ganzfeld knits

fiber inspired process

2010-07-21T12:00:00.009-05:00

there is nothing like some new fiber for inspiration, no?

at a recent local fiber festival I acquired some hand spun natural color (undyed) angora and some natural color alpaca.

I may have also fallen in love with angora, or at the very least, in love with the skeins I purchased. Cozy Rabbit Farm produces lovely yarn, hand raised, hand spun, and if dyed, done by hand. there was a number of hand knit items for sale as well, showing some amazing potential for the angora yarns. I purchased two skeins of "blue" (a white to light-gray) light-weight angora yarn.

if you asked me my favorite color, I would probably say white, especially in semi-gloss on sunlit room walls. practically, though, its probably gray. my palette is distinctly desaturated; a subtle take on color that includes many gray pieces. gray is not just the space between black and white, but also lives in the space between color. the sport weight undyed skeins of alpaca I purchased from Frontier Fiber Mill is a fabulously thrilling dark gray named "slate".

I have a picture or two in my mind of items to knit up in the near future. in my mind, these items are complete. matching my knitting to my vision is challenging. one must strike the perfect balance of color, stitch, pattern, fiber content, weight and gauge. although the goal is the vision, its not practical to get too attached to a singular outcome. I could make myself crazy meticulously crafting the knitting to perfectly fit the vision. it is certainly worthwhile, however, to strive for the vision and to just let the outcome be. and while I am at it, learn all I can in the process.

four flats

2010-06-10T19:01:00.013-05:00

remove the shadows caused by the sun to create a brightly lit space.
eliminate the sharply contrasted edges and leave the rest intact.
the viewers focus on the results:
the gallery floods with light and the canvases crackle with color.
sometimes, I only want to focus on
the filter itself.

from the shadows

2010-05-21T01:17:00.000-05:00

the stitch was simple, airy, lofty... elegant, with beautiful lights and shadows. a visual coziness amplified by gentle yarn halos filling in some of the empty space between the stitches.

absolutely perfect for a scarf.

it was not a loose gauge version of a standard stitch; this I tested early on. I dug through my stitch dictionaries, knitted more swatches, searched high and low on the internet, knitted more swatches, learned brioche... no, not that. I was relentless. all I wanted to do was figure out what this stitch could be. then finally, after feeling like I had exhausted my options, I set out on my own. I took a stitch that I thought came fairly close to what I was looking for and I tried something slightly different. something that... worked. was it the stitch? I did not know, but I absolutely loved the results. I still do.

this week was filled with plenty of experimentation, so many swatches and just as many dead ends. I ended up learning more about the construction of stitches then I had in my previous year of knitting. I became very comfortable with yarn overs and I also added additional stitches to my arsenal that I may not have otherwise learned.

now, I will find some yarn...
in a colorway to enhance the virtues of the stitch, probably something lighter in value. in a fiber that has delicate halos, but is warm and strong. in a gauge that is light enough for the stitch to shine, but heavy enough for an appropriate drape.

absolutely perfect for a scarf.

building in mirrors

2010-04-30T13:23:00.009-05:00

I am finding myself awash in beautiful yarns as my palette (*ahem* stash) grows, it reflects back more and more of its owner. this is, in a sense, comforting, to see oneself in their choices. however, as my palette grows, my FOs are not growing in kind. I may have to revisit my purchase rules again in the near future.

current rules (apart from budgetary concerns) for yarn purchases are:
1. I must absolutely love the yarn!
2. I must have a plan for the yarn (even if it doesn't work out).

that parenthesised part keeps me from any regret for purchasing. if it doesn't work out, I still have yarn I love until I find a use for it. which brings me to a story about my most recent purchase.

the intended companion for the gray Habu Shosenshi Linen I bought last month did not work out. the linen was the wrong color, or rather, not quite the right color for my intentions. it was a tad too warm, more beige than gray. I knew I would eventually find a home for the newly acquired linen, but my original intent for it was no longer viable.

while in Coralville, IA, Janet and I, in accordance with our resolution to stop and visit a LYS wherever we travel to, stopped in at Crazy Girl Yarn Shop to look around, shop, sit and knit with the locals (since they promote this sort of thing! yay!) and just *be* in a knit shop. Leslie and Ness were wonderful and welcoming hosts. since I have family that live in Coralville, I am quite certain that I will visit them again.

I wandered around the store, probably looking at ALL the yarn available there. I bent down to look more closely at some lace weight yarn that was a dramatic and lustrous silvery, mid-gray, with some added warmth. the skein's luxurious hand was found to be a blend of baby alpaca and silk, a perfect paring AND a perfect pairing for my Habu Shosenshi Linen: weightless and draping bliss. I read the tag: Alpaca with a Twist. Fino. I was not familiar with this yarn until that moment. I bought 2 skeins for my "palette".

knitiversary!

