Knitting and spinning. The fun never stops.

Not knitting tips and tricks, but knitting photography tips and tricks.

I’ve gotten several questions lately about my photographing techniques.

The camera I use is a Kodak DC4800 (yeah, I finally looked at it and got the correct model number off it). It’s a 3.1 megapixel digital camera, but the model was discontinued last year.

I always take my photos at maximum resolution — 3.1 megapixels. And I scale them down. I use Paintshop Pro for photo editing. I crop the photo, scale it down to no more than 400 pixels wide, and then do any editing necessary. Sometimes I lighten the photo, sometimes I sharpen it, sometimes both.

And whenever possible I photograph without a flash. The best way is in natural light, but barring that, I try to get a photo in good overhead light.

And sometimes I’m more successful than other times.

Old Knitted Crap

Here’s today’s entry:

This is another design from the ubiquitous Debbie Bliss Traditional Knitting book. I did tell you I love that book, didn’t I? I’m pretty sure this is knitting in J&S shetland, but to be honest, I can’t remember. Senility.

Pattern Review

Ooh! Ooh! Guess what I got in the mail yesterday? The Art of the Sweater booklet from Lands’ End. It contains five knitting patterns, by Meg Swansen, Nicky Epstein, Kaffe Fassett, Dale Long, and Joyce Williams.

Meg Swansen’s design is Norwegian Rose, which makes me tremble and drool. It’s a jacket done in three shades of Satakieli wool and for me makes the $25 I spent for the booklet all worthwhile. (It’s worthwhile anyway as part of the proceeds from the sale goes to a great charity — Project Linus.) I understand there’s a pattern of a child’s version of Norwegian Rose available as a free download from Schoolhouse Press.

Nicky Epstein’s design is called “Dove of Peace” and it’s lovely. I’ll never knit it because it’s intarsia and I am not fond of intarsia, but it’s a beautiful design, knitted in Filatura Di Crosa yarns.

The Kaffe Fassett design is his “Foolish Virgins” jacket, which I already have in the “Best of Rowan” book — calls for Rowan Cotton Glace yarn.

The Dale Long design is called “Christmas Past” and it’s quite nice — a fair isle made from 6 shades of J&S jumperweight wool with designs that suggest Christmas. I like this very much, and by the way, it would be a good project for a fair isle newbie or wannabe to knit. The pattern is quite easy, but the results are gorgeous.

Last but not least is Joyce Williams’ “Acorns & Tumbling Boxes” — also done in J&S jumperweight — three colors. It’s a pullover with an intriguing all-over pattern with shoulder detail of cute little acorns.

So I would knit three out of five of these designs. Not bad! I’m very pleased with this little booklet.

Oh yeah. I knit a tiny bit on Fulmar last night. Most of the evening was tied up with other stuff.

Those of you who have plowed through all of the above to get to this point get a bonus: Izzy in a lewd pose!!

Amy, of Indigirl!

Amy wins the Folk Socks book with her offer of marble magnets and . . . gasp . . . drool . . . Canadian chocolate!

Thanks to every one who made me an offer. I wish I had enough books for everyone as it was really tough to choose.

Oldie But Goodie

Izzy wanted to introduce today’s blast from my past:

Okay Izzy, get off the sweater.

This is another beloved sweater. It’s from an old issue of Knitters (before 1992 I think) and I think it’s a Meg Swansen design. Correct me if I’m wrong. (Judy just corrected me — it’s by Dorothy Ratigan. Thanks, Judy!)

If anyone can tell me which issue it’s from I’d be very grateful. I’d like to see if I can get hold of this pattern again as I love it and would love to knit another one. It’s beautifully constructed — note how the cables match on each side of the armhole decreases. And I’m a sucker for braids and knots.

The wool is from Schoolhouse Press, whatever their basic aranweight wool is, the name escapes me right now. Rangeley wool? If I wasn’t so lazy I’d go to their website and look. But I am. Lazy.

Speaking of Knitters, I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one who is thoroughly disenchanted with it of late. Listen to your readers, guys!

