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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Jul 2, 2009 16:22:32 GMT -5
Okay, in order: She may simply have gotten bored with it or found some other project that caught her fancy and just never got back to it. Don't feel guilty about unraveling the yarn. There is also the possibility that the project was never finished because your grandmother didn't like the way it was coming out either. Also, if your grandmother came up in the 30s she would be thrifty enough to be grateful that you are re-using the yarn rather than throwing it away. Double pointed needles are used for cabling. This is a technique that gives you the twisted look that some sweaters have. It's a lot more complicated to describe than to do, but don't try regular knitting with them. If you want, PM me and I'll walk you through the cabling technique. It's fun to do and looks wonderful. Circular needles are used a lot for afghans and the like, where there are long, long rows of stitches. It's much better than trying to cram them on straight needles. You have to mark your place or you will knit in continuous spirals (which can also be desirable for certain projects). Yes you can use specialized needles for regular projects, but I'd advise against it. One of the best means of keep projects organized are those stackable cubes. The hard ones can be piled one on top of another and the fabric ones can be put in each hard cube. One project per cube. You can continue your ziplock system inside each cube. Another is to visit Evil Joann's for project bags. These are a lot more expensive but have the advantage of making your project portable. Thanks, Diane. I do like that cabling look. Whenever I get to making a sweater I'll be sure to ask you about that technique. I'll have to look into those cubes. The modularity of them is sort of appealing. And, "Evil Joann's?" As in "oh, so good" or have you had bad experiences there? I don't know about anybody else, but for me Joann's is evil because they carry a whole lot of what I never use, very little of what I use a lot, and never have anything of the quality I seek for garments, especially. Also the place reeks of cheap artificial scented candles. Julia, I once went to Joann's for a spool of plain white cotton sewing thread, and they had none. This is fabric store fail on the level of the army running out of bullets.
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Post by Anne, Old S'cubie Cat on Jul 2, 2009 17:28:25 GMT -5
Hey, I've got some queries for all the C'rafty S'cubies out there. When I was down in Charleston, my mom gave me a box of my grandmothers' yarn and knitting and crochet supplies. I've discovered that there's an unfinished blanket (I think) in there, still attached to a set of needles. My question is what do I do with it. There's a bag with the matching yarn that's dated 1992, so I don't think this was the last thing she was working on, but I don't know why she didn't finish it. I might ask my mom, but she was set to give the whole box away until she learned that I was getting into crocheting and knitting and such, so I'm not sure if she'll care either way. I could unravel everything and reuse the yarn, but that seems like negating a lot of effort that she put into getting as far as she did. I could finish things off as they are and donate it or something and hope that some one will get use out of it, but I'm not sure it's big enough to be useful to anybody. I've got absolutely no desire to finish making the whole blanket, if I could even figure out how to do that (there's no pattern in the box as far as I can see). There's nothing wrong with it, I'm not really into knitted blankets and the pattern doesn't particularly appeal to me. Also, there are a bunch of double pointed needles and circular needles, but no regular kind. What is the advantage of these? Can you use these fancy kinds for patterns that call for the regular ones? How do y'all keep your supplies organized? I mean without having a dedicated craft room. I'm thinking more like a bag or bin or something. Something portable. I had been keeping my crochet stuff in a ziploc bag, but I've got too much stuff now for that. Any suggestions would be appreciated. There's also 1 or 2 things I've found in the box that I can't identify, but I think it's probably best to post pictures rather than try to describe them. Thanks, y'all. ETA: Also, how do you keep track of the size of your knitting needles? These are only marked on the packaging (some of which is falling apart), unlike the crochet hooks. Or do people not even worry about that? What about needles that have no packaging at all; what's the best way to figure out what size they are? Or should I not even care? Wow alot of crafty S'cubie advice! It can all be confuzzling and overwhelming, huh? Everyone has their own system for storage and working with projects. Find one that works for you. Luckily I don't seem to have the "stash gene" that alot of crafters have. One, I don't have the money I would like to spend on equipment, and two I don't have the space. I have a wicker basket that I keep 2 projects in and all my current tools sitting next to my corner of the couch. That way all my crafty mess is hidden and the basket looks pretty. It can also come with me if I'm going somewhere where I want everything. I also have a slingpack that I transfer things to if the basket would be too much trouble to take with me. Everything else is regulated in a see through sterilite storage tote. Because I use circulars with interchangable tips, I designed my own needle keeper instead of trying to use a regular needle roll. If you sew, making your own bags can be a better solution for your needs then trying to adapt someone else's ideas. Then again, even if you don't sew I've seen some beautiful knitted and crocheted bags and tool rolls. Use your imagination. You're a crafter! I also twist tie my needles and slip a label through the tie on the ones I don't use often and have stored away so I don't have to find my needle sizer every time I pull them out of storage. Alot of straights have the size stamped on the endcap in mm and/or their american size number. Travel tooth brush holders can be a cheap and easy way to store double points. Just write the size on the outside of the tube. For the longest time I used a cheap pencil box from walmart to store my crochet hooks and thread snips. Cheap, easily to replace if it breaks and you can get some great colors. I also visited a recycle store while I was in VT visiting Jan and Rich. I found muslin bags for a quater a piece that were the perfect size to store small projects in for traveling. You might find things there if there is a store in your area. Ravelry is a great place, just about any person who works with fiber thinks it's darn close to a perfect tool. Lots of information and people are generally willing to share tips and experiences. Nothing like having a problem with a technique and finding out so did everyone else and here's how they adapted/ handled it. So there's my two cents worth Of course, then you have so much fun making your own workbags that you start collecting fabric and patterns and other supplies, and yes, I have woven a few baskets... One of these days, I'm going to get out the pine needle basketry books and supplies and try some coiled baskets too. One of these days...
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Post by Anne, Old S'cubie Cat on Jul 2, 2009 17:32:06 GMT -5
Thanks, Diane. I do like that cabling look. Whenever I get to making a sweater I'll be sure to ask you about that technique. I'll have to look into those cubes. The modularity of them is sort of appealing. And, "Evil Joann's?" As in "oh, so good" or have you had bad experiences there? I don't know about anybody else, but for me Joann's is evil because they carry a whole lot of what I never use, very little of what I use a lot, and never have anything of the quality I seek for garments, especially. Also the place reeks of cheap artificial scented candles. Julia, I once went to Joann's for a spool of plain white cotton sewing thread, and they had none. This is fabric store fail on the level of the army running out of bullets. It must depend on the region - the local Joannses (there are two I use) don't normally run out of staple items, and don't reek, as a general rule. The smaller one is particularly well-run, with helpful people who have no problem calling around if their store doesn't have what a customer needs. The local Big Lotses and 99-cent stores, on the other hand, are sinus headache city - smelly candles, soap, cleaning products and loud muzak. I do regret the loss of the local small fabric store - there are a couple of semi-local quilt shops, but Joann's carries pretty much the same lines of cotton prints anyway. On the other hand, the one small specialty fabric shop we had for a while sucked like a sucky thing - high prices and very low quality. At least the Tall Mouse is still in business; they have a lovely line of batik cottons for my art dolls.
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Post by Queen E on Jul 2, 2009 17:42:58 GMT -5
I'm officially home. And oddly annoyed with humanity. Possibly because I've been turned down for two jobs in two days.
I'll start a new part soon...
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Post by Queen E on Jul 2, 2009 18:09:29 GMT -5
We're done here. Check out here instead.
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