Morgan's knitting

down to one knitting group, to knit with trellis and velour yarns

2007-06-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

After lack of interest in my Wednesday knit/crocheting group, I gave that up and went down to one knitting group only 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, enough for me to run and organize.

Soon to be done with that shamrock pattern dishcloth in 100% cotton Rowan yarn and onto maybe some scarves made from trellis yarn (some call it train track yarn and or other names) and velour yarn given me by my best friend.

have a pile of unfinished knitting projects that I intend to get to like a "keyhole" scarf where you knit a slit along by working from two sparate skeins of thin red ribbon yarn on each row and not letting the yarns meet in the middle for several rows (to leave wide enough of a slit to pull the other end of the scarf through while wearing around the neck). Also currently working on a throw for my 89 inch sofa long enough to cover it thus allowing a friend and I to wrap up in it while leaving it still quite long so we both can enjoy it while sitting apart from each other.

new knitting projects

2007-05-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

working on a throw in diagonal garter stitch in Encore acrylic (denim color) yarn start with a slipnot and put and increase on the beginning of each row until desire width of 5 ft and increase on the beginning of each row and a decrease on the end of each row until desired length is reached likely in my case the length of the sofa.

and on a shamrock pattern dishcloth made on green Rowan brand 100% cotton yarn pattern from the site purpleduckie.com

bag full of yarn and half done knitting projects left on my front porch this morning

2006-09-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

I intend to work on these projects and to finish them. They are half done scarves with balls of yarn attached and still on the knitting needles. A woman who has left the area today asked who in my group would take them and I being the group leader said I would accept them. I imagine she was flying and couldn't be bothered with them or with airport security holding her up over yarn and stuff, so she may have decided to best to leave them behind for someone else to use them.

So, I will finish them as handknits for charity to benefit the needy and the ill this winter. I will get them to Food and Friends and they will get them to where they need to go.

I will be running two knitting groups now

2006-09-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

Such is life, going from no knowledge of knitting just a few years ago, to knitting scarves, a baby's sweater and now a dishcloth.

I have 2 knitting groups, one at Adega Wine Cellars in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland and another at La Madeleine (a French restaurant with several branches in our area), in Rockville, Maryland on different nights of the 2nd and 4th weeks of each month. The one for La Madeleine is new and yet to form, but if I have just one knitter besides myself that will make the 2 of us at least and people will see knitting in public, and especially a man knitting! and realize this is catching on and is not just for old ladies.

I was pleased when finally a man who knits e-mailed me about a knitting group I started, and I replied in the info about it and he e-mailed that he planned to attend. He is interesting as all of my knitters are, but he stands out in a way because he is male whereas all of my knitters have been female, and I have been wanting to provide a space where a man doesn't feel self conscious about knitting in public.

Traditionally in our country the USA,, this has been some secret thing that a man does not let the world know he does, all by himself away in his house hopefully out of the sight of anyone else. My goodness, what would women think or what would other men think if he did something so "unmanly"?

But this particular guy is a creative type, he not only knit for his own dad, but he does nice things like put on shadow puppet plays and workshops for kids and adults, if I read his website correctly. but he also goes camping with his partner, so he appears to be a definitely a well-rounded guy with a variety of skills.

Don't know if I am still doing Meetup.com but might keep the subscription for a month or so more. It just miffs me that I could lose control of my groups' destiny if I quit Meetup. Meetup tells me that if I stop paying the monthly fee, then an automatic thing kicks in where the group members are asked if they want to vote in another organizer. If I knew that would be the case I would never have signed up for Meetup in the first place. Much as it is a great tool, I feel hooked into this to avoid losing the leadership of this group.

Based on suggestions from group members, I have taken the group away from a coffee shop with nothing to offer but mostly drinks and sweet stuff and awful, heavy, densely caloric white bread sandwiches, UGH! to a delectable full-service restaurant menu of sandwiches, salads, soups, wines, interesting non-alcohol drinks, etc. Adega Wine Cellars love the place.

Then La Madeleine with its French food in a rustic French country type ambience.... many entrees for under a $10.
Three rooms there (small, medium, large) to reserve for groups. One knitter raved about that place, and another about the rooms off of the main dining area.
For now, it is enough to try to reserve a long table in the general dining area so we can spread out our knitting projects.

Will I continue with Meetup.com?

2006-08-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know at this point, I may be better off stepping down as organizer of this Knit and Crochet Silver Spring Meetup Group, it costs 72 dollars each 6 months and my own electric bills are getting worse. So as a cost-cutting measure, I likely will give up Meetup.com and save a few bucks.

Whether or not I want to continue to lead a knitting group at all, is something I am not sure of just yet. I will talk to the knitting group this Thursday and see what the group says. Does it want to be a Yahoo or e-mail group, great I have had so much difficulty trying to set up a Yahoo group some time ago. Someone else who knows far more about Yahoo than I can do that.

Maybe Michelle can set up Yahoo, maybe I can find those who want to split between Michelle and I. She can have her own night and I can have mine. Or maybe I would rather do something else entirely.

I am very confused at this point about what I will do with this knitting group.

Someone I liked died last month, I feel some regret I haven't kept in closer touch with her. I just got a prayer card from her husband about her passing. So after I deal with the ant kill man, I have to call him.

I have other errands to run, to get stuff from the cleaners, I feel the need to get out of my house now for a while.

