Knitting and Other Stuff

Flickr Toys Meme

jackie blue — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:09:14 +0000

Copying Michelle, because even though I have tons I could post about, I have nothing to say. Very little knitting. Don’t want to talk about having to scramble to look for a job for the first time in 7 years. It’s pretty photos to distract me time, so here you go.

What is your first name? Jacqueline
What is your favorite food? Really good pizza, not the bad kind
What high school did you attend? Abraham Lincoln High School
What is your favorite color? green
Who is your celebrity crush? I’ll say Jeffrey Dean Morgan, because I can’t say who it is really
Favorite drink? A nice cold Guinness
Dream vacation? Scuba diving in the Galapagos
Favorite dessert? Ice Cream
What do you want to be when you grow up? A millionnaire
What do you love most in life? My honey boy, Ty
One word to describe you. Cranky
Your Flickr name. Jackieblue212

Meme time

jackie blue — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:41:57 +0000

Because I can’t seem to get myself to actually post anything about knitting (there’s been some, but not much lately) or take an ABC photo - here’s that A-Z meme that’s been going around.

Accent: A trace of Brooklyn, though most tell me they can’t hear it, and some say definitely.

Breakfast or no breakfast: Breakfast for sure, usually yogurt, banana and coffee, though the occasional muffin (blueberry) or bagel sneaks in.

Chore I don’t care for: Any. Hate cleaning, HATE.

Dog or cat: Cats are cute but it’s dog all the way for me.

Essential electronics: Computer, iPhone, TV/DVR/DVD.

Favorite cologne: None. I really hate most of it. I used to wear a subtle vanilla from L’Occitane till they changed the formula and it started to make me ill.

Gold or silver: White gold.

Handbag I carry most often: I switch a lot, but this season it’s a bright orange leather satchel. I’m into the brights.

Insomnia: Very very rarely.

Job Title: Don’t really have one as I’m self employed. Freelance art director/graphic designer, I guess.

Kids: Not very likely.

Living arrangements: Studio apartment in a neighborhood I love.

Most admirable trait: Loyalty, even to those who might not deserve it.

Naughtiest childhood behavior: Plenty - probably tantrums being the worst.

Overnight hospital stay: Pneumonia when I was 2.

Phobias: I’ve developed a really bad height phobia. Never had that when I was younger.

Quote: “I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best”.

Reason to smile: Friends, pup, sunshine over the ocean

Siblings: one older brother.

Time I wake up: Typically 9-9:30 on work at home days, 8:30 on office days. This doesn’t count how many times I wake up before actually getting out of bed.

Unusual skill or talent: I can make a neat room messy in about 2 minutes.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: Really none, but if you sun dry a tomato, I’m probably doing to push it aside.

Worst habit: Short temper.

X-rays: Teeth, lungs and shoulder are the only ones I can remember, but there could be more.

Yummy stuff: Oh, lots! Ice cream, good pizza, gummy candies, dark chocolate, a really juicy burger.
Zoo animal I like most: all of them!

Finally - the big Kool Aid Dye Job and an FO

jackie blue — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:00:22 +0000

I know, imagine this - an actual post about knitting. I *finally* finished the Lush and Lacy cardigan and wore it yesterday. Overall, I am really happy with how it came out. I know that I took a big risk by dyeing a whole garment rather than just yarn. Even more so that it was my first dyeing experience.

As predicted, the initial results did come out a bit spotty. But I was fine with not having a uniform color - I didn’t mind some variegation as I felt it would look hand dyed and that’s ok - it’s just the old ugly color showing through looked somewhat brownish against the new bright happy green. My solution - mix up more Kool Aid in a glass - take an old pastry brush - go over spotty areas - microwave 2 minutes to set the color. I did this a couple of times, and I’m completely satisfied with the result.

Yarn used - Elann Pure Alpaca in a dull grayish green that depressed me.

Kool Aid used - Lemon Lime, 50 packets purchased, maybe 30-35 total used.

Excuse the cropped shots, we were not looking our best yesterday.

This sweater makes me happy.

Sigh

jackie blue — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:35:31 +0000

I’ve been holding off on posting - wanting to have a new FO to show off after weeks of non-activity - but it’s just not done yet, so here’s one of those catch up lists instead.

What I’ve been up to while not blogging:

1) Going to shows. I’ve seen 4 Broadways shows since the new year - and I’m seeing my fifth next week. I’ve also been to the opera, and seen several bands. I have one of those concerts tomorrow night, too. *added later - just bought tix to the 6th show, 3 days after the 5th. whew!

2) I have been knitting. I finished the Lush and Lacy except for tacking down the pockets, and the %#^&%^# buttons that were shipped last week and still haven’t arrived. Bummed, because not only was it good blog fodder, but we have a nice cool week in which to wear alpaca. Soon it will be 85 degrees and that’s just way too warm for me to be wearing anything fuzzy. I also started the Sylph cardigan from Interweave, but it’s black, and doesn’t make for very interesting photos. And guess what else I ressurected from the dead? My Alice. Working on the second sleeve.

