AAAOS (annoying acronyms and other stuff)

Here are two WIPs:

A cardigan I am unenthusiastic about and will probably rip out.

A newborn hat on circular needles.

IMHO acronyms are starting to take over everything. I see them everywhere. I know I'm not the only one who doesn't know what all of them mean. What are TPS reports IAC? IDK. Somehow I feel like a stranger to my own language.

BTW acronyms are not just for the military, government, or business, education, medical community, or facebook pages of millions of teenagers across the country. AFAIK knitters and crocheters have been using acronyms for ages now.

It took a TOT for me to figure out what some of the terms meant before I turned to my good friend, Internet ,for help. You can find a list of some knitting acronyms and abbreviations I use frequently  here  and follow this link for crochet.

I better get back to my WIPs and turn my UFOs into FOs. ASAP. Hopefully I won't have to frog any of them. BBL.

***
IMHO -- in my humble opinion  (or more rarely, I Might Hire Orangutans)
TPS------? this is just made up to annoy office workers
IAC------in any case 
IDK------I don't know
BTW-----by the way
AFAIK---as far as I know (or A Freckled Apple In the Know)
TOT----- tons of time
WIP------work in progress
UFO-----unfinished object
FO-------finished object
ASAP----you know this one already, right? Yes, A Soapy Angora Piglet!

Frog---not an acronym, but I didn't know what it meant for awhile. It means to pull out your knitting
BBL----be back later

Bloods vs. Crips

***

It seems like people who are interested in yarn work gravitate either toward knitting or crochet. It seems rare that people seem equally drawn to both. Some truly talented knitters simply DO NOT crochet and some talented crocheters DO NOT knit. It's like this great line separating the two.

Because I was in the crochet gang, I always felt a little suspicious and jealous of the knitting crew. They seemed more hip with their bamboo needles and luxury yarns. The craft itself seemed more difficult, with strange (to me) circular needles, cable needles, and challenging-looking double-pointed needles. And the patterns available to knitters just seemed more aesthetically pleasing. The sweaters and even little dresses looked more modern. I had a hard time shaking the feeling that crochet can very easily take a turn for the worse and wind up looking like something from the sixties (and not in a good way!) or like something an old lady with blue hair named Mildred would make.

I know I'm not the only person who has a conscious or unconscious prejudice about crochet. Apparently crocheters wasting yarn is one "myth" that is sometimes bandied about. I read a funny blog post where a woman scientifically set out to disprove this theory. She bascially discovered that based on the stitch, crocheters and knitters use close to the same amounts of yarn. She did, however, learn that the stockinette stitch in knitting uses the least amount of yarn. This is handy information if you have a limited amount of yarn to work with.

Anyway, this year I decided that instead of being jealous or looking longingly at patterns that I would love to make, but were FOR KNITTERS ONLY, CROCHETERS NEED NOT APPLY, I would just set to work learning how to knit once and for all. I wanted to bridge the gap between the two rival factions. And it does the mind good to learn new skills, right?

Things have been progressing pretty well, I'm happy to report. Paraphernalia that I used to find scary, I'm now excited to use. I haven't tried cables yet, but I'm looking forward to trying them soon.

As I embark on this new journey of discovery (I'm like the Christopher Columbus of Yarn) though, I seem to be looking back at crochet and am constantly struck by its versatility.  Crochet is known for it's sculptural quality (don't believe me? look at this guy who was featured on Martha Stewart last year.  He even crocheted a urinal, for the love of God!) Even with my limited experience, I was able to add a little collar to Baby C's sweater just by visually looking at it, or the stem/ vines to a pumpkin hat, etc. It seems like it's easy to add to crochet. Much easier than I think it would be with knitting. Crochet also requires fewer tools, and is easier to maneuver. No matter what pattern you're following, you're only using that one hook. I think crocheting lends itself more easily to larger projects too, like a blanket or throw, mostly b/c the item is not attached to any needles/ hook. Therefore, you have more freedom of movement/ don't have the weight of the work on your hook. I also love crochet for the various granny square patterns. The creative possibilities seem endless when it comes to crochet throws.

