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Year in Review

This may be terribly boring to you guys, so if it gets boring, go ahead and skip it.  It’s mostly just a place for me to mark my goals so I can keep track of them and my progress toward them.

2006 Revisited 

I was looking back at my blog archives and seeing what my plan of attack resolutions were from last year.

Knitting:  In knitting I had resolved to keep a better knitting notebook, and I have been more thorough  with that during 2006.  I have been keeping ideas scribbled in other books though, instead of putting them down in the design notebook because of the prohibitive size of the current notebook.  Because of that I’ve refined my vision of my design notebook, and realized that I want something that I can switch pages around in.  So I will be lookoing at binder-type noteboks in the next few days to get some sort of system going.  I will probably keep a moleskin with me to jot down ideas, but the actual designing will be moved to a different notebook with removable pages.  Something more like Eunny’s notebook, but more suited to being stuffed in a bag and tossed about.

In looking back I also recalled some goals that I had made that fell by the wayside to be replaced by others.  And I’m thinking about resurrecting the Art Knitting book that I had been thinking about then.

I had resolved to design more garments, (which I still have not accomplished), but I have been working toward it steadily all year.  I have been reading up and studying proportions in sized garments and learning more and more about how sizing differs.  Although I didn’t get this goal accomplished during 2006, I sincerly hope to during 2007.

Self Betterment & Web Presence: I had goals last year in both of these areas and I accomplished them all, so I feel good in that respect.

2007:  Looking Forward

Knitting:  MORE SWEATERS!  As mentioned above, I would like to delve more into fitted and sized garments.  I have a contract piece to do by the end of February that will be a sized camisole, so I pretty much HAVE to figure it out, right?  I would also like to expand my wholesale sales to many different yarn stores both with and without an oline presence.  I’m also hoping to start work on a book of some sort this year, even if I don’t get it published this year.  This means I’ll have to spend some time doing research, so there may not be quite such a prolific pattern release schedule as last year.  I also plan to design some stuff for handspun yarn, which leads nicely into the next goal area.
Spinning:  I want to buy a wheel this year.  I am thinking about a Lendrum.  Whatever I go with I want to be double treadle, and to have a wide range of ratios.  I’ll put my call for a used wheel in another separate post probably tomorrow or so.  Spinning is soothing and satisfying and I really love the sense of accomplishment, so this is one hobby that I will continue with.

Self Betterment:  Mentally, I’m in a very good and stable place, so this year I am going to try to focus on my physical health.  I am making an effort to eat regular, healthy meals, and to do some targetted strengthening exercises.  C and I have discussed getting gym memberships, but if we do we’ll wait until the crowding of January-resolutioners subsides.  For now I’m not allowing myself to think negatively about my body without then following that negative thought with some sort of exercise, even if it’s just a few situps.  It’s already starting to make a difference.

Web Presence: I would like to finally get a site up at mimknits.com  I’ve got a friend of a friend who does web design for a reasonable price and so I’ll look into that.  I would do it myself, but I just don’t have the time.  The plan is to make my blog sort of spaced out from the rest of the site.  I want them connected tenuously, so that the site will be the professional aspect, while my blog will stay as it is.  A place where I curse on occasion and can say what’s going on with me as a person rather than me as a knit designer.  That means that this blog will become less commercial (something I’ve been looking forward to since I first started selling patterns).  I feel bad about plugging my patterns for sale on this blog, and I would love to just have one link to the shop in the sidebar and leave the website itself as the place for the shop list, and the Design Portfolio, etc…

What do you think?

M

Posted 02 January 2007 † Mim § Designing § Knitting § Navel Gazing § Spinning § Web Design ‡ Comments (12) °

Hidcote Garden Shawl KAL

I thought you all might like to know that Birdsong and Knitnana have started a Knitalong for my Hidcote Garden Shawl pattern. You can view the KAL here (the instructions on joining are there) and the pattern can be found here.

M

Posted 30 December 2006 † Mim § Knitting § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (3) °

HA!!

Why am I not surprised? Something dark and brooding with a morbid sense of humor. Quizlet ganked from Terri.

