A week of ups and downs

This past week has been a bit of a weird one.  We had three days where we were out most of the day for various hospital appointments.  Two days were totally taken up with hospital things for my husband, the other day was for me for a routine mammogram screening (which was negative for abnormalities, thankfully).  I had to go to the bank to move some money to pay bills while in town that day and my husband suggested we pop into the pawn shop opposite to see if they had an old 32 bit XP computer so I could download and run the Knitware program.

Amazingly, they did have an old XP computer.  The guy was very helpful, he set it up to check it was working.  It did start up but we couldn't ascertain if it was 32 bit or not.  It was marked at $95 which was way too much for an out of date computer.  I offered him $40 and said I would take a chance that it was 32 bit.  He accepted so I carried it out of the store.  That was one of the ups.

I had chance in the afternoon to set it up in my knitting room to test it, it didn't have a wireless card in it so I had to trail a long chord through the bedroom and bathroom, down the stairs into the living room to connect to the router.  It connected to the internet just fine but it didn't have an antivirus program installed.  In fact, it only had the operating system installed so I suspect that someone had reloaded the operating system to clear off what was on the computer.  That was fine as it was a nice clean computer for me to use.  Another up.  I also ascertained it was a 32 bit, an up for sure!!

I tried to download an antivirus program.  It downloaded OK but I couldn't open it.  The first down.

It seems some components of the operating system are missing.  Second down.

I downloaded all the system updates but I still couldn't install the antivirus program.  Third down.

I found the Knitware program and it's instructions on the internet on the 32 bit.  I came downstairs to my regular computer and pulled up the program and printed the instructions.  I went back to the 32 bit and downloaded the program onto it.  I tried the program and it worked.  Holy rumoli!  A definite up!!!

To start I am running the trial version.  I made a pattern and wanted to print it. Our internet is complicated, we have two internet providers and two routers. (We live in the middle of nowhere so only get limited highspeed dsl so we have a satellite dish to get internet too to supplement the other.  The printer is connected to the other system.  No problem thinks I, I can cut and paste it into a document.

I tried to install our very old Office software from disk but the DVD door wouldn't open on the 32 bit.  A down for sure!

The computer did have Notepad as part of the operating system so I was able to paste it into that, copy it onto a flash drive and bring it down and print it up on my original computer.  An up.

So at the very least I can make a pattern on the 32 bit and transfer it to my other computer and print it.  So all in all a worthwhile endeavour.

Next on the agenda is to try and get it to run on my Windows 7 Home premium computer.  The instructions state that it can be done if it has first been downloaded onto a 32 bit computer.  That will be next week's challenge.

During all of this we have been making a belt for one of the son's birthdays this coming week.  We have just about got it done, just need to put on the buckle and make the holes tomorrow when the staining and finishing has completely dried. It was not with out it's ups and downs either.

The down was I couldn't find a set of stamps I wanted to use.  I am meticulous about putting up my leather tools so I couldn't understand why I couldn't find them.  I searched all the obvious places and then the silly ones.  Still couldn't find it and  was beginning to think I was getting senile.  A definite down!!!

I kept going back to the tool chest drawers as that is where it should have been. Eventually, common sense prevailed and I knew they had to be there so the obvious thing was that they had fallen down the back of the drawer.  I got my flashlight , pulled out the bottom drawer and lo and behold, there they were. Phew!  An up for sure.

Another up is that when I did the tooling for the belt it came out really well.  I was very happy with it.

There have been a few more ups and downs this week too but that is enough for one post.

Will update on the progress of getting Knitware onto the Windows 7 64 bit computer.  I intend to pay for the program regardless of whether or not I can get it to run on Windows 7 64 bit as I think it is a wonderful program.  Once you have a key to enter it opens up features like saving patterns and people's details.

For anyone who doesn't know about the Knitware program here is a link.  I have been trying on and off for nearly two years to get this progam working. The secret is the 32 bit machine and I never had access to one until now.  They have also updated the instructions to make it much easier to understand.  It is an old program written for old computers and they have found various ways to get it to run on newer computers.

http://www.greatknitdesigns.com/

Husband's cardigan is a go!!!

I have everything I need to complete this project.  I have a pattern (thanks Suzy), the yarn and the machine is oiled and ready complete with new sponge bar. Now I just have to find the time.  I am pumped to get on with this.  Tomorrow and Friday are no go's as we have to go to the hospital those days for some tests and chemo for my husband.  The other days are pretty tight too as now the weather has cooled we are trying to catch up on the mowing but I am bound and determined to make a start on it this week.

I am also trying to get the Knitware program set up on my computer.  This is a great program and I so really want it.  We have 6 computers in our house and all are 64bit.  5 of them run Windows 7 Home or Home Premium.  One is older and runs Windows XP but it is still 64bit.

Knitware can run on Windows 7 but it first has to be loaded onto a 32 bit computer then copied onto a flash drive.  Then it has to be taken off the flash drive onto the 64bit computer and a BDE platform downloaded to run it on.

Still hunting for a 32bit computer to download the program onto.  I am hoping to find one to purchase or someone locally who has one who can download it for me.

I have been wanting to get this done for about 2 years now and never accomplished it.  I read the instructions a gazillion times this last time and I am pretty sure I know what needs to be done now.  Time to get my butt in gear and find that much needed 32 bit computer.

Excited to be ready to knit the cardigan, will update with progress.

Thoughts on making hot pads on the knitting machine

My Mum in law used to knit hot pads.  All her life she was a wonderful seamstress, knitter and crocheter.  She made the most delicate of doilies, knitted and crocheted many, many afghans and blankets and made most of her own clothes.  She was a marvel.  In her latter years she couldn't manage the finer work so she made hot pads and little doilies.  She spent the last 5 years of her life in a nearby nursing home where we could visit her every day and she would always have a supply of hot pads and doilies to hand out.  She was very prolific.

This is her hand knitted hot pad pattern:-

She used two strands of worsted weight (Double knitting) yarn

All done in garter stitch

Cast on 3 sts
K 1 row
K1 inc 1 st in next st, K to end of row
Continue increasing at beginning of every row until 40 sts
K 1 row
k2, K2 tog, K to end
Continue decreasing at beg of eack row until 3 sts
K 1 row
Cast off

I only ever hand knitted one, that was a couple of Christmases ago. I vowed never again as it seemed to take forever knitting in garter stitch.  I told my neighbour she now owned the one and only hot pad I would ever hand knit lol.

When I try it on my SK155 bulky machine I plan to use Bulky #5 yarn as my machine will knit that and just move two sts out by one needle at the beginning of the increase rows and likewise move two stitches in one needle on the decrease rows.

Here are some my Mum in law made, still in daily use but I thought I would give them a go for Christmas stocking stuffers.  Maybe try some striped ones instead of the variegated which she favoured.