I have this newfound respect for crochet. I've finally come to realize that the grass is not always greener, so to speak. I am excited to be learning something new, and happy to be trying patterns that I couldn't use before. However, I've belatedly come to see that there are limitations to knitting (for me) as well as limitations to crochet. I think most knitters/ crocheters should try to use both where needed. Each craft offers its own unique opportunities and obstacles. And that's my diplomatic take on it.

***Obviously, the above hat has nothing to do with this post. It's just one more hat (yes, even I am getting tired of hats!) that I made this week for my godmother who was going to a baby shower. I am currently working on three knitting projects; one is a hat and the other two are baby sweaters. I'm not abandoning the crochet gang--I'm just focusing more attention on knitting right now.

Show and Tell

Here are some of the Christmas gifts I made for some special little nieces and one nephew.

A visor beanie made from Naturally Caron Country yarn.

Earflap hats made from Lion Brand Cotton Ease yarn

Mittens made from this pattern.

I was very worried about fit. Fortunately, all the recipients should be able to wear them, though not all the fits are great. If I was to do it over, I think I would just ask for the measurements and forget about the surprise factor.

Regardless, the kids look really cute in these and that was an awesome gift for me!

Girls Night: December

I've been meaning to post about the aforementioned Cookie Swap and wanted to make sure I did before December ends.

The week before Christmas P. hosted at her house and the husbands wound up coming along too; We separated from the boys, leaving the babysitting duties to them, to perform the swap, and to eat/ drink, gossip.

P. supplied these adorable gift boxes for the cookies. K. made a delicious hazlenut cookie with Nutella (!) and her beautiful tri-color italian cookies. P. made yummy chocolate chip and butter cookies. I made peanut butter, a small batch of plain sugar cookies, and snickerdoodles.

The cookies tasted divine, and really, what can beat homemade cookies? Well, P. brought out an indoor S'mores set, and we all set to work roasting our marshmallows at the dining room table. I couldn't decide which tasted better--fresh cookies or hot, gooey s'mores. It was so much fun! (Although I set my marshmallow on fire about 5 times.)

It was kind of nice to have the boys in the vicinity. K. threw out the idea of maybe scheduling another Girls Night at a time when the boys could get together with each other for a couple beers while we crafted. We'll see if  that works out. We might have to change our name to Girls/Boys Night or Craft/Beer Night. Maybe the boys could join us in our crafting. Is there a craft that involves drinking beer? I'll have to do some research.

It was a great night. The only negative was that there was a snow storm about 24 hours later. So, I was snowed in with about 6 dozen cookies. I emerged from the house a couple days later. We lost a few dozen cookies, but gained several pounds. They were really good cookies, though, so it was worth it!

Weird Hat Lady

My house is full of hats.

It started with just one hat.

But they kept multiplying.

Now I have hats all over the house.

When people walk in they can probably smell that notorious hat smell. Maybe they imagine seeing them dart across the room. I can't keep track of them anymore; they're everywhere. I'll be walking across the room and find myself tripping over a hat that's lounging on the floor. They sit in the window sills; they hide under the bed.  Sometimes when I'm watching tv with a hat next to me, I feel another hat winding it's yarn tail around my ankles. They are overrunning the house.

I've always considered myself more of a dog person, but I am definitely turning into a weird hat lady.

These hats belong to Baby C. They are all made of the same yarns from Naturally Caron Country and follow the Baby Earflap Pattern from Coats and Clark. The visor beanie is a variation of an adult visor beanie cap pattern found here . 

Baby C. has already outgrown the first two. I just made the third hat this past week. I initially striped the earflaps but had to pull them out because the flaps were in the wrong spot. I didn't feel like joining the different colors again, so I made them a solid white. It looks much better--another happy mistake. The pom poms were a last minute addition, and I love the way they look. You don't need to buy a special pom pom maker nor do you need to use the annoying cardboard method. Just use your fingers to wind the yarn around. Learn how here.

Snowflake Torture

Just turn around...

Walk away...

Forget what you've seen here...

These snowflakes had it coming to them.