Yarns International

2006-05-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Yarns International is giving up its store in Bethesda, Maryland and is going to have an online store, in maybe more narrow choice of offerings so I bought a lot of books, patterns, yarn, needles, etc. long before I' d want them.

I have a nice knitting/crocheting Meetup.com group of 12 people, 11 women and one man, myself, so I am hoping to find some more male knitters. Most knitting groups even here in the DC area are practically all women (I don't mind, but I want more men to do knitting and crocheting.)

looking forward to this Thursday's knit & crochet event

2006-05-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

I have now a knit and crochet group of 10 people, 7 RSVPed yes and 1 maybe and 1 no. for this Thursday's Knit & Crochet Silver Spring Meetup Group. I look forward to seeing what projects people are working on.

Hopefully, Tuesday I can get more of the seam sewing on my baby sweater done. The parts are all knitted but just need assembling and buttons sewed onto the front.

2nd knt/crochet meetup messed up

2006-05-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ugh! what an evening, long heavy pouring rain, keeping Caribou Coffee customers and some membersof my knit/crochet group away, most likely. only the 2nd group event, I tried having. I missed gtoup members who came, whom I didn't know showed up until after the fact, I sat there in Caribou and knit thinking noone would show up in all this rain.

I waited until 8 pm, and then left as the shop had to close at 9, instead of its normal closing time of 10 with no new customers and a blown fuse cutting off lights and espresso coffee machine.

I had write an apology to those group members I had unwittingly missed.

Just need to put this evening behind, move on and do better next time.

Aspen Hill mens' Knit & Crochet Group named changed to Knit & Crochet Silver Spring

2006-04-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Since I welcome women to join my knit and crochet group and our location has changed away from Caribou Coffee Aspen Hill, Maryland..... to Caribou Coffee in downtown Silver Spring at 1316 East West Highway.... the group's name has also changed to reflect our group membership and our new location.

The group's new name shall be Knit & Crochet Silver Spring.

Meetups will be held 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, 7-9 pm.

Now the group is Metro accessible, easy walking distance from the Silver Spring metro, diverse dining out, shopping, movies, Whole Foods and Safeway is nearby.

Next meeting is April 27th this Thursday 7-9 pm.

Since there are no arts and crafts stores nor any yarn shops in downtown Silver Spring known to me, please bring all your knit and crochet supplies with you to these Knit & Crochet Silver Spring meetups.

latest projects, candles and knit

2006-04-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for rain, we need it here in the DC area after long dry March now good soaking rain. Got my newest Japanese maple tree planted that was rescued from the woods nearby, was just a fluke finding this lovely red-leafed tree on the edge of the woods and determined to take it home to replace my dying flowering plum tree.

Got a whole flower bed weeded and planted with pansies, know they'll last just a couple months til the summer heat, so will finish with summer flowers and then rip out the pansies by June and plant things that are more heat tolerant.

Weed the rest of tthe beds and clean up rose and herb gardens around my house.

Plant to finsh sewing together my hand (mattress or similar sewing stitch) my size 2 lavender baby cardigan sweater. Sleeve ends, round neck band, front edges, bottom end all bordered by roughly an inch of garter stitch with the middles of all 5 pieces 2 12-inch tall fronts, (first 10 inches up to neck shaping, do neck shaping remaining stitches "work even" until matched even in height with the back. 12 inch-tall back and 2 8-inch sleeves all in stockinette stitch.

Made a variety of vegetable wax candles as condolence gifts (lavender scented votives, round pillar candle for another person), as thank you gifts (refilled a host's candle jar with a red soy wax candle, made a cinnamon-stick ringed candle for another)

events (star shaped pink and blue candle, pale minty green and pale burgundy two-toned truncated cone shape candle, round pale off white candle lightly dusted with cinnamon powder (while congealing so cinnamon cannot be brushed off) all first of three crystalizing palm wax

yellow triangular candle with rounded edges and pink blush in center mixed vegetable votive/pillar wax blend and crystalizing wax pink blush formed by gently pouring a certain amount of lightly bright red tinted melted wax (that all like little speckles of not completely stirred or melted red wax dye that was in plained melted crystalizing wax) into the very center (next to the wick) of hot melted liquid yellow tinted mixed veggie pillar and crystalizing wax that was already in the rounded triangular metal candle mold. The red speckled wax went to the bottom of the yellow candle and spread out, When hard, candle was unmolded and a gentle reddish blush had formed on the bottom of the candle, I chose that side to be the candle top. The normal top of the candle had no red blush on it.

Another event candle was a reddish-brown heart-shaped one made from feathering palm wax and scented apple-cinnamon.

Feathering and crystalizing candle waxes are made from palm nut oil. and form feathering texture, and crystalizing forms small line-like crystals.

yet another candle was of veggie pillar/votive blend almond-biscotti scented, a yellow solid core candle (with its own wick) formed of veggie pillar wax that was placed in a paper half-gallon milk carton with a small hole for slow drainage punched in the bottom.

crushed ice chunks (no large ice pieces) packed around solid core candle and then melted wax from three different metal pouring pots (used for melting wax_ one yellow, one red , one orange poured randomly through the ice chunks until level with top of solid core candle..... to create a multi-hued candle with a lacy effect.

result middle core candle is still solid with its own wick and surrounded by this amazing, nifty but potentially brittle lacy layer of outer wax with a rectangular, blocklike shape. if it needs leveling off on the bottom edge when placed standing up, just enough veggie wax around the base to make a solid and level bottom and score the wax through with a knife in a square shape so that when bottom is hard, excess wax is left behind.