3) I’ve been sewing a bit. I got out the duvet cover I started last year and finished all the blocks, then realized I was grossly short on fabric for a queen sized cover. And, also discovered the fabric I bought has been discontinued. I combed the internets for places with some stock left - and it’s on it’s way. I just need the fabric and one more rainy weekend to hopefully finish it up.

4) I’ve been ridiculously addicted to a game on Facebook called Packrat. I’ve lost hours and hours of my life to this game, which is another reason I’ve had little urge to post here. Now that I’ve nearly finished what I could at that game till the devs release more of it, my free time is a little more diversified.

5) I’ve been slowly trying to update my portfolio/website. I need to get some more work and make some real money for a change.

And that’s the short list. I hope to have some buttons in my mail box when I get home and I should have a pciture happy post for you soon.

Catching up on my ABCs

jackie blue — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:24:34 +0000

I know, I’ve been a bad girl.

E is for Early Spring

F is for Flowers

I like to keep my bathroom a happy place

G is for Green

Cooking up something yarny

D is for Desk!

jackie blue — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:22 +0000

I bought a new desk, with hutch and file cabinet the other day.

I took my workstation from this monstrosity…

…to this.

Big improvement, eh? Especially the tangle of wires being GONE.

Dyeing Experiment

jackie blue — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:45:33 +0000

So the other night I wanted to see how the 2 Kool Aid flavors I got would look on the boring pale green yarn. I took a small bit of the yarn and took 2 baggies, mixed some of each flavor, and popped them with the yarn in the microwave. I did 3 packets of the lemonade and only 2 of the mango, and I only microwaved for 2 minutes, so I’m sure I can get more vibrant results.

On the left, we have the original color. In the center, the lemonade, which has certainly pumped up the green to a happier place. The right, the mango, which is a little muddy, but again, only used 2 packets and 2 minutes of heat.

I know there’s concern about dyeing knitted pieces rather than just yarn so I should have knitted swatches, and still might.

The weird thing is, the lemon one has made a stiff, crackly yarn, and the mango is still pretty soft. So if using the lemon, will have to rinse/wash and block a second time. Also, the concern of shrinkage has me thinking that I will use the microwave method the whole time, and not a pot of hot water, which might felt it more.

So the verdict: if I do this, it will probably be with the lemon. I sure have enough green sweaters, but the lemon seems the least likely to cause extreme blotchiness, and it’s readily available down the street.

Lush and Lacy underway

jackie blue — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:52:50 +0000

Finishing a deadline late last week meant that I could get in some knitting on the weekend, and I’m nearly done with the back of the Lush and Lacy. I’m not sure what I’m thinking, knitting a Spring sweater out of alpaca (I tend to be warmer than most people), and I’m still not loving the color, but Michelle gave me the idea to dye and I think I will. I want to dye it with Kool Aid since I want a bright happy color anyway, and I’d rather use something fairly non-toxic as I don’t have any big extra pots and I don’t care if I dump this in a soup pot, it’s food after all.

I had already started the sweater, so instead of dyeing yarn skeins I will be dyeing knit pieces (before sewing) - anyone have any good luck with kool aid and dyeing complete garments?

Now the problem is what color, and finding the Kool Aid. Seems every store in my neighborhood carries only the sweetened kind but I managed to find the packets of only 2 flavors in a local supermarket. Not the ones I’d hoped for, I wanted blues or greens, but you know yellow and orange are the colors for Spring around here.

I bought a few packets to experiment before picking a color. If they turn out awful on the pale green, I might have to resort to Ebay to get other packets. Looks like a dyeing experiment might happen around here tonight, folks.

A bad case of startitis

jackie blue — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:13:11 +0000

I’ve really been too swamped with work to knit much, but when I do, I’m just getting bored with finishing old projects. Yes, I know I should. Yes, I do need to get them out of the yarn bags and whittle away at the bulk. But I’m also into stash busting lately, so I’m trying to feed my ADD and desire to get rid of all the yarn by starting every new project I can. And so, we have:

Startitis #1, the next hourglass, out of 3 year old Rhinebeck Alpaca. This the one I started twice due to supposed twisting. Damn thing still twirls on the needles but I know it straightens out. It’s mindless boring TV knitting, and yet I can’t seem to get further than this.

Startitis #2, a sock. A plain old sock out of Knitpicks Essential. I needed a subway/office project. No pattern being followed, just some cute twisty ribs.

Startitis #3, started last night. I’ve had this Elann Pure Alpaca forever. ForEVAH. I kept changing my mind what to do with it, and finally decided to use half or less (I have 20 of these suckers) for the cute Lush and Lacy Cardigan that everyone is queueing on Ravelry. It’ll be a cute spring sweater - but I can’t help feeling a little bit like I am over these muted colors and wish it was a bright happy green. This sage/asparagus/avocado is so 5 years ago. But whatever. It’ll be cute. If it gets beyond this stage. Man, just started items are really boring to look at.

I hope after the nightmare that is my 56 page magazine supplement is done today, one of these items might grow a bit. Which one will it be?

C is for Color!

jackie blue — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:47:40 +0000

On a dreary, rainy/sleety day, all I can think about is wearing my cheerful new spring clothes.