2010-03-21T15:00:00.004-05:00

a year has passed since I began to learn the craft of knitting.
the commitment I made has been met. I have been knitting for a calendar year and blogging about it. now, I get to evaluate what I have accomplished so far and also, more importantly, how I will be proceeding from here.

in a previous blog post ("stash season" in September of 2009), I said something about how stashes beyond 1 "stashbox" were unreasonable. my process has had trouble with that assessment, as I am finding inspiration by the yarns themselves and that I really like working from a base palette and having some yarn references when I am designing. the only way I would really go astray is by buying yarn that I do not love. the stash is currently taking up 2 boxes and that, right now, seems reasonable...

I recently purchased some Habu Shosenshi linen paper tape (A-60) in gray that arrived at my doorstep close to my Knitiversary. my mind was already in a nostalgic state, thinking about the early days of knitting and the time before I began to knit. my brain wandered off, staring at the new item for my knitting stash. I was reminded of the Arch in St. Louis, the ribbon like lines from certain angles, the weightlessness... the discovery of SKIF International while in St. Louis, the design process, Eero Saarinen's amazing designs and how I could not wait to design a sweater to utilize this new Habu acquisition.

I am still thoroughly enamored and inspired by SKIF and coincidentally, their acronym: Sweaters Knit In Freedom is not far off from my core reason for knitting in the first place. mmm, sweaters.

my 2009/10 FO list is rather short:
(thankfully, that means less UFOs!)

1. BabyMod, a blanket for my godchild, Zoey.
2. Lil' Noro, a scarf for my sockdog, Retro.
3. Eins Drei, a beanie style hat for Janet.
4. Cafe au Lait, a scarf, that I still have not blocked and photographed properly.

1. 2.

3. 4.

2009/10 UFOs:
1. Noro Bellagio, a SKIF sweater for me.

I am excited about my next KnitYear (March 21 to March 20) and all the challenges and knitting that I will take on in that time. here are a few of my goals, techniques and other things I would like to accomplish for this 2010/11 KnitYear:

1. finish 2 sweaters, plus my Bellagio. so, let's say 3 completed sweaters.
2. do more designing. sketching, charting, studying patterns, etc.
3. learn and use short rows for shaping.
4. learn and use Zimmerman's sewn bind off.
5. utilize a few pattern stitches that go beyond ribbing, seed, garter and stockinette.
6. learn how to double knit.
7. to meet more knitters and find more knitting opportunities to knit in company.
8. attend a fiber festival.

on my second Knitiversary, this list will be revisited and we will see how I did. if this list gets accomplished, I will have had a glorious sophomore year of knitting! I hope you will join me on my continuing journey as ganzfeld knits.

back ordered (a survey)

2010-03-04T09:24:00.012-06:00

I found this survey on another knitting blog (can't remember which one) as I was surfing around and thought it might be fun to answer some (mostly) knitting related questions. I was slated to talk about fibers I recently ordered, but almost everything I tried to order is back ordered... and since I like to have visuals along with my commentary, you are getting this amazingly interesting and revealing expose instead. did I sell it?

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I haven't worked with enough different kinds of yarn to determine a good list of what I love to work with, but I can tell you that there are _so_ many fantastic yarns I have seen and/or touched. I am itching to knit with more of those yarns. I do kinda hate acrylic, though.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? for most of the straights, a big glass vase. for the others, A paper bag in my hamper. that sounds *real* organized, doesn't it?

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting for just under a year. my first teacher was Janet. I don't know what an outside observer would say, but I consider myself a novice knitter, beginner plus. I also understand way more in theory than I do in execution.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I do, and it probably needs a bit of a culling and re-vamp.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) wet and woody smells with citrus notes, green clay.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Not really. I'm more of the savory kind. I do love candied ginger, if that counts. what about dark chocolate?

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I don't spin. I used to make jewelry with metalwork, beading, laser cut, and I guess I still do from time to time. I probably will work some fiber-y stuff in there eventually. I design things, mostly. actual execution is what some of this knitting thing is about for me.

8. What kind of music do you like? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Techno, Electro, Soul, Ambient, Electro-pop, Tech-House, House, Italo-Disco, 80's, New Wave, Post Punk, Funk, Indie, Disco, Vocal Jazz and Hip-Hop.

Music I don't like? overly commercialized Pop, Rock or Country, New Age, Pot-Rock, Heavy Rock/Metal, Soft Jazz, most Adult Contemporary, Music played on the WB.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? old calculator lcd screens, chromatic and non-chromatic grays, various tints and shades of desaturated greens and violets, rich browns (coffee, Guinness, dark chocolate), powder blue, a robust saturated red, light naturals, white.

I don't like: dusty or antique rose, mauve, skin tones in general, teal (on the darker or saturated side) emerald and forest green and some purples. I also have real trouble with that burnt orange from Texas.

aren't you glad you asked?