If holes in candle are too fragile, too big or crumbling when lightly touched, gently touch up those areas with very soft, gooey, slightly liquid wax that is just partly melted. Gently shape with knife and let harden.

can place this candle gently in round glass bowl filled with fine decorating sand (from crafts store) to look nice.

sweater progress, fronts sewn to back, working on sleeves

2006-03-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

Glad to have the sweater fronts sewn to the back of this size 2 child's cardigan sweater;.Now working on the sleeves.

the sleeves to be 8 inches long each , first inch in garter stitch and the rest in stockinette stitch. After first inch in garter stitch, then increase by one more stitch on both sides of the sleeve.

then four stockinette rows later on the knit side (increases done only on knit rows) do an increase and do that everv 4 rows 4 times and then every 2 rows 6 times.

I am still trying to get the hang of the increases and still goofing up the increase stitches which are placed on both sides of the sleeve there are so many increases in the sleeves, and each time I make an error in the knitting increases, I have to stop and get help from my yarn shop.

That slows me down, but I am doggedly determined to have the 2 sleeves ready by the last sweater class which is next week. We will put the sleeves in, do the side seems, and do the neck band and place the buttons.

I imagine that the yarn store will by relieved to see less of me, since I have ben practically living there trying to have the sweater parts done in time for the classes.

Once sweater is done, I go back to working on my friend's scarf, to get it done so that I can do other knitting projects such as blankets , etc.

The sweater has been eating up my time, I must now pay attention to tax season, and get ready for that April 17th deadline. Believe that is the official tax deadline as the 15th is not on a regular business day.

Such is life!

Sweater progress, next Aspen Hill men's knit group meeting

2006-03-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

I may just call it a day and stay in bed for a while, tired of coughing, etc.

My size 2 baby cardigan sweater is progressing nicely having done the back and left front and half way up the right front having done the first two button holes, soon on the third one. Button holes in this project are knit 2, knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2

or in knitting shorthand:
k2, k2tog, yo, k2.

Stockinette stitch means knit row 1, purl row 2, and next repeat row 1 and
row 2 in that order until finished working in stockinette stitch. results in "v" shaped stitches. Stockinette causes knit material to curl making it ideal for sweater body and sweater sleeves

sweater done in stockinette stitch with bottom, neck band, edges of the two fronts in garter stitch (6 stitches in that for the edges with stitch marker placed loosely on needle to mark out those 6 stitches) in from the edge's 6 stitches (which are in garter) the rest of row is in stockinette

back 12 inches tall start by casting on 57 stitches work for 1" in garter, place stitch marker to mark right side (RS) work through the next row in garter the go into stockinette stitch

fronts (cast on 32 stitches) 10 inches tall with 6 stitches placed on stitch hold and neck shaping for a while then remaining is done "work even" until the fronts are 12 inches tall same as back.

In "My First Sweater" class of next week,.. the class will be sewing the 2 fronts to the back, last class was neck shaping and placing stitch markers for button holes and practicing button holes.

La Fheile Padhraic Shona Daoibh Happy St. Patrick's Day to you'all

2006-03-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

Beannachtai an lae seo oraibh go leir!
Blessings of this day on you'all!

Go mbeannai Dia's Naomh Padhraic daoibh!
May God and St. Patrick bless you'all!

Ag an bparaid Fheile Padhraic Washington, DC at the DC St Patrick's parade

2006-03-14T03:43:00.000-08:00

Ba mhor an slua ata ann ar an da thaobh Chonstitution Ave. agus thar timpeall "an Mall", lan tuismitheoiri, paisti, daoine oga, daoine meanaosta, daoine aosta ann. Agus rinceoiri, ceoltoiri, ardain, carranna beaga, carranna na bpoilini, agus leoraithe an bhriogaid doiteain.

Bhi an la go deas, beagan te, afach, bhain an chuile dhuine sult as.
Bhi mise me fein an- sasta leis an bparaid agus leis an la e fein.

It was a great crowd on both sides of Connstitution Ave and around "the Mall" full of parents, children, young people, middle aged people, old people there. And dancers, musicians, floats, little cars, police cars, and fire department trucks.

The day was nice, a little hot, however , everone enjoyed it.
I was very satisfied with the parade and with the day itself.

sweater,dog, etc

2006-03-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

What a day, my dog Jody diagnosed with hookworms, UGH!
the day before yesterday, I found bloood in his stool and immediatedly called the animal hospital and got him an appointment yesterday, I got a call today informed me of the hookworms and that I'd have go down and picked up his hookworm killing meds. today I gave him the stuff via liquid in a syringe, tomorrow once again, and again in three weeks to kill any remaining eggs that may hatch in his gut.

I continue to make progress on my first sweater. back is almost finished, left front is finished and neck shaping done on top of that half.

Am currently casting on for the right front, since this size 2 cardigan is for a baby girl, it will button from the left. Done in stockinette with garter stitch to trim around the neck band, bottom edge, and center edges where the fronts meet in the middle. Color is lavender.

One of my ambitions is to one day knit a nice men's cardigan sweater for myself. I have a pattern I like in moss ribbing and diamond pattern.

Dydd Sant Dewi Hapis A Chi, Happy Saint David's Day To You

2006-02-28T22:27:00.000-08:00

Dydd Sant Dewi Hapis a chi. Happy Saint David's to you.

Saint David is the patron saint of Wales. His day is on March 1st.
Welsh is the Celtic language of that country and the above is a Welsh language greeting for that day.
Be sure to eat leeks on that day, leeks are a Welsh custom and used in Welsh cooking.

"Denise" small plastic interchangeable knitting needles and connecting locking plastic cords in a kit

2006-02-25T22:20:00.000-08:00

Love "Denise" knitting needles, short plastic needles that come in the most commonly used sizes in a plastic kit cover (the whole named "Denise") and can be interchangeable. There are plastic cords with twist-on ends that lock into the rear of the needles, and of couse two needles of the same size number for each size of needle required.

This saves buying piles of knitting needles for all the sizes. And the cords of course are same the idea of circular needles, only better. The cords can be lengthened by adding a plastic connector between them locking them together for projects of greater width such as blankets, etc.

I am knitting the back of a size 2 baby sweater on size 8 "Denise" knitting needles, I really picked up sped on "Denise" and best of all, these plastic cords in a "Denise" kit do not required soaking in hot water (as is needed to take the obnoxious curling out of a regular circular needle cord).
With "Denise" needles, the connecting plastic cords do not curl to high hell when knitting. Unlike that of another brand that I thought I had soaked in hot water and gotten uncurled, only to curl badly while knitting.

"My First Sweater" class

2006-02-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

Enjoyed my sweater knitting class tonight with "Knit + Stitch" . This is a size 2 cardigan sweater wsith buttons for a very small female child done on size 8 (U.S. size)knitting needles. Yarn is this nice Merino Superwash. in lavender color. I don't putting a young boy in a lavender sweater (did I say that?) just have to put the button holes on the left side and the buttons on the right.

But this is a female-run class and we all get the same pattern which is for a female style which means of course buttons are placed on the left side and button holes on the right which is just as well.

We get practice doing the back part and then the left front first before next class 2 weeks later. We work on learning how to shape the neck on the left front. next comes the right front and we learn how to knit in the button holes in the right front.

This cardigan sweater has 5 parts to be knitted separately, in American style, back done first, then left side, right side next with button holes, then each sleeve right and left knitted separately.

i plan to do on my own a small boy's cardigan in the same size but using more traditionally male colors for American society. exact same sweater design but with masculine colors and the buttons placed on the right hand side for male clothing.

I'd like having the same yarn shop to measure me so that I could attempt making a adult male cardigan for myself. The concept would be similar, but in a men's size this time in traditionally masculine colors.

Tonight is the first I ever made a knit swatch for checking gauge.

The back of the child's cardigan hass 57 stitches cast on, the first inch done in garter stitch, the rest iof back in stockinette stitch.

The left and front sides each done separately, casting on 32 stitches. each starting garter stitch on the bottom edge and then changing to stockinette. Same for the middle of each front piece along the verticle side edges that will meet together in front of finished garment when buttoned up. You will see garter st. along those edges as well with the rest in stockinette.

Stockinette has the tendency to always cause the knit fabric to curl, edging it with garter for an inch inward along the bottom and side edges will stop that curling process, I was told by our sweater knitting instructor.

Since our assignment is to knit the back and left front of this baby sweater by the second class (neck shaping is next) I will have to spend the next 10 1/2 days doing the back and the last 4 1/2 doing the left front.
Some knitting to be done every day.

I may work this sweater onto metal needles from wood needles to knit fasting as the yarn doesn't slide as easily on wooden needles I am finding and maybe I am knitting a little too tightly at the same time.

Meanwhile, still thinking about a flyer that looks ok for announcing the start of a men's kniting group at the Aspen Hill Caribou Coffee shop.

Springwater Fiber Art Workshop, the Manning's store and classroom for fiber arts, weaving scarves, knitting sweaters

2006-02-11T22:39:00.000-08:00

Nice store in Alexandria, Virginia (state with very ugly antigay politicians), Seriuosly, Northern Virginia is culturally different and more gay-friendly than the rest of VA, and should ideally let the rest of the state just drift off by itself.

oh well back to reality but, there is a balm in VA with such nice places as this nice place where weaving, knitting, spinning, crocheting is taught.
Weaving looms are in the back of the store for learning. Beautiful yarns of all kinds there like Manos of Uruguay, yarn hand dyed in kettles in that country. Beautiful wool from Peru in the natural colors of the sheep, brown, off-white, grey, etc.

I can't wait to get done with my friend's scarf and onto these beuatiful yarns. I want to go through my sweater class and take a weaving class at Springwater. One weaving classI'd like to do sometimes is at the Manning's in East Berlin, Pennsylvania.

One woman into weaving had offered me the use of her cabin so that I could stay there while I did a week-long class on weaving rayon chenille scarves which are like velvet. I really hope the offer is still open.

On the knitting side of things, I am wanting to get my hands on Michael DelVecchio's knitting book when it come out in the fall. I want a knitting book on men's knit fashions written by a man.

Most knitting books are written by women and the majority of patterns they publish are to do with women's and/or kid's knit fashions.

I bought a Daletta (Dale of Norway) pattern for a handsome-looking men's sweater. Pattern is called "Rustikk" (a Norwegian word). Maybe I could turn that one out one day. Norwegian sweaters I read are "knit in the round". I find the idea of "knitting in the round"a little intimidating as I am still used to dealing with fairly flat items like scarves. I can relate better to the idea of 4 separate knit sweater parts like front, back and 2 sleeves sewn together.

A.C. Moore's in-store knitting and crochet party.

