About a year ago, my almost sister-in-law, approached me with the idea of selling my knitted items in a gift shop that she manages. Since I had a closet-full of done projects without a forever-home, I was elated. I came up with a brand name "Deb's Dabbles," which, while slightly grammatically incorrect was a true picture of my varied knitting projects. I came up with a logo--a eye-glassed woman knitting, and even decided on a font.
Then I discovered the harsh realities of knitting. Many, many patterns these days are written with a copyright restriction that forbids the use of the pattern for other than "personal use." So you can't make an item with that pattern, then sell said item--this would constitute commercial use. As strictly interpreted, I can spend my money on the pattern and yarn. Spend my time knitting up the item, and then can recoup only the cost of the yarn and pattern (if that). It is OK, to gift any item.
Several friends offered suggestions--modify the pattern, ignore the rules, etc. There is some talk in the universe that modifying the pattern 10% (whatever that means) is enough to void the copyright restriction. Does changing the cast-on or bind-off method qualify as part of the 10%? What about changing the designated yarn, needle size, or altering proportions? Others say that this is a bogus idea.
I understand that designers want control of the pattern itself. If I want someone else to have a copy, I buy the copy and give it to them. But why does a designer feel she has the right to control every single product that is made from that pattern?
My bottom line: I won't put family or friends at risk of being sued for selling something that has a copyright restriction.
My end result: A cupboard full of knitted items that can be gifted (unfortunately, none of my family is fond of anything I've made other than socks), not sold. My heirs will be cussing me out.
Monday, June 3, 2019
6/3/2019 Stash and requests
6/3/2019 Stash and requests
My stash now exceeds my lifetime (at least twice). I stopped at Fiddlehead Yarns (my lys) on Friday morning after working Thursday night. I wanted to buy the next four of the Knitted Wits National Park series. I was worried that if I waited until Monday, they'd be gone. Good thing I went. Some colorways only had three skeins remaining. 8 colorways down, 8 to go.
I knit socks like my mom knit mittens. They're quick and because I've done them a lot, good meditative knitting. I'm almost done with a pair of fleegle heeled socks using Hermione's Everyday sock pattern, and a Jitterbug Colinete color--Mint Chocolate--I'd bought before 2011.
I'm still not sure what cast-on I used on my Cables down the back socks. Some sort of cable cast on, but I forgot to take notes, worked two other projects and then forgot.
My youngest sister has requested some items to be knit by me. I'm almost delighted, except that they're sweaters and ponchos in (yippee) white. Machine washable and dryable. She had one sample of each, knit by our mom, that look brand new. Well, I bought white yarn a while ago. Guess I'll start knitting.
My stash now exceeds my lifetime (at least twice). I stopped at Fiddlehead Yarns (my lys) on Friday morning after working Thursday night. I wanted to buy the next four of the Knitted Wits National Park series. I was worried that if I waited until Monday, they'd be gone. Good thing I went. Some colorways only had three skeins remaining. 8 colorways down, 8 to go.
I knit socks like my mom knit mittens. They're quick and because I've done them a lot, good meditative knitting. I'm almost done with a pair of fleegle heeled socks using Hermione's Everyday sock pattern, and a Jitterbug Colinete color--Mint Chocolate--I'd bought before 2011.
I'm still not sure what cast-on I used on my Cables down the back socks. Some sort of cable cast on, but I forgot to take notes, worked two other projects and then forgot.
My youngest sister has requested some items to be knit by me. I'm almost delighted, except that they're sweaters and ponchos in (yippee) white. Machine washable and dryable. She had one sample of each, knit by our mom, that look brand new. Well, I bought white yarn a while ago. Guess I'll start knitting.
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Oh, I miss it
5/23/2019
I've done almost no knitting for the last two and a half weeks, and I miss it sorely. I'm still carrying it with me, but I've worked almost no stitches. This feels like hell. The next knitting opportunity won't be until Saturday.
What I've been carrying with me--a plain sock toe up, I've gotten 2 rows of toe increases done. The yarn for a second "The Shift" to be worked in fingering weight yarn, rather than the DK of the original pattern. I plan on doing 7 repeats, rather than 5. Not even cast on (which is 4 stitches). Yarn for the second "Cables up the Back" sock from the 2018 Fiddlehead sock club.
What this lack of knitting does: It triggers withdrawal anxiety. I feel at sixes and sevens; like my world is tilting off its axis. Knitting calms me. It's my equivalent of meditation. OK, enough writing, I'll try to get some knitting in this morning.
I've done almost no knitting for the last two and a half weeks, and I miss it sorely. I'm still carrying it with me, but I've worked almost no stitches. This feels like hell. The next knitting opportunity won't be until Saturday.
What I've been carrying with me--a plain sock toe up, I've gotten 2 rows of toe increases done. The yarn for a second "The Shift" to be worked in fingering weight yarn, rather than the DK of the original pattern. I plan on doing 7 repeats, rather than 5. Not even cast on (which is 4 stitches). Yarn for the second "Cables up the Back" sock from the 2018 Fiddlehead sock club.
