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I should have brought my knitting [message #39503]

Fri, 18 February 2011 19:27

Black Bear
Messages: 3216
Registered: September 2008
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA

Senior Member
[Moderator]

Robin shoulda, woulda, coulda....

_{"The time is always right to do what's right."--MLK Jr.}

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39504 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Fri, 18 February 2011 19:45

jmeadows
Messages: 3149
Registered: September 2008
Location: Virginia, USA

Senior Member
[Moderator]

In case the chart links don't work for anyone else... (They appear to add spaces in "charts" when pasted -- I don't know why. *grumble*)

First

Second

[Updated on: Fri, 18 February 2011 19:49]

Smooshes!

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39505 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Fri, 18 February 2011 20:32

EMoon
Messages: 664
Registered: March 2009

Senior Member

You were right to start making squares for a hellhound jacket...I'm now thoroughly bored with casting on, knitting, purling, and ripping off the same length of yarn (which then spends the night being straightened.)

OTOH, tomorrow is the 10 am to 3:15 pm rehearsal for the St. John Passion, and Sunday is two services to sing and Tuesday is a speech on our wildlife management project for a group of master naturalists (and I have to get the pictures on a thumb drive, numbered in the right order, to give to the very very organized lady who is going to be running her laptop as a projector.) Following that I need to write and turn in the annual "report on guardianship of a person" (our autistic son) to the court.

So the knitting time isn't there. Yet.

And that does mean I'm not going to be taking knitting to the rehearsal tomorrow (because unlike the rehearsal Robin suffered through, we're being ramrodded by the inimitable Dr. Stevens whose rehearsals are always intense and organized. We will go through the score bang-bang-bang-bang and my brain will fog out before it's over...

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39506 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Fri, 18 February 2011 21:00

zerlina
Messages: 98
Registered: May 2009
Location: Invercargill, New Zealand

Member

I had downloaded both charts before I got to the end of the post. I'm so pleased you have come over to the dark side.
My mother did knitting at primary school during World War 2. She said each child knitted a different part of a jersey and the teacher sewed them together. Then they were despatched to prisoners of war. She reckoned they must have been hideous because each piece would be a different tension.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39507 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Fri, 18 February 2011 22:12

Maren
Messages: 1332
Registered: October 2008
Location: Louisiana

Senior Member
[Moderator]

If your phone is cordless, it's probably got a headset jack on it somewhere. Here is what you can plug in there. Or an over-the-ear one, if you prefer.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39508 is a reply to message #39505 ]

Fri, 18 February 2011 22:46

abigailmm
Messages: 545
Registered: January 2009
Location: Texas, USA

Senior Member

Elizabeth, I wish I was in your local Master Naturalists (or Natural Masters as my mother's caregiver referred to them - which always made one wonder how much clothing she thought we wore). Don't suppose you would ever consider coming to Denton if we paid your way ... (Not so often one finds an expert on land stewardship who is ALSO a professional with words.)

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39510 is a reply to message #39507 ]

Fri, 18 February 2011 23:36

abigailmm
Messages: 545
Registered: January 2009
Location: Texas, USA

Senior Member

Regarding the phone, I use the speakerphone capability of mine as much as possible (unless the battery of the handset is giving out, in which case it beeps twice, irritably, and abruptly turns its speaker off). Sometimes I forget till I have been talking a while; realizing my elbow is getting tired, I remember, duh, that I don't have to keep the thing plastered up on the side of my head.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39514 is a reply to message #39505 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 00:56

Diane in MN
Messages: 2731
Registered: October 2008
Location: Twin Cities, MN, USA

Senior Member

You get to sing the St. John Passion. Lucky you!! Smile

Hope your rehearsal goes well and Bach brings you mental clarity instead of fog.

_{"The point of books is to have way too many but to always feel you never have enough . . . " Louise Erdrich}

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39515 is a reply to message #39507 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 01:02

Diane in MN
Messages: 2731
Registered: October 2008
Location: Twin Cities, MN, USA

Senior Member

Maren wrote on Fri, 18 February 2011 21:12

If your phone is cordless, it's probably got a headset jack on it somewhere. Here is what you can plug in there. Or an over-the-ear one, if you prefer.

Do iphones have Bluetooth? If they do, she could use a wireless earpiece. I used one some years ago with my last phone, which was way more primitive than an iphone. I would have had klutz problems with a wired earpiece. Smile

_{"The point of books is to have way too many but to always feel you never have enough . . . " Louise Erdrich}

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39516 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 02:16

Diane in MN
Messages: 2731
Registered: October 2008
Location: Twin Cities, MN, USA

Senior Member

If I can ring frelling bob major on the 3-4 I can learn to knit.‡‡ Although I imagine it is one of those things where the higher (or lower) reaches of deviltry‡‡‡ will remain out of my reach because I started late.

