Knit One, Cherish Too!

Knitting Madness

I've been going crazy these past few weeks with all the projects I'm taking on.  We lost the camera (found it this evening), so no pictures for this entry...  The good news is, I finally accomplished making my first set of handmade knitting needles.

You wouldn't think that making knitting needles would be a tedious process, but it is.  It mainly involved sanding the points with high grit sandpaper so as to not snag the yarn.  The other thing to keep in mind is the finish.  I'm testing a few different ideas.  I stained a needle, varnished a needle, and high glossed a needle.  These treaments are drying, but once they're dry, I get to spend more time buffing the finishes.

I am dedicated to bringing back the old standard of quality handmade items.  It's important to keep up with artistic traditions while bringing a contemporary or modern-time feel to designs.  The fun thing now is that I get to learn woodworking, something my late grandfather did in his spare time during retirement.  I feel as though I'm passing on a tradition.  As a result, we invested in a lathe to do more intricate designs on knitting needles and my husband got a power saw since he's a little jealous of my growing tool collection.  :)

Amidst all of this planning, I managed to finish a pair of socks, travel to some of my local yarn shops, and bake a few apple pies (we visited an orchard last weekend).  All in all, I feel like Cherished Moments is coming together nicely and within the next month we could have more things going into Etsy, which was my goal all along.  Wish us luck!

Coming Soon
Pictures of handmade knitting needles.

An Order to Chaos

Current Projects

• Peanut's Fall Sweater: I was able to complete Peanut's Fall Sweater, which is known as "Sweater with Ribbed Yoke" by Debbie Bliss.  It seemed as though the collar took the longest, but this sweater actually looks incredibly cute on my son (unfortunately, he wouldn't pose for any pictures while he tried it on).  This sweater involved a lot of ribbing and faux cables across the top of the front and back and also at the top of the sleeves.

• Pink Swirls: I picked up a book called "Socks a la carte 2: Toes up!" while on my Yarn Trek.  I decided to start a pair of socks, as mentioned in my previous post.  I was also able to finish this pair while visiting my parents at their bed and breakfast.  So far, I've gotten pretty positive feedback on this pair, so I definitely will be making more pairs of socks out of this book.

• Autumn Leaves: Yes, I started another pair of socks using a leaf pattern out of the book.  I am using Berroco Sox Metallic to complete this pair.  So far, I've been able to get a bit better at casting on a toe-up sock and it's turning out great.  Hopefully, I'll be able to finish these quickly and post pictures soon!
• Falling Leaves:  Continuing with the upcoming "back-to-school" and fall season, I designed a jumper using Sirdar Snuggly yarn.  It will be multicolored with a border containing leaves.

Knitting Madness

It's absolutely crazy the number of projects that have decided to take on in order to get my etsy shop officially up and running.  Some of the things you will see on there soon:

• Handmade knitting needles
• Handmade stitch markers
• Socks
• Children's clothing

Keep checking back to monitor our progress!

Toe-up Socks

Design
While on my Yarn Trek, I came across a book for knitting toe up socks: Socks a la carte 2: Toes Up!  As much as I love to knit socks - and I even have my own master pattern - I have never done a toe-up sock.  Probably out of fear of the unknown...  Using the figure-eight cast on, I attempted (and failed) to start a toe-up sock a good 20 times until I gave up that day.  Even with the pictures, it just wasn't working.  Thanks to the group Sock Madness on Ravelry.com, I was able to get a few hints on how to do this cast on and make it look good.  Here's what I learned:

1. When doing the cast on, include the slip-knot stitch as your cast on stitch.
2. Knit a few rows - I knit a total of 2 - on each needle once you've done the cast on in order to make sure that the cast on was good.  It also creates a good-looking toe point if you're using variegated yarn.
3. The book tells you to distribute the stitches a certain way for a lot of the different toe patterns.  For the double-up toe, slip 4 of the sts of one of the needles onto a third needle and then you should have the sts distributed. You'll have to knit the sts on what would be needle 3 (N3) in order to get to the beginning of the round.  Then and only then will it work.

Knitting Madness
Yarn Trek took a total of four days.  On days three and four, Peanut and I visited four more shops.

