tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63933345268425574772024-03-14T02:15:15.134-04:00Spinster BethKnitting and Spinning in Charm CitySpinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.comBlogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-90922841209587827202015-12-30T14:50:00.000-05:002015-12-30T14:50:45.498-05:00Ringing Out the Old YearIt's nearly 2016! As usual, I have made no resolutions or lists or anything like that. I try to make necessary changes as they are needed, rather than waiting for a date on the calendar. I fear I might misbehave too much before that date, out of a sense of desperation. Resolve to cut back my caffeine intake on 1 January? You can be sure that I will increase that intake in the weeks leading up to Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-80284954183556934402015-12-24T13:40:00.002-05:002015-12-24T13:40:49.942-05:00Welcome Back!That was for me. I've not blogged for a couple months. I noticed that knitting blogs have sort of fallen away, and I felt a little discouraged. I don't really want to go into Pinterest, so I will spend the holiday time mulling over what to do. Continue with Blogger? Move to Pinterest? I use Pinterest now to find recipes, I guess it wouldn't be much harder to use it for knitting, but I would have Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-14986819705189118502015-10-25T14:33:00.000-04:002015-10-25T14:33:03.597-04:00I Fixed a Sock and I Liked itWhen I first was learning to knit, I turned to U-Tube for all my tutorial needs. Now, thanks to Pinterest, it's even easier to learn new ways to knit, patch, repair, and darn. I browsed across a sock-darning tutorial for fixing holes that looked much neater than my usual thread-yarn-around-the-hole technique. It takes more time, but not much, and it looks great when finished!
Both socks of Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-61862016132224262992015-10-11T16:17:00.000-04:002015-10-16T20:10:35.354-04:00Socks!
Pretty Kitty wants to know why I am taking pictures of knitting, and not her ...
Hmph.
So I finished the Downy Buffalo Socks from the One Skein Wonders Lace book.
I am not going to block them, because -- as always -- they're already too big, and blocking them would make them fall down around my ankles. SIGH. So frustrating.
I have a perpetual problem with wearing the heelsSpinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-10492296701129586612015-10-06T18:22:00.002-04:002015-10-06T18:22:36.516-04:00Just in Time for Autumn!Finished just in time for cold weather!
My new favorite poncho! Lace Poncho ... 03 Lace Poncho, pattern by Tanis Gray, from an old issue of Vogue Knitting. The yarn in the pattern was discontinued, so I substituted it with an acrylic, James C. Brett Marble Chunky. I purchased the yarn at MLYS, All About Yarn. I used an old skein of something stashed, something without a label, to do the blue Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-21490087321774698802015-08-30T17:35:00.002-04:002015-08-30T17:35:25.260-04:00A Sweltering Summer KnitUgh! It's so hot and humid!
Not perfect weather for knitting, but I'm determined to get this fabulous Lace Poncho finished by cool weather. Which here in the Baltimore area, is just a few weeks away! (Cool weather at night, anyway.)
I'm just about halfway done.
I have to say I don't at all like the border pattern. It doesn't match the lace at all.
The pattern is lovely, Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-5279578989720843842015-08-09T19:25:00.000-04:002015-08-09T19:25:27.349-04:00The Problem with Old Issues of Vogue KnittingSome years ago, I subscribed to Vogue Knitting. Long enough to receive roughly a dozen magazines. Now I've done the green thing and subscribed to the e-magazine version, and I don't like it a bit. My eyes don't like scrolling through the ipad as rapidly as I do when I'm just browsing patterns, and the font is just too small -- well, let me cease complaining. As much as I try to be green (I'm Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-9751621443646741612015-07-24T19:35:00.000-04:002015-07-24T19:35:32.883-04:00Two Finished Objects ...and one sock.
Finished Object One is the Striped Tunic, from an old Vogue Knitting.
I'm not real sure what happened with the sleeves, why it looks so blocky, but as usual the model for the sweater in the magazine is a stick insect, so of course it drapes beautifully on her. Stupid skinny chick. Anyway, I might try to add a dart or pinch in the waist just a bit and wear it with Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-23291113908666089912015-07-12T13:20:00.002-04:002015-07-12T13:20:36.232-04:00Back from HiatusI'm back!
