September 12, 2005
In Which I Realize It's Scary How Much the Dear Readers Remember About What I've Written
StalkerAngie, CarolineF—right on the nose! (Right now, I’m tapping my nose with one hand and e-pointing at the two of you with the other...which is harder than it sounds since one of you lives in Texas and one of you on the East Coast, which means I’m twisting back and forth like a madwoman. Or a really bad disco dancer.) My answer to the “23rd Entry/Fifth Line” meme came from the day we took Frankie’s ball and made a cheap-o Victorian gazing ball out of it. But the rest of you weren’t far wrong because, soon after that entry, the ball did indeed meet its demise. It has since been replaced with something of the Sponge Bob Square Pants ilk, although she is now on Sponge Bob Square Pants ball #2. Or maybe #3. Or maybe #9. It’s scary how many sharp nails are lurking about in your yard—but Frankie and her ball seem to zero in on every single one. We hammer one into submission and another one pops up somewhere else, its one true mission to make Frankie's ball go "pop" and "phhhhhhhhhhhhhhht."
My nascent interest in Turkish designs and symbols led me to chart one of the designs I found online. Here is the original image from this site, Marla Mallett Textiles and Tribal Oriental Rugs.
I cropped the image so it looked like this:
Then I used this free online application to overlay a grid on the image to help me get started with the charting process. Here is the file KnitPro generated, in pdf format.
Then, using Excel, I charted what I now call the Mafrash Pattern (the item that inspired this design came from a mafrash, a Middle Eastern woven bag or container), crapped it up with a bunch of peerie-type thingies to make it useable for stranded knitting, and pdf’d it. Ta-da! Feel free to print and use this pattern for your own wild and crazy designs, my fellow knitting addicts. If you want the Excel version so you can tweak it yourself, lemme know.
The design is 42 rows high by 46 columns wide. It might translate well to a hat knit in a lighter-weight yarn like a sport weight—which didn't stop me from trying to knit it in a worsted weight...which led to this moment when I realized the hat was way, way...way too big.
(Good Lord, how scary do those needles look? I had no idea until I saw this picture how close I was to a blood-spurty and gory death. And now I'm a little concerned about the fact that TMK, who knew I was thisclose to a blood-spurty and gory death because she took the frickin' photograph, didn't warn me.)
Posted by Ryan at September 12, 2005 11:53 AMHey...I figured you were a *professional* and knew how to handle knitting needles when they go *bad*! ;-) TMK
Posted by: The Mysterious K on September 12, 2005 12:01 PMShould I laugh so hard at my Blog Mistress being so close to a blood-spurty and gory death? Maybe it's just the blood-spurty part that has me rolling. I have GOT to fit that into normal conversation somehow.
I love the charting. You're just too clever. :) But that is a mighty large hat. Perhaps it should go through one of the hat/vest transformations?
When needles go bad. Film at 11. *snort*
Have a great day!
Posted by: Stalker Angie on September 12, 2005 12:14 PMI may make a few typos here. See, I'm down on the floor...can barely reach the keyboard. I'm busy bowing. Have you seen those GE Profile ads that say "art marries technology"? Well, they have *absolutely nothin'* (as sung in "War....what is it good for?) on you. I dig the design and have a complete lack of understanding of how you did that!
Posted by: marylee on September 12, 2005 01:18 PMyer a bloomin' genius Ms Ryan...you want something...you make it happen. Have I told you lately that you rock? Well, you do.
Posted by: Lisa in Oregon on September 12, 2005 01:22 PMWhy don't you make a tote or purse or something instead of a hat? FELT IT TOO!! That would look awesome.
Just my $0.02... :0)
Posted by: Libby on September 12, 2005 01:26 PMOhhhhh, totally on a bag or a pillow. Then again, the hat-to-vest scenario seems to be working out fine for us. (see tomorrow)
Wish you and TMK (and Stalker Angie and Anj and Lisa, for that matter) coulda been flies on the wall when my little black dress made its debut at The Wedding on Saturday. You'd have to understand this crowd: It was THE most unlikely combination: It was The Homophobic Hayseed Farm Boys (groom's fambly) and The Lesbians (bride's fambly, which seems to have an inordinately HIGH number of lesbians per capita -- must have been that water over there where they grew up. Which happens to be where I grew up, but I digress). Well, we get home, and Abigail, who chose The Allure as the LBD I should wear to the wedding, said, "Mom! Everybody at that wedding WANTED you!" She was right. Every person there seemed to be hitting on me. Heeee. I'd love to blog this, but I'm afraid of local readers reading it. I figure I'm safe telling the story over here...they'd never find you. (you just watch, heh)
Posted by: Norma on September 12, 2005 01:37 PMWhoa. Thanks for the link to the freebie application. I'm gonna be playing with that.
Posted by: Kit on September 12, 2005 01:52 PMWhat a great concept! I think that would look fabulous on a bag. Thanks for some inspiration!
And bloggers never forget what you write. If you write some glaring contradiction to something else you've written a year ago, someone will be sure to point it out. And they'll cite the post you wrote it in.
Posted by: Lorette on September 12, 2005 02:39 PMThanks for taking the time to make that lovely chart. Wow. I feel like a won a prize. It's beautiful.
Posted by: Cassie on September 12, 2005 03:58 PMThanks for the free online application connection. I tried it immediately. Works great.
Please don't put blood spurty thingies around your neck. We would miss you after the gory death part. Shame on TMK for letting you play with sharp objects whilst she takes photos. Just tell me that she doesn't let you run with scissors!
Posted by: Casey on September 12, 2005 04:49 PMNorma Dear, since you are obviously not going to blog it, I'll just tell ya here. I'm a straight, married woman and I'D hit on you in that dress. Seriously. Rrrrrooooowwwrrr. Hehe
Posted by: Stalker Angie on September 13, 2005 06:04 AMah... Excel...PDF....applications on the internet. Yep. Pretty much just like our ancestors used to do it :-) I figure they must have had a *whole* lot more time, or else their brains didn't have so much else crammed in them, so they could just remember it all. Nice work, Ryan!
Posted by: Sheila on September 13, 2005 09:28 AMYou're a much braver woman than I - haven't you ever had them just spring shut in your hand while you're knitting? Such a risk you took.
Ok, show of hands - how many of us would hit on Norma? *waves*
Posted by: Patti on September 13, 2005 06:07 PMNow I wish Norma could blog about THAT but I guess there are some times when we need to be a bit more private. But I saw chamomile and frankly.. well I know I'd hit on you :)
Love the chart Ryan.. esp. the peerie one. I want to do something very... fair-isley this fall. This might just be it :)
Posted by: anj on September 14, 2005 10:24 AM