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February 15, 2006
More Reader Q&A (or "Yes, I am finally reading my email.")
(Part 37 in an ongoing series)
I promise this is not turning into some weird email-driven website, but I'm still in the happy-happy phase of having my email back and so on. If you emailed me something prior to... well, prior to probably last week and you never heard back, feel free to give me a holla (there I go with the ghetto slang! yo yo!) and please include your website address!! I have like two brain cells and can't remember my own website half the time.
It's rare that I actually ever catch up on anything, especially email, but I'm trying. (It would probably be easier and faster to actually write people back than to create all these damn links and picture-pop-ups, so uh. yeah. I may try that from now on.) I suck at basically all forms of correspondence, as I am a hermit in every sense of the word, however I am working on it and some time by the year 2017 I will be the penpal you can never get rid of. I will be blowin' up the email fo sho. (Also, keep in mind that this ghetto slang problem? Creeping into my daily lexicon. That's how I roll. SO WRONG.)
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Dear Crazy Aunt Purl,
Happy Valentine's Day from thatfarmgirl and Henry!
[click pic for bigger]
Dear Farm Girl and Henry,
I need a dog!!
love,
laurie
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Dear Crazy Aunt Purl,
You have inspired me to try the Magic Scarf. I just learned how to knit in January and I am OB-SESSED. I even have knitting dreams . . . dog has to go out, I say, “One more row.” And she pees on the floor. Anyhoo . . . I bought the Noro yarn (love it! I want to nuzzle it!) and I have a question. Did it really take just two skeins to knit nine feet of scarf? I don’t have any cool yarn stores in my area, so I order my yarn online. Small towns. *AND* did you use a row counter to keep track of your knitting? Am I that brain dead that I can’t keep track?
Thanks for the help. I need all I can get!
Melissa
Hi Melissa!
I used Noro Big Kureyon for that nine-foot long monstrosity (that I foisted upon Drew when he was here visiting, hi Drew!). But for the other normal-sized scarf, in black regular Kureyon, it took me two skeins and it's perfect. I didn't use a row counter, I just guestimated after a while. I tried to be a real perfectionist with the knitting when I started, now I'm kind of like... eh. "It's handmade, part of its charm!" heh heh
Can't wait to see pics of your completed Magic Scarf!!
--Laurie
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Dear Aunt Purl,
I have a Knitting Question for you. I'm knitting in the round on DPN's (first stab at a sock). I'm doing K2 P2 ribbing, and while the stitches on what will be the outside of the sock look lovely, the knit stitches on the INSIDE of the sock are twisted. IE: as you look down the column of knitted stitches, the legs of each one twist to make the column of stitches look braided. Not an unpleasant look...but given that I am a sick and demented perfectionist, it bothers me. Can you tell me where I'm going wrong? It has to be something to do with the way I'm making my purl stitches when I do the P2 part of my K2P2 ribbing, right? I think that I'm just
generally purling wrong, because when I knit flat in stockinette, I have the same problem...all the stitches that I do on the purl row show up twisted. It's driving me bonkers!!
Take care,
Shelby
Hi Shelby!
I have no idea on this one, but hopefully a reader can help you out. My guess is that if you have the same problem in flat stockinette knitting, there is something amiss with your purls. My favorite website for help on the fly is KnittingHelp.com, they have videos that show you how to do the fancy knitting. Check out the purling page for a look.
And hopefully someone will have insight they can post in the comments for you. Also, way to go on the sock knitting!!
xo,
Laurie
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Ca va Crazy Aunt Purl!
I have a knitting question. I have just made a hat - and it's too damn big for my head! I don't get it. Do you know of anyway to shrink alpaca without felting it? I really love this stupid thing and want it to fit - but it won't be good all felted. Help?
Merci,
Mellie
Hi Mellie!
Unfortunately, I only know how to stretch stuff out, or felt it. But hopefully someone here can help you... I remember staring at the huge mushroom-head hat I made a while back and thinking, "Maybe I could sew it up?" but finally I just ripped it out and started again. So, so sad.