Brief Encounter du Jour

Yesterday I ran into the office redneck. She gave me a look and said, “You cut your hair didn’t you?” I said yes and she said “Did you cut it yourself?” I said no. She stared at me and said “Oh well, I guess it’ll grow.”

This is the same woman who often compliments me on my clothes and says “That’s real country, isn’t it? Did you get that at Kmart?” (I almost always wear vintage Carole Little dresses and suits.) She’s not trying to be nasty or anything — it’s just the way she is. It takes all kinds . . .

Fulmar Update

I’m shaping the neck on the front and cast on last night for the back, so I could start the back ribbing on this morning’s commute. I cast on for the back so I’m ready to go. Which reminds me . . . gotta go!

She looks so calm, doesn’t she? Hard to believe she went nuts a few minutes later, racing around the livingroom and meowing at the top of her voice. A condition I refer to as “Thunder Kitty.”

There was a spider on the ceiling. We had to exterminate it to make Miss Izzy happy.

Knitting Meetup

So . . . the Knitting Meetup in the DC area, which will take place Wednesday night, is being held at a venue downtown. so I shall not be attending. When you work downtown and leave the office before 4pm, it’s not really feasible to attend an event downtown that starts at 8pm. On a weeknight. What would I do? Come home, then go back in again? Stay the extra four hours at work? Call me cranky, but I’m too old for that. Oh well, they’ll have to struggle along without me.

Knitters Magazine

Got my Knitters in the mail over the weekend. All I can say is:

eh.

The first hint was that there is a scarf on the cover. Nothing special– just a scarf with a pocket in it.

What a lot of uninspiring designs! There was one that was interesting and worthy, the Egyptian Collar, but it’s not anything I would ever knit. Just not my thing.

I remember the good old days, when there was stuff I was dying to knit in Knitters. Now I’m just dying for my subscription to run out.

Just my oh-so-humble opinion.

And last but not least . . .

Old Knitted Cr– . . . er . . . Stuff

Another gem from the Debbie Bliss Traditional Sweaters book.

I love this sweater — it’s why I bought the book. I remember I mail ordered the J&S shetland for it using money from an insipid little bonus I got at work.

I really love the ribbing!

How cool is that?!

Twas a dark and rainy weekend. Very autumnal.

To brighten things up, let’s look at some old knitted crap!

This is another sweater from Debbie Bliss’ Traditional Sweaters (see the November 7 entry in my blog). It’s knitted from shetland wool, but I can’t tell you the brand name of wool — it was brought back from Scotland in unmarked hanks and given to me as a gift.

It was a fun sweater to knit, even though the instructions were all written out. No charts. I vastly prefer charts to text. The only charts in this book are for the fair isle projects — the arans are all written out.

Still, I think it’s a great book!

And here’s some Fulmar progress:

I didn’t get alot done over the weekend, but I’m getting close to the front next shaping — about two more inches to go.

Also made some progress on my Knitty design, but my lips are sealed . . .

I think Knitty project will be elevated to the primary project, while Fulmar will become commuter knitting. And it might stay commuter knitting because it’s . . . well . . . boring.

Don’t get me wrong. I think the pattern is beautiful. It’s just boring to knit. I’ve got the pattern memorized so it’s the same thing over and over and over. Good for mindless commuter knitting.

I hope everyone has a great monday. Don’t forget, if you’d like the extra copy of Folk Socks I’ve got to trade, make me an offer!

(Can you stand it?)

This sweater is — I think — from the same issue of Knitters as the Jean Frost sweater featured in last week’s blog — issue 32, was it? Can anybody confirm?

This one is done in the traditional fair isle manner, in the round, with armhole and neck steeks. Here’s a view of the inside steek, showing how it’s held up all these years.

I knitted this using Bovidae Farm sportweight. I love their yarn! Once again, you can contact them via email at: bovidae {at} madison.main.nc(.)us

I took Fulmar to work yesterday and worked on it on the train. That got some attention. And I took a daylight photo of it. Click here to see it.

And just for grins, for a photo of my office, click here.

And this is the view from my office window:

I worked on my Knitty project last night and made some good progress.

Last but not least, Izzy says to have a good weekend!