For a few months, I had no interest at all in knitting. Or spinning. I gave myself some time off, and now I'm feeling an interest in the needles again. I had three WIPs when I left off...
A lovely striped tunic:
Kinda hot for this much wool, which is partly why I set it aside. Also, I didn't put stripes in it.
It's still hot, but I'm at the sewing-together stage, Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-78303221410817031862015-05-02T17:08:00.000-04:002015-05-02T17:08:02.117-04:0042nd Annual Sheep and Wool FestivalThis weekend!
I went without a list of any kind. Just a vague idea to buy a Zauberball (I only saw one and didn't like the color). So I didn't buy any yarn. Which is fine, because I have enough to last a lifetime!
Here are some pictures ... no captions.
The smooching alpaca is so cute!
Here are my non-yarn purchases ...
A merino batt (what? It's Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-77732089260988788182015-04-21T17:53:00.002-04:002015-04-21T17:53:55.099-04:00Hiatus
I didn't knit anything for several weeks ... I don't know if it was Spring Fever, or if I just needed a break, but I just didn't want to pick up the needles for ages!
I have about five WIPs, but just two are active ... an open-work cowl, and most of a sock ;-).
Spring finally did come to the Mid-Atlantic, but only recently!
The above photos were taken on the Patapsco Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-76242945972552207012015-03-04T14:55:00.001-05:002015-03-04T14:55:08.157-05:00Pardon my Absence......But I had to find a warm place where the sun was shining.
On a San Diego beach.
My friend S. and I signed up for the Run Like a Diva half marathon in Temecula, California. It was the perfect winter break--we left between winter storms in Baltimore. It was hard coming back to the sludge and slush, but it was wonderful getting away!
This half marathon was hosted and sponsoredSpinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-18790977451214947012015-02-22T17:38:00.002-05:002015-02-22T17:38:57.032-05:00Winter Snowstorm Means More WIPsI just can't seem to find interest in one project.
So I cast on another one...
The Mari Lace Cowl from Lace One-Skein Wonders. There's a sock pattern in that book that looks intriguing, too. I might cast that on as well. This Mari is very mindless. I like to do something mindless and something challenging!
Winter is really starting to get to me. It's been so terribly frigid here Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-82642937612640775602015-02-15T15:17:00.000-05:002015-02-15T15:17:04.156-05:00How Cold is it? This cold.
Note the tiny letters that spell out "RealFeel -5" and "-15." We've been under a high wind advisory, which was on par with the Tropical Storms I've been through before. I spent most of the night wakeful, worried about the stray cats outside, worried that the tree in the backyard would tumble down onto my neighbor's shed, worried that the power would go out and I'd have to deal withSpinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-17499676143953439182015-02-03T19:05:00.002-05:002015-02-03T19:05:32.999-05:00The Neverending Blanket StoryI've really got to get going on this thing.
The Leaf Lace Blanket ... it will apparently need a fierce blocking to resemble the photo from the link.
Sometimes, leaf patterns look a little ... well, naughty. Hmm.
I wonder how much larger it will actually be, once blocked? I had planned on investing 7 skeins of yarn in it, but I don't want it to be too long and skinny.
It's aSpinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-16011521005135263672015-01-27T21:02:00.001-05:002015-01-27T21:02:33.886-05:00HyggeHygge (“heu-gah”).
I just read about this Danish tradition in an article on the multi-faith website Patheos. This article defined hygge as "coziness," such as making your living space cozy throughout the cold winter months. Focusing on light, warmth, candles, and gathering together with friends. There are many internet articles on hygge, of course, and the Wiki entry on Denmark Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-23244693629978201322015-01-18T15:04:00.000-05:002015-01-18T15:04:01.330-05:00It's Going to Be Boring for a WhileI'm not knitting very quickly on this baby blanket, and it's all I'm doing right now, so the next few weeks will be quite boring here!
It is much bigger than the last blog entry, at least.
Other updates:
Weather: Cold, foggy, rainy, dreary.
