Saturday, May 17, 2008

spring...meh...

First of all, I wanted to say thanks to all the great (and obviously very smart) people who read this weird blog and gave me all the wonderful comments about my pattern for the iPod pendant, you guys rock!!

Usually this time of year is my most favourite, I love to see all the buds on the trees and all the bulbs coming up, new flowers, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm no gardener, the fact that I've managed to keep my hibiscus plant alive for 6 years now is a complete miracle to me, but man, I do love me some Spring! This year...well I suppose it's because of our extended winter, but it seems like it's not even happening this year. We went right from three feet of snow on the ground to +30 temperatures within a week...me no like. I just realized I whine about the weather a lot...feh.

Speaking of whining...wait, no don't go!...are you still with me? Well I'm about to whine a bit, not a lot, just a bit, about one of my favourite blogger/writer/knitters, the yarn harlot herself...now, I've got nothing but love for her, being a fellow Canadian and basically living in the same area of the country and being a knitter and all...but I do have a wee bone to pick....I was given a copy of "At Knit's End"...and whilst reading it I came upon a page that said something about how knitter's should stop debating eachother's knitting, there was no wrong way to knit, and that they should all stop correcting eachother and and deal with the more important issue; how wrong crochet is.

Whoa...wait...what? I'm hurt...not really hurt by that. Unless she's kidding, in which case I'll just shut up..it's possible that was just sarcasm and I'm getting my pants in a bunch for nothing. But honestly, why's she hatin' on all the hookers anyways? When I was a kid and my grandmother was knitting slippers (with that plastic phentex yarn yet) she never looked up from her knitting and said things like "knitting is cool and cache, crochet is crap and wrong" the lady down the street who crocheted ponchos for all the little girls (it was the '70's) never said "people who knit are stupid, only smart people crochet" People either knitted, crocheted, or did both....and no one ever dissed the other. When did all the animosity start? Normally I don't really give a toss about it, I'm glad I do both, I love to do both (there's a dirty joke in there somewhere I think) although lately I have been knitting more, but I was reading a little bit of the threads on Ravelry about the debates between the two, how the knitters seemed to think the crocheters were pouting (and indeed whining) because most of the groups seemed to be catering to only knitters, when the crocheters said really there are more people who crochet (I didn't know that) and all this palaver and drama, and I was thinking it was all so very silly, and then I happened to read a book by one of my favourite bloggers and right there in black and white she says that "crochet is wrong"...I'd like to know why she thinks it's so wrong. I take umbrage, harlot...but I still love you, and in case you were kidding, I'll shut up now.

On to more pleasant things, like finished stuff....here is a knitted Humbug Bag from 101 Designer one-skein wonders I made to hold my sock projects:



I used a carabiner clip instead of the recommended ribbon as a 'handle' so that I could clip it to my purse strap to take along with me. If you think the outside is wacky with the stripy stripy patterns, check out the material I lined it with:



Does it make you say "wow"? I'm not sure what I was after (or maybe high on? j/k) when I bought the material, but it actually matches some of the colours in the bag, so I'm claiming PMS as an excuse...that and the fact that it was in the quilt remnants bin and cost practically nothing....what's that, they should have paid me to take it out of their store? well humph!! Seriously I like the bag a lot, it's perfect for holding my dpns, tape measure, yarn, whatever little things I need, plus I left a little hole at the top for the yarn to feed though.

Speaking of socks, I finished another pair, this is another pattern from "Favorite Socks" (Cable Rib) and I modified it a wee bit for my own benefit:


Next I'll search for the perfect pattern to give my gorgeous Stitch Jones yarn the justice it so richly deserves.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That really is such an interesting comment about knitting vs. crocheting. I've been crocheting for about 3 yrs. now and L-O-V-E it, and I hope to learn how to knit someday too, but I don't see how I could ever hate crochet?! Hopefully she was kidding. Someone did tell me once to do all the crochet projects I ever want to complete before I learn how to knit, because I'll never want to go back to crochet. I love crochet so much I can't image that ever being true.:o)

LG said...

I love knitting in first place, but I enjoy being able to crochet whatever I want too.
I love both the bag and the pink romantic socks! ;-)

Wanda Kay said...

The bag and the socks look terrific, nice job.

And so the debat continues over knitting versus crochet. Hopefully Harlot was just kidding. I love to do both, but unfortunately my knitting takes a back burner. My family and friends generaly want something crocheted, so I give them what they want.

Kiki said...

Hi Karen, thanks for stopping by! I crocheted for about 17 years before I relearned how to knit, and I still love crochet, so not to worry!

Thanks Vik! I love doing both too, I like to be able to have the choice.

Hello Wanda, yes it does seem to be a hot button issue...I still can't figure out why...

Sharon said...

I think Steph was kidding, unless she's just jealous b/c crocheting is so much faster than knitting. ;)

What pretty socks! Love the color you chose. Now I want a bag for my sock projects. But I can't crochet...even took a class and still can't do it...waaah.

Kiki said...

Sharon I think you're right, cause I've since seen her blog about how a handy crocheted (really it was slip-stitched but I can forgive her) edge can stabilize a knitted neckline and keep it from stretching out.

Crochet and knitting really are two different crafts, I had a harder time learning to crochet than knit, that's for sure, but I still love both!

That bag is knitted, by the way, so you could make it no problem! :)