Tuesday, August 28, 2007

I'm too stupid for my knitting

bonus points if you can identify the reference...


Lately, every project I touch seems to turn to crap. I have been trying to knit this bag and while the pattern in painfully simple, it would seem that I am not up to the challenge.


First, I cast on the wrong number of stitches. **rip**

Then, I knit about 3 inches and realized that I had knit a row with the incorrect decrease, so instead of a lovely zigzag meandering up the bag, I had a bit more zig than zag. **rip**

The third attempt was apparently not charmed either. I started again and got about 6 inches into it when I stopped and looked at it again. I realized that the bag was written for a much finer yarn than what I was using. It should have been about 8 inches wide or so, but I was coming in at nearly double that. **rip**


Needless to say, I put that project aside for a bit and finished up a dishcloth. A generally painless project.


#####


I had ordered some garment labels for my handbags a few weeks ago and they arrived late last week. I am now in the process of opening up a seam in each bag so that I can stitch on the labels. This depresses me more than you can guess. I have over 30 bags in inventory and the thought of having to redo something on each one of them makes me want to weep.


I am hoping that I can get something accomplished over the long weekend. As a bonus, Caleb and Eric are heading to California to visit my FIL and I get my very own vacation here at home! (This is infinitely more appealing than spending 4 days traveling.) They will be gone the weekend of the 15th, so I can actually accomplish something. No dinners to prepare, no games to play with clingy 4 year olds, nada!


I am also hoping to nail down a date for a purse party at a friend's home later this month. It will bring in a new influx of cash so I can afford a new digital camera.


What do you use to photograph your knitting? Do you use a macro function to capture stitch details? I would really prefer a point and shoot type (not SLR) digital camera at about $200 bucks. Recommendations anyone, or a good place to look online?

5 comments:

Shan said...

Man I know all about cursed knitting. I had the worst sockapalooza experience ever.

I use a Kodak something or other...it was about $250 I think...I will check on the make of it tomorrow. I don't think it has a macro but I use the computer to crop and zoom pictures to get a closer-up. It works great for me.

Unknown said...

A macro setting is a necessity when photographing fiber & yarn!

I have a Canon Powershot A95 and it's a great camera. Lots of settings (especially that macro setting I use to death!). Takes great photos w/o flash too (I never use a flash).

A mini-tripod helps get great yarn/fabric photos too. They're very cheap (maybe $9-12?). I keep mine in my purse so I always have it for those spur-of-the-moment photos!

Heddy said...

Right said Fred? wow -- takes me back a coupla years.

that's crappy when a project seems to fight you at every turn (I am that way with dishcloths - can't knit them for love or money, and have yet to knit one that hasn't been ripped out 3 or 4 times beofore it was done!) The bag looks like something you would have to concentrate on to get it right!

Mother of Chaos said...

Oh, thank Dawg. Obviously, it is some knitting-related virus going around, and not that I have suddenly lost my ability to do even basic work. ;-)

UGH! Undoing work? It makes my toes curl up, it really does...

Ragan Knits etc... said...

Poo on the bag. I hope that it does turn out well in the end. I have a Sony Cybershot, and I love it.
I have no knitting mojo at the moment either...oh well.