Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Technical Adventures!

Last night when I put my Alias DVD into my DVD player and pushed play, I had a black and white picture and static instead of sound. Unlike the stereotype of females and things like this, I am fairly skilled at troubleshooting things connected with cables. So first I do the obvious - jiggle all the cables and check to see if it works - nope - same as before.

Now it's time for the scientist in me to step in.

The data:

The setup: DVD player is connected to VCR. Cable is also connected to VCR. VCR is connected to TV.

DVD - no color, static for sound

Hypothesis 1: There is something wrong with the DVD player.

Experiment: Try playing a video!

VCR - no color static for sound

So basically this rules out the cable connecting the DVD player to the VCR - which is good because it's new and I had an awful time finding it!

Hypothesis 2: There is something wrong with the TV itself.

Experiment: Attempt to watch TV without using the VCR or DVD. Note - this is a bit difficult since I have no antenna, but I tried it all the same.

TV with VCR off - bad reception, but color and sound

Aha!

Hypothesis 3: The problem is with the cable connecting the VCR to the TV.

Experiment: Try new cable!

Unfortunately I ran into problems here. The person who set up the cables connected to the wall, which I was going to borrow for this purpose, is apparently much stronger than I am, and I own no wrench. So the problem with this female and high tech equipment is not being strong enough to unscrew cables.

Luckily I was fairly confident in my assessment, so I bought a new cable today - and voila, I now have both color and sound! I also got rid of those nasty wavy lines that used to plague my DVD and video playing. ;)

So now you're all wondering what this has to do with knitting. Well, isn't it obvious? What goes together better than stockinette and Netflix? