Goodbye, Google Reader

Dear ChemKnits Followers,

I don't often have non-fiber related posts, but this post is to remind you about the shutdown of Google Reader scheduled for July 1, 2013.  (I don't want you to loose your ChemKnits access!)  If you follow ChemKnits though a different RSS reader or via email, you don't have to do anything.   If you are still using Google Reader, you have two weeks to switch to another service before it shuts down.

To easily retain your Google Reader data and subscriptions (and transfer them to another service) you can use Google Takeout to export your data.  If you miss the July 1 deadline for this service, you can still add all of the blogs you follow manually to the new RSS aggregator.

Below are some articles that discuss various replacements for Google Reader:

• 8 Google Reader Alternatives
• Replacing Google Reader
• Five Best Google Reader Alternatives

Newsblur was attractive to me, but the concern is that you can only see 10 stories at a time... I frequently have 20-25 news items under a feed that I am waiting to catch up on.  I decided to give a couple of services a shot.  Newsblur imported my data directly from Google Reader - no need for me to upload anything.  Nevermind - When I tried in 3/27/13 the free accounts were suspended.  At this point, I don't want to pay $24/year to get a RSS servcie.  

The Old Reader - Next I decided to give the oldreader a shot.  You can sign in through your google account (no creating a new account), and then it gives you instructions how to (and what file to) import from the Google Takeout download.  With a lot of people switching over from Google Reader, your process may be queued.  Be prepared to wait a while (over a week!) for your feeds to be imported, but you can always add them manually if you are impatient.  So far, I have to say that it is comprable to Google Reader and I adjusted quickly.

Which reader did you switch to?  I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Cheers,
Rebecca

WIP - Phalangees Mosaic Mittens

Usually I only post about completed projects, but sometimes there is a project that I just don't enjoy working on, so I need to take a bit of a break.  I was enamored by the Phalangees Mosaic Mittens pattern the moment I saw it.

I don't have circulars the right size to knit these gloves using magic loop/ 2 circular methods.  I'll have to use DPN's and then see what happens when I get to making the fingers. I started knitting Size Large, using size 1.5 (2.5 mm) knitting needles and Palette yarn in Clover (green) and Serpentine (mustard).

Notes from construction:

• I used my normal long tail cast on.  I find this to be plenty stretchy.  
• For the 2" cuffs, 21 rows of 3x3 ribbing.  

The pattern itself is easy to follow, but it got a lot more complicated around the thumb gusset.  Since there are two different charts for the different sized mitts, I can understand why the increases cannot say which row of the chart you're on... but it is hard to keep track of the fact that increase round 9 in round 10 on the chart etc.  I therefore am taking advantage of my magnetic chart keeper not for the chart, but for the increase suggestions!

I hate to say it, but this pattern is kicking my butt.  I had so much trouble getting into the rhythm of it, and mosaic (slipped stitch) knitting isn't as consistent as fair isle.  

Have you ever had a project that you've just abandoned?  I haven't given up hope with this one, I have it saved on stitch holders in case I want to come back to it.  

Striped Baby Socks

When I found the Baby Mitten Socks pattern I thought the striping was adorable.  At the time I did not know the gender of my little chirphead, so all projects must be gender neutral.

ARGH!  I initially cast on 24 sts not 32!  Time to start over.

Unfortunately the pattern used a self striping sock yarn, so the stripes were not created in the pattern.  I planned to make a black/white striped sock using KnitPicks Comfy Fingering and size 1 (2.25 mm) knitting needles.  My striping pattern will go as follows:

• Ankle
• Cast on Black.  +5 rounds
• 5 rounds white
• 5 rounds black
• 5 rounds white
• HEEL
• All black - I noticed it said to do a total of 11 rows ending on WS row, but 11 rows would end after a RS row.  So the WS row makes 12 rows total since the first round after heal flap starts with a RS row.  
• Instep
• 5 rounds white
• 5 rounds black
• Foot 
• 5 rounds white
• 5 rounds black
• 5 rounds white
• toe
• All black

I knit these socks in Mid March 2013 when I was still in the middle of my self imposed yarn diet (no new yarn purchases, only fiber for spinning).  I am a little worried about the elasticity (or lack thereof) in the Comfy fingering yarn, but this is what I have to work with.  We will see how elastic the ribbing in these socks appears.  (It seems good)

Due to a formatting glitch in the pattern, I missed the "K 1 round" following each of the toe decreases.  I noticed this when I was knitting the toe on the second sock, so I had to skip these two rounds again.  (I'm not sure why I didn't pick it up, there are similar formatting issues in other parts of the pattern.  Make sure to read it carefully before you knit!)  

