Magic Loop Tutorial!

At the request of a dear reader (*waves to La Cabeza Grande*), I'm posting a quick and dirty tutorial on the Magic Loop method of knitting in the round. I apologize in advance for the protruding belly in the majority of the photos - seems that the baby's already a ham for the camera. Well, that or it's the Haagen-Daas. Sorry about the delay in the post - I had a sock sitting on the needles and couldn't stop procrastinating enough to finish them until today. Ahem.

Required materials:
Circular needle (I'm using Addi Turbos, 2.5 mm and 32 inches long)
Yarn (duh)
Patience (if unavailable, ice cream, chocolate or alcoholic beverages are acceptable substitutes)

Step 1:

Cast on. For the purposes of this tutorial, I'm pretending to cast on for a pair of top-down socks. Personally, I love magic loop for toe-up socks as it makes the cast on even easier. So, cast on the total number of stitches required, all on one side of the circular.

Step 2:

Shove all of the stitches to the cord end of the needle that you just cast onto.

Like so. Count the stitches carefully, and find the midpoint of the row.

Step 3:

Carefully grab the cord at the midpoint (between two stitches), and pull it out so that it makes a loop. You will have separated the stitches in half with this loop - one half on the original cast on needle, and the other half on the cord.

Step 4:

Pull the looped cord so that the stitches are all on needles - half on the original cast on needle, and the other half on the previously dangling needle. You'll have two very pretty parallel rows of stitches.

Step 5:

Pull the original cast on needle towards the right - which will push the stitches that it was holding leftwise, and onto the cord. The cast on needle is now your working needle. You will be working on the stitches sitting on the needle in the "front" (the needle closest to your body).

Checking carefully for twisted stitches (go on, ask me how I know to be careful with this part), join the stitches for working in the round. Go ahead, stitch away until the end of the stitches on the needle. Turn your work in preparation for working the other set of stitches.

Step 6:

You'll have something that looks like this after you turn your work.


Take the needle that is now closest to you (the long one in front), and shove it backwards into the stitches so that you get two needles holding stitches in parallel. You'll have a big loop on the left side of the stitches again.

It should look something like this.

To continue knitting, gently yank the needle at the back of the knitting (furthest away from your body) to the right and start using it as your working needle. Knit merrily along until the end of the row, turn work and repeat the needle pushing and pulling process.

Hope that was as clear as mud.

Here's the socks that I just finished today - only 3 big pairs left and 1 small one for Christmas. These are standard men's socks. Admittedly with hellish amounts of ribbing. Knit up in Opal Dreamcatcher (Thanks for the yarn info, Ms. Yes - I had no idea what this stash find really was.)

In case you've noticed that I'm not weaving in the ends of the socks as I proclaim them to be "done", it's a bit of silly superstition on my part. It has to do with an old Chinese legend of an emperor, a talented painter and a magical paintbrush - but that's another story for later. This post is long enough. Yeesh.

But how can I resist Captain Jack? Yes, I know I'm about a week late for International Talk Like a Pirate Day...but I just found this yesterday. Must, must, MUST share with you all. Enjoy it. Once it gets past the initial cheesy factor, this video makes me laugh so very hard.

Quick hit.

Just checking in.

I finished the UFO Sheldon that I picked up at the KOL swap - and it was promptly claimed by Mr. Munchkin. He has been feeding Sheldon constantly. I did not know prior to today that stuffed turtles survive off a diet of fuzzy slippers. Amazing.

Second, ordered The Opinionated Knitter from Knitpicks, along with a few skeins of random yarn. (Apparently Sheldon needs a friend.) Holy crap - $30 for the book! Yeesh.

Third, documented my stash on Ravelry. I think that I need to stop buying yarn. I have so completely hit S.A.B.L.E. - but I blame my Mum...living with three (3!) yarn closets in my parents house may have skewed my perception of what a reasonable stash is. Harumph. I'm on there as bluenail, if anyone wants to add me to their list.

Over and out.

I am as a pebble in a stream.

Have been a busy little bee for the past little while. I swear, it's a damn good thing that we got a new front door installed this week, 'cause it's been swinging open and shut constantly with the flow of visitors. First, my sister-in-law, then a week after she left, a college buddy swung into town (and who left on a bike trip to Cape Breton and will return soon), and my in-laws just left today. So forgive the slightly misanthropic tone to this post, I promise to be somewhat cheerier soon. For those of you who missed out on the madness that was last years in-law visit, (click here for last year's entry) let me sum up this particular visit with them in one single horrifying episode.