But alpaca! Yummy!
xo,
Laurie
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Dear Laurie,
This is a picture of my house from the end of my driveway about 10 minutes ago. My DH must love me, since he painted my house Simply Coral with Cincinnatian Hotel Blue trim. And no, it's not blurry, it was blowing about 30 mph with snow. Also attached is the view from my house.
Love,
Trixie from Alaska
[click for bigger view!]
Dear Trixie,
I love your pink house!! The snow is scaring me a little bit, but that view is unbelievable. When can I come visit? (P.S. I am writing you back privately with the other info you asked for.)
xo,
laurie
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Hey Laurie, I've been lurking on your blog since last summer and I love it! This is actually a shameless plug/plea for help. Project "BUNDLE UP NEW ORLEANS" is collecting knit and crochet items for hurricane survivors here in New Orleans, and I was hoping that you could plug it on your blog. I live in New Orleans, and we could really use the help.
http://www.knitivity.com/bundleup/index.html
Thanks,
Kat Waller
Hi Kat!
No problemmo... I hope you get lots of happy homemade goodies for everyone. By the way, I had a dream the other night about crawfish etoufee and have not been able to get it out of my mind since!
xo,
laurie
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Dear Crazy Aunt Purl,
Thanks for your blog - It's good humor therapy for me. Because you say you can't resist a good pet photo - I've attached one. Also, if you or any of your readers want to send me a photo of their pet wearing a handknit - I would love to post them.
Kristi and Otis
http://reddogknits.blogspot.com/
Dear Kristi,
I support the Pets In Handknits movement! And I agree, more bloggers should post pictures of animals in handknits on a regular basis! Your Otis is so cute I could eat him up. Thanks for sharing!
xo,
Laurie
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Hi Laurie,
I was hoping I could ask you for some travel advice. I've decided that I'll be using this years tax refund to travel abroad for the first time. I'm still undecided on the destination, but Ireland and France are both front runners. Could you recommend what websites are best to find cheap airfare and lodgings? Any other international travel suggestions? Thank you so much, I look forward to seeing what you recommend.
Vanessa
Dear Vanessa,
I am so glad you asked this!! I just recently discovered a travel search engine that I love love love. It's called Kayak.com, and you can do a regular travel fare search on their website OR you can do a Frappr-ized map-like search, where you basically say, "Hello, I have $500 and want to go somewhere in the world."
Try it:
• Basic Kayak.com fare search
• Fare Buzz: Cool Frappr-map-like travel search (So cool!)
Now, I don't think Kayak.com has the lowest fares, but it's a great place to poke around and the new map feature is awesome.
For really low fares, my favorite sites (in order of most-fav to least-fav) are:
1) CheapTickets.com
I buy from them more often than any other online ticketing agency. The site used to be more robust (I hated their last redesign) but they have great prices -- and you see the REAL price, including taxes and fees. You can also customize the homepage to display price alerts (I love that feature.)
2) Expedia.com
Easy-to-use, competitive prices, good service. I have used them many times with no problems. They also show the REAL price, which includes taxes and fees.
3) Orbitz
I like the Deal Detector, which can email you when prices are in the range you want -- you can also get this info displayed on the homepage when you log in. Best thing about Orbitz-- you can choose different departing and returning flights easier on this site than on others.
4) Travelocity -- Dream Maps area only
I'm not a huge fan of Travelocity (even though they have a traveling gnome) because the prices in your search don't reflect the REAL price (with taxes and fees) and also, I have never been able to successfully book their lowest advertised fare to anywhere. You get all through the process and suddenly "fares are not available." But I love their Dream Maps feature (which is buried deep in the site, a shame) because it's a visual representation of what's on sale. Love it!
Finally, here are some lesser-known travel search sites that I love using to contrast/compare prices and airlines:
• SideStep.com
• Farechase
• Quixo.com
• Mobissimo
• BookingBuddy
• SmarterTravel.com
And, finally, I never book a seat on a plane before checking with SeatGuru.com! Hope this helps, and have a fantastic time on your vacation!
xo,
Laurie
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Dear Laurie,
Can I ask a pompom-related question? How did you make the cute floofy
pompom in this hat? I've just learned how to do cables, and made a cute cabled hat, and that pompom would only add to the cuteness...
