Saturday, September 07, 2013

The things we notice

When we're watching a tv show or a movie. That is, it depends on your hobby or interest. Mine happens to be crafting. Specifically, knitting and crocheting, not necessarily in that order.

When you're an avid crafter, whether or not you make a lot of things or just a few things a year, you begin to notice things when you watch tv, and not necessarily anything having to do with the plot.

For instance, one of the tv stations ran Wayne's World yesterday and I couldn't help but notice the afghan on the couch they used during their broadcast. It's made out of large hexagons, each in a different color. I focused on that to the point that I googled images of Wayne's World to find a still of it. Then I tried making one. After several failed attempts, I got something similar by using clusters and chain spaces. I got an eight inch across motif out of some blue.

Now I'm determined to make a similar afghan by rummaging through my yarn and using whatever I find. I know it won't be just like it, but since that's what inspired it, I think I'll call it Wayne's World Inspired Afghan, or WWIA.

Now, onto other things. I knit and crochet both, so when, in an early season one episode of CSI: NY, a lady at a dog show told Mac that she had knitted the afghan in her lap for her dog I immediately said "No way did she knit that." It was a granny square afghan, and you can only get granny squares by crocheting them. The prop person obviously wasn't a knitter or a crocheter or they would have at least acquired a knitted afghan for the lady to brag about. I'm pretty sure most people didn't see that goof, but I did and was very amused by it. A quick look at the ep "Recycling" on Imdb shows that someone else did. I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw it.

Now, every time I watch tv (which isn't often anymore since most stuff is boring these days) I tend to notice when an actor/actress is wearing a handknit/crocheted item, and I will sometimes look up pictures of it (or attempt to), to see if I could possibly duplicate it. I've seen hats, vests, sweaters, scarves, etc.

You know it's bad when you're more interested in props/costumes than you are in the show itself...

Wednesday, September 04, 2013

Socks

You know, just when you think you've seen it all, along comes something you haven't seen. Or, just when you find a favorite heel method, along comes another method that's just 'that' much better.

What am I speaking of?

Fish Lips Kiss Heel

Funny name for a gorgeous heel. The pattern is only $1, and since I had a couple dollars in my paypal, I bought it today. I haven't tried it yet, naturally, but after reading it and checking the pic tutorial at the end, it looks like this is going to be my new favorite heel. Now all I'll need is to make some cardboard feet.

The only thing that bugged me about short row heels doing them with YOs, is that it left a ridge of sts inside the sock that I could sometimes feel. This method doesn't use any kind of extra stitches and it looks like it would be easy to do once you memorize the method.

Of course, I have been knitting for most of my life, so just about anything would be easy to me once I've done it at least once or twice, but still, even beginner sock knitters should be able to do this. For them, I would recommend the linked videos from the pattern. Or I'll just provide them here.

Sox Therapist

That will take you to her two vid tutorials for the short row method she uses in her sock heels.

Seriously, this pattern is worth it if you make a lot of socks. You can use it on any sock pattern and throw away the heel flap/gussets forever.

Then people will start asking you where you bought your socks at ;)

Seriously, I would be flattered if someone asked me that.