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with Janet and our sock-dog, Retro. and some plants: Carl, Castro, Chery (that's "chur-ree"), Hiro and Saki.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? scarves and hats, yes. mittens and ponchos, no.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I want to knit sweaters... mostly just awesome sweaters.

13. What are you knitting right now? a Skif Bellagio in stranded Noro Kureyon Sock. that's it for now. one project on the needles. that will change soon, though.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? I prefer the term "handcrafted". and then, yes, probably.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? right now I am totally digging Chiagoo bamboo circs.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes! swift was obtained via a Halloween door-prize and winder was from an estate liquidation. inexpensively obtained, both are worth their weight in gold.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? It is the item I am working on now. technically, it is about 8 months old.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Resurrection Sunday.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
I sort-of collect 1" buttons. If you can find me NFL logo'd ones, you are officially awesome. officially, like I will get you documentation of your awesomeness.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I think Janet and I would both love a tidy little Zimmerman book collection. I have a hankering to knit something in super-bulky, in the likes of Twinkle Soft Chunky (gorgeous colors, btw), but I want to double-strand it. yeah, that's what I mean when I say *SUPER* bulky. any pattern that Skif or Habu puts out that is unisex or for men, I am all about.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? plenty, but let's start with EZ's "sewn bind off".

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Not a sock knitter (yet?) 7 and a half. not socks, but I could use some felted slippers... anyone?

23. When is your birthday? (month and day) October 7, 12:13pm. I share a birthday with some real "winners". most notably Heinrich Himmler and Vladimir Putin.

stitching a habit

2010-02-24T13:07:00.003-06:00

pictured directly above is a skein of Manos del Uruguay in color 35. there are no dye lots, so none of the skeins are the same. I came across this particular one and HAD TO HAVE IT. no project in mind, no caring if I use it or not. it just makes me happy from all aspects. I am comforted just knowing that particular skein exists in my stash. one day it might suggest I turn it into a special item; but, until that time comes, I will enjoy it as it is.

for the winter gift giving season, Janet made a blizzard of Botanic Hats to my frenzy of color combinations... she kept buying skeins of Malabrigo to add to the palette, so I kept making color-combination suggestions. at some point, I requested an olive and pale khaki hat for myself. I had to have patience. all the hats she was intending to make as gifts needed to be completed before I could get the hat I requested. finally, it is completed and it is quite beautiful.

also, as a small token for Valentine's Day, Janet bought us a 4 button set of line drawing fiber-y animals from the Ravelry Mini-Mart! I got the wool and cashmere making animals. she took the animals that make alpaca and angora.

the Lenten season this year will be used to establish a good habit. I am making time for knitting everyday for the entirety of Lent. no excuses. at least 30 minutes a day to knit... I should be able to make a substantial dent on my Bellagio, and maybe even be able to finish and wear it for a month or two in the Spring.

I am coming up on my "knitting anniversary" (knitiversary?). in about a month, on March 21, I will have been knitting for one calendar year. when I started, I committed myself to knitting for one calendar year and doing some blogging about it. I intend on revisiting what my goals were, how they evolved, my FOs, UFOs, and what I want out of my future (and the next year) of knitting. it should be interesting!

the yarn, oxygen. the stitches, my breath.

2010-01-26T18:20:00.009-06:00

we recently experienced a short break in the Winter weather. we emerged from below freezing for about a week; a breath of warmer air was drawn deeply into my lungs, anticipating the dive into the second half of Winter. a Winter that will be saturated with knitting. my queue is, after all, clogging up with projects. let me tell you about a few of them:

item #2 for my future Skif collection, Zena. as stated in a previous post, she is ready to go! pattern, check. yarn & needles, check. swatch, check. but, I promised myself that I would not start knitting her until I complete Bellagio. in the meantime, there are many projects looking to unhinge her from her place in the queue.

a 1940's waistcoat (button-up sweater vest) from the Victoria and Albert Museum Knitting Collection. The pamphlet the pattern is from is called: Jaeger Hand-Knit No. 44, Essentials for the Forces. I have been looking to aquire a waistcoat for work, to keep my core warm but allow for my sleeves to be rolled up...

after the completion of my Café au Lait Scarf on size 19 (15mm) needles, I have become enamored with the idea of knitting a larger project (such as a sweater), with bulky or super-bulky yarn.

due to the lack of mens sweater patterns that appeal to me, I am taking on the challenge of designing and knitting a sweater for next Winter. in fact, I have quite a few sketches of initial designs, but I have recently hit upon a concept that I will explore in depth in the near future. I very well could be on to something.

Stephen West's Boneyard Shawl. completely taken by the idea of "shawl as scarf". Boneyard Shawl is a simply elegant pattern that features ridges and a garter-stitched border. its architectual and lets the yarn show itself off in an understated, refined way.

