Natalia Knits

I’ve not been knitting much lately, but I did finally get around to porting the blog to wordpress, so at least I will be *able* to use it.

I really enjoyed doing the interweave preview play-by-play. I think I’m going to do the same for the Winter ‘05 Knitty.

First of all, I really, really liked this update. Yes, some of the items are a little off, but so are plenty of the thinks that turn up in IK or VK. I call an issue of any magazine, online or print, a success if there are at least a couple of things I might want to knit, or a couple of technique descriptions I find useful.

The Patterns:

• Kate - She’s a cute toy. I don’t really see myself making one, but she has nice shaping, and would make a charming gift.

• Pocket Creatures - Last winter, I wouldn’t have cared, but now that I live somewhere where bellow-freezing temperatures are an integral part of winter… warm and cute are a great combination.
• Boogie time - it could be a cute way to use self-striping sock yarn, but I don’t like big chunky-banded watches regardless of what they’re made out of.
• Knecklace - I think it would look really beautiful in a glossy cotton or rayon yarn, not so excited about it in rustic wool.
• Bamboozelle - The last thing I need is another little basket for collecting junk. That said, the pattern makes very good use of bamboo yarn’s texture and shine.
• Namaste - Yes, there are already patterns for yoga mat bags, but the cable pattern reminds me of moving water, and I think it is a very artful choice for a yoga accessory.
• Best Friend - I am glad to see the pattern includes instructions for lining the bag. It isn’t a style of bag I would ever carry, but that’s ok.
• Forecast - I am not a fan of the bobbles. The sweater has a beautiful retro-couteur kind of shape that will probably look best of figure’s similar to the designer’s. It will look distorted on women whose chests are large compared to their waist, and over-done on flat-chested figures.
• Tempting II - Nicer than the original tempting, but the really broad neckline is an issue for anyone who needs to wear a bra.
• Festive - There’s something funny about the sleeve caps… But I like the smaller needle button band trick, and I like the instructions for how to make frog closures. I may not make the sweater, but it’s nice to learn a little something.
• Tubey - Oh, I am desperately in love with this sweater. I’m going to make it in solid black, with maybe some maroon or charcoal accents, not striped all over, but necklines that cut straight across like that are super-flattering for those of us with long faces. I hope I can bring the front edges in far enough to hide a bra… but for a sweater this potentially flattering, I would go strapless.
• Blanche Neige - Not my style at all.
• Bristow - Couldn’t you see that second photograph in IK? This is a 100% classic sweater. The shaping is great. I love that the stitch pattern isn’t being wasted on a boxy shapeless cardigan.
• Cheesy Puffs - It took me a moment to look past the color, but the sweater itself is a great classic men’s sweater. The modified drop sleeves look fine on men, are a good compromise between the fit of set in shoulders, and the easiness of drop shoulders, while making a pattern that would be simple for a beginner.
• Bobblicious - Enough with the bobbles! But I bet it would be comfy to curl up in on a cold weekend afternoon. Though I would splurge on something nicer than Lion brand, just to make the curling up even comfier.
• Chaos - I’ve swatched with the idea of rolling dice to determine cable twists. I abandoned the project when I didn’t like the resulting design. I used a different way of assigning stitches to rolls, but the outcome was simmilar. It’s cute for a baby garment, but would drive me nuts on an adult sweater.
• Blu - Cute! I don’t have a baby around to knit for, but I almost wish I did.
• Pomatomus - Like everyone else, I am amused by the manequin leg model. It think these will be quite easy to re-work toe up. Mirror-imaging the pattern should be pretty easy, though. Patterning on every row! That’s cool.
• Thuja - Two socks in one issue! Sock knitting seems to be really catching on! I like the seed stitch ribbing, it’s simple, but has a really nice look.
• Marley’s Ghost - Cute, I’m impressed that the links don’t felt together. It doesn’t look too warm, but it looks attractive on the model.
• Danica - The scarf is pleasant enough, but the entrelac instructions look really clear, and I have one skein of kureyon that has just been begging to help me learn entrelac.
• Spike - Somehow reminiscent of playing cards. It’s nice, but not my style.
• Urban Rustic - Gloves in anything heavier than fingering are just too thick for me. Also, although I replace DPN’s with two circs, I still think small-diameter circular knitting no matter how you do it, is easier than this sideways short-rowed, picking-up-stitches method.
• a Real Stocking Cap - This made me giggle.It is knitty, after all, there should be a little something silly or impractical.
• Mrs. Beeton - The red ones are pretty!

