Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 78
July 19, 2018
Knitting Challenge
I learned to knit in April of 2017, so of course I decided it was time to tackle my first sweater. Mostly this decision was made because I fell in love with a pattern and wanted to try it, however, the yarn the pattern calls for cost more than $100 and there was no way this could be my first project. It was a top down, seamless sweater and since there was an online class for a top down, seamless sweater, I signed up for that and bought much cheaper yarn.
My first hurdle was swatching. This is where a knitter tries to see if their stitches per inch matches what the pattern requires. The pattern for the online class wanted it washed and dried the same way I'd wash and dry the sweater, so I made one large swatch and tested out the size knitting needle called for, one smaller, and one larger.
I finished this after laundry day and I waited an entire week for the next load of clothes. I came out spot-on for gauge, BTW, which I almost never do. (The picture is of my swatch.)
With the size needle I needed settled, I opened my pattern and prepared to knit. Only to discover I needed a 16 inch circular needle to cast on. Guess what I don't own? The disappointment was major.
Now I'm on hold while I wait for the necessary needles to arrive. I'm impatient, not only because I want to start my first sweater ever, but also because I don't want to start another project and have to put it aside, so no knitting for the past couple of weeks. :-( I suppose I could have worked on a couple of projects I had hibernating, but I didn't feel like it.
Come on, needles! I need to cast on!
My first hurdle was swatching. This is where a knitter tries to see if their stitches per inch matches what the pattern requires. The pattern for the online class wanted it washed and dried the same way I'd wash and dry the sweater, so I made one large swatch and tested out the size knitting needle called for, one smaller, and one larger.
I finished this after laundry day and I waited an entire week for the next load of clothes. I came out spot-on for gauge, BTW, which I almost never do. (The picture is of my swatch.)
With the size needle I needed settled, I opened my pattern and prepared to knit. Only to discover I needed a 16 inch circular needle to cast on. Guess what I don't own? The disappointment was major.
Now I'm on hold while I wait for the necessary needles to arrive. I'm impatient, not only because I want to start my first sweater ever, but also because I don't want to start another project and have to put it aside, so no knitting for the past couple of weeks. :-( I suppose I could have worked on a couple of projects I had hibernating, but I didn't feel like it.
Come on, needles! I need to cast on!
July 17, 2018
The Novella That Grew
I've mentioned from time to time--both here and on other social media--that I was writing a novella. Well, guess what happened? The novella is growing to novel length.
I had about 3/4 of my first draft written and was confident it would be a long novella. Okay, a super long novella, but even though technically 45,000 words is considered a novel, I just couldn't count it as this. But as I reworked my draft, it grew and grew, and grew. As I write this, I'm at 20,000 words and I've barely reached the beginning of my first draft.
As I think about what I have left to write, I'm guessing I come in over 60,000 words. Maybe higher. This is truly a novel.
On the plus side, I am having so much fun writing this story and my characters are torturing themselves, so I don't even have to do that. :-) I would and I'd enjoy that, too, but it's easier when they do the hard work for me. Heh!
Wicked Obsession is coming, and it's a the prequel to a new series I plan to work on.
I had about 3/4 of my first draft written and was confident it would be a long novella. Okay, a super long novella, but even though technically 45,000 words is considered a novel, I just couldn't count it as this. But as I reworked my draft, it grew and grew, and grew. As I write this, I'm at 20,000 words and I've barely reached the beginning of my first draft.
As I think about what I have left to write, I'm guessing I come in over 60,000 words. Maybe higher. This is truly a novel.
On the plus side, I am having so much fun writing this story and my characters are torturing themselves, so I don't even have to do that. :-) I would and I'd enjoy that, too, but it's easier when they do the hard work for me. Heh!
Wicked Obsession is coming, and it's a the prequel to a new series I plan to work on.
July 12, 2018
Plush
When my favorite towel maker had a huge sale, I bought a lot of towels and wash clothes and bath mats. I was really glad I'd gone crazy when I discovered they'd gone out of business. For years I've been using these towels I got at bargain prices. But I reached a point where the backup supply was exhausted and I was forced to buy new towels.