I can not tell you what project will be next.
I just need to breathe.

working in diffused light

2009-12-29T16:24:00.007-06:00

The chaos that is Christmas was not all that chaotic this year, but it did sneak up on me and left me unprepared. I want to cozy-up in an empty room, in the glow of the Winter sun... and I want to knit. I crave the simple, modern look and feel of the advert in the design magazine you were reading last week. I crave the results of some serious dedicated work but, I can barely seem to keep up with the Winter.

overcast skies and pullover sweaters are the norm as one week runs into the next one. Bellagio is still on the needles as the spring queue is jockeying for position. Winter always takes its toll on me. The holiday season gets me through the new year. The NFL Playoffs and the Super Bowl get me through to the beginning of February. February to April is a struggle. its difficult to take the day to day necessary actions to survive. let alone getting me to the design magazine advert outcome that I so truly desire.

my desire for a design advert future has influenced my eyes this Winter and is drawing me to colors with little or no hue. colors like charcoal, slate, fog and mist... I am reminded of living in Seattle and her coffee drenched masses walking around with their disposable black umbrellas. I could duck out of the rain into a furniture store on Western Avenue. modern sofas in gray and black leather abound. I marvel at the lighting fixtures and the steel and wood credenzas. if only I could spend the afternoon in a window that overlooks Elliot Bay, in a beautiful modern chair with knitting needles in my hand and smooshy grey-black wool travelling through my caffeinated fingers.

taking the chill off

2009-12-01T14:07:00.004-06:00

to get closer to perfection, more time must be spent in process. completion of a project marks the end of process. and then the project is evaluated. (oftentimes, against the harsh judgment of perfection)

I want to have something to show for my work. i.e. I want to finish projects. (completion)
I want the projects to be the best I can accomplish. (as perfect as possible)
striking a balance here is difficult for me since the two concepts work against each other in a constant tug-o-war in my brain.

I long for a sense of completion in the midst of Bellagio. the progress alone on Bellagio is not enough... being comfortable IN the process is one thing. being satisfied (by completion) is quite another thing, altogether.

one of the small projects I decided to take on was a scarf for my sock dog, Retro. he has been begging me for a new sweater, but I thought he should start with a scarf first, and maybe next year I will make him a sweater. using the "omitted" colors of the Noro sock yarn for the Bellagio project, I knitted him a scarf. which he loves, btw. it turns out that the Lil' Noro Scarf I knitted for Retro was not enough to satisfy my need for completion. the scarf was too easy...

so, I started a hat. a hat would help with some skills that have not received much practice and I would also be learning some new skills: knitting in the round (+leapfrog join), knitting ribbing, using double-pointed needles, following a pattern to completion, proper finishing techniques...

a hat would also be good for taking the Autumn chill off until I complete the sweater. I think Retro can whole-heartedly relate.

after you, Bellagio

2009-11-02T11:45:00.008-06:00

since I did not make time to blog recently, I am overrun with things to talk about:

how beautiful the Habu bamboo tape (A-157) is. (pictured above)
does Retro, my sock dog, really need a scarf, or does he just want one?
is visiting the LYS of any and all places we travel a good idea?
how much patience does it take NOT to start a project?
what are the benefits of a knit class session as opposed to an open knit session?
will my Bellagio EVER get finished?

these are all questions I would like to answer and talk about, but in the interest of time and in the interest of interestingness, I am promising myself to post about only a few topics and to post more often. I used to struggle a bit to find things to talk about in my blog, but now it seems that the knitting portion of my life is emerging. as a result, this blog is becoming what I envisioned it to be. slowly, step by step.

I made a promise to myself: NOT to start knitting Zena until I finished Bellagio. so, I have done everything I can possibly do with Zena without actually starting her. I have figured out the yarn I want to use to pair up with the Habu bamboo tape (A-157) and have purchased it. I bought an accent yarn. and lastly, I have swatched and have gauge. I have to get done with Bellagio so I can introduce Zena to you. she is going to be amazing!

Bellagio has not been touched in a week. a hat (for Janet) and a scarf (for Retro)are standing in her way. despite the neglect, she still looks like a beautiful WIP. I think I captured her good side. she is donating her omitted colors to make a scarf for Retro... and maybe, if there is enough scrap, another scarf (for charity). it seems that my Bellagio is too self-sacrificing. maybe I should promise myself to finish Bellagio before I start anything else...

stash season

2009-09-29T19:52:00.020-05:00

autumn has arrived in Chicago with a clear-cut deliniation. a front marched in, dropped some thunderstormage and then it was jacket time. or more appropriately, sweater time.