• Grafton Yarn Store:  http://www.graftonyarnstore.com/  The shop is absolutely awesome!  It's in an older building and set up very well.  I got more baby yarn, picturing a back to school/fall colors jumper.  The owner was very friendly and invited me to join her Ravelry group to follow sales, etc. 
• Main St. Yarn Shop:  http://www.mainstyarnshop.com/ This took a while for us to get to from our hometown, but it was definitely worth it.  I got some good business start-up advice from the owner, who was actually willing to talk to me about owning a yarn shop.  I also picked out some yarn that I plan on using to design a few fall items for my etsy shop.
• Xpressions Beads & Yarn:  http://www.xpressionsbeadsnyarn.com/ This was a little bit of a smaller shop, but it is equally devoted to yarn and beads.  You can purchase items on their website, or email the owner and put in a special order.
• Fiddlehead Yarns:  http://www.fiddleheadyarns.com/  Another quaint shop, but it is much larger than it appears.  There is even another room off of the main shop, which I assumed was for classes and/or private knitting. 

Coming Soon
Handmade knitting needles!

Knit Trek: On a Mission to Find Local Yarn Shops

GOOD NEWS!

1. The new website has officially been launched.  It's only a skeleton, but as the portfolio and designs build, we'll have plenty more going on. 
2. Our etsy.com shop is up and running as well.  There are two listings so far that include our handdyed sock yarn.  Keep checking out cherishedmomentswi on http://www.etsy.com/ for new designs and yarns!

Knitting Madness
This weekend I decided to set out on a trek around the southeastern portion of our state in search of local yarn shops.  I figured, it would be a great idea in order to find out a little bit more about the craft business and also to find new and fun yarns.

• The Knitting Knook (http://www.theknittingknook.com/):  This was the first stop on our trip.  Peanut immediately fell in love with the fact that the yarn was all out in the open.  I liked the set up of this shop because it was cosy and inviting.  The shop itself is in a house that is shared with three other businesses.  It was interesting to see the different kinds of yarn, but I also recognized a few from magazines: Manos del Uruguay and Debbie Bliss yarns!  This is definitely a place that I'll be visiting again.
• Ruhama's Yarn and Needlepoint (http://www.ruhamas.com/):  Next stop on the tour was Ruhama's.  This was by far my favorite shop of all that I had seen.  Located in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this yarn shop was the most organized.  The store's yarns were organized by weight and there were signs that gave a lot of information about each individual yarn.  I spent the most money here, as I found an interesting set of soft yarns for some baby clothing designs.  I will probably be coming here most often.
• Cream City Yarn (http://www.creamcityyarn.com/):  I think Peanut enjoyed this particular shop the most.  We watched one of the women wind yarn into a cored ball a few times and then searched the shop for more fun yarns.  There was a significant stash of Cascade Yarns, which I haven't seen anywhere except online.  The woman who was winding yarn invited Peanut to play with yarn ball winder when she was finished and also led him to a secret stash of toys by the baby yarn.  A great atmosphere here and modern feel.  LOVED IT!
• Knitch (http://www.knitch.net/): The last stop on our tour was Knitch.  It's located in a small town in between Milwaukee and Madison, which meant it also had a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.  I checked out this store a little bit faster than the other shops, mainly because Peanut was starting to get sleepy.  I found some Baby Cashmerino yarn, which I quickly bought in order to make yet another vest design for the holiday season.

I orginally did a google search for a lot of different yarn shops, but found that half of them had closed.  There was also one place that was listed as a yarn shop online, but it turned out to be a quilting shop that had a tiny room of felted wool.  While it was disappointing to find that some places no longer existed, I was glad to have done the work and now I have a few more resources to go to for yarn.

Website Update

Cherished Moments has officially launched its new website!  As I finish more projects and designs, they will be posted to a portfolio on the website.  Check out http://www.cherishedmomentswi.com/ and watch the new business venture evolve into our new crafting business!

