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For Ravelympics 2012!!1
This is my first year participating and I am excited to actually begin something on-time.  The team I am on is Team Tribute after The Hunger Games. WooHoo!!!
The project I am trying is my first pair of socks.

I have had to reknit the cuff several times. First, I measured the widest part of my foot like the book advises. Then I multiplied it my 5 stitches per inch.  Multipling 8.5 *5 gave me 48 stitches. The opening ceremonies were starting and I wanted to get started so I cast-on these and worked for about 5 rows.

After the Internet was available again, I looked up the gauge of the yarn I was knitting.  It turns out the yarn I was knitting is 4.5 stitches to the inch.  This gave me 39 stitches which was easily divisible by the 3 needles used to knit the socks.  I had 13 stitches per needle. Following the directions, the ribbing was worked in knit 3 purl 1 for about 2 inches.

It didn't match up.  It was always ending up with a knit 2 section before starting again. After feeling disgruntled, I read the instructions.  It said that these socks would be knit using a double ribbing, knit 2 purl 2, for the cuffs. 
Yikes, I had to restart again.  This time, cast on the 40 stitches to make the pattern work out. It turn out that 40 stitches was what the pattern suggested I cast on in the first place!! 
Sometimes you have to do things wrong 4 times to get it right once.

Training for the Ravelompics

Well, I have decided to try and participate in the Ravelompics 2012. 

The pattern I am going to do is the Basic Socks in the book Getting Started Knitting Socks.

Team Tribute is the group I am going to be knitting for.  Since I love the Hunger Games, I thought it would be great.

Because I am doing these socks as a present and using some old yarn, this projects can be counted under:

• Synchronized Stash Busting
• Holiday Hurdles
• Sock Put

According to the rules, I can't cast on for the project until the Opening Ceremonies of the Games.  However, I can knit a gauge to make sure the yarn and needles are the right size.

I am using the Bernat Cot'n Corn in Avocado and the current gauge is

4 knit and 41/2 purl stitches to the inch on size 7 needles.  There are approximately 6 knit and 7 purl rows to the inch as well.

Chapter Two-Ribbing

Well, as soon as I started the sweater, I decided to change the pattern and do a 2 inch ribbing at the bottom.  I just like the look of the ribbing. While I was working on the ribbing, I was listening to my favorite podcast Cast-On.  It was one of the first episodes and she was discussing how she forgot to change to lower size needles to do the ribbing on a sweater on time. 

Yikes! I realized I was doing the same thing. I immediately frogged all that hard work and switched to lower size needles.  The needles I was working on were size 15. The needles that I had available were size 11.  I am not sure how it will work but we will see.

Right size ribbing

Chapter Two- Knit One, Kill Two

This is the chapter where Kelly goes to the yarn shop that used to be her aunt's house.  It has been named "House of Lambspun" and she loves it. Being an accountant, she isn't used to all the bright colors and wonderful textures.

The other characters at the shop are introduced at a potluck they are having at the yarn shop.
          Jennifer- the waitress from the coffee shop who is also a real estate agent.
          Lisa- physical therapist.
          Megan- consultant
          Mimi- the older owner of the shop known as Mother Mimi
          Burt- retired police investigator who spins for the store

We also learn that the man arrested didn't have any money on him but Aunt Helen's purse was in the bushes. The ladies also volunteer to come over to Aunt Helen's house in the morning to help with straightening the house and papers.

Chapter 1

I have almost finished the gauge on my socks. I have decided to work on the Knit One, Kill Two project.  The main project is the Lambspun’s Whodunnit Shell.  There is also a simple scarf pattern but I thought I would skip it. It is simply casting on 10 stitches and then knitting a garter stitch until you reach the size you want.


To complete the shell pattern, you need size 15 needles

I like bamboo better than metal

a bulky yarn

Lion's Brand in Homespun

and the pattern to start.

Hopefully it is very easy like it says

 The gauge should be 2 stitches per inch. I hate doing a gauge but since I am not sure of this yarn, I will.  Now, on to the book J

Chapter  1

We meet the main character Kelly Flynn.  She has come back to Colorado because her Aunt Helen has died and Kelly is in charge of the estate.  The first person that she and her dog Carl meet is Mimi Shafer. Mimi appears to be a nice lady and owns the knitting and needlepoint store in town. Mimi takes Kelly to the bistro that is attached to the yarn store. She learns of the wonderful cinnamon rolls made there.

After the coffee and roll, Kelly heads off to the lawyers office. At the lawyer’s office, Kelly learns that her aunt died because of a robbery. She couldn’t understand why someone would rob her aunt. The lawyer tells her that Helen had taken out a $20,000 loan just days before.  They believe the money was taken from her purse. They saw a homeless person in the area and arrested him. 

Ravelry

WooHoo!!! Well I finally have my Ravelry account organized. I can't believe how amazing it is. I love how everything in in a place on my account. The books, needles, and yarn are easily found and I even have some offers on yarn.  It was almost too much too soon. We will see how it goes though.

Needle Know How

In the book Knitting Without Tears, Elizabeth Zimmerman talks about all the different types of knitting needles. She even has some that are made out of walrus tusks. Wow! The needles that are my fanciest are my carved wooden ones I got at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. 
She mentioned that if the coating has come off aluminum needles and you use oily wool (boot wool) the needles may turn blackish. It come off the the wash, but I thought it was interesting to know.

While reading her book, you can tell that she has knitted for a lifetime.  The way that she casually adds deep infomation shows how relaxed and comfortable she is about knitting. For example, when discussing the stockinette stitch, she explains why it curls at the bottom.  Each stich is just a minute bit bigger on the front than back.  They are bigger horizontally than vertically and she suggested NOT using stockinette for borders.

I alway forget which is garter and which is stockinette. I try to picture a stocking (sock) in my head and remember that it has a right side and a wrong side.  Therefore, stockinette is knit one row, purl the next, knit then purl etc. This stitch is great for circular needles.

My favorite the garter is knit every row, not to hard to think about. However, it is harder on circular needles because you would have to knit one, then purl next row.  This stitch is great of afghans and baby blankets because the edges don't curl. :-)

Ribbing is great for socks because of its elasticity. She then adds that if you knit into the back of knit stitches and purl in the back of purls, the ribbing will be even more elastic.

Next "chapter" talks about the techniques used in knitting.

I love her attitude about knitting and I assume life.  If you don't want to do it, then don't.  Life is too short. You should enjoy knitting and not stress over it.

I stand corrected..

I looked in the Index of the book and found Jacquard Stockinette Stitch on p.32 on the book. This is what it said- "Follow the chart, twisting yarns together at each color change. After the last row, beg again with the 1st row."

Fortunately, since I am using all black, it isn't a problem.

Now onto the regular pattern.  After finishing the sole, I cast on 31 stitches and worked in stockinette stitch for 6 row.  Then is says "Cut the yarn. Put the 13 stitches at either end on the spare needles, and continue working only on the 5 stitches in the center to make the upper part of the bootie sock.  Yikes!!
Cut the yarn!! How to I work the stitches in the center if I have cut the yarn.  I will have to ask one of the people at the Yarning group in Jonesborough.