Thanks!
Mary Ellen
Hi Mary Ellen!
Ok, keep in mind that I was still smoking at the time I made that hat. And I was on the bus and did not have a pom-pom maker. So, I wrapped the yarn around the pack of cigs (so. classy.) round and round. Then I slid the yarn off the package and tied a loose piece of yarn around the middle of the pile. In theory, you would snip the loopy ends off the yarn and fluff to make a pom-pom. But I liked the loopy look of it so much, I didn't trim the ends and it became one of my favorite pom-poms ever!
You could always use a piece of cardboard instead of a pack of cigs. Or, I also used my Susan Bates gauge measurer thingymajig recently, and it worked great for wrapping the yarn. Hope this helps!
xo,
laurie
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Reader Cathy asks: I just got a kitty and would love to crochet a Kitty Pi! Any word on a pattern yet? I've searched the web far-and-wide! Thanks for the great blog!
Hi Cathy! Laura posted her directions for a crocheted kitty pi in the comments section of this post (where her crocheted/felted kitty pi is pictured.)
Hope that helps! -- Laurie
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Question: OK, shopping at the Persian market is fun, but grocery stores are where guys practice some of their best pickup lines. Whatcha been hearin' at the Q Market?
-- From Tom. [Ed. note: Tom, please get a webpage.]
Answer:
Glad you asked!
The Q Market, unbeknownst to me, turns into a disco or something at night, with really loud music. I only know this because I got off work late a few nights ago and planned to make a quickie detour to the Persian market for hummus and salad.
Much to my surprise, I pull into the parking lot and loud Persian disco-ish music is pouring out of the attached bookstore/record store. I was afraid to go in. I stood in the parking lot for a few minutes trying to envision a grocery store dance club. That was when a man who may or may not have been in the Persian Mafia asked me if I like to dance. "Well," I said, "the olives here are really good, but I didn't bring my dancing shoes."
He looked at me like I had grown a second head.
I went home.
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Question: I am starting a blog. Got any advice?
Answer: I'm not sure I am qualified to give advice when I don't actually write any of this -- Sobakowa The Cat is the mastermind here. But my advice would be to post lots of pictures! Because I am nosy and want to see your desk. And also, I would say if there were one cardinal rule of Writing Stuff Down, it would be ... write what you know. Which is apparently why I write about drunkenness and cat poop.
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Ok, this is long enough and I am officially exhausted. As is Franklin Delano Rosencat, who is worn out from the picture taking.
Posted by laurie at February 15, 2006 10:01 AM
Comments
What a great picture of Mr. Rosencat!
Posted by: Stephanie at February 15, 2006 10:31 AM
I LOVE the supermodel pic! Also, thank you for the hat inspiration... I am thinking of trying my first hat.
Posted by: Rhett at February 15, 2006 10:34 AM
I just added to your pile of email! :D Love the reader mail.
Posted by: Kim at February 15, 2006 10:35 AM
*laugh* I'll not e-mail you again, but I did want to let you know that I more-or-less successfully used your hat formula. Pics here:
http://pyewacketsid.blogspot.com/2006/01/super-hats.html
The models aren't animals, but I still have to feed them and attend to their poop, alas.
Posted by: Pyewacket at February 15, 2006 10:39 AM
So love Franklin Delano Rosencat's crazy kitty eyebrows!
Posted by: Chris at February 15, 2006 10:40 AM
That seat guru site is awesome! I've gotten some BAD seats on planes before. Thanks for the link!
Also, I love your loopy pom. I hadn't noticed it before, but now I'm gonna have to make one.
Posted by: Vicki at February 15, 2006 10:42 AM
I agree that knitters with pets should post pictures of their pets in handknits more often. Just wondering ... would your cats run away from you if you try doing that?
Posted by: Agnes at February 15, 2006 10:42 AM
she does have some out of control eyebrows!!
pyewacket, yay on the hatmaking!! the models are the cutest guys ever!
My email is absurd. I need like 37 hours a day to get through everything. Or I need a sugardaddy (now accepting applications ...)