In knitting news, the clogs are done and waiting to be felted, I have a new lovely wooden swift that I want to wind and wind and wind from, and BP1 has begun… I’m about 20 rows in and it’s looking mighty pretty! I’ll show you next week if I can. I’m waiting to hear from the book editor if I’m allowed to blog it, so you may or may not see it until the book is available.

I am in need of some first hand experience advice… have any of you illustrious readers ever blocked something made from 100% bamboo yarn? Can you share your experience? Amy told me that her best guess is to block it like you would tencel (pin out and a spritz), but if someone knows first hand, I’d appreciate hearing it.

I hope you all have a great New Years and be safe and responsible! Don’t drink and knit lace!

M

Posted 29 December 2006 † Mim § Designing § Knitting ‡ Comments (14) °

Heaven all wrapped up in a hank!

So my plans to start Ariann were thwarted by the arrival of the yarn for BP1…. but how could I be upset when the yarn is THIS.

This yarn is handdyed Bamboo Laceweight in the Mulberry colorway from PureKnits. I have not worked with bamboo in the past, so while it will take some research and experimentation to learn the best way to block it, I’m up for the challenge because this yarn is so silky and soft that I just can’t resist! It’s as silky and drapey as 100% silk, but without the “stickiness” that silk can sometimes have. And the way it feels on my lips and face (I always rub yarn on my face, how about you?) feels like angora! The color is a bit more pink than my photo shows, but not quite as pink as the pureknits site photo shows. It’s got flicks of earthy lavendar and the occasional bit of a deeper red. I think it will be lovely to work with!I’m just about done with the clogs, I’m just casting on for the first of the outer soles, so I should have them finished before the end of the year. Tonight I will go buy myself an umbrella swift (my old antique swift needs some repairs and I don’t have the time to fix it right now, so I am going to just buy a new one. If it ends up being one of the plastic and metal ones, I’ll destash it and buy a new wooden one later, but this is a swift emergency. 😀
M

Posted 28 December 2006 † Mim § Acquisitions § Designing § Knitting ‡ Comments (9) °

Christmas of Socks

This is my widdul brover Daniel (and me… I’m the one with the wierd face on the left). Daniel liked his socks 🙂 It was good to spend some time with him again as he’s been busy with school and working 2 jobs all the previous times I was there to visit. We used to hang out a lot and I’ve missed that time with him.
You can also see from the corner of that pic that I got my ears pierced this weekend. Yes, I am aware that most girls get their ears pierced before they need a bra. I just do things backwards. It’s all part of the grand master plan to rid myself of the dislike of my ears. If I can put pretty shinies on them, then maybe I will like them more. The cartlige piercing I got a few years back helped, so why not this, right?
I did manage to finish the pair of socks I was working on (my 21st and final pair for 200sox).

Yarn: Trekking XXL in color 90 (a mix of mossy greens, browns, grays and a titch of orange).

Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Clover bamboo dpns.

Pattern: None, I made it up, as is usual for me. It’s got k2p2 ribbing for the first 36 rows, and then I started an alternating mock cable and rib for the rest of the foot. I worked out the heel so that I continued the cable down each side of the heel flap with a bit of garter stitch on the edges of the flap for contrast. The cable and rib continued down the instep and into the toe. It makes for a very comfortable and snug fitting sock (which I like).

Verdict: I love them! I thought while I was knitting them that the orange might be a problem, but I think it fits nicely with the greens and browns and grays. The socks are comfortable and soft and I love the way they match but don’t match. They’re the perfect thing for the storm heading into the valley. Something to keep my toes toasty.

I have started a pair of Fiber Trends felted clogs for myself and hope that I can get them finished before the new year. I may have picked up a bug from the many sick kids I saw this weekend, so if I end up going home sick, I’ll be sure to get lots of knitting done on the clogs in hopes of meeting my goal. And I purchased the yarn for Ariann this weekend. After seeing Cara‘s and how happy she was with it, how could I resist? Once I either fix my swift or buy a new swift, I will wind it up and get going. Maybe it will be a New Years project. If I can get it done before I get the BP1® yarn in the mail, then I won’t have to put it down and pick it up later.

M

Carrie finished her Icarus shawl in KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud! It’s lovely Carrie! Good job!

Lisa (who is blogless) finished her Mountain Peaks Shawl! She sent me pictures and you can see her shawl here. It looks great Lisa!

