit rough vertically, but soft horizontally. 

Few days ago, my knitting friend, teh dydy, posted a question about what type/brand of knitting needles that is best to use, and many of indonesian knitters gave this and that brand. Of of them says that the cubic (carbonz? The square needle) can help you achieve a neater result. I dont know... But whenever i see my knitting, i always think that it is already neat. Even if there's any untidy part, i need only to handle them on blocking.

See... Below? Quite neat right? And what needle am i using? The notorious chinese anonymous brand! Hahahaha....

(PS: the 2 vertical loose lines on the shawl is due to the markers. It will be invisible after blocking)

For me, it's not the yarn and the needle that makes a knitted item looks great. It's the person who knit it, and of course, the right blocking method.

Cherry, will you grow?

So, last friday my maid found a box of seeds in my fridge. I planted about 3-6 seeds of cherry last june and store them in the fridge to mimic the winter (i think they should grow after exposed to the cold winter). I totally forgot about the seeds and surprisingly, they were still alive and sprouted tiny baby leaves.

This morning, the baby leaves has grown again.

We'll see how it will grow. Hopefully i dont kill it.

Distant part 2 - and, redo...

After unnecessary ripping due to misplaced increase, i finally had to redo the shawl since i forgot all the yos.

Way to go, tya.

Peacock shawl - FO!

omg, i am so proud!

Peacock shawl - on my blocking mat

Huff.... Finally!

So damn huge that i have to climb my bed to take a whole shawl picture!

Peacock - finished knitting

Decided not to continue knitting and deciphering the mysterious pattern. I just want to finish it and block it and... Move on!

Distant hours part 2 - still indecisive

I cant decide which yarn and beads.

Now i have one more color. Purple.

Rib cowl - by the way

And by the way,

The rib cowl was finished 2 months ago. 

Distant hours, part 2

Hmmm.... 

Which one?

The list

Is definitely getting longer. 

1. To knit distant hours again

2. To crochet that cute cat

3. To knit something from the spirit collection

4. Finishing my first handspun project

5. Using that white silk lace yarn to knit... I dont know, what's look good in natural unbleached silk?

6. Knitting tiong bahru again, in much lighter yarn

7. Knitting lace top from that chinese book

8. Making the hairpin shawl.

I still have to finish this peacock and the blue cowl i am making for my friend.

Peacock lace shawl - 70 more rows...

70 rows yet it feels so far away!

I am just hoping that i can do more than just 2 rows everyday....

Not to mention the bind off... Hmmmmm....

Peacock surgery

Darn... Just when i promised not to make any more mistakes...

quick...

i want to finish completing these forms as soon as possible, so i can go back to my knitting. 

1 litre of tears

My 1kg of fibers is here!!!!!

Thanks a lot lot lot lot to Lynne who had brought me all these delicacies straight from UK!

I have bought....

White corriedale

Black jacob

Grey norwegian (really smelly! It's like freshly sheared from dear sheep)

Shetland aubergine dyed

Black golden bamboo

Natural soybean

Merino - bamboo - soybean

Blue faced leicester - silk

Flax/linen bleached

Mhuuuehehehehehehhehehehehe....

So happy!

Top - bottom: bamboo, soy, flax

L-R : merino bamboo soy, jacob, blue faced leicester - silk

L-R: aubergine shetland, norwegian, corriedale

What to make

While thinking what would be my next project, i am cleaning up my wips.

Still remember this cowl?

Yep, i am trying to finish that one. It's still almost 1 ball of yarn away from finishing. I wonder what made me knit it so long. I am guessing that the needle i used is just too small, so it makes my hands easily tired.

And then, this shawl. I am 2 rows from finishing, but i dont think i will have enough yarn to bind off. So how then? Rip?

I think my next project will use my first handspun. Lace to fingerweight (ahem, inconsistency), i think i can make up to 500 meterish before finishing the 100 grams. I am wondering whether i should finish spinning the whole 100 grams or just stop in the middle and spin again later when i need it. I know the risk of using singles, but my beautiful tiong bahru was knitted from a single handspun, and i love it. 

In fact... In order to prep myself in making the yarn for the first handspun knit, i went out (while feeling ill) just to buy a thermometer. Fun? Indeed! Lucky that i dont need to dye the yarn. Maybe later for my lovely coming soon fiber, i can try to soak-finishing and dye-ing at the same time. Oh i am so giddy!

So, what should i do with my first handspun? I was thingking alohura, but then, swallowtail keeps haunting me and i just want to redo it, because the last time i made it, i used a dk weight yarn. Looks ugly and it can only temporarily blocked. 500 meters should do. Right?

Distantly - damn, it curls back...

Blame the acrylics...

Distantly - on my blocking mat

I finally finished knitting the shawl! Since i came back a bit early (10 pm is early), i decided to block right away....

Last night, it was like this:

And i became indecisive, and changed the edgings to be like this:

Personally, i think the latest one looks more grandeur. Dont you think? :D

Katu - finished!

Finally i am done! Went to see kessa last weekend and showed her the shawl...

Easy knit and also easy to modify... Good for beginner who wants to play around with short row techniques.

Distantly - binding off

I was going to bind off using picot edging, but it seems that the yarn is too fluffy so the picot came out so huge. I'm just binding it off using a normal stretchy bind off. Hopefully will finish soon.

My first 100 gram - not that far yet

Ok, not that far yet, but looking good!

My first 100 grams - on my way

In progress right now is my falkland merino tops on my top whorl spindle.

Wish.me.luck

Distantly...

While waiting for my Katu dries, i am back with my distant shawl...

I didn't expect to like the sequined yarn... I'll try manual addition o sequins next time...

Over enthusiastic

I was on a taobao spree last week and bought yarns and needles from china. lotus yarn with its cashmere-silk, pure silk, wool-cashmere... Hmmmmmm...

I bought a set of needles, consist of 11 sizes of 5 different type of needles: 25 and 35 cm dpns, plus 40, 60, 80 cm circulars. The 11 sizes ranges from 2 mm to 5 mm. All for around SGD 30. What a bargain! I saw it on ebay before, cost around USD 26+. I didnt get a chance to buy it and the selles went MIA. So, knowing my BIL is going to shanghai, I immediately browse taobao and buy without thinking too much. 

Anyways, when i was buying the needles, i didnt realize that i actually bought 2 sets of needles until they are shipped. I was totally amazed with my stupidity. Lucky, after i post it on ravelry, one of my friend is willing to buy (it's a great bargain. Who sells 55 pairs of aluminum needles for only SGD 30?). So... Yes... I was too enthusiastic when buying the needles.

I have a lot of needles indeed...

Katu - in progress

So slow... Why i knit so slow?