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I am NOT that woman!
We Can Do It poster for Westinghouse, closely associated with Rosie the Riveter, although not a depiction of the cultural icon itself. Pictured Geraldine Doyle (1924-2010), at age 17. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
You know the sort. She does it all. Her house is immaculate all the time. It smells of cookies even when she isn’t cooking. She has a huge garden that is producing a grocery store of food. She is raising a passle of kids who are all on the honor roll and never seem to do anything but smile prettily at the camera she is always aiming at them. She turns out crafts like madwoman. She makes every cleaning product known to the free world from scratch. Did I mention her house is always immaculate?Sighs….
I’ve been trying to be that woman. Ok, well I don’t have kids, but otherwise….
I’ve decided to stop making myself nuts. I am NOT that woman! I will never BE that woman.
My house is not immaculate. It has stuff all over the place. Most of it just needs to be tidied, but there are always “those” piles. These are the piles of things collected at yard sales, flea markets, etc. All of them have crafts waiting to be done with them. All of them have particular uses already. It’s just a matter of getting to them.
In the meantime, however, they sit. Yes, I try to keep them in sorted, neat piles, but they are piles nonetheless.
My house sometimes smells like cookies. More often it smells like stew, though, especially in the winter. Most of the time it smells of dogs, specially when its wet out. The one and only bathroom in the house is right off the living room. What a terrible place to put a bathroom. I won’t go into what the house smells like SOME times. 
If you look around you will find projects in stages from started to almost finished and every step in between.
On the other hand, if you need something, I probably have it. Piece of ribbon? Button? Hook and eye? Cuphooks? Countless craft supplies? Yep, I probably have it.
I’m learning to make some homemade items right now. Today I made a homemade deodorant out of coconut oil, baking soda and cornstarch. Keep your fingers crossed. I’m desperate to find something that will keep my menopausal pits from driving away the general public.
Soon as I get Borax, I’ll be trying some homemade cleaners. I buy some things in bulk because its just cheaper to do so.
But even with my small efforts at thrift, a small house cannot help but be a cluttered house. I should be able to find a place with everything hidden away, a spotless floor, never a dish in the sink…. you get the point.
But I am NOT that woman!
Ya know what? It’s ok not to be that woman. My husband adores me. My dogs love me to bits. My house loves visitors who just kick their shoes off and flop down on the sofa. My dogs can be found curled up on the sofa amongst the pillows, warm and cozy. My favorite place to knit is on my end of the sofa in front of my woodstove where I feel safe and welcome.
Yes, I need to tidy up a bit more. Now and then I go through everthing and weed out as much as I can. But I am THIS woman and that’s good enough.
Y is for…
YARNS!
Types of Yarn Fibers
(taken from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/types-of-yarn-fibers.html )
All types of yarn for knitting or crocheting are made from natural or synthetic fibers. Different types of yarn fibers have specific qualities — some good, some not so good. Often, manufacturers blend different types of yarn fiber to offset an undesirable characteristic.
When choosing a yarn type for your knitting project, consider the following:
- Wool: Wool (made from the fleeceof sheep) is the queen of yarns, and it remains a popular choice for knitters. Here are some of your wool yarn options:
- Lamb’s wool: Comes from a young lamb’s first shearing.
- Merino wool: Considered the finest of the fine breeds.
- Pure new wool/virgin wool: Wool that’s made directly from animal fleece and not recycled from existing wool garments.
- Shetland wool: Made from the small and hardy native sheep of Scotland’s Shetland Islands.
- Icelandic wool: A rustic, soft yarn.
- Washable wool: Treated chemically or electronically to destroy the outer fuzzy layer of fibers.
- Fleece: Examples include mohair and cashmere, which come from Angora and Kashmir goats, respectively. Angora comes from the hair of Angora rabbits.
- Silk, cotton, linen, and rayon: The slippery, smooth, and often shiny yarns.
- Synthetic: Including nylon, acrylic, and polyester. Straddling the border between natural and synthetic are soy, bamboo, corn, and other unusual yarns made by using plant-based materials.
- Novelty: Novelty yarns are easy to recognize because their appearance is so different from traditional yarns:
- Ribbon: A knitted ribbon in rayon or a rayon blend.
- Bouclé: This highly bumpy, textured yarn is composed of loops.
- Chenille: Although tricky to knit with, this yarn has an attractive appearance and velvety texture.
- Thick-thin: Alternates between very thick and thin sections, which lends a bumpy look to knitted fabric.
- Railroad ribbon: Has tiny “tracks” of fiber strung between two parallel strands of thread.
- Faux fur: Fluffy fiber strands on a strong base thread of nylon resemble faux fur when knitted.
