Cthulhu enjoys juicebox
Filed Under Knitting
Found in today’s Boing Boing reading, as opposed to Ravelry: the Beeb has copyright/trademark issues with knitting patterns. It actually sounds like there might be some interesting facets, even for non-lawyers, and when I have more mental energy I might read up on it a bit more deeply.
But mainly, I am amused by one commenter’s suggestion that trademark concerns could be bypassed by simply renaming the Ood pattern “Cthulhu enjoys juicebox.” I think the Ood are pretty dumb, but that line justifies their existence.
(Updated 5/13: No, apparently it’s not interesting, just a wide net of C&D letters.)
Knowing is half the battle
Filed Under Knitting
I’ve put aside my Nautilus hat for the moment. I suspect I will finish it, and may end up sending it to Afghanistan. But I’m not entirely pleased with the results, and I’m not sure how warm it will be.
It turns out the “dk” in the name of the alpaca/silk yarn means double knit, which makes it a light worsted weight, as opposed to worsted. So not only have I been using a lighter weight material than the pattern calls for, I’ve been using needles a size larger than the recommended range for light worsted.
Now, this is pretty basic knitting information, discernible with TSOR. Had I invested those thirty seconds before starting the hat, I might’ve picked a more suitable pattern for my soft, pretty yarn. But it’s okay. I’ve been enjoying myself with that hat, and it’s the first time I’ve (intentionally) done yarn overs for a lacy effect (even if it is just a series of eyelets). So far I’m pretty much on pattern. With a more appropriate yarn choice it might look more like it’s supposed to, but as it is it still looks on purpose. Plus, it’s spurred me to actually obtain some information by a method other than nudging Larry and asking him what I should do. (I still think that’s a perfectly fine tactic, but I need to expand my repertoire.)
In the meantime, I have started (and finished about three-quarters of) this hat. One Size Fits Most? Perhaps. It’ll be large on me, but my head is on the small-to-medium end. One Hour? Not so much.
We went yarn shopping on Saturday, in an actual yarn shop as opposed to A.C. Moore. In addition to some pretty Peruvians, I got a couple balls of the Eclipse yarn called out in the pattern. Berry (purplish pink) instead of red; apparently it’s been discontinued, so I did not have a wide range of colors to choose from. Thick/thin yarn looks rather ridiculous. I thought I’d hate working with it, but on large needles it’s actually been okay. Especially after Larry pointed out how I was twisting my stitches; once I stopped doing that, things became much easier. I’ll complete this hat well before the deadline.
Also, today I got my Ravelry invite. Huzzah! I was afraid my heightened interest in knitting might subside before that happened. (Said worry being more reflective of my mercurial moods than the speed of Ravelry’s invites.) So now I shall have another place to blather on about knitting. Or so I assume. I haven’t actually gotten around to creating an account yet, and I’m not entirely sure how I’ll end up using the site.
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Alpaca love
Filed Under Knitting
After essentially finishing my Dalek (the seam at the bottom is all that remains; it will take thirty seconds so I’ve counted the project as complete for some time) I couldn’t get excited about other knitting projects. I toyed with the possibility of Christmas Daleks in red and green—but I’d just done a Dalek, and I’d really have to do two more. I also toyed with the idea of making an afghan. But I needed to have something in the works for the meet up at the Flyers game at the beginning of the month—thus the inspiration for a sports-themed afghan, with the two of us knitting different squares. Larry made a Flyers pattern, and I made an Eagles pattern. I’ve never developed a pattern before (and this one barely counts; it’s just color work) and at maybe 1/3 completion I think it’s working all right.
The Philly ‘Burbs Stitch ‘n Bitch has a charity project going to knit warm things for a women’s shelter in Afghanistan. Projects are due in April, so I decided to temporarily shelve the Eagles afghan square and work on a hat (I’m following the “Her Hat” Nautilus pattern). At the meet up after the Flyers game, bags of freebies were distributed to everyone who came, and one of the items included was a skein of yarn. I didn’t know what I was going to do with mine (thusfar I have chosen a project first, then the yarn) and this seemed like a good use for it.
My bag had a lime green 80/20 alpaca/silk blend. It’s so soft and, well, silky. I’m only a few rows in so I can’t really tell how well the hat will turn out, but the yarn’s a real pleasure to work with. I find myself fondling it sometimes. I’m not sure I like the idea of going back to acrylic.
Things I accomplished this week
Filed Under Life, Knitting, Daleks, Skiing
Skiing! For five days. Really enjoyed it. Did not experience the debilitating lower leg pain that made this year’s first outing, and the final one last year, so unpleasant (and short). I’m still not a good skier, but I’m back to functional and have reconfirmed that I really like my equipment. I had previously done some of Mount Snow’s blue trails, and did more this time. (Spring Mountain claims I have done a black diamond, but their black diamond is neither black nor diamond.) I also went farther up the mountain than I have before. This was an accident—the bottom part of one trail was closed, so Larry and I had to ski over to a different lift—but a happy one. I enjoyed the longer trail down, though doing it as the last run on the last day was a bit tough. But I’m walking normally again, with limited twinges. I also had the experience of skiing on soft white stuff. Since my skiing experience is limited to the east (what is this “pow-der” of which you speak?) this was a surprising departure from crunchy or slushy, but I rather liked it.
Obtained goggles! Given the wind on a couple days, this was a wise purchase. Admittedly, it would’ve been wiser at the beginning of the week, not the middle….
Outlet shopping! Okay, I’m not really into outlet shopping. But it was a fun group outing, and I got some things I like, which I would never have bought at full price.
Parmesan encrusted tilapia! Cheaper and cheesier than crack.
Hot tubs and heated pool! Because it’s an awful lot of fun to sit in a warm bath while snow falls and your hair freezes.