The articles:

• Cool Stuff! - I think I’m going to order a copy of spin-spin

• Techniques with Theresa - I had read people mentioning twinned knitting, but I didn’t know what it actually was. It’s cool to learn a new technique.
• Thinking Beyond the Pattern - Jenna’s sleeve series is such a fantastic resource!
• Watch this Space - knitting aside, the nature of the contemporary art scene baffles me.
• Knit Like a Man - He seems to be pretty insightful. Is this a regular column?
• I wish someone had told me - When she talks about knitting from the skein instead of winding into a ball, I think she means knitting from a hank like the one in the photo with the cat. Ouch. That advice is a recipe for disaster.
• The Knitting - I’m sad for her loss, so I feel like kind of a bitch when I say it seems like a weird piece for Knitty to publish. I would have preferred to see a more expository, maybe journalistic, article about how knitting helped her through her loss. This unfocused, third-person emotional outpouring may make others feel like they are not alone, but the piece had the potential to really be a whole lot more.
• Scarf Psychology - Cute fluff
• With bows, curled ribbon and bells on - I’m sure there’s a law that all knitting magazines have to have something like this in their winter issues. But ti’s still cute.
• Eating my words - Wow, I’m getting interested in spinning now. I totally do not need a new hobby.
• Handy plying - If I spun, I would probably be fery happy for this.
• Spinning silk hankies - Oh no. I have some silk hankies. A friend gave me them to knit with, un-spun. But now I really want to get a spindle. Ooof. I do not need a new hobby.

Hey guys, I am really sad to see that this project has not had the kind of support others have… Go donate!!!

[South Asia Earthquake Donations]

This whole situation is so tragic. After a year with so many terrible tragedies, it makes me sick to think that this year will get capped off by tens of thousands of people freezing to death. How’s that for cruel fate? To survive an earthquake that killed 73,000 people, just to die for lack of warm blankets and tents.

I’ve ditched Haloscan, and am going to go with Blogger for comments, since I want posts and comments to all be at the same place.

Because of this, the small number of comments already here will disappear into the Holoscan ether.

So I, um, haven’t updated since February? Wow. There must be something about winter that makes me more likely to update this thing. The weather here has turned, so I guess it’s time.

Oh yeah, and “here” isn’t where “here” was last winter. Now that I’m in Missouri, I’m getting re-acquainted with winter. It’s only November, and I’m already “this close” to trading up my fingerless mits to full-on Norwegian mittens. And this is considering that I have a 10-minute commute to work and I haven’t had to scrape ice off of my car yet. In another month, I will be a whiny crybaby.

Looking back over the last entries I made, I have a lot of pictures to take. Hopefully those will actually happen soon.

In the mean time, the [Interweave winter preview] is up. My personal play-by-play:

• Ballet Wrap Cardigan - Pretty but too bulky. That chunky ribbing eats up the models waistline.

• Mowat Mukluks - Wow, these are tacky as sin… and yet I just know I’m going to end up making a pair. (In more appealing colors, of course) They look like really comfy slippers.
• Windowpane Jacket - Nice enough. Kinda frumpy. One of those things that doesn’t seem really cut out for knitwear, when it could be done much better the normal way, sewn from tweed fabric.
• Ribbed Diamonds - Looks comfortable, but I don’t know anyone who would wear it.
• Fair Isle 101 Pullover - I like it, but it would need some tweaking. I love the neckline, but the sweater doesn’t look too flattering on the model. I’m not sure how to fix it, other than making the fair isle band smaller, and building in vertical darts at the bust to keep the sweater kind-of fitted. At that point, I would add a little extra plain knitting at the bottom, and wear the whole thing without the blouse underneath. I don’t know. It’s a shame, the sweater seems so cute, yet so unworkable.
• Bi-Color Cables - I know I would never get around to making it, but I like it.
• Cabled Bandeau - I don’t do tube tops. But it’s also cute.
• Hip Hop Coat - I have a feeling it wouldn’t really wear well… It would stretch out of shape and pill and just get ratty really quickly.
• Pearl Buck Swing Jacket - I also don’t do swing coats.
• Aran Pullover - I like it. I’d shorten it, though. But that’s an easy fix.
• Brilliant Retro - Looks like it has potential, but it doesn’t really flatter the model.
• Wedge Hat - Goofy looking. But I guess it’s for kids, so not realy aimed at me.
• Gull Stitch Cardigan - I am deeply suspicious when the photo of a cardigan doesn’t show the front. Especially when it’s an “asymmetrical cardigan”. I have a feeling this one has issues.
• Fickle Fingers Scarf - Cute enough. Not my thing.
• Embossed Leaves Socks - OoooOooo. IK does come through with the pretty socks, that’s for sure.
• 4-3-2 Ribbed Pullover - If it makes the model look a little pregnant, it will make me look like I’m carrying an elephant
• Bias-Knit Tie - The 70’s called, they want their ties back.
• Belted Wrap Jacket - Maybe it’s the color that’s predisposing me to like this one, but it looks cozy and comfy (and will also probably pill like mad)
• Cover Your Ears! - The staff projects rarely push my buttons. Invariably too busy, too much going on. These are no exception.
• Gored Skirt - Knit skirts are a recipe for saggy-looking behinds.
• Winter Star Jacket - Not my style, but I could see it working on a lot of people.
• Speckled Beret - Cute and Classic. If I didn’t already have a beret I love, I would be all over it.
• Pom-Pom Christmas - This was not a good idea.

So I’ll probably end up making both pieces of footwear. Overall, it’s not a bad issue. Maybe I’ll find a reason to cannibalize the cables off of some of the sweaters. Worth the $6, I think.