Posted 27 December 2006 † Mim § Knitting § My FO's § Others FO's ‡ Comments (8) °

Blargh!

I had a whole post written, and then the internets tubes ate it. So here’s the quick and dirty summary in bullets because I like them so:

  • The cool chicks at Purlescence in Sunnyvale, CA are now carrying MimKnits patterns! I’ll add them to the temporary shops page when I get a chance.
  • Yesterday was lovely and I feel recharged. I am genuinely happy today (which I haven’t felt I’ve been in weeks and weeks. I’m no longer faking-it-til-I-make-it. Woot! And really… THANK GOD FOR THAT!
  • As my mother would say, it’s a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! My grandfather who is somewhat estranged from his children is flying in for a holiday visit! We’ll be picking him up from the airport on our way to Logan this weekend.
  • It’s going to be a strange sort of Christmas with people passing like ships in the night. My father is in SF with my injured brother so that my sister who lives in SF can come to UTAH, but not to NORTHERN Utah, so we won’t see her. And my sister who lives only 40 min. away from me won’t be seen at all because of scheduling conflicts. Strange indeed. But I have a feeling that it will still be a good one. And I know what C got for me, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy watching it on Christmas day 😉

If I don’t see you all again before Christmas, have a good one! Hope you get some good yarn!! Imma work on my socks and if I get the yarn that’s been sent, I may be able to start BookProject#1 (heretofore called BP1.
M

Posted 22 December 2006 † Mim § Knitting § Totally Random ‡ Comments (9) °

*contented sigh*

It’s 8 in the morning and when I normally would have been up for 2 hours, trudged through bitter cold, been on 2 trains and a bus and be now sitting at a desk in a drafty office, instead I woke up about 30 min. ago and I’m still in my pajamas, and I’m curled up in a chair in my warm house with a kitty at my feet.  I think it’s going to be a good day 😀

The Solstice Celebration Plan®  (or SCP) is now in effect.  It includes a bundled up walk with a mug of tea (for this afternoon when it’s warmer), some yoga this morning (just about to go do that) including a sun salutation to bring back the light, some cleaning for the Hanukkah shindig tomorrow with windows wide open to let in the sun, and probably some knitting or spinning or something fibery simply because it makes me happy.

Hope you all have an equally good one.  Happy Solstice and do something today to welcome the return of the sun.

M

Posted 21 December 2006 † Mim § Knitting § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (13) °

I may start counting hours…


I am SO ready for longer days! I’m bored and humorless and utterly exhausted (and have only a vague idea why). I want to be at home sleeping rather than sitting at a desk next to a phone that’s just NOT ringing in an office that has almost no one in it. I feel like I could get more done at home than I can here. I’m taking all Thursday off as my wee holiday for Solstice, but I’ve got another half day of leave that I’ll loose if I don’t take it before the end of the year. Part of it may be chronic pain (I have scoliosis and it causes a host of problems), but I don’t even feel like going to SnB tonight! That’s a bad sign.

I got to talk to my brother briefly today. He’s doing alright although he is heavily drugged (and needed to rest, so we ended our conversation). He basically hydroplaned on an blocked up storm drain and landed on a pole. Very sad as this was his car pre-accident. My heart mourns for such a beautiful car! He’s been discharged from the hospital and is now at my sister’s house (she also lives in San Francisco).

I have been working slowly on the pair of Trekking socks that I started. They’re not so boring anymore and I think I may actually write up the pattern for these ones, except that the pattern is hard to photograph with this yarn, although it’s turning out lovely…. Not sure yet.

It seems the default gift at work is cookies and chocolate, which would be great if I weren’t trying to keep up with the fight against sugar addiciton. I managed to not WANT any of them yesterday, but I did eat a piece of fudge and a cookie today. Now I must stop or else I’ll feel ill after having been so far from refined sugars for so long.

At least I have the Christmas knitting done…

M

Posted 19 December 2006 † Mim § Chocolate § Designing § Knitting ‡ Comments (11) °

Last of the Christmas Knitting

2 things before all others:

1. Thank you for all the well-wishes for my brother. He’s finally in his own room, so when I call him tonight I’ll let him know all the well-wishes from knitters. I think he’ll be shocked.

