Flower Pot

My wonderful mother-in-law has sent on at least one occasion (and I think it's been twice, now) a lovely arrangement of plants which usually survives under my tender care for, oh, 6 or 7 weeks. They're lovely. They bring me joy and they're so green and happy-looking in their decorative basket, and I kill them so quickly.

I even managed to kill the cacti I had for my office.

That's ok - soon, we won't be allowed to have flowers or plants on our desks, anyway. They're changing the rules, or deciding to enforce existing rules, or something.

So, I was thinking, I could knit a flower/plant arrangement. They're unkillable, and if I do it right, I can avoid so much as dusting it for at least a year. I could do a leaf or a blossom per week and work on my longer projects between. I would arrange them in a decorative basket. I would use florists wire or a straightened coat-hanger in the stems, depending on the stem. This could end up really awesome.

And there are a GAJILLION patterns out there for flowers and leaves. I could do this. Really. I could see them in all different yarns and colors and textures... maybe even some felted.

Anticipation

So, I scrapped the cardigan idea with the black sequin yarn. I don't think there's enough of it, and it's too heavy for a good Spring/Summer/Fall cardigan anyway. I did see a note in Knitting Daily about their recent Knit-along (KAL), which was the Maple Street Cardigan. I had decided that wasn't the pattern for me, until I saw pics of the finished objects and some of the modifications others had made to the pattern, and I've changed my mind. This is the pattern for my cardi. It may be too late, this season, however; I'm already drooling over fall.

I have been gazing at the back cover of the July edition of Creative Knitting. It's a Plymouth Yarns advertisement for a warm, cozy, glorious winter cardigan. WANTWANTWANT. ...But maybe in blues, rather than greens... And DH delivered my September issue of Creative Knitting and I'm kinda liking the Structured Elements - Graphic Coatigan. Decisions, decisions.

Maybe I should review the to-do list from January...

In more current news, I'm working on a lace-patterned blanket (sorry, I can't give details). The pattern is 32 rows and I've done it once and a half, and I can tell you this will likely be the last time I do this pattern. I'm already hating it. Wish me patience and strength.

There's a sleeveless tank pattern I've decided to do, just have to buy a little yarn for it - it'll be a three-color stripe pattern, and I only have two colors (and only enough yarn for 2/3 of the pattern).

I have GOT to lick this not-buying-enough-yarn-the-first-time habit. Maybe I'll take out some of my stash and start buying yarn in larger quantities. Hmm...

A friend is planning to host a yarn-swap to help us all refresh our stashes. I've started going through mine, and I keep finding things I didn't realize I had. Maybe I can simply give away yarn, and not accept any, thereby decreasing my stash, and making it easier to choose yarns and projects... HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!... gasp... HAHAHAhahahhahaha

The Shrug

I have black yarn with sequins. I need a little black bolero. The v-neck kind, with short sleeves.

I searched my 30-some-odd magazines. I searched Ravelry. I looked in my books. I can't find the perfect pattern. Considering my track-record with finishing things I design myself, I'm a little hesitant. Do I settle for not-the-perfect-pattern? Do I try to invent as I go (and will probably have to frog it all)? Do I take not-the-perfect-pattern and try to make alterations? Eeeeeeeeeeek!!

Presents! Again!

One of my co-workers got me one of the bestest co-worker presents I've gotten. It was perfect, really - that gift you spent all winter hoping some one would get for you, but never actually said anything about. I'm convinced she has ESP.

I love to look at the stitches and daydream about using them in things. There's an "embossed" vine with leaves pattern that is begging to be on the front of one side of a cardigan. The calendar is in my office, so getting to look at the weekend's stitch helps mitigate the Monday-ness at the beginning of a week.

I've already used the calendar to make two Warm-Up America squares.

Even better, I got to make the squares using some of the yarn a church friend gave me. It's like a win-win-win.

Knitting and Fine Print

So, I'm considering a project or two and came across yet another pattern with fine print. Most free patterns posted by normal knitters (as opposed to patterns in books or written by knitting rock-stars) are copyrighted and have a note about approved use - usually something friendly along the lines of, Don't re-sell this, Don't post it on the internet as yours, etc.

