Safra-Knit

Because of my profession and job, I take copyright very seriously.  Recently a large box of patterns was given to me, and I decided to give them away to members of my group.  Unfortunately, she had made many copies of the patterns for herself to work from (which is fine from a copyright point of view), but they can’t be given away to separate people.  I started sorting through the patterns, but I didn’t get too far.

For everyone out there who is interested in how copyright is applied to knitting patterns, take a look a this website, which has an excellent review.

• On the needles: Fingerless glove swatch, and bubbles II

My husband has been complaining that I save all the jars in our house…this is the perfect pattern to hide them put them to good use.  The only problem is that I’d have to figure out the measurements…and that requires work.  This would also work as well for covering cans, or anything.  The danger of glass jars would be the three small children who live here.

Technorati Tags: knitting, recycle, jar, jars,

• On the needles: Elisa Nest Tote

I’ve never considered myself to be a knitter of the fashionable things, but guess I am. On the site Whip-up, they have a guide to the best free knitting patterns on the web.

So, I looked through the pictures, and I haven’t done, just one or two of them, I’ve done four of them!!! Well, completed three, the Sartje booties just never got finished. The other projects I’ve done were the pinwheel blanket; given as a gift, the Booga Bag; for myself, and the Ballband dishcloth, to be used as a washcloth–dad kinda took it when the hotel didn’t have any washcloths!

I’m still waiting for the time to make myself a hat. Maybe one of these patterns would work for me.

Now this looks like yummy knitting.

If you are a crafty person, and are looking for some amazing tutorials, take a look at whipup. One of their more recent guides is about crocheting flowers. They all look amazing!!!

The car is definitely a positive in my life…I’ve been doing the pickups without a taxi and it feels good. Today was the first time I filled up the tank. We got the car with about 3/4 of a tank and I used about another half, and I think in the future I’ll fill it to a monetary amount, but I wanted to see what the cost for about a 3/4 of tank would be…well it was 250 shekels (click for current dollar conversion), Kind of scary eh? So you Americans out there…STOP COMPLAINING!

Anyway, where was I…oh yeah..car..right…

On Sunday, my first car commuting day, I heard an Israeli song that was released the year we were here studying (1998). Everyone commented on it because Iggy Waxman sings about Milwaukee. I thought her album was way to standard pop for me, but I enjoyed it on Sunday. (The two links are two different versions…live and somebody’s home video.)

And today I had the radio on an heard the same song both on the way in and the way out of work. It is a cute one–I like it. It makes me think of some of the more fun 80s music.

I’m afraid my knitting is going to suffer if I don’t ride the buses, but that might not be true, because during some of my more stuck moments, I managed to do a good 15-20 stitches. I only knit at red lights….and only if it is really a slow moving road.

In other news, big girl has an ear infection, middle one can’t get enough sleep (no nap at pre-K) and the baby is going through a growth spurt…same old, same old.

• On the needles: Self-striping hat for the little girl.

I’d like to share with you one of my greatest accomplishments. No, this isn’t about my kids, or about my husband, or about my job…but my hobby.

I’ve been knitting for a bit over ten years. My mom gave me some needles and some icky acrylic (not that all acrylic is icky) yarn, and I knit a rectangle. I wasn’t so impressed with it, but I moved on to some scarves for me and the hubby, then one for the mother-in-law. (Let’s not even ask if she ever wore it.) I’ve knit: blankets for my two older girls, a baby sweater, numerous hats, pair of socks, a few bunnies, and a bunch of other stuff. I’ve helped people knit things I would never ever knit.

But my pride and joy is the Jerusalem Knit N’ Nosh. I started this group about 3 1/2 years ago…right after Passover. I had been attending a different knitting group the previous summer, and it had ended due to a variety of reasons.

I posted a message to Janglo, and I think two people turned up. They have become two of my most reliable members! (One even helped to found a breakaway group…which, of course, has my blessing.) The numbers have ebbed and flowed, and we have changed locations a few times. We started out at a special cafe, then to a hotel lobby, then to another cafe, and now I think we are really home at Cafe Joe on the corner of Keren Hayesod in Jerusalem. We have an awesome manager, Erez, who says he wants to learn to knit….and maybe getting a few gifts from us knitters this Hanukkah. (shh don’t tell…) Our group is up to about 7 regulars, and another 2-5 that rotate through. We meet bi-monthly (twice a month, not once every two months) and just knit, chat etc.

This group is very special to me because we are a varied group—ages, skills, experiences. The only thing missing for me is that it is a very English speaking group. Since our size is actually very good, I’m leery of trying to grow the group, and I don’t know how it would be for non-English speakers. Not all our members are comfortable in Hebrew, and I wouldn’t want to make it awkward.

This group has helped me through knitting traumas (ripping out a large portion of a sweater), personal traumas and has also been there for the simchas of a new baby (with gifts….) and moving apartments.

I’m very glad that I created this group, and I hope we can just grow in size and strength.

• On the needles: Sock #2: Tidal Wave

As some of you may know, I’m a knitter. I started a group in Jerusalem that meets bi-monthly (twice a month–not once every two months) and I’ve become addicted to Ravelry.

Here is a nice little video about the site:

I’ve got to start my knitting for a special friend who is going to have her babies before I even start knitting…..I need some help. I originally was going to knit in cotton (doubled) and use the pattern for the “Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket” from Mason Dixon Knitting. Now I’m not so sure.

I’ve purchased my colors…4 shades–one set in bright primaries, and one in antique shades (did I mention she is having twins?). And now I think that I’d rather not do all the picking up that is required. I saw a really fun scarf pattern with a nice wave to it, and I thought that would be a good blanket. Since it is striped, I could use the four colors, and stripe them. There is a stripe generator program that could help me decide on the widths and color changes.

Any thoughts? These blankets are going to be heirloom quality (do not ask me how much I spent on my yarn….) and I am afraid to start because I want to do it right!

Advice from non-knitters also welcome (of course).

As for completed projects, I just finished Craft Magazine’s Knitted Bicycle Ear Warmers for my dad. They look great, I just need to drop them in the mail.

I’ve referenced Franklin here before, but this story

just takes the cake .

Please don’t eat or drink anything while reading this story…you have been warned.