2. Pop on over to Fickleknitter and see Michelle’s brand new FO. Maya Abigail is just beautiful! Good job to both you and your hubby! 🙂

And now the weekend in a numbered list:1. I finished the hat for the St. Vincent de Paul Charity thing for work.

Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Wool in Oxblood left over from Rogue… a bit less than 1 skein.

Needles: Size 6 Brittany Birch dpns

Pattern: Again, Susan’s Live Dangerously, Don’t Swatch hat with a fancified k3p1 rib and an stretchy sewn bind-off. You can glean the pattern for free from her November Archives, or she’s now got it as a pdf for $3.00.

Verdict: ‘Tis good. I really like knitting hats although I don’t generally look very good in them (hence the reason my face is absent from these photos). They’re almost-instant knitting gratification.

2. I finished a miniature sweater ornament. I needed to bring an ornament for my work Ornament exchange, so I made this sweater and embroidered it. The pen is included for scale. You can also see the mini hanger just poking out of the top.

Yarn: Plymoth Galway bits from my “feltable yarns” stash. The green was from the hat I made for my brother Daniel last year at christmas and the red was from the hat from last week which in itself was left over from C’s felted clogs. We’re nothing if not thorough here.

Needles: US 4 Clover bamboo dpns.

Pattern: None… I made it up knitting from the top down with k1p1 ribbing on all the ends.

Verdict: It’s really cute… the finished green sweater was too plain for the exchange though, so I just went with my whim and embroidered the red. It changed hands several times during the ornament exchange, so I guess it was a success.

3. I finished a Christmas present for my Dad. Dad if you are reading this, look away or at least ACT surprised on Christmas eve.

Yarn: Cascade 220 in a heathery oatmeal grayish tan color and black, with Plymoth Galway in Charcoal Gray for the inner sole (the Galway being the other yarn left over from C’s clogs).

Needles: US 13 24″ clover bamboo circular. The pattern calls for a 16″ needle too, but I really didn’t have much problem using just the 24″ needle.

Pattern: Fiber Trends’ revised (2006) edition of the clog pattern. It’s got changes for a narrower foot now. ‘Tis good as I planned to make a pair for myself, but would NEVER fit into the wider footed original pattern.

Verdict: Finally a knitted item that I think my dad will like. He’s sort of hard to shop for as he usually has very expensive computer items on his list. I used to get him good candy when I was a kid, but he’s since found out he’s diabetic, so that’s just not very nice. But if I can get him to wear these, perhaps I can convince him next year to wear hand knit socks… although he has size 11 feet, so maybe I don’t want to doom myself into making a pair for him 🙂

4.  I also did laundry and printed patterns this weekend. All in all it was pretty productive… nervous energy perhaps. But I may have overdone it. My right arm hurts like crazy and I’m having a hard time holding things. This happens fairly regularly, but it means that I should give the knitting a bit of a rest. I’ve been half-heartedly working on a pair of trekking socks that I cast on so that I could knit through a movie, but my heart is crying out for lace. Hopefully the yarn I need for the book projects will come soon and I can get started on that. No matter how much I like this sock, it’s not lace and I can’t convince myself that it’s as good as lace.

5.  My work website is up now. So at least that stress is gone. I’m happy to not have anything more than tweaking to do to it anymore. I think it’s pretty well built, but it’s still not phenomenal and I’m dreading the comments from coworkers on how it should be changed THIS way or THAT way. Frankly, I’m just tired. I could really do with a vacation, but I don’t think I’ll get one until January.

M

Posted 18 December 2006 † Mim § Designing § Knitting § My FO's § Web Design ‡ Comments (11) °

Good thoughts and prayers needed

Hi all,

My brother was in a car accident yesterday.  He’s got 5 broken ribs and some fluid in his lungs that they’re pumping out, a scratch on his liver… he’s supposed to be alright, but he’ll be in the hospital for about a week, and then the recovery time from the broken ribs.  Right now they can’t even find him a room of his own, so he’s still in the E.R. area of San Francisco General Hospital.  He was just starting a new job too.
Please send any spare thoughts and prayers and wishes for a speedy recovery his way.

Thanks,

Miriam

Posted 16 December 2006 † Mim § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (49) °