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Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Thoughts for 02/20/07

Not much to report on this end. I have done very little knitting lately, partly because I am still sick. I only managed 18 rows on a scarf during my overnight trip to Healdsburg. The last thing I completed was a wash cloth based on the Eyelet Hearts pattern in the Vogue Stitchionary (pg 97). I haven't yet taken a picture of the cloth. Besides dropping the leading & ending knit stitch, I only did one thing differently from the pattern instructions on Row 3:

B3, K1, * K1, YO, K4Tog, YO, K3, YO, SSSSK, YO, K2 *, B3

I like how the right slanting K4Tog complements the left slanting SSSSK at the top of the heart. However I find doing SSSSK quite a biscuit to work -- for me, it has the same curse value as trying to do Purl 3 stitches through the back loop on cotton yarn, lol -- so I did my SSSSK a different way: Slip 1 stitch. Do SSSK. Then pass the slipped stitch over the SSSK stitch. I think you get the same symmetrical results without the curse factor. ;-)

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I wanted to ask your opinion about how my blog looks. I was looking at my sidebar and thinking there are way too many pictures for my free patterns. I was scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. Do find it useful to have the photos there? Or would it be better to remove the photos and just have text links to the pattern pages?

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Joan wrote: I find that I need natural daylight to accomplish a decent digital pic.

Gosh, I wish I could always manage that. My best time to take photos is usually after M has gone to bed. It's dark outside, and none of the lighting in the house seem to work well for photography.

Lindsey wrote: I was a bit confused as you mentioned a step PYOP and had an explaination for it, but I never came across it in the rows.

Oops, that was just sloppy copy & pasting on my part. I was copying the abbreviations from the Notes section in one of my other patterns and copied too much. I've fixed it so there shouldn't be any further confusion. On the other hand, I suppose having too much info is better than not having enough...

Silvia in Germany wrote: My best mail friend is going on Chemo next week and I want to make her a lovely hat. ... Could you please tell me how to make this nice rose Chemo Hat 1 Version 6 ?

The pattern is Marnie MacLean's Nautilus Hat, which you will find here:
http://www.marniemaclean.com/patterns/Nautilus/index.html

My completed hat can be seen here:
http://smariek.blogspot.com/2005/12/chemo-hat-1-completed-nautilus-hat.html

Wishing your friend good luck with her chemo.

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Ok, I'm off to take my cough medicine. The Boss is calling, so I need to go entertain her too.

Teatime ... today I am drinking Yamamotoyama green tea. I stopped drinking the Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat when my sore throat went away. Now I'm just dealing with a whole lot of congestion so sticking my nose into a hot cup of tea helps. :-)

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9 stitch(es):

g-girl said...

i think it's nice to be able to see the pics with the patterns. A suggestion might be if you did a 3 column template as opposed to just 2 so then you could kind of balance out how your page looks. does that make sense? Like Joan, I like to photograph my items in natural light as well but like you said, it's difficult to do! oh yes and I meant to ask if you have a humidifier. I ask because I was sick around the same time you first got sick and then I decided to buy a humidifier and after one night, I was almost completely cured.

junior_goddess said...

I like the photos in the sidebar.

Bets

Joan said...

I also like all your photos in your sidebar. So colorful. Try Colloidal Silver for your lingering head cold, etc.

Can you take your photos early in the morning before the house gets running crazy? Morning light is so nice.

Anonymous said...

I am glad your sore throat is gone! Perhaps you are on the home stretch. I like seeing pics with your patterns on the side. And although I prefer natural daylight for photos, I find yours to be perfectly clear and natural looking.

Anonymous said...

I love the way your photos are.
It is a very clean and well designed site. So sorry you had a cold when you had such a beautiful place to go for a get-away. Feel better and have a Happy New Year. We went out to our suburban NY Chinese restaurant and had a lovely Chinese meal. Kathleen

Anonymous said...

I really like having the photos. I don't mind scrolling!

sk said...

What is Yamamotoyama green tea? Japanese tea with some burn rice inside?
I like to see all the pictures, like dee said I don't mind scrolling. Everything is nice and meticulous.

Anonymous said...

I really like to see the photos, but I know it can be hard to find the balance between "interesting & informative" and "too much". I hope you are feeling better soon, this has been a long (cold) haul for you!

Anonymous said...

I love your blog. You do beautiful work and I have make copies of many of your patterns. Your Persephone Scarf pattern I am planning to add as one square of my sampler afghan I am trying to design all in one piece.
Love your pictures and I agree I don't mind scrooling to find them.
Kathy