2006-01-30T08:39:00.000-08:00

Saturday Jan. 28th, the knitting and crochet party was a fun event, lasted 4 hours at this large Rockville, MD. arts and crafts store. Mr, a middle- aged gay male got to teach an elderly lady how to cast on and do several rows of garter stitch. before then, she had never knit in her life,I believe.
So many people who have never knitted in their lives, seem to immediately gravitate to fun fur or fuzzy type fashion yarns without realizing that those yarns are too difficult for beginners.

So Itold this woman not to buy her fancy crinkly, fuzzy yarn and got her into off-white bulky Lion brand yarn, all the better to see her first knit stitches. In a hour an or so I got her actually knitting rows of garter stitches on her own.

I am glad that she will take an actual beginner's knitting class with an experienced teacher.

I can get someoned started but can't even correct my own dropped stitches.

still ripping my stuff out and starting over if my project isn'yt too far advanced, if advanced, I get help to ccorrect my mistakes.

Enough blogging for today, need to get a hair cut go for a hike and do a candle project.

knit some more of that basketweave scarf later on tonight.

basketweave scarf, need to learn how to correct knitting mistakes on my own, A.C. Moore's in-store knitting and crocheting party

2006-01-27T16:21:00.000-08:00

the 12 inches of my friend's basketweave scarf was wonderful but getting bogged down in too many knitting errors when knitted too fast or when tired.
So the kind owner of Knit and Stitch had a suggestion that I do the middle 3 feet in garter stitch and the last foot in basketweave. I may do that in order to knit this scarf faster, so I started the continued midsection of the same scarf in garter stitch.

Total finished length to be 5 ft. roughly 400 or so rows, done around 70 or so.
I will try doing a few rows a day in order to get some additional progress.
Must get this scarf project done so I can stop talking about this same basketweave scarf. And into my dear friend's hands by the end of November, 2006 for his birthday. Or his Christmas present.

Come February 22nd, I will start a beginning sweater class called "My First Sweater" knitting a baby-sized sweater with buttons and with minimal shaping. Cutting my teeth a little on increasing and decreasing which of course is "old hat" to most knitters out there who've knitted for a while.

I having another scarf project going so that when one knitting project gets errors in need of help, there is always at least one project error-free and in good shape to knit to fall back on.

I really need a class in making deliberate knitting mistakes and having to straighten them out. Am always too dependent on more experienced knitters to bail me out.

Tomorrow, Saturday January 28th, there is a knitting or crocheting party at a local arts and crafts store in Rockville, Maryland called A.C. Moore. There will be instruction in knitting, crocheting. using a kid's knitting machine, etc.

charity scaves finished, on to other projects, first sweater class, candle

2006-01-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

Got the second of two scarves mailed off to Food and Friends. On to working more intently on my friend's basketweave scarf. that will keep me occupied knitwise until February 22nd. I need to get get on with his scarf, I have done 65 rows out of roughly 425 rows to eventually equal, if my math is right, roughly 5 feet (or roughly 60 inches) in length.

Then, I will start a 4- part class called "My First Sweater" at Knit + Stitch, a Bethesda, Maryland yarn store where I go to get my knitting errors undone as well as buy yarn and patterns.

This class will involve knitting a baby sweater with buttons following a pattern provided by the teacher. I will bring my needles or use the store's needles and use the store's yarn.

I had a dream about making a candle out of left over chunks of wax.

That goes to make a solid embedded candle. Put a candle into a larger mold, packing it around with wax chunks and pouring melted wax through it all to make a larger candle with chunks evenly embedded inside the outer edges.

So, I plan to make such a candle.

Knit + Stitch = Bliss a yarn store in Bethesda, Maryland, Yarns International of Bethesda, my charitable knitting

2006-01-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

A fun yarn store in Bethesda, Maryland (a Montgomery County town and suburb bordering on Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights and very near DC )

This place is fun because of the variety of yarn, knitting needles (got a size 36 (47 inch-long) circular Addi needle for afghans, blankets or other knittings with large holes) knitting and felting books and magazines, knitting kits, etc. Plenty of knitting books and magazines, a little book on felting, on knitting folk-style handbags based on designs from different countries, etc.

Always, I am hungry for patterns for interesting knitwear and knitted acessories for men, (ski style headbands, scarves, hats, etc.) I am hungry for knitting books written by men regarding men's items. So little is written by men on the subject of knitting. I am interested in men's knitwear in these 3 different ways; (1) stylish with a fashionable twist to it, or (2) something unisex, or (3) something rugged and masculine looking meant for a man's V-shaped torso from broad shoulders, biceps and deep chest narrowing down to trim waistline.

Our church's arts and crafts store has knitted baby blankets, afghans, girl's and women's hats and scarves with the focus mainly on babies, kids, and women. I look to produce styles in scarves with colors either both gender can wear and also some that would have a largely male appeal as well. I am thinking of doing a blasket weave lap blanket in fisherman's off-white type color.

I am still mastering different styles in scarves, but feel it time to take a beginning sweater knitting class from Knit + Stitch (as this store is called in short). I want to knit my first little sweater, this a 4 part class, starting with the basics of knitting a swatch and learning gauge, reading patterns something I have never done while knitting scarves.

I know some of the abbreviations and knitting terms, but there is a lot to learn yet.

