Binary Goddess Knits
because robots need g(love)es too <3
Location Location Location – Knitting and Crochet Blog Week Day 5
Apr 30th
Today’s topic is a bit easier to address.
Where do you like to indulge in your craft? Is your favourite arm chair your little knitting cubby area, or do you prefer to ‘knit in public’? Do you liek to crochet in the great outdoors, perhaps, or knit in the bath, or at the pub?
It is quite a simple answer. I like to knit everywhere! One of the reasons I am so obsessed with the perfect knitting bag is because I cannot go anywhere without a project or two in tow. I’m also the girl who has to be prepared for anything, so I have my notions bag, my Options needles, a set of assorted dpns, and other random paraphernalia. I’ve knit in just about every conceivable place. The only exception really, for me, is at movie theaters. I know lots of knitters who do knit at movies and are good at it, and I might even be able to do it since I am perfectly capable of knitting without looking. However, I personally prefer to actually focus on the movie that I paid good money to go see, so… yeah. That’s just a personal preference.
Of course my favorite place to knit is at Habits Cafe, where my knitting group meets weekly, and where I get to hang out with mah knittas and have a few drinks!
Now that you’ve read my contribution, why not check out other blogs that are discussing this same topic?
A New Skill – Knitting and Crochet Blog Week Day 4
Apr 29th
Welcome to day 4 (haha, ok I’m backdating this post because life went and got a bit crazy yesterday) of the KnitCroBlo week! Today’s topic is…
A New Skill
Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colourwork.
This was a tough one again. What defines a “skill” anyway? As far as the strictest definition of the word I’d say I’m holding my own. I knit and purl and decrease and increase. I yarn over with the best of them. Then there are the more advanced techniques. I haven’t learned to knit backwards, but I don’t really have a desire to do so. I’ve never steeked, and I don’t care for intarsia. I have yet to try entrelac, so that’s on my list, but it’s not a pressing urge. I was over the moon when I learned two handed colorwork, so that’s off my list…
I’ll have to say that I mostly strive to improve and master every aspect of the craft, and apply that towards designs of my own. I know I really want to knit faster, learn more about guage, even my tension etc.
So in short, the skill I most want to master is, well, knitting!
Now that you’ve read my contribution, why not check out other blogs that are discussing this same topic?
One Great Knitter – Knitting and Crochet Blog Week Day 3
Apr 28th
One Great Knitter
Write about a knitter whose work (whether because of project choice, photography, styling, scale of projects, stash, etc) you enjoy. If they have an enjoyable blog, you might find it a good opportunity to send a smile their way.
Today’s theme is supposed to be about an inspirational knitter, but I really cannot choose just one person. There are so many wonderful knitters out there! Honestly I feel really fangirlish picking one knitter and gushing over them anyway!
Instead I’m going to blog about my knitting group. I swear if I had not met them I would never have come as far as I have with my knitting. They inspire me every week with new projects to swoon over. They challenge me to finish things I might not otherwise get through. It was because of this group that I finally published my own pattern, because of their incessant nagging! I have made some really close friends and had some great times.
I’ve been with this group for over 2 years and aside from some minor drama here and there it has been a fantastic time in my life and I can’t imagine that I’d be anywhere near where I am today without them.
Now that you’ve read my contribution, why not check out other blogs that are discussing this same topic?
An Inspirational Pattern – Knitting and Crochet Blog Week Day 2
Apr 27th
An Inspirational Pattern
Blog about a pattern or project which you aspire to. Whether it happens to be because the skills needed are ones which you have not yet acquired, or just because it seems like a huge undertaking of time and dedication, most people feel they still have something to aspire to in their craft. If you don’t feel like you have any left of the mountain of learning yet to climb, say so!
So I racked my brain over this one. I don’t think there’s any particular skill I feel like I still need to learn. Don’t get me wrong, I am no super knitting master, but I have an excellent grasp on the basics and I know from experience that if I want to learn something I will learn it. I guess if I was pressed to pick a pattern I’d aspire to knit it would have to be this one.
Angelina Vintage Jacket from White Lies Designs
It’s not that I think I don’t have the skills, I could do it, but I just have no patience for such a big project. I tend to lean towards smaller projects that I can finish before I get… distracted. (SKWIRL!) Funny story though, I do own this pattern. I got it wayyy back when, when I first started knitting. I bought it because I really wanted to own that jacket. So I get it, and I look to see which yarn I’m going to need. The pattern calls for sport weight yarn so I’m thinking that I can do this in Bernat Satin Sport. Just in case you don’t know, Bernat Satin Sport is a big box acrylic yarn, and it is not actually sport weight yarn. Typical rookie mistake! So I’ve had this pattern for 2 years and I have yet to get the nerve to actually start it because I don’t want to start it and never finish it. I’m getting better though, starting to take on bigger projects, so maybe one of these days I’ll bite the bullet and just DO IT!
