(no subject)

[cleolinda]

Okay--if you guys don't mind, I'd like to know how much readers of this journal--i.e., people who donated because they heard about 4christina.org here--have donated, so that we can tally it up. Correction/update: Since this has caught on across LJ, we're going with anyone who donated because they heard about it on LJ (or FW), period. If you don't have a LJ, you can leave an "anonymous" comment below with or without your name, and I'll add it in. I've made it so that no one sees the answers but me (and if it were possible to let people answer anonymously, I would have done that). I honestly don't care who donated what, and I'm not checking off a list of usernames or anything. I just want to be able to come up with a total so we can say, "See, even when you pitch in just a dollar, it makes a difference!"


[Poll #399768]


Write in whatever you want. Basically I'm looking for answers in the "$1.00" format, but if you did end up contributing an item instead of cash, write that in, too. If you weren't able to donate, that is totally okay--I was flat crap-ass broke last year and wouldn't have been able to do anything myself. But if you can, and if you did, please let me know so I can gauge the sum of y'all's efforts. : )

ETA 12/10/04 3 pm: Mom says we're up to about $1904, including things in the mail that haven't reached Sapphire yet, but not including donations only mentioned in the comments (like anonymous/non-LJ people), which I'll have to check against the master list and add in later.

---

I'm going to go ahead and talk about some unrelated things in this entry so that we keep the fundraising part on top for a while:

1. There will be no Lost recap tonight. I can do it tomorrow, however. I will definitely be watching the show (The Good Ship OMG!), but I'm taping it so I can watch it again and do a proper recap tomorrow, because today is Come to Jesus Day (as my mother would say) in terms of getting my paper done and reading Samson Agonistes and studying for the exam, all of which are tomorrow.

2. These are ridiculously expensive, but I did just get an email from the New Line store about "authentic" Elvish cloaks and scarves for sale.

3. Speaking of which, all these Elvish cloaks and Ravenclaw scarves have given me this urge to... knit. My grandmother taught me a little when I was really young, but I've forgotten it, mostly. I'm starting to think I might make it a New Year's resolution to learn to knit. Thoughts? Suggestions for beginners?

Comments

[yeats.livejournal.com]

I'm not on your friends list, but I thought that I would reply, for the purposes of calculating.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

That works, too. : )

[ginger]

Two suggestions in terms of knitting books:
Stitch & Bitch - has patterns and is (from what I'm told) a very user-friendly guide with tips and instructions on several techniques.
The Idiot's Guide to Knitting and Crocheting - This is what both I and the friend who got me hooked on knitting used. It's a very easy read, with very clear instructions and good diagrams. :)

[sunihiroku.livejournal.com]

You know, I've had the same knitting urges recently. My roommate just started to knit, and it looks so comforting.

[ktnb]

I would also recommend the Stitch N Bitch book, as well as http://www.stitchguide.com - they have videos of how to do different stitches, which I found immensely helpful when I was first learning how to knit.

[megaleena.livejournal.com]

If you learn (to knit) will you teach me? I've forgotten and want to knit a cool scarf. Or at least try.

[raanve]

Those cloaks & scarves are gorgeous! I am trying not to covet, because, as you say, they are ridiculously expensive.

I taught myself to knit with this book -- it's goofy title/cover art was a big draw for me, but more importantly, the pictures inside were a big help. The Stitch'n'Bitch book that someone recommended above is a good one, too. You should look through several books, though, to find one that makes the most sense to you, because different people learn in different ways. (I'm pretty good at following written instructions, but when it comes to knitting, I also needed really good visual guides.)

Stitchguide is a nice site that has videos of how to do individual stitches. Knitting Help seems to be a similar site, but I haven't had a chance to look it over yet (I think it's new).

Feel free to ask me any questions you like. :)

[kittenkatt.livejournal.com]

When starting to knit, I found that it was easier and more satisfying to use larger needles and thicker yarn so as to finish a whole project pretty quickly and build morale. Besides, you gotta get your arms used to the movements.