Reading: "Boiled Over," by Barbara Ross. The 2nd in a series (so far, a series of 2) about murder mysteries in a small town in Maine.
Next running Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-62779172090394589822015-01-11T14:59:00.000-05:002015-01-11T14:59:00.052-05:00Why Can't I Have Nice Things
Every pair of socks I knit sooner or later, usually sooner, develops a hole or bare patch.
This was expensive sock yarn, too.
Most of my socks turn out very loose (dunno why, I'm a tense knitter), so maybe this time it was the friction against the back of my shoes.
Usually the hole falls in the ball of the foot, or bottom of heel.
Ugh.
So frustrating. I love hand knit socks.
I Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-78318882182629082592015-01-08T18:13:00.000-05:002015-01-08T18:13:00.562-05:00Luckily, I'm a Knitter...Because today was a day when great swathes of wool were necessary.
I wore all this, plus heavy boots and a heavy lined coat. Gloves under mittens, because as I get older, my fingers ache terribly when it's cold (and turn waxy and white, which disturbs me). Wristlets under my coat, because for some ridiculous reason all my sweaters are 3/4 length sleeves. Leg warmers over my jeans, because Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-10396882801317592732014-12-31T16:04:00.001-05:002014-12-31T16:04:41.333-05:00A Mitten for the New YearOne down!
Scandinavian Spots Mittens
Pre-blocking:
It was really hard to get the thumb to look decent. I thought about just making it pink or brown, but I told myself to stop being lazy.
Taking a nice warm sunbath ... such fuzzy yarn! I didn't notice till it was in the sun.
So I'm going to cast on the left-handed mitten in a few Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-20447819273446614822014-12-27T16:10:00.000-05:002014-12-27T16:10:40.222-05:00Unraveled.Well, I did it.
I unraveled this size 2x Bohus that I finished 4 years ago.
It was very satisfying!
Yes, I have a lot of bits of small yarn now, but I am confident I can use them up somehow. Fair Isle, most likely.
I started these Scandinavian Spots Mittens from the "60 Quick Knits using Cascade Yarn" book.
And I'm still knitting on the tunic thingie:
So I have Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-21554001136630674672014-12-20T20:33:00.002-05:002014-12-20T20:33:45.526-05:00UnravelingOnce upon a time, I was a size 2X (18).
Castle in Wales ... Newbury? Newton? 2010
I'd always kind of struggled with my weight, but that was primarily because I didn't really try hard to stay in shape, except for the 10 years I was in the military.
Like too many servicemembers, I just let it go when I got out.
Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Stratford, EnglandSpinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-40169108655635521772014-12-18T18:57:00.000-05:002014-12-18T18:57:00.597-05:00Knitting on a Cold Winter's NightBrrr! So chilly now!
Perfect for snuggling up under a wooly blanket and knitting. It's about 30F here now, so about 0C, windy and cloudy. Not a sign of any snow yet!
I don't know if I ever posted a photo of the 2nd Meghan's Braids hat I made, this one for me.
It isn't terribly flattering on me, but it's warm and cute.
I finished a 2nd Textured Tam. Oh dear. I just Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-88898815206408635242014-12-13T17:41:00.002-05:002014-12-13T17:41:31.513-05:00Back on TrackOk, I think I'm all right now. I've cast this on:
#27 Striped Tunic from an old Vogue Knitting.
I like that a number precedes the pattern. Kind of arty! I shall forgo the stripes, as I don't have other colors of yarn.
I'm also making another #35 Textured Tam (These are really quick-to-knit hats and very flattering, I think).
I don't know whatSpinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393334526842557477.post-77754848055498709882014-12-06T17:18:00.000-05:002014-12-06T17:18:21.066-05:00ARGH! I Give Up!
I started this *&$^ sleeveless dress FOUR times. I finally got the size right (I assume) and I knit this much ... and it curls under. Dreadfully. A lot. And I don't think it will be fixed by blocking, because it's a heavy, ribbed fabric. Stretching it out would ruin the pattern and fit.
So .... off it goes. Back to the pattern books. Argh!!! I have 1,260 yards of this yarn. I will find Spinster Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304737428423577847noreply@blogger.com3