This store is great because the employees are required to know how to knit and they have gotten me out of a jam any number of time so that my friend's basket-weave scarf can progress properly, (on row 60 with 340 more to go to make apprx. 5 ft long) The store is open 7 days a week till 5 on Sundays, 5:30 the other days and til 7 or 8 on Thursdays. Classes in different aspects of knitting are taught right there.

My other favorite store is Yarns International in Bethesda, as none of their yarns are synthetic and make for upscale and fashionable, if pricey knitting.
Yarns International's class room is where I really got my best start on garter, stockinette and rib, my very first stitch patterns. Now I do basketweave stitch. plan to learn next seed, ridge and a bunch of other simple stitches and then on to cable stitches, etc.

I like however the less expensive yarns for my charitable knitting. So, I use the bulky acrylic yarns and large knitting needles in plain garter stitch for much faster knitting. So, I am using the yarns from kid's knitting kits I wanted to use up as the skeins are of much thicky yarn. Deadline is February 2nd, (I believe) to get these to Food and Friends (F & F)

Food and Friends is a charity that provides free meals to clients with debilitating illnesses such as HIV/AIDS etc. that rob them of the ability or energy to make their own complete meals.

F & F is accepting handknit scarves, handknit mittens, handknit hats, handmade afghans, with the emphasis on handmade and handknit winter items made at home by local knitters and crocheters, so the clients of F & F can receive useful handmade winter items as well as the regular free F & F food deliveries, an extra dose of heartfelt caring. One F & F client who got a handmade scarf was quoted as saying that she wore it around

(so I having donated a small child's size scarf I made) I am working on an adult-size scarf with 2 different colors in it, one off-white and one multi-colored, to use some more of my yarn stash. The many yarns ends will be woven in securely when I am done by splitting the fibers on the WS (wrong side) side of the scarf up inside the edges as I weave the ends through with a plastic sewing needle.

NIce article in the Friday Weekender Issue of the Washington Post about knitting, knitters and knitting groups in the Washington, DC metro area

2006-01-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to se a nice article about knitting, knitting groups knitters in knitting shops in the DC area.

I combed throughout the article to find reference to male knitters such as myself and pleased to find such. A male knitting group at Caribou Coffee was mentioned, a picture of a male knitter learning his first stitches (who came to Food and Friends with an armful of of blue wool to learn to knit a lap blanket for his girlfriend).

Well, need to get some fixings for tonight's meal and clean up the house a little.

Got bits and pieces of several knitting projects going, but had a bad cold for over a week, so I put my knitting on hold meanwhile, may start again soon.

There is a very shy male couple in our church, they are the only male couple there, so my best friend and I are trying to draw them out and get them to feel relaxed. My friend and I sit together as we have for years and months before this male couple showed up. so that it appears like there 2 male couples in the same service. He is married and I am gay single, but we hug, worship and take communion together. My friend and I would like to see more actual gay couples (male couples and female couples) in our church and I hope that eventually Joe and Ed will tell other gay couples that they are welcome in our church and that they will eventually show up.

creating little things for mmy church's consignment shop

2005-10-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

there will be soon an open house at my church's arts and crafts consignment shop.

So I wove a pot holder on my potholder loom, my candles and handmade glycerine soap are there, some scarves I knitted, I stuffed tiny animals into tiny baskets, etc.

Have plans to buy a few things to stuff my grapevine wreath with to ready for sale at my shop.

this will be from 9 -3 on a Friday and a Saturday and I hope lots of shoppers will show up.

today is Columbus Day, bank will be closed, so I am thankful I got my bank business done yesterday. I have enough yarn lying around the house and enough unfinished knitting projects and need to quit buying stuff until my credit cards are paid off.

i have a left thumb that is a bit stiff these days, so I have to knit a row and quit for a few days, so my friend's scarf is going to take a long time into next year.

please do not post comments on my blog unless they are relevant to my knitting, arts and crafts topics

2005-10-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

I am sorry but I found these two comments that were replies to my persnal blog topics of knitting, candle making, weaving, and other fiber type arts and or crafts. that were totally irrelevant such as forest products or whatever else under the sun to be a rude invasion of my blog. I rather see no comments than have to read stuff that totally does not bear on knitting, candle making, weaving and other arts and crafts. Please refrain from using my blog as a personal yakkity yak and chit chat space between yourselves that is not yours especially on topics that have nothing to do with my main arts and crafts focus or else simply please refrain from my blog as a dumping ground for junk postings.

Thanks for understanding and respecting my wishes.

Morgan

multicolored scarf for kid near finished, working on friend's basket weave scarf, weaving loom

2005-09-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hooray, my church's art and craft shop the "Fig Tree" opened until winter snows come after being closed all of August (since so many of us volunteers for the shop are gone in August along with many other folks).

Since I have finished knitting and binding off the 6-foot multicolored scarf (this yarn was factory dyed in random fashion with practically every color of the rainbow) it is now ready for fringing. I cut 8 pieces of yarn, (four pieces of yarn for each scarf end) each 8 inches long and fold each piece in half and loop it through using a crochet hook to thread it through the end row at each end of the scarf. And then tuck the fringe yarn ends through the loops and pull down to tighten in ther fringe.

This cute and brightly colored kid's and young teen's scarf will be placed for sale through the Fig Tree next week.

I have made more progress on my favorite friend's scarf in basket weave.
I have gotten temporarily stopped by pulling a loop of yarn in the middle of a row. I don't want to make it worse by my lack of expertise on fixing knitting mistakes, as I may need to undo this row and then reknit it.