What this lack of knitting does: It triggers withdrawal anxiety. I feel at sixes and sevens; like my world is tilting off its axis. Knitting calms me. It's my equivalent of meditation. OK, enough writing, I'll try to get some knitting in this morning.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
2013 Frustrations
Knitting and I are out of sync right now. I knitted (and darned in the ends of) Pendulum and then I discovered that I didn't care for its shape. So I frogged the entire project and reknit it as Stripe Study, a pattern I've knitted before and like.
The next disaster was Night at the Gruene, a perfectly lovely pattern whose graph I couldn't interpret. The problem is with me, not the pattern. I frogged to the shoulder decreases (I'd been making mistakes in the lace and decided I couldn't live with them), put in a lifeline, and knitted merrily along. Unfortunately, I didn't place a lifeline or markers when I started dividing for the neck, so I have to frog back to the only lifeline I have.
Then there was the Gramps problem. I didn't read the directions carefully enough, and discovered that I needed dpns. It's been sitting partially finished waiting for inspiration--which I got as I was typing this. I don't have to knit the sleeves in the round--I can knit them flat and put in a seam.
The last problem was a pattern called viajante, by one of my favorite designers. The yarn I picked--Prairie, by Madelinetosh, is a single ply yarn that, when I knit it in garter stitch, showed lots of irregular stitches. I frogged that section and redid it without there being much difference. Then I started the stockinette section. I didn't like the look of the M1R and M1L increases I was doing, so I frogged it and knit 10 rows using a lifted bar increase, which seems to be too tight. So it's back to frogging and reknitting the stockinette section with the M1R and M1L increases. I "gifted" the yarn to another friend.
The next disaster was Night at the Gruene, a perfectly lovely pattern whose graph I couldn't interpret. The problem is with me, not the pattern. I frogged to the shoulder decreases (I'd been making mistakes in the lace and decided I couldn't live with them), put in a lifeline, and knitted merrily along. Unfortunately, I didn't place a lifeline or markers when I started dividing for the neck, so I have to frog back to the only lifeline I have.
Then there was the Gramps problem. I didn't read the directions carefully enough, and discovered that I needed dpns. It's been sitting partially finished waiting for inspiration--which I got as I was typing this. I don't have to knit the sleeves in the round--I can knit them flat and put in a seam.
The last problem was a pattern called viajante, by one of my favorite designers. The yarn I picked--Prairie, by Madelinetosh, is a single ply yarn that, when I knit it in garter stitch, showed lots of irregular stitches. I frogged that section and redid it without there being much difference. Then I started the stockinette section. I didn't like the look of the M1R and M1L increases I was doing, so I frogged it and knit 10 rows using a lifted bar increase, which seems to be too tight. So it's back to frogging and reknitting the stockinette section with the M1R and M1L increases. I "gifted" the yarn to another friend.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Knitting the clouds away
January 5, 2011 It's rained every day since December 25 (when we arrived). I've gotten several projects done since then--a blanket/shawl, two neck warmers, and 2 shawlettes. I'm working on a third shawlette and am thinking about casting on for some socks. I need a portable project. Life is easier when you've got knitting in hand.
My best knitting friend is moving away soon and I'm quite bummed. She is incredibly talented--can spot a mistake at 10 paces, and intuitively understands concepts that I struggle with. Wish her well, though.
Austin has been in a drought (again), Teresópolis is having plenty of rain and fall temperatures in summer. I'm happy as a clam tucked in the house knitting and watching the entire series of Carnivale (bizarre, but quite good).
Beads, beads, and more beads
After two years or so of garter stitch and simple lace projects (think Hitchhiker, Stripe Study, Rambling Rows), I've decided to add some beaded projects to my plate. School and full-time work apparently isn't enough. So, here are the next three projects:
Haruni: Stockinette center with a liberal amount of beads in the border
Celestarium: A pi shawl of the northern sky (constellations marked by beads, YO/K2tog) every stitch is graphed. Charts of the longest rows have 500+stitches. I'm going to need a very loooong ruler to keep track of those rows. (under 400 beads)
Nouveau Beaded Capelet: 5000+ beads. What fun! I'm hoping to get this one finished in time to wear to my niece's wedding. (She doesn't like knitted things. Hence the knitting project.)
My other December goals include getting a handle on my stash and decreasing the paperwork lying around in boxes in the house. I haven't sorted it well for about three years. All this is in preparation for the annual trip to Teresópolis, RJ Brazil.
Haruni: Stockinette center with a liberal amount of beads in the border
Celestarium: A pi shawl of the northern sky (constellations marked by beads, YO/K2tog) every stitch is graphed. Charts of the longest rows have 500+stitches. I'm going to need a very loooong ruler to keep track of those rows. (under 400 beads)
Nouveau Beaded Capelet: 5000+ beads. What fun! I'm hoping to get this one finished in time to wear to my niece's wedding. (She doesn't like knitted things. Hence the knitting project.)
My other December goals include getting a handle on my stash and decreasing the paperwork lying around in boxes in the house. I haven't sorted it well for about three years. All this is in preparation for the annual trip to Teresópolis, RJ Brazil.
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