So I finally starched and blocked the snowflakes I crocheted. It does look like the poor little things are victims of some sick medieval torture. It's like The Snowflake Inquisition.  Or maybe it's more reminiscent of a bad horror movie. Maybe Pinhead from Hellraiser got in touch with his crafty side and worked out some evil frustration on these defenseless little guys.

Starching and blocking the snowflakes was not as frustrating as I thought it would be, but it was definitely a project I needed a block (get it?!) of time for, so I had to wait until the baby went to bed to complete it (plus I didn't want any witnesses). I mixed a tablespoon of corn starch in 1/2 cup of water and simmered it until it was no longer white/ somewhat transparent and kind of gloopy. Then I put on my executioner hood and while the glop was still warm I drowned the guilty snowflakes in it and let them soak up the starch (like being tarred and feathered, without the feathers). Then I squeezed out the excess glop (which is like going through a pressing device, I suppose)  and got them ready for the rack.

(Insert maniacal laughter here).

I attached wax paper to a long cardboard gift box I've been hoarding in the basement for no reason, and then stabbed the snowflakes to it with quilting pins, stretching them into shape. A cork board or foam board would probably work better, but the gift box seemed to work ok. I left them to die, I mean dry, overnight.

The next day I removed the pins from the corpses--er snowflakes. I was left with  lovely, crisp snowflakes to use as gift toppers, christmas tree ornaments, or hanging decorations.

I am pretty happy with the end result, and I can definitely see myself making snowflakes again. I'll be using these for gifts, but I could see making a beautiful hanging snowflake curtain like here if I had more time to plan next year. I hope the gift recipients like them as much as I do.

***

Disclaimer: The events depicted in this blog entry are fictitious. Any similarity to any snowflake living or dead is merely coincidental. Mommisquare does not endorse the use of torture or mistreatment of snowflakes. No snowflakes were harmed during the writing of this blog entry.

Let it Snow

It's supposed to snow today. The first snow of the season. Even though the excitement of snow wanes a little as you age (you're the one who will have to shovel it or drive in it), there's still that nostalgic anticipation that overwhelms you as you listen to the weatherpeople on TV work themselves into a frenzy. Suddenly, no other news is as important as the possibility of snow.

Outside your window the sky seems heavy with thick clouds, ready to burst with white fluff. Sometimes if it's very cold, it seems as though you can actually "smell" snow in the air before it even falls. And then, when the clouds have reached maximum capacity, snowflakes silently begin to waft down in a cottony trickle. Soft and light so that you may ask with wonder, "Is it snowing?" and then with more frequency so that you exclaim excitedly, "It's SNOWING!"

It may not snow outside today; some weatherpeople are calling for rain due to higher temperatures. However, I already have snowflakes inside to keep me company.

In a previous post I mentioned how I've been trying to learn how to make snowflakes. It can be challenging because they require such a small hook. (You can use a larger hook, but they do not look as nice, in my opinion). I also found it difficult to master the various patterns. I think I tried four or five different ones. Learning each one requires a lot of time and trial and error. Interestingly, many crocheters make up their own patterns. It can be hard to understand each indiviual's terminology when describing the pattern. Inspired by their originality and also because I was tired of following such rigid instructions, I made a free-hand snowflake. It turned out ok but was pretty uneven. I think writing a pattern would be beyond my skill level at this time. In order for there to be symmetry the stitches must be even and exact. The cerebral skills needed to do this are similar to the ones required to solve math problems. My brain balks at anything math-related,  like a horse refusing to go forward, even threatening to buck the rider. I usually take my fearful little brain for a gallup somewhere else, leaving the math problems for more experienced riders. But maybe in the future I'll attempt to tackle my math fears and write a workable pattern. Meanwhile, there are many patterns to choose from here.

I have yet to starch and block these flakes, so they don't have a crisp, uniform look. I've researched how to starch snowflakes and think that I will use the cornstarch method b/c that supposedly lessens future yellowing. It seems like a pain to starch them which is probably why I'm procrastinating. I would like to use these as gift toppers for Christmas, though, so I will definitely give it a shot soon. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'll be keeping a close watch out my window today....to see if the real thing comes down from the clouds--crisp, uniform, and beautiful.

***
I also used patterns from Martha Stewart's website and some from Better Homes and Gardens.