I figured out how stashes get started, but I am committed to not growing my stash to overflow my one "stashbox". I can hear you right now saying, 'yeah, right', but I am serious. the only reason I have lingering yarn is because I had the project first and I wanted to find the yarn for the project, then I changed my mind... now, I have yarn that needs a project. the way to keep stash volume low is to commit myself to using the recently stashed yarn next... to find a project for the yarn. that is, following my next project.

today, I made a pattern purchase. another SKIF, Zena. I was toying with the idea of knitting Zena in a single strand of lux-y Malabrigo, but I am choosing to use some bamboo "tape" from Habu (A-157) as one of my two yarns, if I can. if not, I will try to find something similar (read: a flat, paper-ish, tape/ribbon yarn). the other yarn will be wool. I am going for a wool rather than a bamboo, linen or cotton mostly because I intend on making my Zena perform her sweaterly duties and keep me warm. and now, I have 6 skeins of worsted weight Malabrigo in my stash.

I am completely obsessed with the bamboo tape. its light, strong and flat. mixing the tape with a wool yarn will add complexity and texture...

Bellagio update: finished right front panel and all the transitions to the back. I am now knitting down the back and finally feeling like I am making real progress. "Noro Bellagio" is the name I gave this sweater on Ravelry, but I secretly call it my "Chaos Sweater" to wear as the world slips into chaos... and on that note, maybe I DO need a yarn stash.

stitch by brick

2009-09-18T12:37:00.003-05:00

many weeks have past since my last post and my Bellagio should have that much work to show for it. it does not. my physical body has that much work on it, and since my job at the moment is fairly physically demanding, I am in pretty good shape. scratch that. I am in darned good shape, I reached my goal weight, and I feel fantastic! (just in time for my new job [a promotion] on Monday)

my sweater, however, is hobbling along (in addition to my writing skills)... my fingers may have not been knitting as much, but my mind and actions have been laying more support for it in the near future. since I have not written in a while, I will outline just a couple/few of the things I have done over the past several weeks.

Stitches Midwest.

I now have a set of exotic wood knitting needles... 3/4" square. Thank you so much, Joe! I figured out the approximate equivalent of gauge by taking the parimeter (3"), converting it to millimeters (76.19mm), and figuring diameter if the parimeter were a circumference (24.25mm). the needles are just shy of gauge 50 needles (25mm) I have (about) size 50 needles! I promised Joe that I would push my boundaries and think in a different box to make use of the needles. new challenges await.

The Habu textiles booth was amazing! so many beautiful and unusual yarns. color palletes I could bathe in. Janet bought the makings for kit-78 ("Kusha Kusha" scarf) I had surmised to myself in the recent past that I would be the first one of us to buy Habu. I guess not. I also think I will love Japanese knitting patterns... my visual/symbolic nature gets enabled.

Malabrigo Event @ Nina.

hung out with Tobias and Antonio and bought 6 skeins of Malabrigo Worsted (at 20% off) to become my next sweater. in Malabrigo. Black Forest 179. so soft. so beautiful.

My very first knitting circle attendance @ Sister Arts Studio.

wine, comfortable environs, good company, another attendee wearing SKIF. whats not to like? thank you, Donna! I had been looking around a while for a place that I would feel...

SKIF Trunk Show @ Sister Arts Studio.

today is a nice day for that, doncha think? Zena is queued up next... I feel like knitting.

inductive construction

2009-07-21T10:27:00.013-05:00

casually making progress on Bellagio.
stranding is less tedious then I originally anticipated.
I have made 2 felted joins to omit undesired teal sections in the colorway of the yarn I am knitting up and the joins are invisible...

I spend time thinking about sweater construction, how a body relates to a sweater, and many questions in-between. I do not have enough knitting knowledge or experience to fully immerse myself in it, but I want to know more, more!, MORE!! I will learn an amazing amount from completing Bellagio, I have no doubts, but it seems that I am a little impatient.

I also have a desire to use some stashed Malabrigo for something.
maybe a small second project? I do not know what, though.

before I began to knit, I was displeased with almost every hand knitted item that I had come across. all the bad yarns, the amateurish designs, the "novelty", awful colors and/or color combinations, the irrelevant items... all the quality items I encountered seemed to be garishly showoff-y or tried to do too much at once. where was the simple, useful, elegant, well-designed, fashion-forward, detail conscious, non-obnoxious knitting? and where was it... for men? or at least unisex? (is this asking too much?)

after being drawn in (to knitting), I am still having difficulties finding knitting that *really* inspires me outside of the initial things that drew me to actually begin knitting in the first place. I tell myself that I am just not looking hard enough, or smart enough. -- while I do admit to being a quite a picky bastard, I would also like to believe that the community of like-minded knitters is a little bit larger than I perceive it to be... or am I to create my own inspiration?

the godchild and the Italian village

2009-07-06T14:32:00.015-05:00

Winter is still many months away, but now there is a blanket in waiting to provide warmth and comfort when the time arises. the BabyMod Blanket has been safely delivered as my first gift to my new niece and godchild, Zoey.

rail travel across the country:

rocking gently to sleep by the rhythmic motion of the train.

celebrating the sunrise and the slow entrance of light to my small roomette.

the pace, a counter-point to flying, slower, more patient, more humane.

