Sunday, April 19, 2009

Getting Beady-Eyed

I had been itching to knit with some beads.  I had some sock yarn from Lorna's Laces in some lovely pinks and violets  and some violet beads.  (It's still February, hence the need for the purple palette.)  I decided to knit the River Rocks scarf, from the book No Sheep For You,  that has been popular on Ravelry.  I settled in one evening,  frigid temps outside, Dr. Who on the telly and proceeded to knit a ...... Penthouse centerfold!  I was shocked by the outcome.  My knitting needles needed cleansing with holy water.  I shall spare my gentle readers and not post a photo - not that one was taken.  After some eyebrow raising by myself and a quick consult with Charlie, the first 5 inches or so were deemed pornographic.  I proceeded to rip.

Still feeling the need to experience the River Rocks,  I took up with some Art Fibers silk yarn from the stash and some multicolored beads.  Keeping with the theme,  river and rock colors were used.  If you care to imagine this in shades of pinks, you may conjure up a pornographic image of your own.

It was a lot of fun to knit, although my beads may have been a bit too big or maybe not uniform enough so I used one less bead on Row 4 of each rock.  

So Lorna's sock yarn ($1 at a yard sale, aren't I clever?) is back in the stash.   The violet beads were put into service with some leftover handpaint from Sandy's Palette.   Yeah! - it's late February 2009 and I'm finally knitting with wool!

Pictures of the "masterpiece"  will have to wait until the next post.....

Foray into Crochet




Way back in February, I needed to see some color.  It is the season for my perennial "Fit of Bad Taste."   This scarf is on the cover of Vogue Knitting's little book of scarves, in pastels.  I had a boatload of crochet cotton in country club golf colors - probably from the '80's - so off we went.  All the little circles and rectangles are crocheted separately with tails attached.  Then they are sewn together.  It was tedious, especially to make a scarf so appropriate for clown wear, but I needed to do it.   So now, here it sits.  On a fine spring day soon,  I shall wear it with a crisp white cotton shirt and a pair of jeans.  Perhaps some heavy silver to complete the look?

Unfortunately, this did not do the trick as I was feeling the need to get more color and more cotton into my daily life.  I went back to the stash and pulled out all the cotton yarn and crochet thread that I could find and crocheted this monstrosity:


It's my latest shopping bag! It's hanging on the cellar door knob on top of last summer's creation which is a bit more jazzy thanks to the iron-on flower-power appliques.  The grocery store baggers always comment in that ambiguous way -  "Did you make this yourself?  No kidding?" - "Wow, that's really something?"  I choose to be complimented.

I've been dragging some such-bags to grocery store for years and am usually met with eye rolling and a sigh or two from the cashier.   But now, with the latest "economic downturn", suddenly everyone in the check out line is all chatty about it.  I usually preen and comment on how environmentally and economically friendly they are.  Not only am I not using new bags, the yarn/thread is from second hand market.   Not much to pick up from my house on trash collection day.

How fickle we can be.  We picked up some re-usable grocery bags when we were at the Huntington Beach Trader Joe's last month.   They get to ride around in the car now.  (Ssshhh, I think Charlie prefers them.)  I'm still partial to my babies though. I promise to grab them when I'm leaving the house; when I remember.   My wandering eye noticed the new re-usable bag at Target in today's Sunday flyer.  It may be vying for my affection.  Re-usable shopping bag monogamy - who knew it could be so challenging?