As it turned out, someone had bought the name to my favorite brand of towel, so I decided to buy a set of the new ones to find out how well I liked them.
They were thick and plush and I was like awesome! I threw them into the washer, dried them, and hung them up to use. It didn't take long to discover something I never considered--those super plush towels are heavy!
I've always used a huge towel to wrap my hair, now this towel is hanging from the weight and getting caught beneath my other towel. Trying to pull it loose almost guarantees that it will come unwrapped from my head. Drying off has become an adventure too because of the weight. This used to be a quick, easy thing to do. Not any longer. Now the process feels slow and laborious as I maneuver this weight around to catch water.
The label on these towels assure me that they'll only become plusher the more they're washed. :-(
It honestly never occurred to me that super plush towels would cause so many issues. They absorb well and I have no other complaints except for how heavy they are, but they're not the original towels that I loved.
As it turned out, someone had bought the name to my favorite brand of towel, so I decided to buy a set of the new ones to find out how well I liked them.
They were thick and plush and I was like awesome! I threw them into the washer, dried them, and hung them up to use. It didn't take long to discover something I never considered--those super plush towels are heavy!
I've always used a huge towel to wrap my hair, now this towel is hanging from the weight and getting caught beneath my other towel. Trying to pull it loose almost guarantees that it will come unwrapped from my head. Drying off has become an adventure too because of the weight. This used to be a quick, easy thing to do. Not any longer. Now the process feels slow and laborious as I maneuver this weight around to catch water.
The label on these towels assure me that they'll only become plusher the more they're washed. :-(
It honestly never occurred to me that super plush towels would cause so many issues. They absorb well and I have no other complaints except for how heavy they are, but they're not the original towels that I loved.
July 10, 2018
Cover Reveal
I've resisted sharing the cover for my latest story for a while now and it's been so hard! I've wanted to show you all how awesome it turned out since I got it.
This is for Wicked Obsession which should come out late summer or early fall. I'm hoping late summer. It's the start of a new romantic suspense series called The Paladin League. The first hero up is Ryder Pienkowski. His heroine describes him as half Italian, half Polish, and all gorgeous. She should have added all stubborn to the list.
It was supposed to be a wedding: a little fun, some wine, the chance for Langley Canfield to forget a devastating breakup. Until the wedding turns into a kidnapping, and her brand new ex—US Army Special Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski—races to the rescue.
This is for Wicked Obsession which should come out late summer or early fall. I'm hoping late summer. It's the start of a new romantic suspense series called The Paladin League. The first hero up is Ryder Pienkowski. His heroine describes him as half Italian, half Polish, and all gorgeous. She should have added all stubborn to the list.
It was supposed to be a wedding: a little fun, some wine, the chance for Langley Canfield to forget a devastating breakup. Until the wedding turns into a kidnapping, and her brand new ex—US Army Special Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski—races to the rescue.
July 5, 2018
I Have Socks
Believe it or not, I finished my socks. They fought me until the very end.
I had to rip one entire sock apart because I'd dropped a stitch in the leg and didn't notice it until I was to the gusset. My attempts to fix it made everything worse, leaving me with no option except to start the entire sock over from the beginning.
As I'm working on the toe and nearly to the end, my ball of yarn had a knot. This is one of those knots they put in at the manufacturer when they have a break, so there is no way to undo it. That meant I had to cut out the knot and had two extra ends to weave in. This didn't make me happy so close to the finish line.
Also there are many mistakes and imperfections, but considering how hard I fought to create these things, I'm calling it good. (Those are dragon sock blockers inserted into the socks.)
I had to rip one entire sock apart because I'd dropped a stitch in the leg and didn't notice it until I was to the gusset. My attempts to fix it made everything worse, leaving me with no option except to start the entire sock over from the beginning.