Posted by: laurie at February 15, 2006 10:42 AM
I have threatened often to make a scarf for my kitty that matches my dh's but so far, I have not yet made good on my promise. My cat is so lazy that I could actually tie a scarf on him and he would just go about his day. I think I'm going to have to do this and send it to Aunt Purl!
I emailed this to you, but it might get lost, and I'm interested in what other commenters have to say - what's the review on Knit Picks yarn? So far i am liking it but I am new to knitting... www.knitpicks.com. I LOVE the prices, that's for sure. :-)
Posted by: Tina at February 15, 2006 10:45 AM
Shelby is twisting her purl stitches. My guess, even though I haven't seen her knit, is that when she purls, she's wrapping the yarn over the right needle incorrectly. To keep the stitches looking the same, you should wrap the yarn from the front to the back of the right needle, whether you're knitting or purling.
(I work at a LYS, I see this a *lot*)
Posted by: Emy at February 15, 2006 10:47 AM
I think it sounds like Shelby is wrapping her yarn around the needle in the wrong direction when she is purling. I did the same thing too when I started. The KnittingHelp.com site should help!
Posted by: Marie at February 15, 2006 10:49 AM
You all are so wise! :) I did figure it out a couple days after I emailed our dear Aunt Purl here. I was wrapping my yarn counter-clockwise when knitting AND when purling. Turns out I need to go counter when knitting and just clockwise when purling, and voila...untwisted stitches! I appreciate your confirming of my suspicions none the less!
And thanks for posting my email, Auntie...:)
Posted by: Shelby at February 15, 2006 10:55 AM
I am all for Pets in Handknits too, but I don't have a dog. Cats do not wear handknits. And if you are silly enough to force them to, they pee on your bed.
Posted by: Judy at February 15, 2006 11:16 AM
Frankie is gorgeous, but doesn't even begin to compare with the Great and Powerful Soba.
Posted by: MonkeyGurrrrl at February 15, 2006 11:17 AM
I LOVE Knitpicks. Good yarn, good prices, good service... I wish they'd come up with more colors of sock yarn, and I wish they had gift certificates, but other than that, love 'em.
Posted by: Mary Ellen at February 15, 2006 11:25 AM
Thank you for the knitting help site! It has VIDEO of someone PURLING! Yes!
I may just abandon my crochet/afghan project and start knitting scarves (as spring approaches in Deep East Texas). Ha.
Love all the pet pics. We need more such cuteness in the world.
Posted by: Nancy r. at February 15, 2006 11:32 AM
You realize that your new responsive mode will merely encourage those of us Laurie-stalkers who have so far confined ourselves to commenting to fill up your email box even more... perhaps Soba could help you answer your mail?
*!* Silly me. Cats were born to supervise.
Posted by: Lucia at February 15, 2006 11:42 AM
LOL @ Lucia! I won't be able to answer all email in public, i think it would take eleventeen hundred hours, but from time to time it's fun to share :)
Posted by: laurie at February 15, 2006 11:53 AM
Thank you so much for all of the travel info!
I can see this will keep me busy and entertained for quite a while.
Now, if I just didnt have so much d@mn work to do I'd be happy to wast company time checking out all of those links....
Posted by: Vanessa at February 15, 2006 11:59 AM
That FDR is one bee-yoo-ti-ful cat, and I'm not even a cat person (don't throw things at me!!)!
Posted by: Reenie at February 15, 2006 12:00 PM
Laurie, next time you want to give a(nother) knitting lesson, would you tell all you know about gauge? I thought I understood it, but my hats do not bear out this thinking. Still making them, still loving it, but finding that I might as well not bother making a gauge swatch for all the frogging it leads to. Or really loose hats, not so good in a Boston winter. Help? My cats find my muttering disturbs their naps... Thanks, and keep up the fab-ness!
Posted by: Caroline R at February 15, 2006 12:14 PM
The only thing to do with a gigantic hat is to give it to someone with a bigger head or rip it out and start over. I'm sorry!
Washing it will only felt it--I've made that mistake.