I dreamt I was travelling in time, wishing as well that I could slow it down for a week, so I could breathe.

I spent some time on the train thinking about what to do with a pattern that was ordered a day before getting on the train. a SKIF Bellagio pattern arrived in my parents mailbox on the day I set out to look at the local knit shops. the active community at Knits by Nana in Baton Rouge was warmly welcoming and was one of the highlights of my vacation. in the discount room I found 5 skeins of a compelling colorway of Noro's Kureyon Sock yarn. I am sure it was left just for me to find... it will become my Bellagio.

Bellagio is a small Italian village at the center of the three forks of Lake Como... beautiful.

Bellagio is a luxury hotel in Las Vegas... beautiful.

Bellagio is a sweater pattern by SKIF International with a reverse seam running up the middle, then forking to the right of your neck... beautiful.

5.5mm bamboo

2009-06-15T16:16:00.004-05:00

on a to do list sitting by my computer I have a multi-lined item with 5.5mm bamboo as the header. this item does not deal with knitting. rather, it deals with some experiments with laser-cutting for a few jewelry designs I have been working on. today though, I was confused, albeit briefly, with the heading...

the baby blanket I have been working on is being knitted with 5.5mm bamboo knitting needles. at times while knitting, I find myself in a trance-like state, staring right at the writing on the sides of the needles. No.9 5.5mm.

I have not quite figured out if this coincidence is of any importance or not. probably not. but, I am now aware of it, nonetheless.

work has been more physically demanding then I would like, but the upside is that I have lost 5 lbs. since I started 2 weeks ago. this is a good thing, as I am only about 7 pounds from what I consider to be my ideal weight. the only downside is that my fatigue after work has been trumping my desire to knit... the trip to deliver the baby blanket and become a godfather is less than two weeks away and there is much to be accomplished between now and then.

using 5.5mm bamboo.

made of paper

2009-06-08T17:32:00.012-05:00

the knitting news I have to report is unfortunately slim. the rest of my life right now seems to be putting a bit of a squeeze on knitting.

I have begun a new job. there are many new things to learn, adjustments to make, a new environment, et cetera. but, I am very thankful, especially now, to have a place to work and an income. concurrently, I am trying to get my new jewelry line online. I am also working on a couple of commissioned pieces and trying to organize my workspace, files and supplies... as well as doing some Spring cleaning. it all seems a little bit overwhelming to me right now, but we are here to talk about knitting, aren't we?

the 4-week knitting class I signed up for is a go. unfortunately, the first week was postponed due to a scheduling mix-up, and I can not attend this weeks class due to my work scheduling. Janet, however, will bring home what she is taught and will keep me up to speed in the class.

more time will open up for knitting as I adjust to my new job, my jewelry line gets sorted out and all the rest gets just a bit more organized. if I manage to slay these things, I will definitely have more to report in the next post... about knitting.

I am very much looking forward to it.

click, its Spring!

2009-05-18T13:11:00.011-05:00

looking forward to Spring is a bit like looking forward to your birthday (when you were say, 10). you know it will eventually arrive, but the anticipation mounts as you count down the days and the wait seems so much longer. when the day finally arrives, though, the wait was totally worth it.

not much knitting was done this past week and I am now officially behind schedule on the baby blanket... there were many distractions this week, not the least of which was cabin fever. if the choice available right now is either gallivanting outside or knitting, I know what my choice would be.

I may be attending a 4-week beginning knitting class beginning June 2, at Janet's suggestion, but there are a few logistics to be sorted out before its definitely a go. if this class pans out, there will definitely be more on this topic at a later date.

after stopping off at a local bead shop for a couple of specific supplies, there was a knit shop next door, Chix with Stix that Janet wanted to stop in to possibly pick up a few knitting needles she needs for her current projects. This knitting store would normally be a bit out of the way for me in my normal operating procedures, but I did enjoy my experience there... AND I picked up a handy-dandy stitch counter clicker mechanism. Janet uses a pencil and paper to count rows or stitches. I can not seem to adopt that habit. the Clover knitting counter should help me immensely!

no guzzling out of a sippy cup

2009-05-08T15:10:00.004-05:00

panel one is complete.

132 rows, 45 stitches per row, 5940 stitches.

1/6th of the journey is done.

only 29700 stitches left.

the bind-off was fairly straight-forward and easy enough.

(knit bind off)

I felt a bit of the awkwardness of learning to use chopsticks for the first time, like I did when I began knitting, but thankfully it only lasted for a short while. still though, speed and control will come in time, with practice.

the swatch gave me an indication of the drape, hand and weight of what the blanket will become, but it was the panel that has cemented my original perceptions. it is going to be a very nice baby blanket. one I can be proud of as 'my first project'.

already looking forward to my next project

with a bit of impatience.

maybe it is somewhat premature to do so?? yeah, maybe.

a sweater.

for me.

that I will like. and that I will like to wear.

which are two completely different things.

