little bitty girl

I don't know what is up with me this year, but it just seems like the part of my brain that hosts the "how to knit" section finally just clicked. I have finally graduated from making basic garter stitch and ribbed scarves.

The cabled scarf on the left was one of my Christmas presents to Marie. When I was trying to figure out how to make the bobbins, I kept exclaiming to Stefan,"Look at my balls! They're so weird looking!" or "Wow! My balls are really coming along." He would often plead for me not to say these phrases aloud, especially when he was on the phone.

Yesterday, I finally completed the matching hat to my scarf for Ryo. Needless to say, I am so pleased about the results as it's just so very cute. I guess it also helps that the model wearing it, is especially scrumptious!

I do think that I still have a lot to figure out in regards to reading patterns and determining gauges. For example, the pattern for this hat is supposedly for a 12 month old and as far as I am concerned, I either used the wrong type of yarn or the pattern is wrong. Because I absolutely refuse to believe that my three month old petite filet mignon has a gargantuan head.

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Posted in Joy-Friends, Needles, Bows and Toes

Unfortunately due to Stef's surgery, the onslaught of unexpected pukiness and pain, we had to forgo the pimp and ho day and chill at home instead. Well, at least Stefan chilled out while I ran around doing his bidding. It was actually nice to be the caretaker since he's the one who usually takes care of me regardless of whether I am ill or not.

BUT what is it about men that turns them into utter babies when they are just a tiny bit off? "Juice! Water! Ginger Ale!" was often called out in the saddest little boy voice from our couch. You would think I was torturing the guy. The funny thing is that I think Mindy sensed something was wrong with Stefan. And even though she's not usually cuddly with him, she spent most of her time lying next to him and licking the one visible digit from his cast. It was really sweet actually.

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Posted in Needles, Bows and Toes

This is how knitting little Ryo's scarf has been going -

Knit Knit Knit
Unravel unravel unravel
Knit Knit Knit
Dropped a stitch
Dang!
Unravel unravel unravel
Knit Knit Knit
Added a stitch
Double Dang!
Unravel unravel unravel
Knit Knit Knit
Don't like the stitch
Unravel unravel unravel

Big Sigh.

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Posted in Needles, Bows and Toes

I am knitting again.

It's finally been cool enough for me to pick up the needles. Yes, everyone. It's the annual "Karen torturing herself" by trying to knit. I love and rue the day my girlfriends ever taught me to do this. I just don't have that patient nature needed to do this stuff.

Do you guys ever wonder how knitting ever got invented? I always wonder random things like that. Like luging. Who was the first person who woke up one morning and said,"You know what would be a good idea? If I throw myself face down on a piece of wood that I can't control, onto ice going downhill. I think that's going to be loads of fun"

So, who do you think was the first person who said,"I feel like shaving a sheep. And just for the heck of it, I am going to take the fur and spin it and make it into string. Then I will take two sticks and try to knot it all together to see whether something comes out from it. And maybe one day in the far future, it will torture a girl named Karen to depths of her soul. Her husband will be forever ducking flying needles and balls of yarn in her fits of frustration. I think that's going to be my life goal."

In fact, I am going to google that question right now. I.MUST.KNOW.

That being said, I am actually enjoying this knitting project. I am trying to make a scarf and beenie for Ryo. I can't help but giggle everytime I look at the scarf, because I've never knitted anything that small. I am having a really hard time finding a basic beenie hat pattern. If anyone out there has a completely idiot proof, and I really mean idiot, incompetent knitter, so easy my dog could do it pattern, could you send it my way?

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Posted in Needles, Bows and Toes

I've always been crafty. Not as crafty as some other people I know but you could not grow up in my mother's household without being somewhat able with a needle and thread. Growing up in Asia, my mum was a teacher, and she taught English. Then she went to work at a poorer school and also took on Home Economics. She thought it was important for all kids to be able to feed and clothe themselves. She always said even the boys were always so astonished how little effort could produce so much. All of us kids, with the exception of Kelvin (who used to burn water but is getting better) are either really adept cooks or bakers and can at least do basic mending.