Late Saturday night, my father-in-law is konked out on the couch "watching" TV. (He does this every night. If you turn it off - he'll stop snoring, wake up and yell at you because he was "watching that". *rolleyes*) I turned off my computer and passed the living room on my way upstairs, headed for bed. Here's my thought process at the time.

"Huh, there's a pair of pants on the chair." (The chair is right next to the TV.)

*mental click*

"There are pants on the chair?"

*another mental click*

"OH MY GOD, THERE ARE PANTS ON THE CHAIR!!!!!"

With a slow and horrible realisation dawning on me, I slowly turn my head to look over at the prone and snoring figure sprawled on my couch. My father-in-law had planted his ass on my couch...clad only in his tighty-whiteys. I swear I threw up a little in my mouth. Then I went straight to Mr. Ninja and said "If you don't wake up your father and tell him to put his pants back on, I will. And it won't be pretty. I'm almost positive that there will be glowing hot pokers involved." Equally horrified by the situation, he went to wake up his father. Here's how it went.

Mr. Ninja: "Dad, put your pants back on."
FIL: "Why? There's no one here."
Mr. Ninja: (flabbergasted) "I don't sit on your couch in my underwear, do I?"
FIL: (mutters) "Fine."

Yeah.

So.

In the hopes that it'll help unsear the image of my FIL sporting only his gitch with his butt planted on a chesterfield...here's some knitting content.

This is Sweet Sheep BFL roving, all spun up. It's about a DK weight, but I'm hoping that it'll fluff up a bit after having the twist set. But we'll see. I'm still pissed about the soysilk that I spun up awhile ago - tried to set the twist with my usual shock and thwack method, and it went all stringy and limp. As for the BFL itself, it's beautiful and totally soft. I'm very impressed, as the BFL that I've fondled before in the LYS was kinda scratchy and rough...but this stuff is almost as soft as cashmere.

More Christmas socks. And speaking of gift socks, I decided to say 'screw this, I want to knit baby things'. And more to the point, not everyone on my list deserves hand-knit socks. So phbbbbt. I'm going to finish the socks for those worthy of the honor ... and then cast on for something tiny, sweet and utterly cute. So, I figure I need to make three more pairs of Men's socks, one Ladies pair and one munchkin sized pair. Then I'll be able to cast on something twee with one hell of a clear conscience.

As for the title of the post? It's a really good mantra. Say it to yourself and breath deeply while doing so. Visualise the water flowing over, under and around you. Good for the soul and the mind. It's let me hang onto the shreds of my sanity in more than one situation. Here's hoping that little bit of Zen will help make your worlds better places.

Sweet Bejeebus!

Dude.

I am in shock. The magic loop method kicks major ass. Not only did I finish these socks in record time, but I also had enough time to finish a metric buttload of spinning. I am way ahead of where I wanted to be in terms of Christmas knitting. Of course, it helps that I decided (much like jolly old Saint Nick) that not everyone on my list deserves hand knit socks. Like the Harlot says - books make very nice presents too. Heh. But one set down, only a few more to go.

These are in Lana Grossa Meilenweit Tweed - acquired last summer in Germany - and it's just your standard toe-up, short row heel Men's sock. Fast, simple, very gratifying. These were more or less a chance for me to test out the magic loop method, so I wanted a simple pattern. These are unblocked, un-ends woven in, etc. I just wanted to take advantage of the amazing NS sun while I can. Speaking of which, I suppose it would be a good time for me to do a stash inventory...so I can post the true terror of the ever-growing stash on Ravelry. I can't get enough of the sunny days here...I'm saving up my Vitamin D for the winter.

Needless to say, since the majority of the gift socks are going to be knit out of self-striping yarn, I'll be using this rather boring sock template for awhile. But I do intend to treat myself to something fun, eventually. Thanks to Ravelry, I am getting to see pattern ideas that I never even knew existed. So, slight majiggering of plans - one of the lucky recipients will be getting a handspun, handknit shawl, methinks. Just cause I want to knit Hanami. Out of this.

Handspun Firestar roving. You can't really see it in this photo...but this yarn freakin' glows.
Me loves it. Long time. It's soft, and I'm pleased with the plying - for once I didn't overply. Took my time and spent three back-to-back CSIs just plying this yarn. I was going to try and spin some tussah silk next...but I'm getting cheesed off at how the dye is staining my hands. Will have to rethink that one.