The two socks weigh 13 g.  The project used ~8 g of black and ~6 g of white yarn.  The finished socks are about 3.75" long.   I have no idea what size baby these will fit, but hopefully my child won't have huge feet like me right from the get go!  

Spinning Misc Dog Fur

When I received a generous fiber gift, some of the fiber was dog fur of an unknown breed.  It is in some kind of batt, not a commercial roving or combed top like I've spun with before.  My wonderful benefactor received this fiber from her spinning teacher when she started out spinning.  It is perfect since I'm planning on spinning Indy's fur eventually.  I'm also not planning on spinning it particularly thin.

The fiber is arranged as a long batt with no particular orientation of the fibers.  I've been predrafting into a rolag of sorts before spinning each piece.  

I am going to spin this without dyeing it.  I see this as practice for the day when I finally spin Indy's fur that I've been saving!  I'm trying hard for as little twist as possible.  I think I'll N-ply it too.

There are some tiny bits of debris in this fur, and the fiber is so fuzzy that they are a little hard to pick out.  Is it strange to say that there is a lot of shedding when I talk about spinning dog fur?  Look at what it is doing to my pants!  (The photo doesn't quite do justice to what has been happening.  I have had to lint roll myself a few times.)

Indy was interested in the smell of this fur, but not super interested as he would have been if it were a real dog..  

This is not quite as pleasurable a spin as some of the other fibers spin.  I'm not sure why, if it is the softness or how the fiber was prepared, but it just wasn't my favorite.  With some other spinning projects I would be so excited to get to the end that I would power through, but with this project I took a few month break.  I finally finished spinning the singles, and got them all to fit on a single spindle.  

I feel like there is so little twist in this yarn that I am a little worried about it coming apart during plying.   The N-plying was so much more satisfying than the spinning of the singles.  I love the softness and the halo of this yarn.  It is a great bulky weight in a natural winter white.  

I noticed that my spinning was much thinner towards the beginning of the singles than it was when I started plying.  I think that the weight will still be bulky, but it will definitely have a good handmade feel to it.  In this thinner section I had the yarn break a few times, but with N-plying it is easy to ply it together and then these breaks are invisible with no knots!  I maybe put too much twist in the ply at the end as I was really excited to finish up this project after so long.  (So much for creating a balanced yarn...)  I soaked the yarn in hot water and then let it dry around the niddy noddy.  

If Indy weren't the same color as the yarn, I would make him something to wear out of it.  

76 wraps * 4 ft/wrap = 304 ft = 101.3 yards

7-9 WPI = Heavy Worsted Weight

Spinning Completed 5/29/13.  

Mini Monster Amigurumi

Hoffman's Baby Monster Beginner Amigurumi tutorial is fantastic.  If you have never crocheted anything before but want to try making amigurumi, then this is a great project to try.  Not only are the projects small and simple, but the step by step photographs show you everything from the magic circle to how to make a single crochet stitch.  

The base of this project is so simple, but the possibilities are endless for what you can create from it.  I don't consider myself to be any good at embroidery, but I figured that I would give it a shot.  

I used a Size E (3.5 mm) crochet hook and KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Spruce (teal - 7g) and unknown name burgandy - 8g.  

The teal monster is 1 row short because the row counting for this project did not count the magic circle round as round 1 (unlike the other amigurumi I've made thus far.)  I don't think this is that big of a deal, but it did explain the confusion I had while counting rows. 

If you're worried about running out of yarn, make the monster base first.  Then you can knit the body of the monster as long as you have yarn for.  

I know that most of the magic of these amigurumi comes from the finishing touches, embroidery etc.  This is something that I"m NOT very good at, but I wanted to give it a chance.  (This is also why I only made two little monsters to start out with, what if I don't like the final result?)  

