knitting backwards

literally and figuratively

After a friend showed me how to knit backwards, I was geeked about it and then just went on to my usual knitting as I wasn't trilled about having to throw while knitting backwards. The bottom section I threw on the knit side and knit continental on the purl side. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the gauge was as equally wonky as my loose purls in normal continental knitting. Next up from the bottom, I threw on both sides resulting in the most even of stitches and then lastly I picked on the purl and knit side. Boy, now that was some cool knitting, but it was so tight that I could see my wrist in pain in the future if I continued at that rate, though I'm hopeful it would loosen if I continued to pick on and become familiar with what was quite foreign to me in knitting styles. Ironically, I went on the web to find an online reference for this picking method and only seemed to find that continental is referred to as picking. Now I believe I knit continental, but this picking was quite different. The sticks seem to do all the work without the wrapping so to speak. I really have to find out more about this "picking" and maybe another name for it since that sometimes differs from one knitter to another.

This was quite an enlightening experience as each method felt like I was learning to knit all over again. And surprisingly enough I found that fun. Been a little unamused by my own knitting lately. But somehow this rekindled my interest.

Though my friend was my "across the table" resource while knitting at Wegmans, here are some great online resources for knitting backwards:

Knit Backwards, Continental at Keyboard Biologist and Knitting Backwards at The Yarnpath

And speaking of knitting backwards, I'm looking forward to summer knitting 2004. That's right 2004 not 2005. I have had a feeling it was going to get to this at some point and just didn't know how it would snowball exactly, but the snowball has reached the bottom of the hill and this is what I have decided to do with it. I'm taking summer 2005 off from knitting in the now. I feel completely behind (some uncontrollable self-imposed timing, i guess) and with every new season comes new knits, new occasions to knit for and new holidays that require something knit (that i can't ever seem to get done in time for the actual holiday). And here I am again weaving in ends of winter knits just as spring hits leaving me with a feeling of "oh, how I wish I could actually wear these now". So I have decided to look back in knitting instead of looking forward (only in a pattern sense as I do plan on learning new techniques in which to execute on these ol' knits---at least until this coming fall where I plan to pick up my usual in season routine (with moderation, of course). I don't want to bite off more than I can knit up in a reasonable amount of time ('cause the clutter is overwhelming me). And I don't mean in the physical sense as its put away in a plastic bin somewhere , but I KNOW its there, somewhere (cast on with only a few rows or wound using a ball winder committing me in a sense as I don't feel I can trade it at that point). So I guess the clutter is really just in my head (scary thought). And its not that I think anything is wrong with having a lot wip's as I always have many, but for me its gotten to the point where its wearing on my fun. I have decided to make a conscious effort to stop thinking about what I've talked about in the past and adding to that ever growing list and start knitting it regardless of the season. So I guess this is just a effort to clear things out. Especially since the "to knit" list contains items that I really want to knit and wear. But I am hoping in a sense that taking the "knit to wear" out the equation a bit will take the edge off my current knitting state. I have been pulled in the past (past...try up to now) to feel a bit rushed when new mags come out so I can "finish up" and start on the new stuff and frankly thoughts of new future knits have completely exhausted me. So basically my knitting "eyes" are bigger than my knitting "stomach" (aka my knitting bag) and I feel the need to take a few steps back and assess.

And 'cause every new age deserves a title, I'm calling this my Summer "05 Knitback. I'm pulling out all (ok lets be real here, not all) of those knits (and this includes project ideas) that I just HAD to knit last summer 'til now. I oogled the patterns before they were available to me on the web, scooped them up when I was able to buy them, bought the yarn as soon as I could get a hold of it and then dropped them like a hot potato. Don't know why...just did (ummm...maybe 'cause a newer mag came out, lol). But now I'm getting those monkey knits off my back...errr well I do plan to wear them, but you know what I mean and I'm giving myself ample time to do them. So before I even think of starting anything new (or shall we say really new), I'm going to pick up those "must-knit but haven't knit yet" projects from the past year.

I'm takin' a dive into my and am going to live out knit up that part of last year that could have been nice to knit and wear, but never happened (and maybe clear out a few knitalongs turned knitafters that have been hanging out on the side bar for far too long that I don't want to drop 'cause I still wanna knit them. This should be interesting...at least to me anyway. And I kinda feel a list coming on too so I can pull it all together somehow.

So I'm enjoying all of these summer knit mag previews and I look forward to knitting them...just not until summer 2006...or 2007 maybe...

Ahhh(sigh)...I think I am must be doing what's right for me 'cause all of a sudden I feel a sense of relief. This takes off any deadline that may have been imposed on my knits so maybe this will leave me more time "think" about my knitting before and during than the knit now and fast so I can hurry up and wear it (and inevitably rip it as i have knit in haste) and think more about it later mode that I have been currently in.

secretly wanting to be 10 again?

~Rowan 29 Navigator~

After knitting a couple of pieces, the size seemed a bit odd (i know, i know, what's new). Guess I was just lovin' the stripes a bit much to notice. When it comes to Rowan patterns, I'm obviously pretty used to knitting the third size on all patterns. But somehow I missed the lit' bit at the beginning of this pattern that states that it is written for childrens, womens and mens. So instead of the third womens size, I have knit the bolded size (4-6, 6-8, 8-10, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44). Of course it took two pieces to realize that and then I automatically went for the third womens which turned out too big. According to schematics and measurement, I should really knit the 34 (ironically one size up from the 10...weird huh), so now I'm actually knitting my size finally...huh...sigh.

~mini tee vs my tee~

If this sweater wasn't primarily black, I would try to see if mini would entertain the idea of wearing it. But she's all about color and I'm pretty happy about that. But as I realized it was a bit too big for her (according to one of her favorite perfect fitting tees), a bit small for me (compared to one of my favorite tees) and comparing them, I couldn't help but think...are my tee's too tight. They look so similar in size and we are (obviously) not similar in size. I'm hoping that a "real friend" would let me know. 'Cause really guys, I don't want to be 10 again nor to I want to wear clothes that are too tight, lol. Maybe mini's clothes are a on the loose size as I'm always trying to squeak an extra year or two outta garments. Hmmm...

~yummy~

what flavor pocky are you?

guess i picked up the wrong pocky flavor along with my other finds at a wonderful grocer that i stumbled upon.

if only they carried knitting mags too...

Posted by froggy at 03:07 PM | Comments (9)