So I haven't quite made a sweater yet, but...

.... in the past few months, I made the baby blue jeans but lost steam
when it came to sewing all the details on after a number of false starts
that I had to rip out.

I have done a dozen or so dishcloths in a basic pattern, bamboo stitch,
a few picture-type patterns, and a few ultra-simple lace patterns. I
have a strip of 2-1/2 contiguous dishcloths I am assembling for a
potential afghan.

I finished a triangle shawl

http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting...fort-shawl.htm


out of regular acrylic worsted weight yarn in lime green, kelly green,
and gold stripes (because I had a bunch of it in a big box of yarn I
bought for cheap) with a different stripe pattern for the border, but it
was a trifle too small so I sewed the edges up to make a poncho so I
didn't have to keep hanging onto it for dear life, and a half-circle shawl

http://users.adelphia.net/~mariella46/hafcircshawl.htm

out of spring green, sage green, and a sort of cranberryish color Lion
Brand so-called "Homespun" yarn (same reason as above)

and right now I am still working on my first tessellated fish for a
tesselated fish afghan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cauchycomplete/158622970/

without making an irreparable mistake. I have started at least 4-5
times and keep messing up, so I put it down until I feel like I have
enough patience to try it again.

And last but not least, I am making a dog sweater for my 14YO dog from a
very basic pattern in a Leisure Arts pamphlet. Then my 8-month-old
puppy is demanding equal time (she thinks the whole world revolves
around her), even though she has a nice fleece-and-Supplex hooded doggie
coat for early morning walks because she has hair, not fur, that I cut
shorter to avoid tangles and therefore would get cold easily -- she
loves to snuggle with me and wrap up with me in the poncho or shawl, too.

After making the poncho and the shawl, I am pretty sure that I have the
stamina to do a sweater, which is very encouraging, but I want to try to
master this unprintable adjective of a tessellated fish pattern first.
Then I will have to decide what to do about fitting the pattern and what
style I really want.

I bought yarn to make socks, but I got overwhelmed with life and haven't
started them yet. And I want to make a pair of legwarmers to wear with
my poncho or shawl when I'm working in the cold in the wee hours of the
night during the winter so I can stay warm.

(Disclaimer and warning to all: I don't do digital photos. I might be
able to get my 15YO to take some pictures with my digital camera that I
have never really figured out how to use -- I never was really big on
pictures even before I got this digital camera -- if I had a place big
enough to lay these things out, but that probably won't be until
Christmas vacation -- he's gone over 60 hours a week between school,
work, martial arts practice, and visitation with his dad. So please
don't make me feel even more inadequate than I already feel by asking to
see pics, okay? I would really appreciate it.)


--
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your
work with excellence.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply wrote:
... in the past few months, I made the baby blue jeans but lost steam
when it came to sewing all the details on after a number of false starts
that I had to rip out.

I have done a dozen or so dishcloths in a basic pattern, bamboo stitch,
a few picture-type patterns, and a few ultra-simple lace patterns. I
have a strip of 2-1/2 contiguous dishcloths I am assembling for a
potential afghan.

I finished a triangle shawl (snip)

and a half-circle shawl(snip)

and right now I am still working on my first tessellated fish for a
tesselated fish afghan

And last but not least, I am making a dog sweater for my 14YO dog from a
very basic pattern in a Leisure Arts pamphlet. (snip)

After making the poncho and the shawl, I am pretty sure that I have the
stamina to do a sweater, which is very encouraging, but I want to try to
master this unprintable adjective of a tessellated fish pattern first.
Then I will have to decide what to do about fitting the pattern and what
style I really want.

I bought yarn to make socks, but I got overwhelmed with life and haven't
started them yet. And I want to make a pair of legwarmers to wear with
my poncho or shawl when I'm working in the cold in the wee hours of the
night during the winter so I can stay warm.

