Knitting With Granny LJ

Good morning.

Sorry that I have not kept up with this site.  But I have CBS (Creaky Body Syndrome) and I had an attack of it the last couple of weeks.  Nothing really serious.  Just annoying.

Fortunately, knitting is something you CAN do when  you are not feeling all that perky.  I switched from the caps with patterns to making a couple of Guy Caps.  They are not that difficult, once you get the ribbing and the increases done.  You just sit and knit and knit and knit.  It is not a great challenge but it is a good project when the body is being a little difficult. 

One good thing coming out of this downtime was that I also rooted around on my Projects in Progress table and found a cap that I had completely forgotten.  Now that I am better, I am going to get back to work on it.  After, that is, I get the two GCs  topped and in the finish bin. 

The first GC that I worked on is a deep navy blue yarn.  The brand of yarn  is Cascade and it is wonderful for GCs.  I have a special head in mind for this one.  But I wanted to wait until I got to perking along a little better before I put it on double points and started the topping.  While I was on downtime, I tried topping a cap and had to count the stitches 4 times and then TInk one whole row and put it back on the circular needles and recount.  But it is topped and in the finish bin.  So that is a good thing. 

The other GC is a rich forest green.  Also Cascade yarn.  I am pleased with it so far.  But then a GC is an easy piece to make.  It will look good on some guy’s head. 

Well, this is going to be a short entry,  because our local radio station is changing hands today and there is a big party at the station to wish the old owners a happy retirement and the new owner a welcome to the Oregon Coast. 

Happy knitting.  Granny LJ

Good morning.

Now that the contest is on the back burner, I started looking at my work table and decided that everything I had been working on (except the contest cap) was so somber looking:  Grays, dark blues, a black and white and a dark blue and white. 

I have to admit that I am a color-theory wanna be.  I was raised in a family where the colors for clothing were black and white.  Especially shoes.  Black shoes for winter.  White shoes for summer.  Black and white “went with everything.”   I had  several black skirts and some black blouses and sweaters.  No white skirts because white got dirty so easily.  White blouses, white sweaters.  Sometimes some blue, if it was a dark blue.  Oh yes, and there was beige.  Beige for walls, but not floors.  Floors got a dark brown with beige highlights.  Beige was the other color that “went with everything”  — almost.

This hole in my education never really bothered me.  I was an impoverished student in college and a lit-major to boot.  Lit majors never had to worry about colors.  Just the words on the page and those were the black on the white.  Went very well with my wardrobe. 

But when I started doing the caps and showing them, my lack of color theory started becoming a real problem.  My friend and mentor, Dodie, showed me how to examine various wools out under the sun to see if they went together OK.  But since I did not really know what I was looking for, I nodded and went  back into the shop and bought the two yarns that Dodie said would “work together.”  And not a clue why they WOULD work together.

I went to a local book store and got several books on color theory.  All the color theory was for people working in paint, though.  But I figured, hey, color theory is color theory.  And they all had color wheels in them.  Well, it seems that color theory when mixing paints is a little different than color theory when matching yarns.

So, I started looking for books on color theory for fiber and/or yarn.  I have come up with three.  One is fairly helpful. But does not deal with the nuances of color.  One is not at all helpful.  The third book is more helpful but not much.  Mostly it is a  book about color in fancy stitches.  One chapter deals with blues and greens in assorted fancy stitches.  Another chapter deals with reds and lavenders in various patterns.  But none of them deal with the nuances of color. 

Several years ago, I got some mandala coloring books and a box of crayons.  My goal was to color all the mandalas using the various color ways listed in book #1.  But life got in the way and I had to put the coloring aside.

Well, the color issue is raising its multi-hued head again.  So the other day I got some new crayons and dug out my mandala book and will begin again to try to figure out why some colors go with some colors and others don’t, and how to put color theory to work making caps.  Any helpful suggestions would be welcome.

Have a great day.  Happy knitting.  Granny LJ

Good morning.

I just checked my email.  And guess what folks?  The packet of things I mailed to the contest got there and they, bless their hearts, sent me a quick email that they had received it.  I guess I didn’t need all that extra postage stuff after all.

I have been working my little fingers to the quick since I got the entry into the mail.  I have 2 new caps started and 3 more to do the topping on.  And yes, it is the same 3 that I have been trying to settle down to get topped, every time I make a count. 

