macro world

Posted on Posted in projects, Uncategorized

i’m feeling fabulously free of responsibility today, not having any work waiting when i awoke, though i have a feeling i’ll be under the gun later for this.

so i celebrated an empy “in” basket this morning by reading blogs and knitting on my mermaid sock while the coffee perked.
we finally made peace and agreed on a stitch pattern we both like (“we” being me and the sock), after spending over an hour last night bickering and restarting one idea after another.

it’s “pythagorean pattern” from BW’s second treasury. i had been trying to find a scaly-type pattern, but did not like any of them in the sock. i decided this pattern fulfills the job of catching the yarn’s iridescence, while offering a kind of abstract scaliness—know what i mean? i’ll run it right down over the top of the foot i think.
so this morning, after a cup of coffee and a fresh start, i had a couple of inches and a full repeat of the pattern knit, ans i took it outside for photographs.

the fans were swooning. who would have thought those show-offy lilies would have this much reverence for knitting?

for some time i have been trying to figure out the secrets of photographing knitting close up with a digital camera. need i point out AGAIN that i am not so savvy in the tech dept? the digital camera kinda mystifies me as to how it relates to a traditional camera’s settings.

anyway, i found i can get to a certain closeness, but then i get blurry results if i try to go closer, as in when i want to photograph stitches. i know i have a macro setting on the camera, but every time i tried to use it, the results were, well, garbage to be frank. blurry, orangey, ugly light, etc.

so i just thought it didn’t work. i could see that it uses a much more open lens setting, and a slow shutter speed. what i was having trouble with is how badly it handled the light. i just didn’t know how to make it work right, and have been too embarrassed to ask anyone, except david. he told me to use a tripod. that solved the blurry thing but not the light thing.

so today in the yard, i had the brilliant idea to try it one more time. turns out, it just wants REALLY bright natural light, and it works fine (i think . . . so far anyway).

that was with the macro lens and this one is without—similar distance, but less crisp i think.

so, forgive me ahead of time if, over the next few posts, i subject you to macro overload. not specific plans or anything but, it could happen . . . just a warning . . .

you see, i was wrestling with working on the sock last night in order to take a break from the shrug, which i worked on for several hours, getting almost all the way to the hem without further incident.

even though this classic silk is the softest cotten-blend yarn, it is still somewhat inflexible, and i find i need a break from working on it after a while. if i had known what a hard time the sock was going to give me, i would have just continued and finished it off. i guess that will get done tonight! i just need to knit another inch or so of this ribbing and bind off. then do the rib on each sleave edge and crochet the front and neck edges. i think i am actually going to squeak by, having used only two balls of yarn!

that means that the other two can go back for exchange on another bunch. i’ve decided i DO want a summer cardigan out of this yarn. i probably won’t have it done to wear this year, but, it will be good to have a new sweater for next summer. there is an apple green and a light purple (maybe heliotrope?) i have my eye on—i can’t decide which i like better.

for the next moment though, i am planning to start my new skirt in an allover lacy pattern with that watermelon color (the same one i used on the last baby dress).

am i crazy or what? i have knit with this yarn all summer and all i want to do is plan more projects in it. somebody hit me over the head.

and with that cashmere i showed you? mmmm. just wait and SEE what i have planned. i’ve had my eye on a stitch that i’ve been saving for something very special and i think this must be it. i can’t WAIT to cast on.

both of those projects will go on the needles in the next couple of days!! oh man, see what happens when i have a lil’ time off and some rest??

4 thoughts on “macro world

  1. OMG ANne, if I don’t get that shrug pattern you will have to listen to my incessant whining ALL week long…yes, more than usual…and I will even be forced to send several VERY long emails…now, do you REALLY want that kind of harassment???

  2. I think you picked an awesome pattern for that yarn. Awesome colorway! I just started reading your blog and I enjoy it and how you update with pix so often! I’ve also been in one of your classes before and happened to hear an archived podcast of Cast-On with you in it! I love stalking your yarn creations!

  3. The macro pic looks great, looks like you’ve got it figured out! Yup, in general, lots of light makes for crisper photos; less light means the shutter has to stay open longer, which for me (no tripod) means I’m more likely to shake the camera.

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