(Disclaimer and warning to all: I don't do digital photos. I might be
able to get my 15YO to take some pictures with my digital camera that I
have never really figured out how to use --

WOW. You HAVE been busy. Wish I had accomplished half as much!!! Go
ahead and try a sweater, but you might want to do the first one out of
chunky yarn so it doesn't take quite so long to get there. Really, it's
just a case of following the pattern - adapted to your measurements if
necessary - and keeping track.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Olwyn Mary wrote:

WOW. You HAVE been busy. Wish I had accomplished half as much!!! Go
ahead and try a sweater, but you might want to do the first one out of
chunky yarn so it doesn't take quite so long to get there. Really, it's
just a case of following the pattern - adapted to your measurements if
necessary - and keeping track.

Yeah. That's why I am trying to master this tessellated fish first.
When I can do a small non-brain-dead pattern (read: constant increases
and decreases so you have to stay on your toes) then I will feel like I
can try tackling a bigger project that requires concentration to
remember things like what row I am on.

Then there's the whole paralyzing getting it to fit right issue. I am
pretty confident about altering sewing patterns to fit, although it can
take a few tries to get it right, and I am not especially anxious to go
through a similar learning curve to get to that point in knitting.

--
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your
work with excellence.

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply wrote:
Olwyn Mary wrote:

WOW. You HAVE been busy. Wish I had accomplished half as much!!! Go
ahead and try a sweater, but you might want to do the first one
out of chunky yarn so it doesn't take quite so long to get there. Really,
it's just a case of following the pattern - adapted to your
measurements if necessary - and keeping track.

Yeah. That's why I am trying to master this tessellated fish first.
When I can do a small non-brain-dead pattern (read: constant increases
and decreases so you have to stay on your toes) then I will feel like
I can try tackling a bigger project that requires concentration to
remember things like what row I am on.


I like the neck down type sweater patterns, and to keep track of what row I
am on I have a big spiral [top bound] notebook that I write the numbers
starting at one running down the pages and then cross em out as I
go......when I pass on to wherever we go after death my lovedones will
wonder what the heck is all thisG I have finished 3 Baby Surprise Jackets
but like you have not made one for me.....so I finally started the Adult
version and I get discouraged at how slow it's going [started with CO of 324
stitches] so I alternate between that and baby hats for the Guild Charity.
I chose a wonderful yarn IMO and my current fave di.ve' Teseo [Cascade
Yarns] the label says it's made in Italy, in blues and purples colorways
which keeps my interest as to how the stripes are going to come out. I came
across this yarn at a LYS and bought 6 skeins in 2 different colors for hats
and after making one fell in love ;-) so mailorderd what I think will be
enough for the sweater.

Donna

Well done Melinda. You have done so well to learn as much as you have in a
short time. Making those fish will have taken patience because of the
shaping on them and so will the shawls because of the length of time they
take. You should feel very proud of yourself. (I especially love the
triangular shawl) :-)

--
Blessed are the cracked for they let in the light

On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:31:52 -0700, Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to
reply wrote:

... in the past few months, I made the baby blue jeans but lost steam when
it came to sewing all the details on after a number of false starts that I
had to rip out.

I have done a dozen or so dishcloths in a basic pattern, bamboo stitch, a
few picture-type patterns, and a few ultra-simple lace patterns. I have a
strip of 2-1/2 contiguous dishcloths I am assembling for a potential
afghan.

I finished a triangle shawl

http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting...fort-shawl.htm


out of regular acrylic worsted weight yarn in lime green, kelly green, and
gold stripes (because I had a bunch of it in a big box of yarn I bought
for cheap) with a different stripe pattern for the border, but it was a
trifle too small so I sewed the edges up to make a poncho so I didn't have
to keep hanging onto it for dear life, and a half-circle shawl

http://users.adelphia.net/~mariella46/hafcircshawl.htm

out of spring green, sage green, and a sort of cranberryish color Lion
Brand so-called "Homespun" yarn (same reason as above)

and right now I am still working on my first tessellated fish for a
tesselated fish afghan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cauchycomplete/158622970/

without making an irreparable mistake. I have started at least 4-5 times
and keep messing up, so I put it down until I feel like I have enough
patience to try it again.

And last but not least, I am making a dog sweater for my 14YO dog from a
very basic pattern in a Leisure Arts pamphlet. Then my 8-month-old puppy
is demanding equal time (she thinks the whole world revolves around her),
even though she has a nice fleece-and-Supplex hooded doggie coat for early
morning walks because she has hair, not fur, that I cut shorter to avoid
tangles and therefore would get cold easily -- she loves to snuggle with
me and wrap up with me in the poncho or shawl, too.