As I'm working on the toe and nearly to the end, my ball of yarn had a knot. This is one of those knots they put in at the manufacturer when they have a break, so there is no way to undo it. That meant I had to cut out the knot and had two extra ends to weave in. This didn't make me happy so close to the finish line.
Also there are many mistakes and imperfections, but considering how hard I fought to create these things, I'm calling it good. (Those are dragon sock blockers inserted into the socks.)
July 3, 2018
Happy Independence Day!
For my American readers, Happy Independence Day!
June 28, 2018
The Sock Fail Continues
After all the problems I had with my first pair of socks, I was happy that things were going smoothly. I finished the legs on both socks, did the heel flaps without any issues and was excited that I was going to catch up with the other people doing the Knit-A-Long (KAL).
And then a funny thing happened. Not funny haha. Trust me on that one.
As I'm doing the heel turn and picking up stitches for the gusset, I think to myself, wow, these socks look pretty big. This isn't the first time I had this thought. It had crossed my mind when I was knitting the legs that they looked awfully wide, but I shrugged it off, assuming that it was just puffing out because it was flat.
But as I made the turn into the foot of the sock, there was no more denial. The sock looked huge. Like Sasquatch could wear it. Or the Jolly Green Giant.
I hadn't bothered to do a gauge swatch, which was foolish in retrospect, but I hate knitting them so much when they don't make anything and it's just a sock. How far off could I be? Well, I got my ruler out and checked my gauge. I was five stitches off the pattern. That's a lot of stitches and it explained why I was knitting Christmas stockings and not socks that a human could wear.
It took the heart right out of me. I'd been all excited, all happy and then all the air was sucked out of my lungs. All that work and I wouldn't have socks I could wear.
Okay, so I never wear socks at all if I can help it, but still.
At first I thought I would continue just to learn how to make socks, but when I woke up the next morning, I decided to start over and knit them smaller this time. I'm starting the ribbing on sock one, and the good thing about my earlier disasters is that I was able to get the cast-on right the first time. I'm hoping it goes much quicker this time around.
And then a funny thing happened. Not funny haha. Trust me on that one.
As I'm doing the heel turn and picking up stitches for the gusset, I think to myself, wow, these socks look pretty big. This isn't the first time I had this thought. It had crossed my mind when I was knitting the legs that they looked awfully wide, but I shrugged it off, assuming that it was just puffing out because it was flat.
But as I made the turn into the foot of the sock, there was no more denial. The sock looked huge. Like Sasquatch could wear it. Or the Jolly Green Giant.
I hadn't bothered to do a gauge swatch, which was foolish in retrospect, but I hate knitting them so much when they don't make anything and it's just a sock. How far off could I be? Well, I got my ruler out and checked my gauge. I was five stitches off the pattern. That's a lot of stitches and it explained why I was knitting Christmas stockings and not socks that a human could wear.
It took the heart right out of me. I'd been all excited, all happy and then all the air was sucked out of my lungs. All that work and I wouldn't have socks I could wear.
Okay, so I never wear socks at all if I can help it, but still.
At first I thought I would continue just to learn how to make socks, but when I woke up the next morning, I decided to start over and knit them smaller this time. I'm starting the ribbing on sock one, and the good thing about my earlier disasters is that I was able to get the cast-on right the first time. I'm hoping it goes much quicker this time around.
June 26, 2018
No Screens
The health care plan I have from work has an app called Rally where you have different missions or challenges that you assign yourself to complete. I have mixed feelings on whether or not it really helps, but it doesn't take much time, so why not?
Recently, I signed up for a new challenge--no screens for one hour. This means no phone, no computer, and no television. An hour is nothing, I thought. How hard can it be?
It's actually pretty amazing how long an hour actually is.
I started out on the first day--Saturday--by saying I'll just knit for an hour. No problem. After about 10-15 minutes, I realized that I'm used to knitting a few rounds and picking up my phone. Knitting a few more rounds, phone. Knit, phone, knit, phone. It was torturous to not touch the phone.
I tried to think of what I could do that wouldn't involve a screen or an activity where I'd be using the phone or TV. This was harder than it should be.
