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Thursday, January 05, 2006

Knit One

Well, I have a new template for this here blog, as you can see. I thought it was a good fit since it has a kitten on it and this is Kitten Yarns & Crafts. I'm not good at this whole HTML thing, but have had some pointers from Ruth and Bonnie on how to set it up. Thanks you two!

Well, I have been working on my next scarf. I am doing a simple ribbing pattern (I'm sticking to easy right now, just because it goes faster) but didn't use quite as many stitches as I did on the previous one. I thought the other one was just a little too wide (but what do I know) so I decreased the amount of stitches by 5. Now, with the ribbing, I am finding this one is way to thin so I am thinking it will be more of one that is what I refer to as a "decorative" scarf...you know, the kind you wear on the outside of your coat hanging loose. I don't think that it would be wide enough to wrap around the neck for warmth. Oh well, live and learn. At least I know if I do one with ribbing again that I'll make it wider.

I've also been attempting to work on my first ever pair of socks. I have about 1 1/2 inches done on it so far. I am finding it awkward with the four dp needles, but I am slowly getting used to them and that is good. I know that I need to pull the stitches a little tighter at the 'seams', though on two of them they are nice and tight, but on the third one (which is between the end and the beginning) even though I have pulled it tight, it still has managed to stay a little loose. I am pulling those ones extra tighter, at least for the last two rounds, and have noticed a little bit of difference...something to practice.

I am excited to learn to be knitting socks. I was told (when I first started knitting) that socks was the easiest thing to learn for someone just starting out. However, I looked over patterns and saw they were done on 'dp' needles and shyed away from doing them. Now though, I want to learn to make them. I don't expect my first pair to turn out perfect, but I'm hoping they will turn out good enough to wear, and good enough to encourage me to keep on knitting them. I guess only time and knitting will tell.

Well, I am off to do more knitting before bed. Soon school will be starting back up and most of my time will be spent with that, so I want to get in as much knitting as I can in the next week and a half (this is also part of the reason why the scarves I've been making have been in easy patterns).

5 comments:

Ruth said...

hi shelley - wow, who said that socks were the best "first" project for a beginner?! what ever happened to simple garter stitch scarves and washcloths?! =)

oh, as for the blog button - i used a program (ACD). other people use photoshop or paint. i'm not very good at it, so if you asked me to recreate it, i wouldn't be able to do it! i'm still trying to figure it out! there are alot of forum threads on how to do buttons - you can do a search on the KR Forums (knittersreview.com/forum)

Lynda said...

I love! the new background - especially all the little kitty paws!

Shelley L. MacKenzie said...

Lynda, thanks. I'm a cat person too so I thought this would be a great background...and because the blog is "Kitten Yarns..." lol. Aren't the cat paws adorable?

Anonymous said...

Good luck with the socks. A GREAT book to get would be Crazy Toes and Heels by Queen Kahuna http://www.queenkahuna-creations.com/ MaryAnne does an awesome job of walking you through the sock step by step and has a way of making things very simple. No affiliation other then that's the way I do my socks now and love it.

Holly said...

Shelley, I love the new design! Kitties are soo adorable! :)

Oooh I want to learn to make socks too! I need to branch out and learn new things to knit or new patterns! Something! :)