I went to a yarn shop in Bath, Maine called Halcyon Yarns. Bought some Lopi yarn (from Iceland) and and new yarn called bamboo yarn. (actually made from bamboo, very soft and silky to the touch).

this same shop also had 3 different sizes of stands for holding in front of a weaver his/her rigid heddle weaving loom. I need to measure the loom and send for the stand.

My candle projects are on hold until more of my candles sell at Fig Tree.

I am also looking at selling my candles through another Episcopal consignment shop as well since cooler weather is arriving in my area of the MidAtlantic and perhaps soon more people will be in the mood to buy those things.

Latest knitting projects

2005-07-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Knitted very recently a 6 ft long scarf from Lion Brand yarn from a kid's knit a poncho kit, very large wooden knitting needles come with it. I just use a plain garter or knit stitch.

Am working on a multicolored scarf for a kid from one ball of yarn 7 stitches wide, with knit stitch odd or even number of cast on stitches are OK. Will make the scarf as long as the one ball will allow me and leaving enough for make fringes.

Another knitting project involves knitting in basketweave stitch. this is a soft acrylic scarf for a friend who finds regular sheep's wool scratchy.
The scarf had 30 stitches cast on and alternates every 5 rows to look like a checker board, I goofed and it turned out alternating every 7 rows. Need a row counter.

Begin with, it is 5 knit stitches across, 5 purl stitches across, alternating like that to the end of the first 5 rows, then do the exact opposite for the next 5 rows with 5 purl stitches across then 5 knit stitches across alternating to the end of each row,.... and then next 5 rows just like in the beginning 5 knit stitches, 5 purl stitches across doing this to the very end of the scarf for however long it is intended to be. Maybe I will just go to the end of the first ball, or I will add a second of the same color if I have it and work it until I am pleased with the length or until it is maybe 5 ft long, depending on how much of the same color of yarn I have.

It was to be a birthday gift or a Christmas gift for my friend, but at the rate I am going, unless I get stitch markers to keep track of counting my stitches, it will be several years until he gets this scarf!

Life with a damned dog

2005-05-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

His name is Jody the dachshund. 14 years old, great dog, just a pain in the ass at times. Every morning, I have to give him his pill for his liver values, and it is work to make sure he doesn't spit it out and that it goes down his throat, and this morning, he was having none of the pill. 3 tines I tried, each time he fought me off by biting my fingers franticly, so I will have to call for vet advice. Otherwise, I can't imagine doing this awful morning routine for 3 months. He is supposed to have this pill one hour in the morning before he eats his food.

I guess he is tired of having me pry his jaws open and push this pill toward his throat.

I don't know what to do, even though, I have a three wick candle to make for tomorrow for a customer. I don't feel creative after have a fashion yarn scarf turn out less than perfect even though I know someting by now about knitting, I have taken it this far and it looks gorgeous and hides its mistakes well being fashion eyelash yarn loaded with patons. Oh well, maybe I can just bind it off and do something else with it.

I feel some annoyance with my church's consignment shop, even though it is not its fault, I wish there were more male shoppers in it, more younger people buying stuff there, and more of my stuff selling. I guess we approaching the summer doldrums as the stuff sells mostly in spring and near Christmas. I will donate my stuff like that less than perfect girl's poncho/cowl combo I knitted elsewhere if it doesn't sell and refresh it with newer and better things.

Have plans to eventually weave or knit a security blanket for a friend's young kid and maybe give him the little red knit scarf that is in that shop along with it.

Well, maybe off to get some coffee or tea and get the day rolling having wasted half of it knowing that I have things to do and not being sure what I want to do.

candles, knitting and hot weather

2005-05-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

It is getting hot here in the day like 81 F in the Washington, DC area cooler at night, we move right from a short spring to the beginnings of a typically unpleasant hot Washington summer. Give me the lemonade stands and pink cherry blossoms of a wonderful Kensington spring.

Just did the 3 pale yellow green candles with a delightful almond biscotti scent for one customer the other day, she was very delighted with them and one other gave one of my peach ginger candles with red soap glitter on top to her daughter and her daughter was thrilled I read from her e-mail. Write now my house smells like peaches and spice from 9 candles I made for someone's fireplace candelabra.

I am somewhat unhappy as the color of the candles is very uniform, the scent is strong, but I don't think I put enough mold sealer on the bottom of the mold letting the wax escape from one of them. the others I will fill where need be, but that one needs to be remelted and repoured to the correct height of 3 inches tall.

the poncho knitting project turned out one side too long, so I just folded and sewed the front and sewed a silver fun collar around the neck. It is now in a consignment shop. If it doesn't sell after a few months, I will donate it for a tax deduction elsewhere. But I have other knit projects like a scarf from bulky yarn, etc in the works. I am working on a blanket, but I may frog it and turn it from knit and slip stitches to a basket weave stitch.

Eating a mushu chicken and wonton soup and getting together the encouragement to fix the the 9 candles however I can to make them more saleable to my customer who wanted them for her mom.

It is a long day and I look forward to going to bed soon.

2005-05-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Latest knitting news, landscaping chores, and candle projects

2005-04-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

I finished the two rectangles for making the little girl's poncho. Unfortunately, I wasn't watching the length carefully enough and one rectangle wound up being a bit larger than the first one. Maybe, they could be table runners, with fringed ends or maybe I could knit a small piece and sew it onto the smaller rectangle and then finish off the poncho. or maybe I am now ready to move onto the next knitting project after I finish some of the following projects.