Can't write. That's computer. Lunch? Well, I hang on my phone while I eat (and yes, I know I shouldn't do this). I wonder how many steps I've taken today and how close I am to 10,000. No, I can't check that yet. Must wait.
I ended up working on my weekly schedule in my planner. I am a paper planner because I can and do completely ignore electronic reminders. Paper works better for me. So I sat down and did a punch list of things I wanted to get done this month. I worked on each individual day of the week. And when I was done, I still had another twenty minutes to go. ::sobs:: I knit some more and counted the seconds down until that hour was up.
It didn't get any easier on day 2. At some point, it's got to get better. I hope.
Recently, I signed up for a new challenge--no screens for one hour. This means no phone, no computer, and no television. An hour is nothing, I thought. How hard can it be?
It's actually pretty amazing how long an hour actually is.
I started out on the first day--Saturday--by saying I'll just knit for an hour. No problem. After about 10-15 minutes, I realized that I'm used to knitting a few rounds and picking up my phone. Knitting a few more rounds, phone. Knit, phone, knit, phone. It was torturous to not touch the phone.
I tried to think of what I could do that wouldn't involve a screen or an activity where I'd be using the phone or TV. This was harder than it should be.
Can't write. That's computer. Lunch? Well, I hang on my phone while I eat (and yes, I know I shouldn't do this). I wonder how many steps I've taken today and how close I am to 10,000. No, I can't check that yet. Must wait.
I ended up working on my weekly schedule in my planner. I am a paper planner because I can and do completely ignore electronic reminders. Paper works better for me. So I sat down and did a punch list of things I wanted to get done this month. I worked on each individual day of the week. And when I was done, I still had another twenty minutes to go. ::sobs:: I knit some more and counted the seconds down until that hour was up.
It didn't get any easier on day 2. At some point, it's got to get better. I hope.
June 21, 2018
My First Socks
I'd never had any real desire to knit socks--I hardly ever wear them, and if I do, I complain about it--but it was a beginner's Knit-A-Long (KAL) and since these are skills I will need if I do sweater sleeves, I decided to try.
OMG! You don't even want to know the trouble I had using Double Pointed Needles (DPN). Every cast on I did left me with a huge gap between the fourth needle and the first needle. Yes, it takes four (actually five) needles to knit in the round unless you use a different method (which I hope to learn soon). I must have cast on 90 times and couldn't get rid of this gap. I went to the group where the KAL was being hosted and sent out an SOS. I got so much encouragement!
The two suggestions I used were 1) add one extra stitch to the final needle when casting on and 2) tie the tail to the adjacent needle.
When I first started after getting help, I wasn't using the second item, just item 1 and I still had trouble. It was only after I started tying the yarn onto the needle and then picking it free once the join was safely made that I was able to complete two cuffs for a pair of socks.
With the hard section one done, I was confident section two would be a breeze. All I had to do was knit for four inches. I could do this without a problem, right?
Wrong.
I thought it looked wrong as I was knitting, but I shrugged it off. My stitch marker was still on the outside--everything was fine.
I finished sock one and started on sock 2. Sock 2 looked different. I looked at pictures of other socks being knit for this KAL. Everything looked my sock 2 and not like sock 1. I checked the instructions for the next section and nope, we don't turn the sock inside out to knit the heel.
Yes, I knit an entire sock leg inside out.
I tried reversing it, but now the cuff looked bad, so while I think it would have worked if I'd kept knitting, it would have been ugly. Plus I had a few dropped stitches.
I ripped the sock apart and started the cuff over again. Yes, I am way, way, way behind everyone else on this KAL, but I am going to have a pair of socks at the end of this no matter what!
OMG! You don't even want to know the trouble I had using Double Pointed Needles (DPN). Every cast on I did left me with a huge gap between the fourth needle and the first needle. Yes, it takes four (actually five) needles to knit in the round unless you use a different method (which I hope to learn soon). I must have cast on 90 times and couldn't get rid of this gap. I went to the group where the KAL was being hosted and sent out an SOS. I got so much encouragement!
