Sweater update

I've been working on my sweater since Feb 4th.  I'm 10 inches in and now I'm nervous.  I took it off the needles last night to try it on and it looked humungous.  I tried it on the best I could and it seems ok, but when I compared it to another sweater I own, it's about 8 inches to wide and about 2 inches wider than the original pattern.  I know I redesigned to be a little wider than the original pattern, so I'm forging ahead with it and hoping it will all be ok in the end.  I'll know if it fits better once I get up to the armhole shapeing and chest.  If it ends up to big I'll have no choice but to rip it out, start over and follow the pattern.  Already I seeing things I should've done differently.  Like the button bands.  I thought to save time, I'd knit the button bands with the sweater (I really hate picking up stitches) but I don't think that's going to work so well.

On another note, I learned last night that drinking and knitting don't mix to well.  I accidentally dumped my drink in my knitting basket. Luckily nothing was damaged to bad and I didn't get any on the yarn. This is the second time I've done it.  Guess I'll have to be the designated knitter from now on.  Only water for me.

Waiting not so patiently

I ordered the yarn for my sweater last Friday.  I've been sitting on my hands all week to keep them from starting a new project before I can start my sweater.  I've been obsessing all week about the design, playing with the length, size, and gauge in my knitting software.  I've made so many changes that it won't turn out to be the same sweater as the original pattern.  I'm itching to get started, so how can I possibly go to work today when my yarn will be delivered sometime today?  Maybe I should call in with the knitty flu.  Somehow I don't think they'll believe me.

Knitting something just for me

So I'm looking though my closet and I think to myself,  "I really need to go shopping."  I have 1 sweater, 2 fleece sweatshirts, and bunch of Hubby's old flannel shirts that I wear over t-shirts.  My job doesn't require me to dress up, but they also don't share my appreciation of Hubby's hand-me down flannels.  So rather than go shopping, I decided to put my knitting skills to work and actually make something for myself.  Which is almost unheard of; other than small projects.

I've been avoiding knitting for myself for a couple reasons.  Number one, well lets face it, I'm a big gal and finding patterns that fit and I actually like can be a little difficult.  I know there's all kind of pattern books dedicated to the plus sized knitter, but that leads me to the second part of the of the problem; I have a very hard time envisioning myself in the finished sweater.  What if I spend all that time working on it and I hate it when it's done?  Or worse, I love it, but it doesn't fit?

I've been eyeing up this sweater for a couple years, but didn't have the nerve to cast on, because the cables were over my head at the time.  Having recently gained more confidence in my cabling skills, I felt now was the time to tackle it.

Late last week the pre-project planning started.  I had Hubby take my measurements, I picked out the yarn, and since I won't follow a pattern to the letter, started to make modifications.  I want to change the cabling to a slightly different Celtic cable, I want buttons instead of a zipper, and I want it a little longer.  But I got ahead of myself and ordered the yarn before I was done with my modification, and now I'm scared.  I'm scared I didn't order enough yarn, I'm scared Hubby didn't make the right measurements.  And I'm scared the whole thing will turn into a giant mess.  Will this be a success or another disappointment?  The only way to find out, will be to knit the sweater.

Post project blues

Does this happen to anybody else?  You spent a good month or so on a project, you're happy that it's finally done; and then you spend the next couple days felling a little lost because you don't have a project to work on.  That's what I'm feeling right now.  I want to start something but haven't found the right pattern yet.  I'm kind of at a loss as to what I want to do.  I thought about doing some experimenting, but I know I don't have enough yarn, unless I want to make something out of scraps.  That could be interesting or it could turn out very ugly considering the colors I have left over.  Maybe it's time for a visit to the yarn shop for some inspiration.

Alison Tank Top

Here's the Alison Tank Top!  Turned out really cute.  I had a little trouble with the arm hole shaping and had to rip it back a couple inches, but other that that it went pretty smooth.  Would've had Alison model it, but she was busy tonight.  We'll have to get some pics this spring when we can take some outside shots.

Alison Tank-top

I'm really excited about this project, because for once something I designed from scratch is working out almost as I envisioned.  Usually my gauge is off or my measurements so the finished project is funky.

This one started the same way.  I did some fuzzy math and came up with way to many cast on stitches.  I was planning on this tank top having an hourglass shape, but after spending weeks knitting the lace part, I realized the hourglass wasn't going to work unless I wanted it to be a minidress.  Rather than rip it out, I decided to let it work to my advantige and let it be more of a baby doll tank.  Loose in the torso and tighter around the bust.  I had to do a little increasing for the bust because of the gauge difference.  As I knitted, I was worried that I had increased to much, but I had her try it on tonight and it fits perfectly.  Just another inch or 2 and I can start shaping the underarms and neckline.  Can't wait to see the finished project!

Playing with a lightbox

I've been avoiding taking and posting pictures of my recent FO's because  like most people I don't the room to set up a regular photo area.  Usually I take pictures in my dining room which is not only the place where we eat, but also were the kids do homework, where my husband works on his computer, where things get put when nobody knows what to do with them...well you get the idea.  So it can be very time consuming to set up the make-shift studio (an old sheet and some desk lamps) in my dining room to take a few pictures.

I've been looking for a solution for a while and I think I found the answer (for small projects anyway) in the form of a homemade light box.  It's nothing fancy, but what can you expect for something that cost me less than $5 to make and the best part is it really seems to work.  

I had been thinking about a getting a light box since I first heard of them a couple years ago and even found instructions on how to make one, but never got around to doing it.  It wasn't until recently when I tried to take some quick pictures in the dining room and they turned out awful that I finally got the ambition I needed to try making one.  I won't bore you with the details, because the web is full of how to's, just google search homemade light box and you'll find all kinds.

I was surprised how nice my photos turned out with the box and I hardly have to do any editing. 

Light box shot with direct light & no flash.  To yellow

Dinning room shot, ceiling lighting & no background 

Light box shot, with flash.  To washed out

Final light box shot, no flash, diffused side lights.  Truer colors.

I really like white background photos, but have a hard time producing them myself.  I usually end up with something like these.

Invisible mannequin

Washed out mannequin

 After playing around with the white balance I was able to achieve the effect I was looking for without a vanishing or washing out the mannequin head.

 

Most of the blogs I read, suggest you use daylight bulbs for lighting, I bought daylight bulbs, but all the photos above were taken with regular soft white 65watt bulbs. I'm waiting to use the new bulbs until I can buy myself some lamps, so I don't have to steal the kid's desk lamps and change all the bulbs every time I want to take some pictures.  Now if I could just figure out how to light larger objects to get the same results, I could take the kid's portraits.