I used size 8 mm safety eyes.  I decided to make both monsters with one eyes to see how I like the embroidery.  I think they came out pretty cute!  I stuffed them with polyfill stuffing and scraps of yarn and then sewed on the circular bottoms with a whip stitch.  

I'm not sure if I'm going to make more in the future, but I am happy with these two creatures.  

ChemKnits in Print!

This has been a good week for ChemKnits.  When I went to go pick up my mail, I discovered not one, but TWO magazines that were featuring ChemKnits projects!  I knew that the Chemical & Engineering News article would arrive any day, but I completely forgot about the request from BugLife back in February.  

I am on the second to last page in both magazines.  Shown with the featured knit items.

When Chemical & Engineering News contacted me earlier in May, I was ecstatic that they wanted to interview me.  This is a weekly publication sent to all members of the American Chemical Society, I had a subscription myself while I was in graduate school!  One of my peer reviewed academic publications is published in an ACS journal.  I was so excited to get some recognition from the scientific community for my chemistry knitting blog.  Event the title of the blurb "Molecules Tied Up in Knots" is awesome.  In addition to the photograph of my hangover beer cozy knitting pattern, the article mentions the caffeine coffee cozy and resveratrol wine cozy.  

C&E News; Volume 91, Issue 21, p 56: NEWSCRIPTS - Settlers Of Mars, Molecules Tied Up In Knots 

I first heard from the charity Buglife  - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust in Scotland back in February asking to feature a link in their magazine.  I asked for a copy of the magazine, and then completely forgot about the conversation.  Boy was I surprised when this showed up on my doorstep!  The blurb features my knit butterfly and links to a squidoo article on insect knitting patterns.  

The Buzz; Summer 2013, Issue 2, p 18: Knit Your Own Bugs! 

I've given permission for other insect charities to use my photographs in their newsletters in the past, and have even have some knit my bumble bee in mass to sell at fundraisers.  Although I always request photographs, I have never heard back from any of these organizations... until today!  I love that my knitting projects can be used for charitable purposes in addition to fun gifts.  

Thank you so much to the editors who sent me complementary issues of the magazines!  They look fantastic.  I also owe a huge thanks to you, my readers, who have made this blog popular enough to get this kind of attention. Thanks for reading!  

Upside-Down Daisy Baby Hat

Besides me, I know at least three other couples that are expecting babies this year.   I therefore am going to let myself knit some not necessarily gender neutral items even though I don't know the gender.  I know that the number of people I have to knit for is only going to grow, so having some extras in my stash until I know all of the genders (or which ones will be a surprise at birth) is a good idea.)  The Upside-Down Daisy Baby Hat is available for free online, or you can find it in the book Itty-Bitty Hats: cute and cuddly caps to knit for babies and toddlers.  

Even the underside of the hat looks awesome!

I am knitting with KnitPicks Shine Sport in Aquamarine, Grass and Cream (actual color name unknown) on size 5 knitting needles.  

I'm using yarn that is smaller than what the pattern calls for because that is what I have in my stash.  I therefore whipped up a quick gauge swatch.  My project is 6 sts/inch.   Based on the reported gauge (5 sts/inch) and the reported stitch counts (56, 64, 72) the hats should measure (11.2", 12.8", 14.4").  With my gauge these same hats would measure (9.3", 10.6", 12").  

Since I am using smaller needles and smaller yarn, I am going to cast on 72 stitches and follow the directions for the 6-12 month hat.  This should, however, fit a much smaller baby.  Between Newborn and 0-6 month based on my calculations above.  

I'll knit until the hat measures 5.5" from the cast on edge - 40 rounds.  I don't mind a bit of a rolled brim.   (I measure with the rolled brim straightened out.)  

Made Row 10 of the petals purl-wise rather than K wise as written.  Even though there were 6 petals, they all knit up pretty quickly.  I finished this pretty late at night so I waited until the next morning to sew them to the hat.  

This project consumed 33 g blue, less than 1 g of green and 6 g of white.  The finished size is 13” circumference, 6” from rolled brim to base of stem (white part of the stem). The brim can be rolled more if necessary.