I need to soon finish digging up my liriope to donate to my neighbors, to my church and to finish my own landscaping while the ground is still soft from the recent rainy days. Liriope had started taking over too much area for my liking, it looks better as a single plant-wide border where I use it for edging. Then I have a Japanese maple tree and a fig tree to plant.

Then, there are the candle projects waiting to be done. One friend has a birthday in a few days and I want to give a nice homemade candle to her. Another friend wants a candle for one of her relatives. I need to make candle samples for a couple shops. Then some candles for my church's craft shop for its Open House. I am not quite sure what I want to turn by way of some of these candles

Getting late, time to put my dog Jody out one more time and then go to bed.

Wednesday

2005-04-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the green fun fur scarf project was finished, and most of it looks great except where there are holes that I had to close up with additional green fun fur yarn, and was soon wearing my own creation.

tried to start the fairly new lawnmower, to cut my lawn for the first time this year and it wouldn't start. can hear another lawnmower right know and wish mine would work, but not to worry, a friend will get the mower started in a couple days.

time to put a new row of stitches on my poncho project, (I knit three new rows on this a day just to keep this project in progress) One of my friends asked of my many knitting projects, something to the effect "how can you bear to not just finish them?" Well, I decided to take her seriously and just finish only two knitting projects at a time, until they are all done.

I will get some cool items like project and tote bags and a shirt frm "Cafepress"that let the world know that some men like myself do indeed knit and this is a hobby not just for women alone.

Past history includes the fact that men have knitted as sailors, fishermen, (whether to make sweaters, mend their nets,) or to make blankets, etc to support a war effort, etc. and that men in some cultures like the native peoples of the Andean mountain regions of Bolivia, etc, knit as they sit or walk.

Males of all ages, I have read are taking up knitting right here in the USA as a hobby, passtime, stress-reliever, etc. maybe more men might do that, perhaps when they feel a craving for a cigarette.

Just to keep themselves occupied with a better thing and could maybe just knit up a storm, chew gum, drink water and even talk to themselves (even if noone else is around to talk to) if necessary all at the same time rather than engage in a nervous, addictive and health damaging smoking habit.

Fortunately, even though I have tried smoking a few times, I have personally found the lingering taste and smell of burning tobacco so unpleasant (in my clothes, hair and skin) plus accidentally burning a small hole in my clothes and car seat due to misdirected small hot cigarette ashes blown on inward on to me by a slight breeze, that I never acquired the smoking habit and never have had another cigarette for about 4 years.

My own thoughts are also that crafts that create useful things like my candle-making and knitting are valuable indeed. I am not relying on some foreign country to produce every last thing for myself, my friends and family, I do am doing that right here in my country the USA. I am creating rather than merely consuming and doing something for my own spirit as well.

.

Beautiful Sunday here in the Washington, DC area

2005-04-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today in the Washington, DC area it is sunny and hot, forsythia, hyacinths, are out as I believe likely the Japanese cherry blossoms that Kenwood, (a large suburban subdivision in Montgomery County, Maryland near DC) is too famous for. People love Kenwood to death when the white cloud like blossoms are at their peak, make driving very slow watching out for many families and their children. So, I usually just park my car, take out my bike and ride it slowly around Kenwood, sample at least one lemonade stand manned by small children offering lemonade and cookies.

I am thinking about heading down there to Kenwood today for a short while, having done my three rows a day routine on the second half of the same knitting project I mentioned Friday the 8th. I will thus have it done, by April 20th in time for open house at my consignment shop just before Mother's Day.

I plan to maybe mow my grass after I return from Kenwood as it will be both cooler and the sun less glary. The first lawn mowing of the year for my home.

In a few days, I will turn my attention to the current fun fur knitting project still left on the kid's knitting machine, tying on some more green fun fur yarn. Unfortunately, the project had gotten snagged inside of the machine several times and I had to cut it loose making some holes that I need to sew up. I bought another machine, if it performs better than this one, I will donate the first one to a consignment shop that takes all kinds of household items.

Then I have ongoing house cleaning to do some of today, take the furnace filter out for its monthly washing, etc.

Time to let the dog out and then down to Kenwood.

Ciao for now.

Welcome to Morgan's knitting blog

2005-04-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today is very uneventful, friend of mine just came by and helped set up my blog about my knitting activities. So, I am writing in a blog of mine own for the first time in my life about anything.

Earlier today, I worked at my church's arts and crafts shop where some of my own knitting is consigned, there are tube scarves that I knitted on a plastic kid's handcranked machine using purple, pink and silver fun fur yarns. I have one that is going to be five feet in length when I finish (in green fun fur), wearing it for either spring this year or saving it for Saint Patrick's Day next year.

I tried crocheting for the first time in my life at a class in a local store and it took a while for me to catch on to it. I think I am more used to knitting.

Half of my little girl's poncho is finished, and I will work on the second half of it tomorrow while a friend drives me to my beach house. This consists of 2 rectangle halves sewn together and fringed. When finished, it will drape around the shoulders of a thin, slim girl. Will be somewhat stretchable done in cream colored very bulky "Lion" brand yarn with huge wooden knitting needles.

This will be consigned to my church's shop. Along with several of my homemade candles, in time for the shop's Open House just before Mother's Day. Some of those candles will be rose shaped candles on a stem done from a candle-making kit.

Well, I have to now clean house to get ready for a student tonight whom I am tutoring for the first time in Irish Gaelic language.