Thursday, January 22, 2015

Sweater Unravelled

Here it is, the yarn from the disappointing sweater.
There is something very satisfying about letting go of things that are no good.


Monday, January 19, 2015

Jewel Socks and Disappointing Sweater

Wanna know how bad the sweater came out? Here it is, the most unflattering, uninteresting sweater.


I decided in order for me to learn any lessons, I needed to take photos. I really should know better to have patience for a much larger swatch for proper gauge.  Also I really should know better to use the same needles as swatching to knit. Different companies make slightly different measurements of needles of the same size.  


What I had in mind was a simple, slightly over-sized, tunic length sweater to go with my boots. But my gauge lied, the sweater ended up rather close fitting. Just as well, it's such a boring style anyway.

Can I just say, this is the most boring style of sweater!  Unless cables are done in good proportions to rest of the sweater, or some variation on sleeves, or perhaps more tweaking, it's otherwise the most unimaginative design. It's even more horrid in this fit and length.  The large plain Stockinette Stitch on the sides, accentuates the width of body. 

But, on a brighter note.  I finished a pair of socks in 3 days, watching new episodes of George Gently on Netflix. This started out as motif design that turned into socks.  I love this motif.  I want to use it for a sweater, hopefully soon, with some modifications perhaps, to the motif.  

The yarn was Crock-O-Dye, with leftover blue yarn.  I called it Jewel Socks. 
Very happy with the result.  This cheered me up.  And It has been a long time since I knitted any socks, too long.






Sunday, January 18, 2015

Danshui Pattern


It's here - Danshui
This pattern uses Sport Weight yarn, or light DK, at the gauge of 22 sts x 30 rows = 4" x 4" / 10 cm x 10 cm in stockinette stitch after blocking.

Danshui is a place in northern Taiwan where the Danshui river exits into the sea. It literally means freshwater. I love that place so I named the pattern after that with the motif reminiscent of water flow.

After a week of its initial release on Ravelry, Danshui is now linked from Ravelry to LoveKnitting for EU knitters too. Clicking on the buy link on Ravelry will take EU knitters directly onto LoveKnitting to complete the process. A copy of  the pattern should also be in your Ravelry library.


This EU VAT thing for all digital goods still has some kinks.  For one, there is a long delay between release on Ravelry for non-EU knitters and availability on Love Knitting for EU knitters.  I really appreciate everyone's patience, which I must admit I personally have very little of it.  

I have been knitting.  In fact, I finished a sweater and wrote a pattern for it. But I was so unhappy with how it looks on me that I'm planning to rip it.  I'll do that after I come to term with ripping 3 weeks worth of knitting.  Nothing really wrong with the sweater in terms of fit or whatever... but I just don't like how it looks on me. Even if I crop it back to a more flattering length, it's still so boring, not the easy-living, simplicity type of boring, but just boring.  The design is not something I'd pick up even if it's $10 at a thrift store except for recycling purpose, so there is no reason for the pattern to exist.  But I love the yarn (Cascade Highland Duo) so I'm going to re-use it for something else.

Hopefully I'll have some knitting to post soon, but school begins in 2 days. We shall see...



Thursday, January 8, 2015

Quick Knits


I finally got around to take photos of these quick project, knitted in the last 2 weeks of 2014.
I was so in love with my Ariat Boots that I had to make some Boot Toppers.
One was with Lion's Brand yarn Vanna's Choice, left over from another project.
Fun cable knits. One pair is one day, how's that for instant gratification?


Then second pair, also from left over yarn of another project, Madelinetosh, tosh sock in color Baltic, with lace stitches




While I was hanging out with family during the holidays, I knitted up one fingerless mitt and finish the second one after I returned home.  They're just very simple stripey long mitts.  But it helped with the time just sitting around.




Wednesday, January 7, 2015

EU purchases and pattern Wandering In the Souk

Quick announcement:

Due to ong delay of Wandering in the Souk publishing with LoveKnitting, all EU purchases of all my patterns are reverting back to purchase via Ravelry until the new pattern becomes available at LK.  (I cannot pick and choose what stays on Ravelry and what goes to LK, so this is the way to go.)

I knew there would some bumps at the beginning, hopefully things will smooth out soon, as I do have a few more patterns ready to be released this month.  Stay tuned.


Monday, January 5, 2015

New Pattern - Wandering in the Souk

Kicking off the new year with a new pattern.
Wandering in the Souk pattern is up in my Ravelry store.


It was knitted like eons ago.  Test knitted eons ago.  Even finished with tech editing in December. But I put off the publishing until now because I wanted to wait until the whole EU Vat Ravelry/LoveKnitting (LK) thing roll out.

In case you're not aware.  Starting January 1, any sales of digital goods to EU countries need to pay EU Vat.  Well, that would've been easier (it's all relative) if the rates are the same across board. But, life simply cannot be that easy.  So Ravelry came up with an option for EU purchases to complete purchases of patterns via LK, a British online site.  And LK will handle all the Vat for designers who choose that route.

I'm just really grateful to both Ravelry and LK for offering this option.  I cannot imagine the nightmare of having to deal with reporting VAT to so many countries.
Right now there may be few kinks here and there. But I have faith in Ravelry and LK that things will smooth out as we move further into 2015.  In the mean time, please message me on Ravelry if there is any problem with EU purchases.

Last week, I even went out and shot a few more photos for the pattern. I have to really thank Paul for learning to be "slightly" more patient with taking photos (again, it's all relative).  He's even learning to point out few little things like "you're standing in the shadow."  It's too bad that neither of us took any photo classes in college when we're both art majors. But that was way back before the digital age when not only cameras were expensive, so was film and everything.