My two-color knitting ring from the 3D printer turned out quite useful! And, oddly, I like the weight of the little octopus, it helps the ring not slide around on my finger.
The cowl moves slowly, since it’s really two cowls.
Recently started a lovely little cowl in double knitting. It’s the Dots inside and out cowl. I’m knitting it in Trendsetter Yarns, which is apparently a Blue Faced Leicester/Cormo blend. It’s definitely a “sticky” yarn, not merino soft. But I’m thoroughly enjoying it.
I’m trying out my knitting ring, though I’m also trying to make a better one on the 3D printer!
Tried to take a video, took a picture.
I’m using Tinkercad to do the designing. It’s a bit of a “dumb” program, but since I don’t usually draft 3D, I’m liking the interface. And I’m using Curio to slice it for our 3D printer.
This isn’t my first foray into double knitting, that came with the Hemisphere Hat, which I knit not once but twice. I’m tempted to do it at least once more since both times it came out quite big.
Back to the project at hand, here’s a clip of me double knitting in an Eastern European style. I am not a combination knitter, I both knit and purl through the back loop. I believe I’m considered Continental since I hold my yarn in the left hand and a Thrower as i do a little flick motion, so I don’t actually have to drop the yarn and pick it up again.
The Santa Barbara Art Museum is a petite museum in downtown Santa Babara, worth a stop in for a couple hours. But for a family, one of the best things about it is downstairs behind the gift shop. The Family Resource Center has a rotating schedule of art projects for anybody to stop in (for free!) and get their hands dirty. There were two projects last time. Print making and sculpture. Both were a lot of fun!
A little sock knitting for my most picky Miss and a curly tail. Sunday knitting round and round with little stress.
Major props to people who make soap for a hobby.
We tried our first batch over the weekend. It’s a lot of very careful measurements, a lot of time mixing, a LOT of time waiting for stuff to cool down. And now waiting to see if the soap will set up. Our “flavor” should be some rosemary that we soaked in oil + some lemongrass essential oils. We’ll see.
When people would tell me, “You should open an Etsy shop.” I used to try to explain the cost of yarn, the cost of my time, the price people actually are willing to pay for things.
This article puts my real feelings into words, though. Making something into work, putting a dollar value on it, ruins the joy. Sucks the life out of activities. Makes what once reduced stress an adder to my over-complicated life.
So I think my new answer to “You should sell that” is going to be a simple, “But that would make it a job.” And I’m at a point where I don’t need another job. I’m a mom. A lighting designer. Scheduler in chief for the family. Pooper scooper extraordinaire.
And knitting makes me happy. Yarn makes me happy. Crochet makes me happy. Cutting wood, darning, embroidery, drawing poorly, scullpting terribly. I love being a maker but I’m lucky that I don’t have to try to make it my living.
The Mason Dixon Knitting ladies are doing a knitter’s bracket! Voting starts 3/21, Thursday (tomorrow!). I think I’ll fill out the bracket and see how I agree.