I am not allowing myself to start the sweater until I complete the baby blanket for Zoey.

however, that does not mean I can't think about it though, does it?

I am really becoming more and more inclined to knit a Skif International pattern, an "easy" one, of course. been leaning heavily towards Bellagio.

I like the reverse seams and the asymmetrical collar.

I am drawn to Skif's philosophic bent towards 'go with the flow'.

(a bit counter to my own instincts)

but, what I am really drawn to are the results, and how I can obtain them.

I keep collecting nuggets of golden information day to day, week to week, stitch to stitch...

which at last count, was only 29700 more until a blanket is born.

come on in, the water is fine

2009-04-28T12:25:00.011-05:00

began baby blanket for my niece.
made design and production decisions.
   did some math.

8 weeks before christening.
actually nine, but a week for cushion, and finishing...
120" of panels to knit divided by 8 weeks.
15" per week.
3" per weekday. in garter stitch.
   decided the project was quite ambitious for a beginning knitter.

doing my garter stitch for the blue panels in purl.
and garter stitch for the gray panels in knit.
the change should provide some
b-r-e-a-k in the monotony.
   and plenty of practice with each individual stitch.

entrenchment and saturation
I will emerge from this with a passion for more knitting
or will vomit at the thought of it
from over-exposure.

searched for groups on Ravelry.
local ones
ones in places I used to live
   (oh, I know!)
groups that have podcasts...

Y Knit - genetically speaking
I normally would have passed this up,
based on the title alone,
thinking it was a self-congratulatory, Y-chromosome-centric podcast.

   it is not.

Y Knit is quite knitting focused. intelligent. campy. clever.
lots of pop-culture references, puns and fun!
subscribed, downloaded latest episode...

immersion.

she responds to a soft touch

2009-04-18T00:20:00.011-05:00

the back-side of stockinette stitch is gorgeous.
her name is purl.

the knit side's masculinity is expressed with
vertically stacked chevrons, consummate V's and strong support.
the purl side expresses its femininity with
gently soft undulating horizontal curves.

time spent on knitting this week has been short.
I have been rather busy working on jewelry prototypes.
despite that, I did learn something this week.
something beautifully essential.

purl stitch.

my learning of purl was postponed and postponed.
so, I have been working on the knit stitch. controlling tension.
I switched from continental style to american style, at least until knitting feels more natural to my tension riddled, inexperienced hands.

purl stitch.
everything in reverse.
even the tension is backward...
I have to work to maintain enough tension in the purl stitch.
I have to work to achieve looseness in the knit stitch.

the mechanics of purl came fairly easily.
mastery will take a soft but steady hand... and some time.

knit 1

2009-04-08T10:52:00.007-05:00

Google maps.

where is a knit shop convienient to my destination?

bingo.

after finishing an errand on Tueday afternoon, I dropped by a local knit shop, Knit 1.

extremely pleasant.

good conversation.

wonderful information.

shared opinions.

thank you.

discovered Malabrigo's kettle-dyed Marino wool.

subtle color variations

color depth to get lost in

desire

Polar Morn

a lightly smoky moistened gray

dont get too ahead of yourself

the projects will come soon enough...

running before walking

2009-04-07T13:45:00.011-05:00

A California weekend and the weather was magnificent.

I consumed copious amounts of seafood.

I did not practice knitting much.

two yarn shops. was overwhelmed. saw some yarns I wanted to see and buy, but did not...

I am not ready. it is not quite time.

as a true introvert, I like to understand as much as I possibly can before I start doing anything. I also know that thinking without doing is just as dangerous as doing without thinking... but, I do prefer to think way more.

I have a desire to know not only what I am doing "wrong", but what the results of the 'doing wrong' will be...

in the knitting.

I want to understand why I get the results I get...

its the designer in me. I can not help it.

it excites me to look forward to bending and breaking some rules, to get unexpected results. only that breaking rules now just leads to bad, uncontrolled, novice knitting...

I have witnessed.

I did think about the baby blanket.

I have a conceptual design that seems, to me at least, not too complicated.

I purchased yarn for said baby blanket.

it will be my first project when I can knit (mostly) without supervision.

returning to Chicago late Sunday evening in a snowy/slushy downpour, we landed on one wheel in a gusting crosswind.

breath, held.

finally, the airliner was corralled, and I was just at the beginning of a battle with food poisoning.

