My first ever blog!
Hello all--
After reading many of the knitting blogs, I have decided to start my own blog and detail my musings on knitting and the art of knitting. I am a machine knitter, and after seeing all the wonderful knits the handknitters have been making, I have been humbled. I am going to try to knit at least one or two items a month.....mainly for my wardrobe enhancement, but also once in awhile, gifts.
First, let me introduce myself. I am a machine knitter who took up the craft when the second of my three children went off to college. Since my youngest was rarely home (he was quite a social animal, but despite that he got into a good college anyway!), I was suffering from a severe case of empty-nest syndrome. I realized that I needed something to keep me busy, but also something that I could share with my children. Handknitting seemed to take FOREVER, and I am not much into scrapbooking, needlepoint, or crochet. Then it hit me: my new boss had made a nasty remark about my working wardrobe (that it wasn't professional enough. The evil Liz did not seem to understand that I had just finished graduate school and I had 2 children in college and one in a private high school, and I simply did not earn enough money to buy the $500 suits SHE wore. It really hurt my feelings. ) I decided my new pasttime had to be productive, that is, I wanted to enhance my wardrobe and also be able to make stuff that my children--who all went to college in the cold freezing east coast--would wear.
I did all the research and bought a knitting machine (Brother 864 with ribber) in November 2001. Then I had an opportunity to buy an electronic knitting machine (Brother 930 with ribber and garter carriage--my favorite). These were soon joined by a Studio 155K chunky machine with ribber. Soon, I had a whole houseful of knitting machines but not enough knowledge or technique to properly use them! I managed to make a few sweaters, but the great thing was my children were able to bring back to school nice presents of hats and scarves to give to their friends. (Just so that they could say they made it themselves, I would crank out the hats and scarves and put my kids on the plane with a needle to sew up the hats.)
Then, while I was looking for a new job, I found out I had breast cancer. Well, I totally lost all interest in knitting at that point. Weak from chemotherapy and radiation, I couldn't even bring myself to look at my precious knitting magazines. So, a whole year and a half went by and I didn't knit. I started knitting again about 6 or 8 months ago, but only when I discovered HOLIDAY BOUTIQUES. I made tons of scarves, shawls, and ponchos to sell at several holiday boutiques in the Los Angeles area. I also sold some of the work of a very very nice, very wonderful woman, who has helped me get back on my feet and back to the knitting machine by providing me with extra inventory and spacing out out my yarn payments. Anyway, I made some money and am looking forward to next season!
My goal now is to start making things for myself. I would like to knit at least one sweater a month for work. I have worn some of my work, but it is not up to the standards I know I am capable of. I would like to be as prolific and as original a knitter as the Chicknits lady. I love her site.
My current work in progress is a little brown suit with bits and pieces from different patterns. The jacket is about 50 inches long from my shoulders (from David Miles), and the skirt is about 46 inches long (from Cruise Lines). The tank top is also from a pattern from Cruise Lines. I like it because it has shortrowed darts, which is good, because I'm kind of voluptuous (not kind of, I AM!) and I want the blouse to fit well. It'll be cute, once I figure how I want to finish it. I want to do a crochet finish, but I don't really know how to crochet, and all of my efforts to crochet have turned out quite dismally. I have all the parts, except for the sleeves of the jacket. I am going to finish the tank top, and hem the skirt this weekend. I want to wear this outfit by the end of the month. If and when I ever get a digital camera, I will post a picture of it for you all to admire (or whatever).
Another project that I've been working on is a sleeveless cowl neck sweater (it's really cute), and I am just putting the finishing touches via a crocheted edging on the sleeve part. It looks okay, but not really up to the standards I want to wear. So, any suggestions on how to finish (on the machine, if possible, but crochet is a good 2nd choice) my beautiful brown suit?
Thanks for reading.......
After reading many of the knitting blogs, I have decided to start my own blog and detail my musings on knitting and the art of knitting. I am a machine knitter, and after seeing all the wonderful knits the handknitters have been making, I have been humbled. I am going to try to knit at least one or two items a month.....mainly for my wardrobe enhancement, but also once in awhile, gifts.
First, let me introduce myself. I am a machine knitter who took up the craft when the second of my three children went off to college. Since my youngest was rarely home (he was quite a social animal, but despite that he got into a good college anyway!), I was suffering from a severe case of empty-nest syndrome. I realized that I needed something to keep me busy, but also something that I could share with my children. Handknitting seemed to take FOREVER, and I am not much into scrapbooking, needlepoint, or crochet. Then it hit me: my new boss had made a nasty remark about my working wardrobe (that it wasn't professional enough. The evil Liz did not seem to understand that I had just finished graduate school and I had 2 children in college and one in a private high school, and I simply did not earn enough money to buy the $500 suits SHE wore. It really hurt my feelings. ) I decided my new pasttime had to be productive, that is, I wanted to enhance my wardrobe and also be able to make stuff that my children--who all went to college in the cold freezing east coast--would wear.
I did all the research and bought a knitting machine (Brother 864 with ribber) in November 2001. Then I had an opportunity to buy an electronic knitting machine (Brother 930 with ribber and garter carriage--my favorite). These were soon joined by a Studio 155K chunky machine with ribber. Soon, I had a whole houseful of knitting machines but not enough knowledge or technique to properly use them! I managed to make a few sweaters, but the great thing was my children were able to bring back to school nice presents of hats and scarves to give to their friends. (Just so that they could say they made it themselves, I would crank out the hats and scarves and put my kids on the plane with a needle to sew up the hats.)
Then, while I was looking for a new job, I found out I had breast cancer. Well, I totally lost all interest in knitting at that point. Weak from chemotherapy and radiation, I couldn't even bring myself to look at my precious knitting magazines. So, a whole year and a half went by and I didn't knit. I started knitting again about 6 or 8 months ago, but only when I discovered HOLIDAY BOUTIQUES. I made tons of scarves, shawls, and ponchos to sell at several holiday boutiques in the Los Angeles area. I also sold some of the work of a very very nice, very wonderful woman, who has helped me get back on my feet and back to the knitting machine by providing me with extra inventory and spacing out out my yarn payments. Anyway, I made some money and am looking forward to next season!
My goal now is to start making things for myself. I would like to knit at least one sweater a month for work. I have worn some of my work, but it is not up to the standards I know I am capable of. I would like to be as prolific and as original a knitter as the Chicknits lady. I love her site.
My current work in progress is a little brown suit with bits and pieces from different patterns. The jacket is about 50 inches long from my shoulders (from David Miles), and the skirt is about 46 inches long (from Cruise Lines). The tank top is also from a pattern from Cruise Lines. I like it because it has shortrowed darts, which is good, because I'm kind of voluptuous (not kind of, I AM!) and I want the blouse to fit well. It'll be cute, once I figure how I want to finish it. I want to do a crochet finish, but I don't really know how to crochet, and all of my efforts to crochet have turned out quite dismally. I have all the parts, except for the sleeves of the jacket. I am going to finish the tank top, and hem the skirt this weekend. I want to wear this outfit by the end of the month. If and when I ever get a digital camera, I will post a picture of it for you all to admire (or whatever).
Another project that I've been working on is a sleeveless cowl neck sweater (it's really cute), and I am just putting the finishing touches via a crocheted edging on the sleeve part. It looks okay, but not really up to the standards I want to wear. So, any suggestions on how to finish (on the machine, if possible, but crochet is a good 2nd choice) my beautiful brown suit?
Thanks for reading.......
posted by knutty4knitting @ 1:00 PM
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