P. S. Does anyone want to go in on some Lorna's Laces with me? I want to order some of it while I can (once in a lifetime opportunity), but I have to order whole bags in whatever colourway I choose. Any yarn in any colourway is up for dibs. My jaw dropped when I got the offer, so I want to take advantage of this while I can.

Squishy things.

Like my heart these days. I swear that I bust out into tears at the smallest thing - was watching CSI last night and was crying because there was a little boy asking for his Mommy (murder victim). Mr. Ninja eyeballed me oddly, then gave me a hug. Even though he knows that I'm technically insane, he loves me still. Very reassuring. But onto the crafts.

Had a bit of a blast from the past yesterday - was possessed by the need to make some cloth diapers. Most of you wouldn't know this, but I came to knitting through a rather circuitious route. I started making cloth diapers when Mr. Munchkin was very young, and even had my own cloth diaper business for awhile (www.bubblebums.ca - now defunct, but if anyone wants a magnet with the logo, lemme know. I'd love to get rid of some of them.) I gave it up when I moved to Halifax, as I didn't have my sewing equipment set up for the longest time when we first moved here.

And the knitting, you ask? How does that figure in? Well. A little personal history first.

My Mum had a yarn store in a small town outside Toronto when we were growing up. So, many a Saturday afternoon of my youth was spent in the back of a yarn store. I think that the resentment from this involuntary induction into knitting (and living in homemade sweaters when I yearned for the storebought sweaters of my contemporaries - what? I was a fickle teenager and just wanted to fit in) made me swear off knitting for a long long time.

(Mom, if you ever read this - I just wanted to say that I still have several of the sweaters that you knit me and that they're amongst my favourites now. They are treasured because everytime I wear one, I know that you really are the best mother ever. No one would knit a sweater with intarsia roses with 8 shades of pink unless they really truly loved the person wearing it.)

Anyway, I started knitting again after Mr. Munchkin was born, because I was absolutely determined to keep him in cloth diapers. I would launch into a tirade about how bad disposable diapers are for babies and the Earth, but that's another post entirely. So. With cloth diapers, you need the actual diaper plus a cover. Enter knitted wool covers. If treated with lanolin, they are waterproof, breathable and pretty darn cute. I got sucked into knitting "soakers" (what the wool covers are called in the bizzare little world of cloth diapering), and it just all snowballed from there.

So now that I'm gestating again, I have an inkling that this time around it'll be a girl. (What is WITH Nova Scotia hospitals not telling you what gender the baby is? Last I checked, this isn't the medieval ages - gender doesn't mean squat.) While I know that it's silly to start making things for someone I'm not going to meet for another 6 months, I can't help myself. I had these diapers cut out ages ago, and finally decided to sew them up. Cute, no? I can't wait to see these on a squishy baby butt.

And as for knitting? Best knitting spot in the world.

On the deck, looking out over the ocean and enjoying the breeze. That's the second sock of the pair that I started last week. Christmas gift #1 almost done!

Geekdom is surprisingly relaxing.

It was a lovely long weekend. We had Mr. Ninja's sister up for the week - it's been nice sending Mr. Munchkin to go and play with her at 6 in the morning. (Hey, we're not a Bed and Breakfast ... company's gotta earn their keep somehow.) I kept myself busy.

Made a geeky sample binder with all of the Ghetto Malabrigo colourways that I had samples of.

Spun a lot.

This is superwash sock yarn. It's ... very pink. I'm almost certain that this will get knit up into gifts. For whom exactly, not sure.

But this is for moi - it's the first bunch of roving from Abby's Yarns Batt Club. Not sure about the fibre content, but there's definitely firestar in there. The glitter soothes my soul.

Have also been experimenting with the magic loop method of knitting in the round ... with rousing success. Started a toe-up sock two days ago (cast on in Lunenburg of all places.) Am now almost at the cuff. This is staggeringly fast for me, and it's been definitely less stress on my wrists. I think I'll be sticking with this method for now. Have to justify the Addi Turbos somehow.

In other news, I'm going to flog some co-ops that I'm a part of:

1) Dharma trading company - If you're looking for dyes for yarn or other projects, Dharma's the place to go. They also have fabrics and blank clothes for dyeing as well. This co-op is being run by a Canadian group - they will be taking orders for the co-op until the 27th.

2) Malabrigo - This is the real stuff, people. Just the worsted at this point. The prices are good (wholesale rates), but I'm not allowed to post the group's information - if you're interested, email me and I'll get you the details.

That is all. Oh and quick question about Ravelry - why the hell won't it recognize my Flickr account? Grrr. I can't post the stash photos until it does...