The two suggestions I used were 1) add one extra stitch to the final needle when casting on and 2) tie the tail to the adjacent needle.
When I first started after getting help, I wasn't using the second item, just item 1 and I still had trouble. It was only after I started tying the yarn onto the needle and then picking it free once the join was safely made that I was able to complete two cuffs for a pair of socks.
With the hard section one done, I was confident section two would be a breeze. All I had to do was knit for four inches. I could do this without a problem, right?
Wrong.
I thought it looked wrong as I was knitting, but I shrugged it off. My stitch marker was still on the outside--everything was fine.
I finished sock one and started on sock 2. Sock 2 looked different. I looked at pictures of other socks being knit for this KAL. Everything looked my sock 2 and not like sock 1. I checked the instructions for the next section and nope, we don't turn the sock inside out to knit the heel.
Yes, I knit an entire sock leg inside out.
I tried reversing it, but now the cuff looked bad, so while I think it would have worked if I'd kept knitting, it would have been ugly. Plus I had a few dropped stitches.
I ripped the sock apart and started the cuff over again. Yes, I am way, way, way behind everyone else on this KAL, but I am going to have a pair of socks at the end of this no matter what!
June 19, 2018
Filter Faults
I'm on the bottom of a package of coffee filters and it seems as if every single day I'm having a side collapse which sends grounds into my coffee. Grounds! I finally got fed up and went in search of an answer. Someone must have solved this issue for me. :-)
The first site I visited suggested turning the filter inside out so the pressure would go the other direction. I was like, okay, I can do this, but let's see if there are any better ideas out there.
The next site suggested one of those permanent gold filters. I hate cleaning those things, but as the thread continued, someone said they put their filter in the gold basket and that way they don't have to clean it--usually--but if the filter collapses, they're still covered. This sounded doable, but I needed something until my gold filter arrived.
Suggestion three was to put the coffee in the filter and wrap it like a pod. That didn't seem part of an answer, but left too much risk of the pod opening and coffee grounds still getting into the coffee. I decided to put a filter in and then wrap the coffee into a second filter. So I've got the pod and the filter. I brewed one cup like this and the pod did stay closed. The regular filter, though, did collapse and I would have had grounds everywhere if not for the podded filter.
Notice the pod wrapped up inside the collapsed filter. That stayed intact.
There's one big problem with this pod method, though. The brewed coffee is so light, you can see through it. While I like my coffee weak, I don't like it that weak. The first time it happened, I assumed I messed up. The second time I knew it wasn't me. I poured the brewed coffee back into the reservoir and ran it through a second time to get a darker brew.
The gold filter is supposed to arrive tomorrow. I'm ready.
The first site I visited suggested turning the filter inside out so the pressure would go the other direction. I was like, okay, I can do this, but let's see if there are any better ideas out there.
The next site suggested one of those permanent gold filters. I hate cleaning those things, but as the thread continued, someone said they put their filter in the gold basket and that way they don't have to clean it--usually--but if the filter collapses, they're still covered. This sounded doable, but I needed something until my gold filter arrived.
Suggestion three was to put the coffee in the filter and wrap it like a pod. That didn't seem part of an answer, but left too much risk of the pod opening and coffee grounds still getting into the coffee. I decided to put a filter in and then wrap the coffee into a second filter. So I've got the pod and the filter. I brewed one cup like this and the pod did stay closed. The regular filter, though, did collapse and I would have had grounds everywhere if not for the podded filter.
Notice the pod wrapped up inside the collapsed filter. That stayed intact.
There's one big problem with this pod method, though. The brewed coffee is so light, you can see through it. While I like my coffee weak, I don't like it that weak. The first time it happened, I assumed I messed up. The second time I knew it wasn't me. I poured the brewed coffee back into the reservoir and ran it through a second time to get a darker brew.
The gold filter is supposed to arrive tomorrow. I'm ready.