Topping is when the rubber really connects with the concrete for me.  It is the time when I see all the things I should have done, could have done, ought to have done etc on the cap.  Usually, when I get a cap topped, I take it over to show it to Karen and have her try it on for me.  She is very patient with this process.  I get a better sense of how the cap looks on a head. 

I know, I know.  I could put it on my head and look in the mirror, but every time I look into the mirror, there is this pudgy old woman looking back at me.  I have no idea where she came from.  But she sure is in all my mirrors. 

Besides if Karen has the cap on her head, I can get a better sense of how it looks from a distance.  And she is willing to be a model. 

Well, that is about all from here for this morning.  I am really excited to know that they got the contest entry.  I think I’ll put the original in a plastic bag with some lavender  oil on a napkin.  And try not to wiggle like Parker wiggles when he is excited. 

Happy knitting.  Granny LJ

Good morning:

Yesterday, I went down to the  post office and mailed the entry for the cap contest.  Actually, the cap itself is not in the mail.  They want pictures for this go-around.  So I sent 3 pictures of the cap and a note of explaination of myself and the cap and, also, the entry form. 

I really had jitters when I walked from Shorebirds over to the post office with my entry in my hand.  

I literally have not entered any contest of any kind since I was in 4-H.  My first time out in the 4-H cooking club, my vanilla drop cookies won grand champion.  I was really surprised and pleased.  I was pretty clueless at that time of my life.  I was in 4-H from 4th grade through my first year in high school.  I had cooking and sewing 4-H until we moved to Eastern Oregon and then I had sheep projects. 

I really did not think about showing in 4-H.  I just did it.  But somehow, this cap contest is very different. I have been pretty focused on the Contest Cap for more than a month.  Karen has taken pictures of it. My brother, Steve, has taken pictures of it.  I sorted the pictures and picked out the 3 best. I wrote a short vita about myself for the entry.  Got it all fit into a plastic book-type folder.  Filled out the entry form and had to take the book-type folder apart and add the form.   Had trouble getting the book-type folder put back together. Uttered some unrepeatable words in the process.  Finally got it in the envelope and addressed.  I even used my very best  writing  — which I have to admit is pretty illegible at this time of my life. 

I walked into the post office clutching that envelope.  I had written “First Class”  on the back of the envelope twice so in case somebody did not see the first class stamp from the post office, then they could see on the back that it was first class. 

Then I ran into big time trouble.  The nice young man at the desk got the envelope weighed and the first class postage on it — and stamped.  Then he said to me…  ” Do you want to insure it?”  I have no idea why he did not just put an invisible wire across the door and trip me.  I said, “OK.”  Then he asked me how I wanted insured and if I wanted sender notification and several other things, which I do not remember.  I took a deep breath and said, “I think I’ll just send it first class and forget the insurance.”   He looked at me and smiled and nodded.  The last time I was in there I had a couple of small boxes and several big envelopes of various sizes and needed to get postage, as well.  I ended up dropping boxes, envelopes, purse and my cap on the floor (twice, not just once) before I got it all arranged and got out of there.  So I know the smile.  It was the “Here she comes again.” smile. 

But at least the entry is in the mail.  Today, I am going to be topping the caps on my work table and getting them ready to put out at Shorebirds.  it will be a peaceful day. 

Happy knitting.   Granny LJ

Good morning.

I saw it happen to older people I knew — when I was younger and never expected to get to be an old person.  There is a point where the older person’s brain says “Don’t even try.  I am not learning one more new thing.” 

Well, it has finally happened to me.  Back in my younger days when I had brown hair with red highlights (before I had to buy that color at the local  beauty shop)  I played a little bit of Mahjongg.  Since I have had my new computer, Hal, and am beating him at Scrabble a lot, I figured that I would like to try Mahjongg again.  So yesterday, I was at a local office supply store getting a color cartridge for my new printer,  and saw a copy of Mahjongg so I got it, too.  I figured that I was totally cool with installation and learning how to play it — even though it had been the better part of 30 years since I had played. 

I brought  the  copy of the game home  and tried to install it myself, this morning.  About 30 minutes later I had Karen come over here and she helped me with it AND the printer ink. 