July is Heating Up

Of course, just when you think that things are going well, life throws you a curve ball.  This month, my maternal grandfather passed away.  He had been quite ill for the past several years, and I had recently visited him in March.  Although he had both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, he did indicate that he not only remember me, but was happy to see me.  He fought in the Korean war and was a talented carpenter (some of his projects included a handmade pool table, a flute stand for me, a grandmother clock for my great-grandmother, and more).  His passing meant that we had to do a lot of travelling, picking up family out of state, and then driving another 6 hours to Ohio.  At the end of the day, my toddler put his hand on the coffin saying, "Bye-bye Grandpa Frank..."

We also adopted a two and a half month old kitten, whom we lovingly named Q after a character from Star Trek: The Next Generation.  This was Peanut's early birthday present, and he was happy to have a new "fur baby" in the house, bringing us to 4 cats.  Q is a mischeivous kitten, who, unlike my other three cats, loves yarn.  As a result, I have to knit faster and with a spray bottle.  At the end of the day, I usually have a wet kitten wanting to curl up with me in bed.



Current Projects
Due to the death in the family, not much progress happened with old projects, I brought a bunch of little projects with me to have something to do in the car ride to Ohio and also while we hung out in the hotel in between family functions.

• Seamless Dress: This was finally completed and turned out great.  It looks great on the hangar, but not laid flat...as do some of my other projects.

• Simple Girl's Jumper: This jumper was inspired by the seamless dress.  While the jumper was not seamless, it was a fun, improvized project. Since I am trying my hand at designing baby clothes, I busted out the calculator, and designed something simple as my first go of it. The design was originally made for a 3-month-old, but I did not do a gague, since I have used the yarn before. It ended up being about the size for a 9-12 month old. :)

• Jamaican Slouchy Hat:   Every Wednesday night my husband’s family has dinner and each week, one of the kids (and/or their significant other). Lately, the lucky cook dresses up and makes a theme for the evening. Recently is was our turn to make dinner. I offered to make a traditional Jamaican dinner. My husband and son had hats my husband purchased while in Jamaica, oddly enough, they were made in Guatemala. I decided, as a Jamaican, to make my own crochet hat to go with the theme. It actually turned out well! So, made in America, by a Jamaican; a Jamaican Slouchy Hat. Too bad I don’t have any dreads to fill it up.

• Jamaican Colors Hat: This was another hat to go with the Jamaican theme. I wanted to try a different method of making a hat to see how it would look. Turned out ok, but the 2x2 rib is overly stretchy. All-in-all…average turn out for me.

• Tiger Lily Tank: I took the Tiger Lily Tank with me on the road and was able to finish the back with attached straps.  Once this project is finished, I'll be able to post some pictures.  I used Vanna's Glamour yarn and it's turning out pretty well.
• Peanut's Fall Sweater: Like many crafters, I'm not satisfied with working on one project at once.  Since I'm learning how to design baby and toddler clothes, I picked up some Bernat Baby Softee yarn (Flannel) and started up a simple sweater for Peanut out of a baby knit book.  The back is in progress and measures about 8" in length right now.
• The Dude Sweater: No progress as of the last post.
• Patriotic Toeless socks with cuff: Also no progress as of the last post.

Design

While I do have the ability to crochet, I did have to spend a few hours refreshing my crochet skills.  I actually prefer to knit more than anything else.  This entry's design element: don't be afraid to try something new to stretch yourself beyond your potential.  All through the past season of American Idol, Jennifer Lopez always praised contestant Lauren Alaina for stretching herself and going for notes that she never thought she could sing.  Why not try this with your crafting skills?  So you think you know how to knit or crochet?  Want to recreate something or are picturing something that you'd like to wear (or see on someone else)?  Design it!  I wanted a Jamaican hat, and it happened.  Yeah, I had to look up the difference between half double crochet and double crochet and spend countless hours searching how to start a crochet hat that had the style I was looking for, but I made it happen.  Sure, it might have been a challenge, but I received so many compliments from other crafty family members (and my dad, who's from Jamaica), the effort was all worth it.  Don't forget, your friends at Knitting Daily are very helpful when it comes to the new and even the classic stitches.

Knitting Madness

Last, but definitely not least, I must confess that I start way too many projects at once.  Not only do I have several knit projects in progress, but I took on a few other things too:

1. New Kitten (on top of taking care of my toddler every day)
2. More knit projects, and design
3. Buying more and more yarn
4. Got the business account restarted (and we now take credit cards!)
5. Getting the house more organized, including my tiny sliver of an office
6. Rummage Sale!