Some novelty yarns can be tricky to work with. Others can be downright difficult. Identifying individual stitches in highly textured yarns is difficult, if not impossible, making it hard to fix mistakes or rip out stitches.
- Specialty: These traditional types of yarn create special looks in knitted items:
- Tweed: Has a background color flecked with bits of fiber in different colors.
- Heather: Blended from a number of different-colored or dyed fleeces, and then spun.
- Marled (ragg): A plied yarn in which the plies are different colors.
- Variegated: Dyed in several different colors or shades of a single color.
Yarn Weight (Thickness)
(taken from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/yarn-weight-thickness.html )
Knitting and crochet yarns come in different weights, or thicknesses. The thickness of your yarn (among other factors) has a huge impact on the look of your knitted or crocheted fabric — and certainly the amount of time it takes to complete it. Yarn weight determines how many stitches it takes to knit 1 inch.
Although there are no official categories for yarn weights, many knitting books and yarn manufacturers use common terms to indicate a yarn’s thickness and the size of the needle with which you work on the yarn.
| Yarn Weight | Number ID and Symbol | US Needle Size | Knitting Stitches Per Inch, in Stockinette Stitch | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lace | 000–1 | 8–10 | Lace knitting | |
| Super fine, fingering, or baby-weight | 1–3 | 7–8 | Light layettes, socks | |
| Fine or sport-weight | 3–6 | 5–6 | Light sweaters, baby things, accessories | |
| Light worsted or DK (double-knitting) | 5–7 | 5–5 1/2 | Sweaters and other garments, lightweight scarves | |
| Medium- or worsted-weight, afghan, Aran | 7–9 | 4–5 | Sweaters, blankets, outdoor wear (hats, scarves, mittens, and so on) | |
| Bulky or chunky | 10–11 | 3–3 1/2 | Rugs, jackets, blankets | |
| Super bulky | 13–15 | 2–2 1/2 | Heavy blankets and rugs, sweaters |
The thickness of a given yarn is determined by the individual thickness of the plies, not by the number of plies. If the plies are thin, a 4-ply yarn can be finer than a heavy, single-ply yarn.
U is for…
UNABLE to find any “U” knitting stitches. lol.
Unique – No matter how many times I make something over again, it never seems to be exactly the same. There is always some little thing about it that changes the whole look. I like that.
Universal – Every culture seems to have their own method of knitting/crocheting. It’s really amazing when you start looking into it. A simple cast-on and there are so many ways to do it, depending on where you learned it or from whom, and yet…someone sees you knitting/crocheting and even if they don’t speak your language, they know what you are doing and can show you things.
Unbelievable – That’s how I feel whenever I learn something new. I do a project that had a learning curve and when it’s done…I think to myself, ‘that’s unbelievable that it came out!’.
Utilitarian – Warm socks, gloves, sweaters, scarves. Pretty lacy shawls, shirts, vests and jackets. Adorable accessories for around the house and toys that bring a smile to the face of those lucky enough to receive one.
Unafraid – to try new patterns. Sometimes I have to remember I can always take it out if it doesn’t come out right and there is no reason to be afraid to try.
Unbalanced – after you’ve tried and frogged that new pattern 5 times…
Underwear…I’ve seen knitting tushy cushies and well…. ’nuff said.
Unflinching - Knitters are unflinching in the face of those who don’t understand making socks rather than buying Walmart socks and making gloves when you can buy them for $1 just about anywhere.
Unnecessary – more yarn? ok yes, its necessary. There is no such thing as unnecessary yarn.
Unisex – you can make anything for anyone with complete freedom.
Useful – for keeping your mind, and hands, occupied when they need to be; ei…sitting in hospital waiting rooms, during menopause attacks, waiting for kids events to be over, when the cable or electricity is out (must keep a flashlight handy), when its cold out and the woodstove is just to toasty not to sit in front of it.
What “U’s” can you think of?
30+ Stash Busters To Use Up Those Bits Of Yarn : TipNut.com
Image via Wikipedia
And on the same idea, here are some more spiffy ideas for using up leftover yarn. If you don’t already get Tipnut.com you should look into it. They have amazing amount of ideas for just about everything.
30+ Stash Busters To Use Up Those Bits Of Yarn : TipNut.com.
I think I need a new category…recycling/uncycling! lol
Crochet yoyo tutorial « Rambling Designs
I’m pressing this because its a GREAT idea. It’s also a good way for me to not lose it. <grins> I’m going to make little granny squares instead simply because I think it would be easier for me to figure out how to sew together. What a cool idea for using up those little balls of leftovers!