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Posted in Family Shenanigans, Joy-Friends, Needles, Bows and Toes

How bloody cute is this thing? I found this during my daily reads. Jenny, who I believe I have mentioned before created this. I thought I would share for those of you who don't randomly surf as often as I do. This is such a good idea and I am going to try to do it next year as a centrepiece for my table. I usually get flowers as I love arranging those but this year, I got really lazy so I just have oranges with cloves. Bo-ring.

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Posted in Needles, Bows and Toes

What a completely novel idea!

I don't know why I never ever thought about it when this is such a good solution to a sometimes extremely frustrating endeavour.

As you all know, especially these past few months of gift giving that I have been attempting to be crafty. Sometimes it goes ok, but usually it goes like this -

• Joy at finding the perfect yarn
• Inspiration ensues
• Work begins
• Add a stitch accidentally
• Unravel
• Rework
• Drop a stitch accidentally
• Unravel
• Rework
• Tension is not the same as previous
• Unravel
• Rework
• Unravel
• Rework
• Knitting needles flying in the air
• Sulking
• ...repeat...

At least, with this option I can just walk away from a project without doing anything detrimental to my anal retentive self. After all, it doesn't mean that I've lost, it simply means the yarn has lost its right to be a scarf.

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Posted in Needles, Bows and Toes

I have serious craft envy. I am NOT crafty. It's quite the sad situation.

All my various friends seems to be craft masters and then there is the world of incredibly crafty people, Loobylu, Wee Wonderfuls and Liquid Paper being my current favourites. Then there is me and I am made of all toes. Not even thumbs! Toes.

For some reason, I decided I was going to teach myself how to crochet. Stefan's question to me was,"Why?"

I don't know why. I'd like to think that if I tried, I could figure it out but craft is not like wordplay or a math problem where I can somehow just figure it out. It's just some really alien form to me. I think I should stick with collages.

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Posted in Me-ness, Needles, Bows and Toes

I was testing out a new knit stitch and had knitted about 4 inches when I decided that I wasn't sure about it. Stefan, who can never bear for me to knit and unravel decided he would try to sell the product to me.

Stefan: Sweetie! Don't unravel it! Here, let me look at it....

He looks at it and started pointing out the "selling points"

Stefan: Well, it's got a nice V pattern. Lots of great texture. AND LOOK! When you lay it flat, it looks like little ski moguls.

I started unravelling the thing pretty darn quickly after that.

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Posted in Needles, Bows and Toes, What's Buggin' Me

I have finally finished the scarf that I have been working on. It's almost completely flawless OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT IS TOO SHORT!!!

I tend to like my scarves super long. This one does wrap around the neck but just barely and they do not have any of the yarn left to make it longer.

I am about to start developing high blood pressure over this. I should probably pick up another hobby that has less stress. Like stamp collecting.

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Posted in Needles, Bows and Toes, What's Buggin' Me

I am making a scarf for one of my friend's Christmas gift. Everyone knows that I am a lover of yarn and knitting books. I am not a particularly good knitter and am especially, an impatient one. The downfall is that I am also a perfectionist who cannot pick up dropped stitches. Which means that I will unravel a scarf that is seventy five percent done, down to the very start. I have done this at least twelve times today. So whoever gets a scarf from me this year, even if you do not like it, you'd better damn well smile and say you do.

And know that I love you, very much.

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Posted in Needles, Bows and Toes, What's Buggin' Me

I was originally going to lie about this because sometimes I do that - it's a weird thing I have about waiting to hear or see people's reactions to something I do before confessing to actually doing it. Maybe because I think so many of my friends are so super talented and I am a little mediocre in comparison especially when it comes to crafty things.

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Posted in Joy-Friends, Me-ness, Needles, Bows and Toes