Knit vs. Crochet

My Aunt is interested in what my theories are about knitting versus crocheting. So, let me give a little back story. When I would spend summers at my Grandparents house in Otto, NY my grandmother would always find things to teach me. One year it was swiss embroidery, another year it was crocheting. I fell in love with it. It made sense to me. I don't remember making a lot of stuff as a kid but it was always something that I did from time to time. I got so I did pretty much any stitch pattern and could read patterns, etc. As an adult, I went from crochet to needlepoint to counted cross stitch and then back to crochet. About 2 1/2 years ago, my sister came to visit and she was knitting up a storm. I have to tell you that all throughout my life, I have been around people who knit (my grandmother, my aunt) but I never really got into it. When I saw the beautiful things my sister was making, I really wanted to try it. At first, I thought I would just have to jump off the roof or something because I didn't know what to do with two sticks AND I had no idea how to hold the yarn while knitting. Cast on...bind off.....oh my goodness. Well, I have gotten over that and am an okay knitter and keep plugging away at it. So, here is my not so expert opinion are the pro's and con's of each technique.....

Crochet - PRO

• 1 hook. You only have one live stitch at a time. If you make a mistake, out comes the hook, RRRRRRIPPPPP back to where the error is and easy peasy, it's a do over.
• There is only one basic movement in crocheting....the put the hook through, yarn over, pull back through, yarn over and pull through loops....Voila! only one live loop on the hook. (We're back to that again are we?)
• It's fun and I can do it pretty fast and I don't have to think about it a whole lot once I get a pattern down.
• I can figure out where mistakes are and how I made them easily. I can usually figure out how to make them work or fix them.

Crochet - CON

• Depending on how you hold your hook (and I hold mine in an old fashioned way, sort of like a pencil) you can get some serious carpal tunnel pain going on.
• The resulting fabric can be a little chunky (for lack of a better word.) I guess what I mean is that unless you are working on very thin yarn, it can be a little bulky. It doesn't really have to be and I have made some really beautiful things that were not at all clunky or bulky. So this isn't really a con....it's just a difference.
• I forgot this one yesterday.....Crochet requires more yarn. It takes more yarn (about twice as much) to create a garment than with knitting.

Knit - PRO

• The fabrics and stitch patterns seem to be more delicate and fine.
• There are quite a few more patterns and supplies for knitting.
• It doesn't really have a bad rap.....crochet seems to be the ugly step sister of knitting and some look down their noses at it.
• It's fun and it looks cool.
• I don't have as many carpal tunnel issues

Knit - CON

• Okay, when you make a mistake you either have to live with it or tink (you know it's taken me 2 1/2 years to figure out that that work is knit spelled backwards which is what you are doing when you unknit each stitch.) There are few fast ways to get back to a mistake that's a few rows back. If you take it off the needles then you spend an incredible amount of time picking up those stitches, only to find out that you have missed one. This goes pretty well if it's straight stockinette or ribbing or something but throw in some yarn over, knit two together's in there and it's all over (for me that it.)
• I have to concentrate much more. The patterns aren't intuitive for me. I have to do something over and over and over again before I finally get it! (Sometimes that happens after I bind off, knowing that things weren't quite right. I think about it and finally realize a day or two later....oh, that's what they meant when they wrote AND at the SAME time or "when doing a decrease at the beginning of the row" doesn't mean bind off one stitch AND decrease at the beginning of the row...do I sound bitter....I can't talk about it yet.)
• Everybody's doing it these days.

So, what do I think....I think it's great to know how to do both. I love that I can switch back and forth between the two. I think somethings are better suited to knitting and some are better suited to crochet. I was just given a book that is full of patterns that are both knitted and crocheted. I think that is the perfect type of project. I am looking for just the right one.

There you have it. My opinions about the two. I enjoy both of them and I am grateful that my grandmother put me on the path to have this type of creative outlet.

What's Going On?

At the moment, I am writing this blog while live feed from Wimbledon is streaming in on my computer. I love watching Tennis. I have become such a big fan. This morning's completion of yesterday's Henman/Moya match was incredible. They stopped play last night because of dark in the 5th set at 5 all. They came back this morning and played the remainder of the set which Henman finally won 13-11 in the final set. WOW! It was fantastic. Henman Hill was packed. So much excitement for day two. I can only hope the rest of the tournament is as thrilling.

On to knitting news. About 6 weeks ago, I finished the Goddess top. At the time, I didn't have any pictures. The recipient of the top wore it to work the other day and now I have pics.

Here's some shots taken on the patio at our office.

I love this top. It was actually quite fun to make after all was said and done. I have discovered that I am a SLOW learner when it comes to knitting. I can read a pattern, understand the pattern, knit the pattern and realize that I really didn't get it at all. The other day I was knitting the back of a sweater and was doing the armhole shaping. I did it like I thought the pattern said and when all was said and done, I ended up with a neck opening that was about 2 inches wide....hmmmm.....something's wrong here. So, RIPPPPPPPP and out it came. I am now redoing the armholes and am bound and determined to get it right.

I am waiting for the first clue to the MysteryStole 3. It's from Melanie at Pinklemontwist and she says, "Starting June 29, I will post the first in a series of clues. Follow the clues (directions) and you'll have a finished lace stole at the end of the knitalong. This year's stole is not recommended for beginning lace knitters, but if you are comfortable with lace techniques and reading charts, you should be just fine. I will close the group to new members on July 6, so be sure to sign up soon!This year's stole will be made up of seven clues, being posted each Friday, starting June 29. The one exception I am planning on will be the Friday after the new Harry Potter book comes out. I will post July 20 (the book launch is July 21), and then wait 2 weeks so people can read the book and catch up on the Mystery Stole."