I adore Lion Brand yarn (http://www.lionbrand.com/) (read the FAQ!), especially Homespun. My first scarf was a pink Homespun with size 17 needles (the higher the number, the bigger the needles (http://pages.lionbrand.com/6030/InventoryPage/1419089/1.html?pageNo=1&catId=knitting_needles)). There are also a lot of cool patterns on Knitty.com (http://www.knitty.com) that you can search by skill levels (from mellow to extraspicy) in their archive. Harry Potter scarf info can be found at Atypically.net (http://knit.atypically.net/scarves/hogwarts/pattern.shtml).

[ginger]

And the bigger the needles, the better with Homespun. :) Very few people actually like it, in my experience, though I love it on anything bigger than size 11's. :)

[musikologie.livejournal.com]

Hah, the first thing I ever knit was a Harry Potter scarf. Take my advice and don't do that... a project that takes months is never good for starters.

[(Anonymous)]

My aunt taught me how to knit a four years ago, when I was nine or so. I started a scarf, and only just picked up again. I have what i call a "live the moment" approach to knitting. I have at least twenty mistakes, but I never notice them until i'm way into it. I just don't worry about it. It looks fine, though, because it's very colorful and the stiches are so big. I find it is much easier to knit with larger needles and thick yarn. Good luck!!

[wock.livejournal.com]

You do realize that to harvest thopse cloaks, they have to kill the elves...?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hey, I figure if I learn to knit, I'll probably have my whole friends list clicking away within a couple of months. ; )

[megaleena.livejournal.com]

ANd we could make the world's longest scarf, a scarf of all nations, and from there a quilt, and then - the world!!!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heeeee, that book cover is awesome. I may totally have to get that.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Awesome--that's the kind of advice I need. In fact, I remember my grandmother starting me out with a huge ball of thick yellow yarn and big-ass copper-colored needles, so you may be on to something there. I don't think I still have the needles, though...

[raanve]

She just looks so excited!

Plus, the exclamation mark in the title is too awesome. :)

[exiledprincess.livejournal.com]

you're right about ridiculously expensive, but oh, how i want. well, the cloak & the brooch (sp?) you know, the leaf one. those would go nicely with the arwen and galadriel jewelry i covet.

[kittenkatt.livejournal.com]

.I remember my grandmother starting me out with a huge ball of thick yellow yarn...

Oh! That reminds me! Some thing rarely mentioned but very important- roll your yarn into a ball before you start. I've had friends who just took the paper off of the wad straight from the store who were very confused when it all got tangled up and wouldn't pull smoothly. Go figure.

As far as needles go- any craft store or even Wal-Mart type place will have a sickening selection thereof. Bigger needles are a looser weave. Longer needles hold wider projects (a poncho could be 65 stitches wide vs. a scarf at 35). When you get a bit past that you can find circular needles, cable pins, and so forth.

It really is fun, honest. It's my favorite "sit-in-front-of-tv" activity. Just don't be hard on yourself if it takes you three years to finish something and you end up with seven different balls of yarn in a bag waiting for you to work on them. New yarn makes old projects look boring ;)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Awesome. I literally want, like, the simplest pattern ever to get used to the whole thing. Like, a potholder. Or maybe a bookmark.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I'm such a sucker for the inspired-by jewelry, like the butterfly brooch they turned into a necklace, and the necklace they based on Galadriel's ring.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah, I'm actually looking for something I can do away from the computer, while watching TV or sitting in a waiting room or something. MULTITASK OR DIE, BITCHES.

[ayn-rand-fan-13.livejournal.com]

When I was taught how to knit, I started off using two balls of yarn at once so the scarf was multi-colored. There wasn't enough yarn to finish it, so i've switched colors. It looks good, but nobody taught me how to switch colors so the rows it is between are kind of wonky. I find knitting to be very therupeutic (not spelled right, I know) once you get into the rythem. I spent the entire time i was awake yesterday afternoon trying to untangle the two colors. And the rabbi says I'm not focused...

[yarha.livejournal.com]

Doctor...Who...Scarf. (http://www.eskimo.com/~tegan/androgums/scarf.html)

Yarha, Once a Timelord Fan

[squirrelgirl22.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking of learning how to knit too, and I saw "I Can't Believe I'm Knitting!" You know what book cover looks even goofier? "I Can't Believe I'm Crocheting!".