Yes. But reaching the heights (or depths) I think really depends on how much and what kind of knitting you do once you've learned the basics, not on how old you were when you first picked up needles.

I want to knit sweaters.

That's why I wanted to learn to knit 30 years ago. Of course, in my current hormonal state, wearing warm sweaters is not a good option, so I'm glad the unfinished project in my closet is a vest. Smile

Yay sighthound sweater! One truly *does* need a collection of such things. The weather made a mistake and gave us a 50 F day last week, and I got to leave the parka home and wear my newest Dane-adorned jacket, with this on the back, when I went to the theater:

index.php?t=getfile&id=467&private=0

Attachment: TarzoThreeQuarterCropped-Smallest.JPG
(Size: 27.55KB, Downloaded 240 time(s))

_{"The point of books is to have way too many but to always feel you never have enough . . . " Louise Erdrich}

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39519 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 03:18

CathyR
Messages: 575
Registered: July 2009
Location: NW England

Senior Member

This blog is one of those window-of-opportunity things, and my window of opportunity is that entries are (a) too long (b) more or less every night and (c) have footnotes. If I rewrote to shorten and tighten and rein in the footnotes, which would absolutely produce better pieces

Not better by my definition!! I *love* the footnotes, they're a reflection in words of the chaos (in the nicest possible way) that is your life, and an "ordinary" blog wouldn't be half as much fun! Smile

I’m not saying this makes any sense. I’m telling you that’s the way it is. This is the blog I can write.

And this is the blog we want to read.

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39524 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 11:03

Mrs Redboots
Messages: 943
Registered: October 2008
Location: London, UK

Senior Member

But if I could find my ancient Steeleye Span anthology I’d be so there.

I'm sure lots of us have that anthology - I know I do, it's in the car - and could send you the song you want out of it as an MP3.

This is the blog I can write.

Good, because it's the one we love to read!

I want to knit sweaters.
You will. You already could, with the right pattern. Just start small, for a baby or child (or even a hellhound, but theirs are shaped differently!), and it will come.

Mrs Redboots
I love my computer because my friends live in it!

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39526 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 12:08

HeiQ
Messages: 78
Registered: February 2011
Location: Canada

Member

Robin said on Friday, February 11 2011

Although she confesses reservations about my footnote usage.

I am going to confess and say that it was me who sent that letter... I hope this is not inforgivably uncouth. I did say that the footnotes are frustrating, but I did also say that they are funny. Your usage of footnotes in this blog puts Terry Pratchett to shame a hundred times over (I don't know what you think of Pratchett as a writer, but he is rather known for his footnotes). The first time I read this blog it was way past midnight and way past my bedtime, so you can imagine how twisty it made my eyes and my brain feel. I have just come to the conclusion that I have to read the blog posts when I am fully awake, haha...

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39527 is a reply to message #39526 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 12:18

blondviolinist
Messages: 1069
Registered: October 2008
Location: Midwestern United States

Senior Member

HeiQ wrote on Sat, 19 February 2011 12:08

The first time I read this blog it was way past midnight and way past my bedtime, so you can imagine how twisty it made my eyes and my brain feel. I have just come to the conclusion that I have to read the blog posts when I am fully awake, haha...

Two browser tabs: one for the main body of the blog post, one for the footnotes. It makes everything so much easier. Wink

I just click back and forth. (On especially footnotey days, I have been known to open up three browser tabs: one for the blog, one for the footnotes, and one for the footnotes on the footnotes.) I get hopelessly confused when I try to read the blog in only one browser window.

"Purity of heart is to will one thing." Kirkegaard

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39528 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 12:28

_ned
Messages: 10
Registered: October 2010
Location: Baton Rouge

Junior Member

I just got into knitting a few weeks ago--well, months, but I've only had time for it a few weeks out of those months, which is my excuse for not doing it much. My friend's mother taught us to make washcloths (large squares, woo) out of a very soft variegated yarn and now I can't make myself use it because it's too pretty and I'm scared of wrecking it.