So, I had to have a pep talk with myself.  Most of these projects better be done by the end of the year.  That means, all of my projects in the queue must be done and my design projects need to be at least designed, drawn out and started.  That means making a work schedule and officially "starting" this business.  We've been open since October 2008, but obviously a full-time job and starting a business do not mix.  Now that I don't have the headache of working 50 plus hours a week and only knitting to wind down, I can focus on the things I really love.  Creativity, yarn, knitting, and the warm and fuzzy feeling I get when a project gets completed.  Keep checking to see how I'm doing on getting everything set up and completed as the days go by.  That means more (and shorter) posts. 

Coming Soon

A method to the madness.

Designing

Current Projects

• "The Dude" Sweater: Still in progress...You know that you love to create when more complex projects hit the backburner when you're inspired to knit other things.  I'm still working on it, slowly but surely, however, I do have some other projects in the works.
• Patriotic Toeless socks with cuff: Also still in progress, however won't be ready in time for Independence Day tomorrow.  *sigh*
• Adaly:  I made a very cute, top-down, seamless dress from a pattern I found on ravelry.com (see my other projects on Ravelry, username Rebeca4a).  Adaly is the name of a little girl my son knows from day care and she just recently turned two.  I was having trouble with making invisible increases on this project, but my mother told me not to be too self-conscious about it.  I'm somewhat of a perfectionist, and I want to get all these design/construction details nailed before I begin to market some of my designs.  Let me know what you think of this!  :)


Adaly's Dress
Size 2-3 years


• Seamless Dress:  I know I don't have any girls, but I wanted to perfect the seamless technique that was also featured in another design of this name on ravelry.com.  This dress was a bottom-up design, however, I did notice that other users on ravelry mentioned that the dress was a little long.  I shortened the dress and made a few other minor changes and it turned out well.  Pictures to come.
• Tiger Lily Tank: I began this project almost a week ago in order to get some more design ideas and learn a few more techniques.  It's in progress, but the back is almost complete.  Find this pattern on http://www.lionbrandyarn.com/.  Pictures to come.

Design

Finally, my design section is ready to be up and running.  I have been frantically researching how to knit a circular yoke top, similar to the one on Adaly's dress.  I have found that many people do them differently in their designs, depending on the intricacy of the needlework. 

• Method 1:  Knit in a straight line, including a cabled or vertical pattern until the desired "length" is reached.  Pick up stitches in front and in back, casting on enough stitches to shape the armholes.  Join in the round and once complete, sew any unfinished seams.
• Method 2:  Cast on enough stitches to fit over your head, join in the round, and continue with the top-down method depending on the size and shape you'd like your garment to be.  This is probably the easiest.
• Method 3a: Cast on enough stitches to fit your waist, hips, or lower, depending on the length of the garment and join in the round.  You'll end up decreasing or increasing stitches where you want to contour to your body.  You will shape the armholes by casting off the correct number of stitches once you reach the armholes.  In the next round, you will cast on the number of stitches needed to finish the circumference of the armhole.  Finish in the round.
• Method 3b:  You will work the garment the same, but once you reach the armholes, you can work some short rows on either side of the front and back of the garment so that you have a circular yoke that is actually circular (if that doesn't make sense, let me know).

Knitting Madness

I will use this section to talk about some of my knitting woes, offering advice on how to complete some of the techniques that I've had trouble with.  Now remember, if you need any additional help, feel free to contact me via email for further instruction, I'm always here to help!

So as I've mentioned earlier, I was having some trouble making my increases invisible.  So I looked up how to do left- and right-slanted increases on a website we all know and love: Knitting Daily.  In order to keep from any copyright infringements, I will just refer you to their website and search for "Left Slant Raised Increase (M1L)" and "Right Slant Raised Increase (M1R)" both by Kat.  I will say that I tried these methods this morning on the bust shaping section on the the Tiger Lily Tank and they worked like a charm.  No holes, they just blend into the design!  Granted this was "2" yarn, but as I continue on with my design and construction efforts, I'll let you know if this works for thicker yarns (most importantly worsted-weight which I love to make garments out of).