Posted by: Lisa at February 15, 2006 12:15 PM
Love the dog -- the look is too funny. The green shows off the red in her coat. And FDR, oh baby!
Posted by: Trixie at February 15, 2006 12:16 PM
I just want to add that I have worked out the whole gauge thing and while it helped, it did not solve my problems either. I have discovered that the best way for me to knit a hat is to do the gauge swatch, and then use that to calculate the stitches for a hat 1 or 1 1/2 inches smaller than the measured circumference for the hopeful hat wearer. This is probably what I was meant to do all along, but I have yet to come across something that says to knit the hat that much smaller. Again, though, I am new. My first hat looked so much like an army helmet circa WWII that it is just now known as The Helmet - even after felting. I have made only three other hats - the first of those three was gauge swatched but still turned out humongo. Frog frog frog. Then I just made them much smaller and they have turned out well.
Posted by: Tina at February 15, 2006 01:12 PM
Ok. On hat gauge... the thing is, I am a VERY TIGHT knitter. I'm obviously working out some real issues when I knit (ahem) and so I can make the tee-tinest tightest stitches.
Even so, I do find that my hats are a little on the big side, so I have started measuring down, by that I mean I don't cast on quite so many stitches. besides, hats stretch! And it's way way easier to stretch fabric in the blocking process than to shrink it.
I'm glad ya;ll said all this, though. I need to add that to the hat pattern, now that we've trialed-n-errored it a bit!
Posted by: laurie at February 15, 2006 01:27 PM
Hehehe, lovely Q&A, Laurie. I didn't realised that your Basketweave is just sooooo simple. I'm using a tad more complicated basketweave on my Noro (which is on hold at the moment due to the Knitting Olympics)...you can check it out in the following link: http://numenna.blogspot.com/2006/02/situation-updateand-damn-stupid-knot.html (the scarf has significantly grown in the meanwhile...maybe I'll blog about it tomorrow)
Posted by: Elemmaciltur at February 15, 2006 01:53 PM
okay, okay....I am re-emailing you my St. Valentines Day massacre CD that I compiled. Man, I was hoping you would have the oppurtunity to burn it for Valentines Day....
Posted by: shari at February 15, 2006 03:22 PM
Holy Shit Laurie! I love your guts with all of my heart and soul! I just booked a flight to Pennsylvania and now I will know what to expect in all of my seats and I will bring a long sweater or blanket or something for the leg from Cleveland to Philly, and noise cancelling headphones for Houston to Salt Lake City. Bless you!
Posted by: Miriam at February 15, 2006 03:47 PM
Emy, Marie (& Shelby)
You knew this was coming, huh? I apologize in advance. I'm nuts about this (you know...) Oh, well, when I see the words wrong and incorrect linked to the way that I purl, I jump in. Splash.
There is no wrong way to knit. Or purl. The main thing is that you treat the stitch the way it wants to be treated in the next row.
Because different folks knit in different ways I find it best not to assign labels like "wrong" or "incorrect" to a way of knitting or purling. I purl like Shelby, but I knit into the back loop, so it all works out in the end.
For more information on the exciting world of combination knitting, you can check out Grumperina's combo page (with the most excellent conversion table!):
http://www.grumperina.com/comboknit.htm
Or my own site about combo knitting
http://www.anniemodesitt.com
Thanks for letting me kibbutz!
Posted by: annie at February 15, 2006 04:12 PM
...oh - and I love you, Laurie!
Posted by: Annie Again at February 15, 2006 04:13 PM
Annie, I love you too! I'm sorry I still have your sweater, I promise I am not holding it hostage on purpose, only because I suck at going to the post office!!
Posted by: laurie at February 15, 2006 04:22 PM
Thanks for posting my boy's pic wearing a hat and thanks to the readers who are filling up my pets wearing handknits gallery. I was a bit concerned about Otis getting too big of a head with all of this but he still licks his genitals (what's left after "surgery"), scoots his butt on my carpet and eats cat poop from the litter - If I see him with an entourage or cracked out as a topic onTrue Hollywood Story, I'm blaming you :-)
Posted by: Kristi and Otis at February 15, 2006 04:47 PM
I want all of your kitties!
