Rhinbeck Cloth

I mentioned in the last post that I'd write more about my Rhinebeck trip another time.  Honestly, I don't know if I can really recap it all and do it justice.  There was a lot, and at the same time, not much at all.  It was a lot of sitting around, talking, enjoying the company of like-minded individuals.  We ate and knit and talked and ate and knit and talked some more.  Most everyone bought some yarn on Saturday. We swapped mittens on Friday evening.  I'm glad I had the opportunity to be a part of it all.

I also have to say how neat it was to be in the same place with so many knitters, knitting at the same time.  I've never been in the presence of that many knitters all at one time (or ever really).  And that was even more true on Saturday at the Sheep and Wool Festival.  I enjoyed it immensely.

Something that was part of our trip included a bag of goodies, which we referred to as our swag bags.  I'm not really going to go into all that unless someone asks about it.  There was a lot of really neat stuff and people were so generous with their time and talents.

Which brings me to the purpose of this post.  I had some ideas about what I wanted to include as my contribution to the swag bag.  One of the items I added was a dishcloth/washcloth pattern.

I designed and knit a washcloth specific to this event (the Itty Bitty meetup, not the Sheep & Wool Festival).   It reads "Itty Bitty Rhinebeck 2012" and has hearts and stars/snowflakes in the corners.

Originally I was going to knit a dishcloth for everyone, but after a little closer examination, I realized that if I had done that 1) I'd be broke because I'd be spending all my money on cotton yarn and 2) I'd be bald by the time I reached Rhinebeck from all the hair-pulling knitting dishcloth after dishcloth.

I make the pattern seem terrible, but what I really mean is that it's a little tedious to knit the same thing over and over and over again.  (A hearty applause to all of you that did that...you have more patience than I!)

So instead I made the pattern pretty and printed out a copy for everyone to enjoy.  The pattern is free on Raverly and knits up rather quickly.  Anyone with a Ravelry account has access to the pattern and can choose to knit the cloth, although I don't think it will hold much meaning for those who aren't part of our Itty Bitty group or who didn't attend the meetup.

I knit my sample in Knit Picks Dishie in the Begonia colorway.  I think I used about half the skein, but honestly I didn't weigh the cloth or the skein when I was finished.  (I should maybe go back and do that...)  It's a large cloth, easily the size of a commercial dishcloth.  It had to be in order to fit "Rhinebeck" all on one line.  If any of you are like my mom and I, this is the size of dishcloth you really like, not those other tiny ones (while the tiny ones are fun to knit and have neat designs, they just are so little!!).

I really think the wording came out nicely (I wasn't so sure about how well you'd be able to read it, sometimes paper to practice doesn't translate well...).  Dishcloths with designs can be so difficult to photograph and truly capture what the picture is.  I find the best way is to attack it from an angle, minus the flash.  Any shadowing I've gotten this way makes it easier to distinguish the pattern.  I also try to take pictures outside in indirect sunlight whenever possible.  :)

Moody Kerchief

I admired this pattern for a very long time before casting on.  But there was always something more important, more pressing, in line ahead of it.  Finally, I have my own version in my closet and it makes me so happy!

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m blogging far less frequently this year than last.  At the moment, I just don’t have enough hours in the day or free hands in the evening.  But what’s good about this is I still have the ability to knit, even if you’re not seeing everything I make!  This year may be a year of more selfish knitting.  I know I’ll continue to knit gifts, but already I’ve done so much more for my family and myself than in the past. 

Moody is knit with Cascade Pima Cotton in Teal & Sand.  My only mods were to knit the eyelet work in teal instead of sand.  I wanted that detail to stand out.  The garter sections that border the eyelet sections are amazing to me in the way they really make this design pop.  Again, I think that’s why I love where I decided to place the teal.  But isn’t it amazing what you can do with just garter stitches?

This shawl was complete awhile back.  End of January maybe?  The cotton was lovely to work with and makes this a heavier shawl, but I really enjoy and appreciate the drape.

Mom was kind enough to model for me, as I’m not great at taking pictures of myself wearing hand knits.  Any tips on how to make it easier?

My only wish is that this was a bit larger. But it is meant to be a kerchief and will be great for cool summer evenings. 

As for the pattern – easy.  A beginner would have no trouble with this one.  Well-written and easy to knit while watching tv or the kids.  I love Kristin Kapur’s designs and will be knitting more from her the in the future!

Perfection

Few things in life are truly perfect. 

But a brand-new baby all wrapped up in a hand-knit blanket?  Yep, I’d say that qualifies…

Lovebug, born November 4, 2011 at 11:43am, 8 lbs 4 oz, 20 inches

A Few Tricks of the Trade

I had some ideas for today's post, but then upon reading a friend's blog, I changed my mind.

You all know how I excited I was about the "comment replies" addition to my blog.  I know, I blew your minds with that awesomeness, right? :)  I think part of the magic of blogs is learning new tips and tricks from those around us who are good at being creative.

I've tried for the last few months to really be creative and fun with my photography.   It's fun to spice things up and take wacky photos or use weird angles, etc.  What I struggle with the most, though, is how to get good photos of moving objects, like X.  (Knitting is easy - it sits still and just lets me do my thing!)

I don't have a photo box I can sit X in, and I don't have a house big enough for a photo studio.  But thanks to Sarah, from In Light of the Truth, I have a few new tricks I'd like to try.

Sarah explains how she just uses different color bedsheets, positioned over her television and against the wall to achieve a "background" look, and one of her newest tricks - using fun wrapping paper!

Sarah's photography is awesome.  She's always sharing pictures of her kids and the world viewed through her eyes.  I'm envious of her skills! :)

Anyway - hop on over to Sarah's blog and check out her tips.  It's fun to learn new things and can bring such an element of creativity to our work! :)