Saturday, December 13, 2008

This ones going out to my knitting posse

Its no secret to anyone who reads my blog that I knit. I should probably make a blog for that stuff so I don't bore the rest of you who don't, but I don't want to keep track of another blog. I hope when you all see that its me talking about knitting again you don't immediate press delete (for those who get my blog updates by email) or click the X (for those using Blogger). So anyways back to the point... I knit, but as of tonight, I also Create muahahaha. What I mean is I now not only knit patterns that are written by others, I also create my own. So here it is my first official Melanie Yates Creates (a joke for Christia) item the Holli Headband!
Isn't that an awesome Zoolander "Look" I'm giving you!?
Note: If you aren't a knitter feel free to tune out now because the knitting jargon is going to get kind of thick.
I had no intention of creating my own product line tonight. I was following a simple pattern for a headband that can be found here. The main idea is Stockinette Stitch (Knit 1 row, Purl the next row) for like 18 inches and then bind off and sew the two ends together. Now, my knitting friends, what is the problem with stockinette stitch....the blasted curling effect. My work is not knitting flat; it is rolling into a tube and you cannot keep your ears warm with that! I vaguely remember Julie from my knitting posse talking with Sandy about how to make that better a long time ago when she was doing a scarf, but at that time I couldn't have cared less about it; I was making mittens. So tonight I am somewhere like 12 inches into it (yes only 6 inches to go) and I decide there is no way its going to work. I should have come to that conclusion a lot earlier but somehow I thought maybe I could flatten it out with a book or something. I tear the whole thing out and start again. This time I do various things at the ends to see if I can't get it to lay flat. I slip the first stitch of every row for awhile, I purl when I should knit or knit when I should purl for the first and last couple stitches of each row. Nothing works!!! I rip it all out again.
I have been making a lot of hats lately as you all may have noticed. So I decide to use the techniques I have been using on my various hats to make what I was thinking would be the most precious head band known to woman. And boy did I make it complicated on myself. Check out my pattern.

The Holli Headband

Needed:
Wool Ease Thick and Quick
Circular size 11
Circular size 13
Big Ol' Needle

Cast on 41 stitches to size 11 circular needle
R1. *K1, P1* Repeat between ** to end of row
change to size 13 circular needle
R2. K1 *yo, sl 1 as if to purl, k1, yo, psso* repeat between ** to end of row
R3. K1 *drop yo, k2* repeat between ** to end of row
R4, 5, 6. Knit all st
R7. same as R2
R8. same as R3
R9. same as R1
Cast off

I am guessing most of that means nothing to all of you but it looks impressive right?
Anyways, it isn't fabulous. The finished product resembles a black garter thingy (you know the thing that brides where on there leg for who knows what reason). The cast off end is tight and then the other end is not. It is quite humorous to me for some reason. I imagined myself putting photos of me wearing it all sorts of places and having you all guess what it was actually intended to be. But when I took the first photo posted above and looked at it I realized that I can actually get away with it looking like a cool headband. So, scratch all that I said previously. It is perfect, the best head band pattern ever! I mean who of you was going to knit it anyway? No one. I could have totally gotten away with everyone thinking I was a genius. No one would have ever known what a piece of junk it is (except for maybe my mom "Holli" for whom I was inspired to create it for as a Christmas gift. So I guess I am sorry to mom, this item is no reflection of you. I just don't have any money to buy you anything you really need.
Sorry about the rambling.
The End.

3 comments:

Elise said...

Ha ha. Funny post Melanie. I think your knitting expertise is just great! I really like to see your creations even though I don't knit. I really like to crochet, and I've been thinking of trying knitting out too. You've inspired me!

Megan said...

Whatever - I think it looks awesome. Maybe because I have never even come sloe to knitting so I am easy to impress. But not as awesome as your mad posing skills. Your Zoolander comment made me laugh!

Julie said...

I like it!