Knitting! Made and attached Dalek appendages. Modified the pattern so the eyestalk ends in a black bulb with a bit of gray yarn in the center for contrast. (Because dude, I know what a Dalek’s eyestalk looks like, and it’s not just undifferentiated gray.) Partially stuffed Dalek (which still lacks a base). Determined that it looks much more Dalek-like when stuffed. Also determined that the bobbles and eyestalk on the head are not centered over the gun and manipulator arm. I am not particularly upset about this, because Daleks are perfectly capable of turning their heads, so I guess mine just thinks there’s something interesting off to the right.
Obtained glasses! They fit reasonably well, and unlike contacts they correct my astigmatism. Most importantly, they came with a beefy case. It’s not Kiko-proof, but will stand up better than the old case, which was soft, velcro-based thing.
Received flooring quote! This is actually a big deal. The first people we asked for a quote came to measure but never contacted us after that; the second could only give us a quote on the living room, not the basement. Paid flooring people a substantial deposit. Encountered no unpleasant divisiveness over color or materials, despite the fact that Larry’s dislike of browns eliminated many of our carpet color options. Not that it makes him a bad person or anything, and burgundy’s a perfectly dandy color. But I’m just saying.
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I finished most of my Dalek
Now I just need to weave the head shut, knit and attach the appendages, stuff it and close it up. Well, that’s not really a “just,” but I now have something that looks more like a Dalek than a tea cozy. I am inordinately proud of the thing. I don’t often create physical objects, and there’s something viscerally satisfying in taking a strand of yarn and turning it into something.
Just wanted to share, because I know you’re all on tenterhooks waiting to find out how my knitting project turns out.
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Culture shock
Filed Under Life, Knitting, Daleks, Dancing
In the past week, I experienced two sharp moments of culture shock.
The first occurred at a wedding. Each place setting had a Christmas cracker. Before we were seated, the DJ wove through the crowd, informing everyone of the timing for pulling open the crackers (when the bride and groom were announced), the request that we all wear the paper crowns (duh)—and, shockingly, a basic explanation of Christmas crackers.
It may bear mentioning that in recent generations my relatives who did not come from North Wales came from Liverpool, so I undoubtedly had a more Anglo-centric upbringing than most. I absorbed Doctor Who years before Star Trek, and my impressions of the veterinary profession were formed watching All Creatures Great and Small. When I was a kid, we’d take an early winter day trip to Ontario for shopping. Along with other UK themed yummies, we’d buy Christmas crackers for dinner on Christmas Eve.
So I expressed my shock to Larry; while he is better acquainted with Christmas crackers than your average Jew, he didn’t have any difficulty understanding how some people might not have encountered them. And indeed, an informal survey of a few guests (and random folks in the past several days) confirms that intelligent and generally well-informed adults can be ignorant of this particular cultural artifact.
The second shocking thing occurred when I brought my knitting to the Hogmanay recovery party. Several people asked what I was knitting, and I simply said “A Dalek” and showed them the picture on my printout of the pattern. A subset of those people asked if it was going to be a tea cozy.
Even my public knitting tends to take place in informal settings, and I am used to people recognizing a Dalek. This isn’t so much the Anglo-centrism as geek-centrism. I am always a bit surprised to find such glaringly imperfect overlap of geekdoms.
Though I will admit, in the picture the stuffed Daleks do kind of look like tea cozies.
The year so far
Filed Under Life, Knitting, Dancing
Not much has happened in 2008. Some good stuff happened at the end of 2007, and I have chosen to attribute those things to 2008. There were many happy socialization opportunities in recent weeks, people visited from out of town, Hogmanay was a lot of fun, there was a lot of good music (formal and informal), and I discovered I’d messed up my first batch of bobbles so they’re much easier to deal with now.
Miscellaneous thoughts
Filed Under Life, Music, Games, Knitting
I’ve had “Still Alive” stuck in my head for several days. Oddly, I do not find this fact particularly irritating.
I have not gotten around to actually playing Portal. I’m not a big FPS fan—in no small part because I’m not very good—but I’ll give this one a whirl.
Went skiing Thursday night, got the misery of the first run out of the way. I misused my legs, and my calves were very unhappy with me yesterday afternoon and evening. They’re beginning to forgive me.
I really, really hate bobbles.
Geeky solutions
I know knitters are geeks. (Okay, I guess my sample set is a bit skewed, but still.) KnitML is delightful. And yes, I really need to start my Dalek.
And speaking of Daleks, Charlie Stross advocates using them to secure the London Underground. He envisions hordes of Brits reflexively fleeing upward to escape, leaving the terrorists to be exterminated. As noted in comments, that will only work for the more mature Doctor Who fan; the rest will simply cower and await a display of aerial superiority. But hey, that’s the price of screwing with perfectly good alien killing machines.
I may have a new knitting project
I never did get back into knitting after I messed up my thumb a couple years ago, and I probably should; I spend too much time at a keyboard not to wonder about carpal tunnel, and knitting supposedly helps fend it off. When I was knitting, I liked mindless projects, like big long scarves. And no, I didn’t do Tom Baker scarves; I did a couple Hogwarts scarves. (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and a half-finished non-Hogwarts brown on brown, for the record.) Plus a few other just-learning projects: misshapen mittens, odd looking hats, and such.
But if I do a Dalek, that means the finished product should look like something. And I’ll actually have to, like, count. It’s a surprisingly intimidating thought (especially considering my old default crafty thing was counted cross-stitch, which has “count” right there in the name). I don’t have to count with the scarves. I just keep knitting in a circle (often in front of the TV) and check when it looks like I’m closing in on twenty rows and have to think about switching colors. Still, I suppose it’s important to broaden one’s horizons.
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