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Skills update: a meme!

My second blogiversary happened in May and I didn't even notice! For a birthday celebration, I'm going to see how much I've improved and how many new skills I've learned since I first did this meme, in June 2007. Bold is what I've done, italic is what I plan to do in the immediate future, and plain is for things I haven't attempted or don't intent to attempt. My last meme had 32 bolded skills!

Afghan/Blanket
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental Knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding--doing this right now
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia-poorly
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Shrug/bolero/poncho-
Knitting with dog/cat hair
hair accessories
Knitting in public

Skill count: 61! I have certainly learned a lot of new skills since I started this, and its actually kinda weird to look back and think, Geeze, I hadn't knit on DPNs when I did this? Funny!

Distractions

Progress stalled on finishing green socks and Verdigris because of...WEDDING knitting. Not me, fair knitters, not me. My former neighbor. I'm making some kitcheny items, washcloths, pot holders, at the behest of my mother. She even bought the yarn. I think I mentioned it in the previous post, its nice. And double knitting is pretty pro looking!

Also plying my Halloween singles. I think I need to get a Kate because I'm having trouble with the yarn plying on itself as a I spin.

Bartenderier: Yesterday I made watermelon coolers. Recipe pilfered from Better Homes and Gardens (mom is a reader). In a blender combine a few cups of watermelon chunks, a bit of sugar, lots of lemon and lime juice, ice, and rum (I do one shot for each drinker, because mother is a lightweight). The original recipe called for lime zest, white cran juice, mint and seltzer, but I used what I had on hand. After blending, I added lemon-lime soda. It tasted like a seven up float, not like a cocktail at all. Kinda nice! I garnished with lime and watermelon wedge.

It was also a good day for American soccer yesterday! the US pulled out a tie Vs Haiti in added time, and the Seattle Sounders defeated Houston Dynamo (the division leaders) to move up into second place, I believe. It was a thrilling game, with some, um, creative reffing, and some excellent offense in the second half from the Sounders. My dad kept trying to shoulder check me, he got so excited.

Furthermore, I got a job at an LYS. Its a Seattle shop, and should be a lot of fun. I start in September. (whee!)

On the burners

Beautiful Blue Sky dyed cotton, blue and cream. This is not for me, sadly, although I do get to play with it. It is going to be household gifts for an upcoming wedding. Its extremely soft but the yarn halos like a mother.

Slanted eyelet hat finished, and looks rather good but a bit on the short side. Pattern is an 8 st repeat over 88 stitches; * YO, K2tog, K6 *. Easy!


First Verdigris glove is finished. Learned how to do double knitting yesterday, which wasn't hard, but trying to do a color pattern in it was, so it hit the frog pond but only for a little. I'll give it another go in a bit.

Bullets

Haiti Vs. Honduras: 0-1. Awesome game, great reffing, we were sitting at the south-end 40 yard line, second row. SWEET. The Hatians played their hearts out, the Hondurans too, it was just a question of who scored. This is group pool play for the Copa Oro.

Here is US vs Grenada: 4-0. Also an awesome game, US team debut for Brad Evans of the Sounders. He got huge cheers from the crowd, playing on home turf helps. I also loved watching Bickermann (Sp? number 5 with the dreads?) play in the midfield, Rodgers, Cherundulo, those guys were great. Adu and Davies work so well together up front, I love seeing unselfish strikers and their playing styles are so similar I got the mixed up. Props to Grenada's goalie, who saved all but four of the 50-some shot onslaught the US team brought.


The view from a friends' deck on the 4th, Richmond Beach area. I wasn't feeling well and didn't really enjoy it, but it was nice to stay in town and beat the traffic.


A rainbow hat in progress. Its finished now, but I don't have finished photos. Verdigris are now getting fingers!

A chart, a challenge

More knitting with handspun. This pattern is Verdigris, from Knitty.com, with yarn I spun from A Verb For Keeping Warm wool/cashmere/alpaca blend (I think thats what it was). I am going to make the shorter version, but since I have tons of yarn, they are going to have full fingers.

Some difficulties so far, specifically with chart reading, since I have a lot of trouble with charts for some reason. This project is a challenge for me exactly because of this! The 4-repeat mitts were too large, so I did 3 repeats, but to preserve the ribs at the bottom, CO 60 sts by adding 2 purl columns at the edge of the chart. I should have added one at the edge of the chart and one at the center, to balance things out. However, it doesn't look too bad.

Also, the thumb gusset is supposed to be ribbed but I FORGOT TO PURL. Who does that? Anyway, it still looks fine so I'll call it a mod instead of an error. I like the pattern a lot so far, would be willing to use it again on something else, maybe socks or a cap.

Other than these, I have yet ANOTHER handspun project on the needles, this time a slanted eyelet hat with this awesome rainbow handspun.

Handspun knitting

Here's a hat I made from my own handspun, this one is probably going overseas.

I'm also working on a new project, a big leap of skill for me as far as charts and difficulty goes, and its working really well so far! Its Verdigris from knitty, with my handspun also. Photos to come soon!

Everyone enjoy your weekend, I'll have more to say this afternoon.