I already knew Monday was going to be rough,

so I set my sights on Tuesday.

boring / inspired

2009-04-01T10:29:00.006-05:00

I prepare for a weekend trip, without much knitting practice this week. my fiancee (Janet, from here on...) plans to take me on excursion to a yarn shop or two. my interest in sock yarn continues to grow. I read more. I learn more. I want some sock yarn for whatever my first project will be. stubbornly, I will insist.

more practice is required before I start my first project. buying yarn should help inspire me to practice practice practice so I can use my new yarn on my first project. since my "detail-oriented" nature requires higher standards, my first project should be something boring. something straight-up, like stockinette stitch. something I can basically just knit back and forth until the object is complete. no extra obsessing. something like... a baby blanket (for my new niece, Zoey). a heavier weight sock yarn paired with slightly larger needles should give me several qualities I am looking for: washable, durable, nice drape and a soft hand.

I will do some research on the interweb:
the shops we are visiting, the yarn on their shelves.
I will think about dimensions for the blanket.
I will do my best not to think about colorways until I am in the shops... so I can let myself be inspired.

week 1

2009-03-30T13:31:00.012-05:00

my first time to cast-on went slowly. I felt as if I did not know how to use my hands. like the skills I had embedded in my muscle memory had no meaning anymore... well, almost.

After finally getting through my first cast-on, I began to knit my first row.
so. difficult.

I started with some ordinary, teal-ish 100% cotton yarn (I have no clue about sizes of yarn yet) on 3.75mm (US 5) needles. about halfway through my first row, I was handed a pair of 8mm (US 11) with a row cast-on and told to try the 8mm needles, because they would be a bit less challenging. (i.e. -I am not quite ready for the 3.75mm just yet, at least not to knit my very first row!)

I finally got through an entire row (like 25-ish stitches) with many stops and starts.

I would knit a row. my fiancee would purl a row back.

I would knit another row. my fiancee would purl a row back...

eventually after several rows, I was told to keep knitting back and forth.

so I learned the garter stitch.

I am guessing that I logged about 4 hours this past week.

I cast-on several times, and I feel reasonably comfortable with that now.

I have only knitted 1 "first row". I need more practice with that.

my knit stitch is getting better. I can feel improvement each time I handle the needles.

I also knitted a few rows with a small set of circular needles.

purling is not in the repertoire yet.

maybe this week?

outset

2009-03-26T23:41:00.012-05:00

The first time I picked up a set of knitting needles to cast-on was 21 March 2009... a Saturday. my inclination to knit was not out of some sort of nostalgia or life-crisis or the fact that I have a brand new niece named Zoey. it came bubbling forth after careful consideration. I already have plenty of interests and hobbies, why this one, why now? the easy response is: knitting is something I have been interested in for a long time. so, why not just go for it? The truth is that I have been interested in the _results_ of knitting for a long time, but was not sure I wanted to actually learn how to knit. every now and again upon seen a beautiful or utterly amazing garment that had been hand knitted, I cataloged it in my brain as "knitting potential". my fiancee is a knitter, 2 close friends are knitters... so, I have great resources if I was ever to start knitting.

I can track for you the last few things that finally pushed me to the point of casting-on.

1. I was in St. Louis last October with my fiancee, visiting friends. I was reading, ahem, loosely scanning the St. Louis magazine trying to figure out something I might want to do outside of our already planned activities. I came across an advertisment for Skif International and a hot hot hot picture of a sweater. wow, I thought, in St. Louis there is an awesome knit shop, sweet. I took down the URL, and promptly looked it up on the interweb. then, my socks were blown off. finally, I thought, knitting that in my minds eye, resembles knit work I could see myself doing... my "knitting potential" file in my brain busted at the seams. maybe, I thought, knitting is for me after all.

2. since I had been employing wool (more specifically, felted wool) in jewelry I have been working on, helped lead me to felt bead making, which led me to felt making, and making felt from knitted items... learning how to knit would help supply handcrafted, unique felt for my jewelry, if ever I need/want it.

3. I decided to take a few steps into knitting and so I asked my fiancee if she would teach me to knit. she said yes, so I began to look for some knitting resources on the web. one of the first blogs that really caught my attention was Nora's blog, Black Dog Knits, and specifically, this project. I drooled, I was envious and I became truly excited about the prospect of knitting... the pattern that Nora started from to make that incredible sweater was in fact, a Skif International pattern! full circle.

I was sold on the prospect of becoming a knitter and I also decided to be committed to knitting for a calendar year, and to try to document my journey... so I did more searching online for knitting resources. that research and curiousity led me to Ravelry, an online knitting community. I promptly put in my request for an account. (the approximate wait time at that time was 6 days) I was elated to have tools available to help me to keep organized and document my journey. all the hard work was done for me.

on 26 March, I receive my invite to Ravelry... so,

I set up this blog, ganzfeldknits on Blogger. (as a companion to my Ravelry account)

I also set up a ganzfeldknits collection on my already existing Flickr account (although there is no knitting content yet)

and now, there is no looking back.

my heartfelt thanks goes out to Nora, Skif International, Ravelry and my fiancee.