After making the poncho and the shawl, I am pretty sure that I have the
stamina to do a sweater, which is very encouraging, but I want to try to
master this unprintable adjective of a tessellated fish pattern first.
Then I will have to decide what to do about fitting the pattern and what
style I really want.

I bought yarn to make socks, but I got overwhelmed with life and haven't
started them yet. And I want to make a pair of legwarmers to wear with my
poncho or shawl when I'm working in the cold in the wee hours of the night
during the winter so I can stay warm.

(Disclaimer and warning to all: I don't do digital photos. I might be
able to get my 15YO to take some pictures with my digital camera that I
have never really figured out how to use -- I never was really big on
pictures even before I got this digital camera -- if I had a place big
enough to lay these things out, but that probably won't be until Christmas
vacation -- he's gone over 60 hours a week between school, work, martial
arts practice, and visitation with his dad. So please don't make me feel
even more inadequate than I already feel by asking to see pics, okay? I
would really appreciate it.)

Olwyn Mary wrote in
:

WOW. You HAVE been busy. Wish I had accomplished half as
much!!! Go ahead and try a sweater, but you might want to
do the first one out of chunky yarn so it doesn't take
quite so long to get there. Really, it's just a case of
following the pattern - adapted to your measurements if
necessary - and keeping track.

another trick, if it's the right type of sweater pattern, is
to knit the sleeves first. sleeves can be really boring after
getting the body done.
that's why i only do big things with stitch variations or
color work (even a varigated yarn helps)... i get bored.
lee now on ravelry too much

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply
wrote in
:

Olwyn Mary wrote:

WOW. You HAVE been busy. Wish I had accomplished half as
much!!! Go ahead and try a sweater, but you might want to
do the first one out of chunky yarn so it doesn't take
quite so long to get there. Really, it's just a case of
following the pattern - adapted to your measurements if
necessary - and keeping track.

Yeah. That's why I am trying to master this tessellated
fish first. When I can do a small non-brain-dead pattern
(read: constant increases and decreases so you have to stay
on your toes) then I will feel like I can try tackling a
bigger project that requires concentration to remember
things like what row I am on.

row counters or a notebook. i like to use a notebook. or a
card deck.
with a card deck you write out each row on an index card &
put a binder ring in one corner. then flip the page at the end
of each row. these are good for things you are going to make
more than once (like a basic sock or sweater pattern)

Then there's the whole paralyzing getting it to fit right
issue. I am pretty confident about altering sewing
patterns to fit, although it can take a few tries to get it
right, and I am not especially anxious to go through a
similar learning curve to get to that point in knitting.

do you have a paper/cloth sloper for a basic top? you can use
that to measure your knitting against.
lee



--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

Hey Melinda,
You have been awfully busy!!!!!!! WOWWWWWWW!!! My hat's off to you!

I too have TERRIBLE trouble remembering where I am in a pattern. I
finally took a little cylindrical plastic stitch counter that is made
to slip onto the needles and put a string through it and wear it
around my neck. That way, I can keep track of rows very easily by
ticking up one more number on the little thingy without losing track
of TWO things---what row I'm currently on AND "where the heck did I
put my row counter???" HAHAHA!

Wendy
A Knitting Fool in CT

Wow! I'm very impressed at how much you've accomplished. Congratulations!
Also... thank you for sharing the links to the patterns. )

*hugs*
Gemini

"myswendy" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hey Melinda,
You have been awfully busy!!!!!!! WOWWWWWWW!!! My hat's off to you!

I too have TERRIBLE trouble remembering where I am in a pattern. I
finally took a little cylindrical plastic stitch counter that is made
to slip onto the needles and put a string through it and wear it
around my neck. That way, I can keep track of rows very easily by
ticking up one more number on the little thingy without losing track
of TWO things---what row I'm currently on AND "where the heck did I
put my row counter???" HAHAHA!

Wendy
A Knitting Fool in CT

I put a short piece of yarn through one of those stitch counters and then
attach it what I'm knitting with a coilless pin.
--
Jan in MN