Maybe 
Now that you’ve read my contribution, why not check out other blogs that are discussing this same topic?
Starting Out – Knitting and Crochet Blog Week Day 1
Apr 26th
For some reason I have lost my mind and decided to try participating in the Knit and Crochet Blog week that Eskimimi has started, and the topic du jour is *drumroll please*
Starting Out
How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting? was it a skill passed down through generations of your family, or something you learned from Knitting For Dummies? What or who made you pick up the needles/hook for the first time? Was it the celebrity knitting ‘trend’ or your great aunt Hilda?
Well I did already talk about this very subject in my first post, but I guess I can expound on it a bit.
For instance, I know that my grandmother did knit, but only because my mom tells me she did, I do not remember at any time actually seeing her do it. My mom mostly crochets, and I never did develop a taste for that (but I can, kinda, in a pinch). Mom is doing a bit of knitting these days though! She’s been working on a cabled bag and doing a lovely job of it.
Like most knitters I know I too have always been a crafty girl. I’ve always had some kind of crafty/artsy thing going on and I imagine I always will. My latest kick right before I took up knitting was making jewelry, and as evidence I present the following image.
I picked up the needles on a whim, and it was only a few weeks before that I’d seen a pattern for a cute penguin and said to my boyfriend “wow I’d love to make that, as IF I’d ever knit!” I mostly learned by watching the videos on knittinghelp.com, and then started combing the net for cool patterns to try, and then I joined Ravelry and it was all over. Now I’ve published and sold my own pattern and I have more in the works and there isn’t a day that goes by that I’m doing something related to knitting. Even my sewing and jewelry making have drifted into the knitting zone, since I sew project bags and knitting totes and I’ve made pretty stitch markers.
So now I’ve been knitting for over 2 years, and there is no end in sight. I’ve met the best people and had some of the best times of my life because I bought those cheap Boye needles and a couple balls of some Lion Brand novelty yarn.
Now that you’ve read my contribution, why not check out other blogs that are discussing this same topic?
The one where I sew things for knitting
Apr 21st
So yeah, this is my knitting blog but today I’m going to talk about sewing… but I’m sewing for knitting so it counts right?
A while back I got one of those fancy shmancy sewing machines, a Singer Futura CE150, and I was all excited because I’d be able to do all kinds of awesome embroidery on things. As it turned out it was a really great sewing machine but I had some trouble with the embroidery part of things. It just seemed that I had gotten a bad machine. Small details looked sketchy and crooked and the bobbin thread came through to the top a lot, and I couldn’t seem to figure out the problem. I still loved it as a sewing machine though so I kept using it. Then one day it died on me, and this was really just a few months after I got it so I was pretty ticked off. After a bit of an adventure I managed to find a place and get it completely overhauled and when I got it back it was sewing better than ever. Still the embroidery aspect was sketchy. I buckled down and really dug around and did the research and found out that what I had here was a tension issue, and one thing led to another and next thing I knew I had that baby humming along doing some amazing things and I just about cried!
So I have created a few new bags and I’d like to show them off here.
First, the project bags!
I made this one for Lindz because she’s been so awesome lately, and I wanted to do something nice for her. I got the knitting skully from Urban Threads, I digitized the GDB (if you don’t know what that stands for you have to watch the show ‘Community’ 
) and used the Futura software to add the “mslindz” (her Ravelry name) She picked out the fabric so I got thread to coordinate with it and she is at least pretending to love it so that’s good!
This one I made for myself… I forget where I found the fleur de lis, but it was one I’d tried to make several times before with the machine before I figured it all out.
This lovely number was a commission from Sarah S. She gave me the fabric and I just felt it begged to have some celtic knotwork on it, and I love the way it worked out!
And here we have the crowning jewel on my latest crown of sewing majesty…
It’s a new knitting bag! I love love love it so much. The skull on the flap came from Urban Threads and the fabric is an Alexander Henry print that I’d had my eye on for some time, and I finally had something fun to do with it.
Now believe me, there has been knitting, and I have other things to blog about but I think it best to save them for another post so that I actually have something to post about!