The footnotes are great! It is kind of like a maze in that sometimes I get confused and scroll to the wrong place, but unlike a maze in that even the wrong turnings lead somewhere nice.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39530 is a reply to message #39527 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 12:38

CathyR
Messages: 575
Registered: July 2009
Location: NW England

Senior Member

blondviolinist wrote on Sat, 19 February 2011 17:18

Two browser tabs: one for the main body of the blog post, one for the footnotes. It makes everything so much easier. Wink

Now that is seriously, seriously organised! Smile

*thinks, must try that myself tomorrow .... *

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39531 is a reply to message #39528 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 12:39

CathyR
Messages: 575
Registered: July 2009
Location: NW England

Senior Member

_ned wrote on Sat, 19 February 2011 17:28

The footnotes are great! It is kind of like a maze in that sometimes I get confused and scroll to the wrong place, but unlike a maze in that even the wrong turnings lead somewhere nice.

What a lovely analogy! Smile

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39532 is a reply to message #39527 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 12:41

HeiQ
Messages: 78
Registered: February 2011
Location: Canada

Member

Opening multiple windows is an absolutely brilliant suggestion! Thanks!

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39533 is a reply to message #39505 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 13:26

claning
Messages: 266
Registered: February 2010
Location: California

Senior Member

EMoon wrote on Fri, 18 February 2011 20:32

Shades of Penelope.

I've learned never to rip out knitting in front of non-knitters. They always cringe and wail "But all those stitches!!!"

My usual answer is to wiggle my fingers and say "There's lots more where those came from." Wink

Potholders are also an attainable goal: 2 largish squares of wool (make sure it's not superwash or synthetic), sew them together to make a square 2 layers thick, run it through the washing machine to felt it.

BTW, generally the rule of thumb for squares in garter stitch (knitting flat, knit every row) is about 2 rows of knitting for every 1 stitch you cast on. 2 rows make one "ridge" on the surface of the knitting, so fairly easy to count.

O Chris Laning <claning@igc.org> - Davis, California
+

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39535 is a reply to message #39532 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 14:25

blondviolinist
Messages: 1069
Registered: October 2008
Location: Midwestern United States

Senior Member

No problem Smile

I know I'm not the only regular reader who uses that trick. It comes up from time to time in the forums.

"Purity of heart is to will one thing." Kirkegaard

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39537 is a reply to message #39519 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 16:03

ravenandrose
Messages: 43
Registered: May 2010
Location: Oregon

Member

CathyR wrote on Sat, 19 February 2011 03:18

I’m not saying this makes any sense. I’m telling you that’s the way it is. This is the blog I can write.

And this is the blog we want to read.

I agree!

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39540 is a reply to message #39528 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 17:24

equus_peduus
Messages: 437
Registered: September 2009
Location: France

Senior Member

_ned wrote on Sat, 19 February 2011 09:28

My friend's mother taught us to make washcloths (large squares, woo) out of a very soft variegated yarn and now I can't make myself use it because it's too pretty and I'm scared of wrecking it.

But the advantage of making things yourself is that if you use it and wreck it, you know how to make another. It's when I get beautiful handcrafted things as gifts that I don't want to use them because I can't replace them. Razz

And I agree - the footnotes are awesome. I occasionally do the multi-window thing, but generally I just read straight on through and refer back to up to the main text as needed. It depends on the footnote complexity.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39545 is a reply to message #39503 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 21:29

zerlina
Messages: 98
Registered: May 2009
Location: Invercargill, New Zealand

Member

I like the footnotes, too. Usually I read the blog and then the footnotes, going back if I forget what they are about. I read Pratchett and other footnote books like that too - finish the paragraph or whatever before I read the footnote.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39546 is a reply to message #39508 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 21:44

EMoon
Messages: 664
Registered: March 2009

Senior Member

I might...depends on the timing for both of us. Give me a shout in email (there's an email link on my website. Not sure if it's OK to link to site here, but Google is your friend and "Elizabeth Moon" usually pops up my main site.)

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39547 is a reply to message #39537 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 21:46

EMoon
Messages: 664
Registered: March 2009

Senior Member

Yes...loving the footnotes. True, some nights I don't get all the way through them, but I love 'em anyway.

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Re: I should have brought my knitting [message #39552 is a reply to message #39547 ]

Sat, 19 February 2011 23:39

blondviolinist
Messages: 1069
Registered: October 2008
Location: Midwestern United States

Senior Member

EMoon wrote on Sat, 19 February 2011 21:46

Yes...loving the footnotes. True, some nights I don't get all the way through them, but I love 'em anyway.

*whispers* some nights I read all the footnotes and forget to read the whole blog entry

"Purity of heart is to will one thing." Kirkegaard

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