And I am the same, I love blogs with pictures. I study the backgrounds cuz I'm nosy like that
Posted by: monique at February 15, 2006 05:42 PM
I also just added to your e-mail pile. I also just posted dog pics to my blog. I've got to knit for them and get my emergency backup dog, Maxine to stop squinting at the flash! I know you like a good animal dressed up pic.
Posted by: Kate at February 15, 2006 06:45 PM
Love the cat pics!
You have inspired our little crochet club to try felting (yes, I know, crochet, not knitting, but if you must know one of our members bought knitting needles without knowing how to knit because she reads you, too!). We will be having our first workshop in a few weeks. Too bad you're not still in Florida. We've decided that even though you knit, you'd still be able to come because you're a southern gal like the rest of us! :)
Posted by: Tracie at February 15, 2006 06:47 PM
Oh, another Frankie photo! She's beeyoootiful!
Thank you!
:)
Posted by: Kellie N at February 15, 2006 07:13 PM
I haven't emailed.. but YOU HAVEN'T REPLIED!!
This is all incredibly heart breaking stuff. :(
Posted by: dan at February 15, 2006 08:08 PM
I just wanted to say that I've been reading your blog for the past couple of months and love it (and all your kitty pictures!) and finally decided to post my very first blog comment ever (I too suffer from the fear of being cast as a "weird nutty stalker"). Have fun in France!
Barb
PS--What will the kitties do while you're gone?
Posted by: Barbara at February 16, 2006 08:16 AM
What is that yarn??? I MUST KNOW what the yarn is in the hat with the loopy pompom. I don't know why I suddenly have to know this right now. I originally read the hat post a few weeks ago when I first started blogstalking you :) and at the time just thought, "nice yarn, ok" and moved on. It probably has something to do with the fact that I am supposed to be reading Civil Procedure right now and anything is better than reading Civil Procedure, even obsessing about yarn I cannot buy because I have no money and I have a huge yarn stash already (from when I was employed and did have money). I adore your cats. My cats say hello. Judy will take on Soba any day. Mandy won't because she is a big wuss. (And no pictures of them - or anything - on my page because I haven't figured out how to add pictures on blogspot.)
Posted by: sunflower at February 16, 2006 03:09 PM
LOL
It's Lana Grossa Colore, the exact same yarn as I used on the coworker scarf, but in a pink color.
Here is a pic of the yarn for the coworker scarf:
http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/archives/2006/02/the_coworker_sc_1.php
It's purtier in pink, I agree :)
CivPro sounds awful!!!
Posted by: laurie at February 16, 2006 03:54 PM
Thanks. I like both colors but I think #15 is my favorite. I checked it out at Yarnmarket.com. I have never ordered from them but they have the BEST yarn photographs. Their color thumbnails are already better than a lot of sites do, but when you click them you get a huge and high resolution picture (ok, maybe not huge, but big for a catalog website) with all the detail visible. You can almost feel the yarn. They should just call the site yarnporn.net. (Because there already is a yarnporn.com.)
By the way, my favorite thing of anything on your blog is,
"I am a special needs cat and I especially need some BACON." I just about fall out of my chair every time I read that. And yes, this is probably sad, but I do sometimes reread the Insane Kitty Posse archive page even when there is nothing new there, because, you know, just because. Because CATS. In the SUN. That's probably my second favorite thing, the "why I didn't make the bed" pictures. CATS IN THE SUN!!! I know, I'm probably scaring people now. I'm harmless, really.
Posted by: sunflower at February 16, 2006 08:06 PM
Thanks for the nice plug of kayak.com. We have some extra cool new buzz features coming out next thursday (wink wink). Have a look and let us know how you like it.
Cheers,
billo, chief architect, kayak.com
Posted by: billo at February 17, 2006 06:14 AM
That kittie picture just jumps out and grabs you don't it? I sat staring for...well I don't know how long. Hehe. Ok, are you sure there was no subliminal message coming through my screen?
;)
Posted by: Micky at February 17, 2006 07:31 AM
