Friday, July 19, 2013

Friday Mishmash - Knitting Opinions/Advice Wanted

Y'all just blew me away with your comments on Monday's post.  Blew me away, made me choke up, and really touched me.  THANK YOU - I needed to hear that I was still reaching you, in one way or another.  I appreciate everyone who took the time to leave a comment and just wanted you to know that you made me feel good about what I'm putting out here on my blog.  You guys are the best, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart! 

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The other morning Julia came over to run with us.  Afterward, Jeff let Paco out as Julia and I stood there talking...he ran up to Julia, realized she wasn't Erica (who he loves seeing every Thursday morning), and completely ignored her.  I guess he felt bad because yesterday when she brought over some running club stuff, he laid in her lap, trying to get on her good side:
Silly dog!

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Ever make some microwave popcorn and wonder why it's sounding especially loud?  PING PING PING!  It took a while to register, but finally something made me look:
 Oops - putting the lid on would have been nice!

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I finished the baby sweater and boy is it ever CUTE!  Baby stuff is so adorable in general, but hand knit something and the cuteness factor just explodes!  Here's the sweater, with a question at the end for you knitters out there.  Oh, and please note how the color changes depending on the light - I haven't done any editing beyond cropping, but it's crazy to see it go from a soft pink to a very bright pink in the blink of an eye!
Front...
Back (you can see the garter stitch down the sides - I followed the pattern exactly as written this time, but next time I think I'll do what a lot of other knitters suggested and omit that part)...
Front again - see?  The color has changed (pic taken in a different room than above).
OK, I was having fun with it at this point...
Buttons!  Did you know that there is a specific way to sew buttons on a knitted garment?  Thanks to Google and YouTube, I do now.  For one thing, you're not supposed to use sewing thread (it can wear through the yarn) - you use either yarn or embroidery floss.  I was lucky that the yarn fit through my buttonholes...saving me yet another trip to the store (the buttons took two trips).  You are supposed to create a shank, or space between the button and the sweater, so there's room to lay properly when it's buttoned up, and you do that by sewing over a spacer (bottom left picture; I used a darning needle).  Then you pull the button up and wrap the yarn around, underneath the button, to make the shank (bottom center picture).  I was pleased to see that it worked just the way it was supposed to!  Oh - you can really see the color change in this set of pictures - the brighter pink shots were taken in my family room; the paler shots were in my bedroom...all in natural light.

And now, here's my question for the knitters out there:  I soaked the sweater in Eucalan (a knitter's wool wash) and then blocked it.  And while it blocked nicely (save for some discoloring from my T-pins which nearly caused me a heart attack, but I was able to clean it off), it's almost too smooth for me.  I thought it looked so soft, for want of a better word, when I was knitting it - here's a comparison shot:
What do you think - would you rewash and just hand shape instead of blocking it like I did?  Am I seeing things?  Being too picky?  Weigh in, please (and thank you in advance).

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Big morning tomorrow - we are having Easter in July, in the form of an egg hunt during our run, complete with prizes!  Not my original idea (I stole the concept from another blogger's running club) but it sounded like fun, and our goal this season is not only to get our runners ready for the big race, but to bond and enjoy the journey along the way.

Have a great weekend!

16 comments:

  1. Hmmmm... knitting advice. There is no one commenting ahead of me to copy, so I will just have to pass on that :D

    Those buttons are adorable, though! They look like little daisies

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  2. I'm clueless for the advice...but I LOVE it!

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  3. I'm here with all the non-knitters to say, "Cute!cute!cute!", but I have no clue how to help. I'm not sure I even understood the question. :)

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  4. I'm so glad you asked! You made me remember the other reason I never blocked my knitting (besides that I was too lazy.) I didn't like the way it looked--I liked the softer look, like you described. I used to just lay them on the ironing board and lightly steam them into shape, kinda holding the iron just a fraction above them.

    That said, that sweater is just so cute either way. And yes, I have heard that ping ping in the microwave. Usually when I put too much popcorn in the paper bag and a little hole bursts in the bottom and all the kernels start escaping. Mmmmm. Microwave popcorn.

    Oh, and I NEVER knew that trick about sewing on buttons to a knitted item!

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  5. That's how I sew buttons on regular shirts too - thank you 8th grade Home Ec class!! :)

    That baby sweater is so cute it almost makes me want to have another baby. Almost, but not quite. ;)

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  6. My mum doesn't block them either. Just pre-shrinks it I guess. The fabric does look pretty smooth even after I guess. You could just try it on the baby and it it feels not soft enough,then wash it maybe?

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  7. Find a baby and get that sweater on her! So cute!

    Your run club is lucky for all the effort you put into it. An easter egg hunt sounds fun!

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  8. OMG - that baby sweater is adorable!! I'm beyond impressed!!

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  9. Aw, I'd love to give Paco a tummy rub! That sweater is too cute! You should open an esty shop and make $$!

    Have fun tomorrow!

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  10. That jacket is the just the bee's knees (who came up with that saying anyway). And like Bizzy says above, Etsy and let me know if you make beanies, booties, adult items, etc.

    A great idea for a fun run tomorrow. Have fun. I'm off to Dallas for the weekend and hoping for cooler (or at least less humid) weather for an early morning run.

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  11. LaShaune, I don't know if you are going to get your wish on the less humid weather. It's very humid here in Dallas with all the rain.

    Love the sweater, Shelley!

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  12. I love the baby sweater - it turned out so great!!!

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  13. AWWWWW, LOL --- Paco was trying to make nice. I love it!! ;)

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  14. The baby sweater is so cute, I love it. I don't have advice for you. I remember when I finished projects I washed them by hand and let them dry lying on something. I didn't hang it out. That's all I have :)

    What a fun idea for the egg hunt. Hope you had a great run/day Saturday.

    And Paco, oh Paco, you melt my heart as always.

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  15. I'm a fan of blocking. I find that it 'sets' the yarn and stitches, so that on subsequent wears and washes the garment will soften a bit, but still retain it's shape. It's especially important on larger (adult)garments that are knit in the round. Blocking stops that annoying twist action at the hemline.

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