It is a good thing knitting is not as complicated as computers are.  Think about it.  There are really only 2 stitches you have to learn.  Knit stitch and Purl stitch.  Of course there are some other things, like multi-colored knitting, lace, cables, yarn overs, casting on and off  and a few  other things.  But pretty much you can do everything you want with those 2 stitches and all the rest are really based on those 2 stitches.  You can make everything you want in knitting with just 2 stitches.  Amazing.

I have —  after about 30 minutes solo and another 30 minutes with Karen coaching from behind me —  I have decided to forget the Mahjongg and go back to knitting and those wonderful 2 stitches and make the caps.  I don’t really remember the rules of Mahjongg anyway.  And If I forget a rule of knitting, I can, quite literally, make up my own. 

Well, I have 5 caps that need topping, and one more started yesterday afternoon. 

Have a great day.  Good knitting.  Granny LJ

Good morning.

We  have another storm blowing through here on the coast.  Lots of rain and some pretty intense winds.  That is what is so nice about knitting.  I can sit in my comfy chair and knit the caps and imagine all the wonderful heads that will be glad to get a warm cap for these windy and wet days. 

I started one out of Mano yarn the day before yesterday.  I started it as a simple beanie kind of a cap.  But when the winds kicked up  I decided would take a different tack.  I have 2 skeins of the 100% wool in the Mano”s color 114.  This is a varigated red with some light and darker colors.  The Mano is a fun yarn to work in.   The rolled brim caps are fun to wear too. 

On the beach you can never be sure whether the wind will get you or not, even on clear days.  That is reason I have started doing the rolled  brim caps.  This is the pattern:

1.    Cast on 92 stitches.  Again, I am working with size 6 circular needles (20 inches). Cast on 1 extra stitch. Then join the two ends of the base by pulling the 93rd stitch over to sit beside the first stitch.  Then knit the two stitches together.  And set your row marker.

2.    Purl the first row.

3.   Knit the second row.

4.   Knit 2 and increase 1 stitch in the 3rd stitch around the base of the cap.

5.   Knit 2 rows or 3 rows. 

6.   Increase again every 4th stitch.

7.   Knit  about 4 inches.

8.   Decrease every 4th stitch. 

9.   Knit another inch.

10.  Decrease every 4th stitch.

11.   Then  knit until the body of the cap is deep enough to fit a head and top off in your usual way. 

This is, of course, the basic cap.  I tend to let the yarn carry the design but you could do it in 2 color, 3 color,  a knit/purl combination.  The choice is yours. 

What this basic rolled brim cap provides is a hat that can be worn with the brim rolled up on casual weather days, and if you need extra coverage for your ears, roll the brim down and cover those ears up. 

Happy knitting.  Granny LJ

Good morning.

My brother, Steve, brought me the first season shows of NCIS, when he visited a week ago,  and I have been glued to the series. So I have neglected a few things.  I have been knitting, however, and have two guy caps done this week.  One is topped and ready for finish work.  The other will be going onto double points today.

On Saturday, I was doing some errands down town and in the health food store and I saw a lady with a lovely Noro yarn cap on.  I asked her about it.  And she let me hold it and look at it.  It was just a very simple rolled brim cap and the color way was gorgeous reds and blacks.  It felt like it was made from Kureyon.  I usually work in Silk Garden because I like the feel of the wool and silk mixture both while I am knitting and while I am wearing the cap.

We talked about the cap a little bit and,  come to find out, she was at the market at the Senior Center last fall and Christmas time.  One thing she did tell me was that she would not buy anything from one of the other vendors selling yarn items because her work smelled of cigarette smoke.  That is the second time, lately, I have heard about cigarette smoke getting into yarn. 

I do worry about the scent of my work.  A number of years ago I had an operation on my head and among other things my sense of smell is gone.  Because of that and because  I know it is so easy for things to become beachy-smelling here, I have been careful. For a while I packed my caps in plastic bins with pillowcases that had about 4 or 5 spots of lavender oil on them.  Then one of the local ladies said that dryer sheets would work, too.  So I switched to the dyer sheets. 

As far as I know, though I probably should ask Karen, the dryer sheets are working as well as the lavender did.  So,  If there is a smoker or some other something that emits smells which can give your yarn work odor problems, try the dryer sheets. 

Good knitting.  Granny LJ