But increasingly, I'm seeing nasty notes (like this one, from a Ravelry user - you'll need a Ravelry account) telling people they may not re-sell the pattern, may not use the pattern to teach a class, and may not even sell things made from the pattern. This, ladies and gents, is bullshit.

It'd be akin to providing instructions on making a birdhouse and then telling people they aren't allowed to sell a birdhouse made from these instructions for profit. Or writing a book on writing and telling people they can't sell stories written using these techniques. The copyright doesn't extend to the materials used or the time spent on the project - only to the pattern itself.

Not only do you have no legal standing to tell people that, it's not practical to enforce. So, you post your pattern and some no-good-nik like me makes a sweater from it and sells it, earning over $150 from the sale. Just to catch me, you'd have to be keeping an eye on all hand-made sweaters posted on sites like eBay and Etsy - it'd be a full-time job. Once you catch me, you'd have to find me and tell me, "Hey! You no-good-nik! Stop that, or else!" To which I'd sneeringly reply, "Or else what?" Then you'd actually have to take me to court, where I'd win, but we'd both be out much more money than either of us could have made from selling sweaters. Very worst-case scenario, I get ostracized from the knitting communities.

The concern for people who post patterns seems to be that some one will see their pattern, make hundreds of products from the pattern and retire on the French Riviera off the profits. While this may be a reasonable fear, I think you should just start charging for your patterns, stop putting them up on the internet, or devote more time to selling your creations and less to developing new patterns.

Already Off the Wagon

I needed a quick and easy and portable project to bring around with me.

So I cast on some Homespun for a kitty blankey. In all fairness, I had been wanting to make a blanket for the local animal shelter, so this was a good excuse, mostly. It's portable ... for now...

I didn't even put it on the list. :(

Ok. So, ASAP (when I'm not knitting-on-the-go) I'll knock a few things off my to-do list and add this.

Davey's Hat

Materials

Yarn: Bernat Satin
Needles: US 6 circular or DPN
Stitch Marker
Tapestry needle

Size: Child’s M-XL; Adult XS-M, (L)

Guage: approximately 20 stitches and 26 rows = 4” in Stockinette

Abbreviations: C2B – Move one stitch to cable needle and hold behind work. Knit next stitch. Knit stitch from cable needle.

Instructions:

CO 96 (104) sts. Join, being careful not to twist and place marker.

Work K2, P2 rib for 10 rows.

Row 1: (C2B, P2, K2, P2)* repeat to end.

Rows 2 and 4: (K2, P2)* repeat to end.

Row 3: (K2, P2, C2B, P2)* repeat to end.

Repeat rows 1-4 7 (8) more times and work row 1 once more.

Decrease

Row 1: K2, P2, K2tog, P2 – 84 (91) sts

Row 2: K2tog, p2, K1, P2 – 72 (78) sts

Row 3: K1, P2tog – 48 (52) sts

Rows 4, 5: K2tog – 24 (26), then 12 (13) sts

Row 6: K2tog – 6 sts ([K2tog]* repeat to last stitch – 7 sts)

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Using a tapestry needle, weave the tail through the remaining stitches as you move them off the needles, alternating needles.

Implementation Part I: The To-Do list

I'll cross off as I complete. No additions until things get crossed off, unless the addition is a UFO as of today.

1. Finish gauge swatch; post pattern for Davey’s Hat
2. Finish Hound’s-tooth iPod arm band thingy (sew the rest of the Velcro down)
3. Finish and mail Red Scarf for Orphan Project
4. Fiona’s socks (WHY did she have to pick self-striping yarn?!? And do we think she’d be ok with it if the stripes don’t match up right?) - will frog and re-start
5. Hat for Can-KNIT-ian’s charity
6. Frog swim-suit cover-up and stow yarn
7. Finish cabled wrap
8. Go through stash and chuck odds and ends (or make a funky patchwork… scarf? Afghan? Or just toss them.)
9. David’s vest
10. Aunt Susie's washcloths - just have to mail them
11. Do one Christmas stocking
12. Kity blanket
13. Davey's sock-savers - I'm going to have to re-do, but they are finished
14. Baby Cocoon
15. Baby Blanket
16. Sleeveless top
17. Summer cardi in black
18. Winter vest or cardi