I am a little worried about the whole lace thing. I have knit my swatch about three different times. The latest was this morning. I think it's okay???? Maybe a size up on the needles????

Time will tell if I actually make it through this but it sounds like fun.

What do you think?

Better get back to work.....

730

730......

That's the number of days since I last got to talk to my father. It's the number of days since I was able to hold his hand. It's the number of days I have missed him since he died. It's the number of days I have wished that I could talk to him again, see him again, hear his stories again, get his opinion on something, watch him paint or just walk into the room and see him reading a book.

It's been two years and for the most part it is a little easier. I was blessed to be able to spend the last few months helping care for him as his health declined. I was blessed that he was able to function pretty well until the last week.

(This is two weeks before he died)

My Dad was a good man. He left me with many gifts, many of which I never appreciate until after he died.

The past two years have been a struggle for my whole family. I know that I am grateful for my Mom's and my ability to share how we feel about missing Dad without thinking anyone will think we are just holding on to the past. I'm grateful for the support that my sister has given me over the past couple of years. She has been accepting and generous beyond belief and has always been a good distraction for me when I needed it. I am grateful that my brothers have been able share their homes and families with me when asked. I am grateful that my nieces and nephews had the opportunity to know their Grandfather. I wish they could know him some more. He loved each and every one of them. I hope that in some ways, I can fill in some of the blanks for my nieces and nephews when they have questions.

I know that each year this day will be a little less painful but for now it's not.

Little Dress - Finished

How Cute is This?????

Here's the little dress finished and blocked. Really easy, very quick and quite cute.

I totally ripped out (AGAIN!!!!) the SeaSilk that I was working on. I think I'm just going to frame the yarn in a shadow box and be done with it. I am going to put it far away, let it think about what it wants to be and when it's ready it can let me know.

Atlanta, Florida, the French Open

How can a month go by and I not write anything. It has been a busy month but I don't think that's much of an excuse. So here's what's happening....

Party in Atlanta
This year's National Teaching Institute (AACN's annual educational conference for critical care nurses) was in Atlanta during the end of May. It was CRAZY busy before leaving California and exhausting while in Atlanta. We put on a full 6 day conference with around 7000 attendee's and over 1200 exhibitors. This is no rinky dink operation here. We take about 60% of the office staff (about 60 people) and we make it happen. It is very exhausting but it's also an incredible amount of fun. It's a time to interact with out membership as well. It was a ton of fun to reconnect with some old friends and colleagues. Some things I learned about downtown Atlanta:

1. Centennial Olympic Park is beautiful
2. The hotels are old and tired.
3. There are a lot of homeless people who are not shy about crossing the street to ask you for money. (A little un-nerving for single women walking at night.)
4. Life runs just a tad slower.
5. Don't get the duck at Daily's restaurant
6. Ruth's Chris steakhouse did not disappoint
7. When the cab you get into to go to the airport has a handicap plackard hanging from the rearview mirror, hang on!
8. The Georgia World Congress convention center is pretty easy to get around - for a convention center
9. The Velvet Lounge at the Hardrock Cafe was a lot of fun. It was a good time trying to correctly identify the musicians in the old music videos
10. There are hills.

Florida Visit

I flew directly to Sarasota from Atlanta for a few days of R & R post NTI. It was good to visit with Mom and just relax for a few days. I was thrilled to get back to my favorite hair stylist, McKenzie at the Met. I went to Eye of the Needle to see if I could get #6 - 24" Addi Lace circs and was told that they weren't even on the market yet.....hmmmmm what are all those sets that I have in my collection in CA that I've had for about 2 months? I guess they just haven't made it to the East Coast or at least Florida yet.

French Open

I am loving the Tennis Channel's coverage of the French Open. It really fits in nicely with my crazy sleep patterns since it broadcasts live matches starting at 3 AM. Since I get up between 4 AM and 5 AM usually, I'm in heaven. I'm sitting here watching Nadal and Moya play. Rafa Nadal just won the first set. The commentary has been very good....John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Thomas Blake. The tennis has been spectacular. The Nadal - Hewitt match was outstanding as was the Djokovic - Patience match. The Terre Bateau is in fine form. I love the sliding these pro's do to get to the ball on the clay. Looking forward to a good finals weekend.

Works in Progress

I'm about 2/3 done with a sweet little dress for a 9 month old coming from China to be adopted by a girl at work. It's crocheted and from the last issue of Interweave Crochet. I started to do it in Rowan Cotton but when I saw the label that said "handwash only, dry flat" that was probably not the best choice for a soon to be toddler. I switched to Lion Brand Microspun which will be easy to care for but a pain in the behind to crochet with. It is working up nicely and I can't wait to see it finished.

I'm also finally knitting up the Handmaiden Yarns SeaSilk that I've had since last fall. I have started countless projects with it and have ripped out those projects because either a.) the pattern I'm using is too intricate and get's lost in the varigation of the yarn; or b.) I can't count correctly when doing a repeat for lace. I have finally settled on a simple 8 row lace repeat that I saw on Knitty Gritty. It is as follows:

Row 1: yo k1 all the way across

Row 2: purl all the way across

Row 3: k2tog all the way across

Row 4 & 5: yo k2tog all the way across

Row 6,7 &8: knit all the way across.

The only problem I am having with this one is that when I get to the knit rows I forget how many I have done.

Have to go to work. I might be able to put some pic's in a little later.