So for now I’ll just play myself out… LATES!
Namaste!
Mar 26th
I have a new bag! Diva Knitting is restructuring her store and everything must go, so there are some pretty impressive deals going on there, including what is left of her Namaste stock. Lindz grabbed herself a Monroe in Hollywood Pink and while she was there she snagged me a Hermosa in (of course) Eggplant. (She has one bag left as of this posting, so if you want one you better get it quick!)
Shipping was lightning fast, and before I knew it I was the proud owner of this lovely bag.
I’m no stylista, and I’m generally not a slave to “Names”, but I have to admit I’ve always coveted the Namaste bags I’ve seen. Now that I have one of my very own I will say that they deserve their stellar reputation. It is hands down the nicest knitting bag I’ve ever owned.
The Pros:
- The quality - The vegan friendly vinyl is the nicest vinyl I’ve ever touched. It is as soft as butter and really durable. The stitching and overall construction is strong.
- The color – What can I say? I’m a fan of purple, and this is a lovely, rich, dark purple and I love it.
- The roominess – I carried 3 small projects, the charts for said projects, a magazine, my notions bag, my needle case, my needle repair case, a skein of yarn I wanted to show off and all my normal purse supplies… and I had room to spare
- The Pockets – Most bags out there really skimp on the pockets. Not so this bag! I especially love the document pocket on the back for keeping my latest pattern and/or a magazine ready to grab
The Cons:
- The heaviness – with all the aforementioned supplies the bag really was very heavy
- The lack of shoulder strap on such a large bag – I really do prefer an across the body shoulder strap when carrying a bag so large and heavy
Overall the pros outweigh the cons, and I love the bag! I may want to eventually get another, smaller version for those times that I don’t feel that I need to carry absolutely everything, but we shall see!
Quick test of WP to Twitter
Mar 23rd
Just checking to see if this will let people know when I post to my blog… sorry for the spam!
Hello world!
Mar 22nd
OK, so I’ve been knitting a few years now, and I finally published my first original pattern and I feel like maybe it’s time I got in on this knitting blog thing as well. It can’t hurt to try right?
First off, the pattern! There is a bit of a story to this pattern so bear with me.
I got started knitting because of fingerless gloves. I saw a pair at a boutique and I wanted them so much, but they cost too much at the time so I had to pass. I had a couple of knitting friends and I’d started watching Knitty Gritty just for kicks, and I finally gave in around Christmas 2 years ago and picked up a ball of yarn and some needles from Joann’s. My first project was, of course, a scarf. But I couldn’t just knit a garter stitch scarf could I? Noooooo! I had to be fancy! I knitted a striped black and red scarf, on the bias, out of an eyelash yarn held with a strand of black acrylic. Let me tell you, this scarf was like a long area rug! But I did like it, though to this day I have no idea what happened to that thing…
Ultimately it turned out that I loved knitting and I kept at it, and I did finally make my first fingerless gloves, but I was still stuck in ‘big box yarn’ mode until I joined Ravelry, met my current knitting group and made some of the most awesome friends a knitter could have. 2 years later and I have a huge stash of acrylic that I tap into to make toys and to knit for people who don’t care about “real wool”, but my stash of beautiful yarns is growing thanks to my enabling friend Lindsey, who is the most evil enabler of them all!
As I knitted more and more complex things I found I could not bear to knit any pattern “as is”, and would usually end up having a finished item that was based loosely on the pattern, and finally I started improvising some designs of my own. One design was this pair of cabled fingerless gloves knitted up in a purple Malabrigo Sock yarn that had everyone in my group nagging at me to finally write a pattern.
Still I might never have gotten around to it if Lindz hadn’t pointed out a new knitting software called Intwined Studio that promises to be feature filled and yet reasonably priced. I bought the software, promising that I would make up for the purchase by actually publishing the pattern already.
Finally with lots of help from Lindz and some of my other knitting friends (but let’s face it, mostly Lindz, she rocks!) I have published my first, and I don’t think my last, pattern!
Glorious Cabled Mitts in all their glory!
It’s only been up for a day and I’ve already made sales, it has tons of favorites on Ravelry and it’s in lots of queues! I’m so happy that people are liking it! If you are interested in knitting them you can buy the pattern by either searching Ravelry for “glorious cabled mitts” or you can click the link in the left sidebar
So now I’m going to try to make it a goal to keep this blog updated at least once a week on my knitting exploits, and let’s just see where this goes shall we?
