Whirlstrom Studio

2008 Review 

Even though I felt like I was always knitting it seems like I didn't knit that much last year. My finished projects were:

1 Felted Bag: Wobbly Circles Tote

3.5 pairs Socks: Embossed Leaves, Jaywalker, Lang Jawoll cotton, One CableNet sock

1 Child's Jacket: Cable Yoke Jacket

1 Scarf: So-called-scarf

1 Cardigan: TuttiTwist Cardigan reknit the sleeves, seamed and stitched (still need buttons)

Most of my time was spent knitting the CableNet sock...Ah, about 3 months. I knit a lot of it while watching season 1 and 2 of 24 and the rest in the car about a half hour every weekday morning. I have less than half of the second sock done so maybe about 2 months more...

2008 Forecast

Socks: Second Cable Net sock, retro rib, others?

Scarfs: Finish Birch, Start River

Rowan Glace Cardigan

Use Rowan Biggy Yarn for intended cardigan or improvise something else

Mini Felted bags

Sewing: Box Project Totes

Jewelry:  Glass Beads to use to make Bangles and Bracelets

Posted by wstudio at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The big news here a Whirlstrom Studio is I am out of my day job due to corporate restructuring. Yuck. I really liked all the people I worked with and was going start some interesting work. Now I have to start at a new job again.   I am planning to put this time to good use. First things: job search and interview talk preparation. Second: organize home office and start playing soccer again. It could take a while to find a job or it could happen right away. Maybe I'll have time to learn movable type a little in this time span.

Posted by wstudio at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am making good progress on the Wobbly Circles Tote. i am now up to about row 80 out of 104. Since I am knitting the tote in the round I plop all the different bobbins of yarn inside and while not neat at all, I don't have to worry about chasing after them. I knit the odd rows and purl the even rows to accomodate the Intarsia. To deal with the beginning and end of each row I tried a technique I found somewhere on-line that references Fall 03 interweave knits. It goes like this "use a yo and a decreae at the end/beginning of each round to reverse directions. The beginning of the round is on the 1st stitch of one needle and the end of the round on the last stitch of the other needle." For me that seemed to leave the fabric a bit weak where the yarn over occured so I changed to knitting (or purling) to the marker that indicated the start of a new round, then knit (or purl) the first stitch past the marker. Then turn work to start the new round, skipping the last stitch knitted (or purled). Wow! that was hard to describe. I now have a new found respect for pattern writers. Anyway, the result was a bump where the round begins and ends which is OK for this project but not for one that will not be felted. The 'real' technique left no bump but looked weak and I wouldn't want that for a project that wasn't felted either. hum. Perhaps best to knit flat and sew up properly.

Posted by wstudio at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 I started knitting the Wobbly Circles tote from interweave knits Spring 06. I am using Patons classic merino. The background will be new denium and the circles leaf green, royal purple, grey and brown. I got those bobbins from knitting in la jolla way back in April in preparation for this project. I am not going to knit the front and back separate as instructed but rather knit in the round. Each row will be knit in a different direction knit or purl otherwise the strands from the intarsia will be on the wrong side of the motif. We'll see how it works

Posted by wstudio at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)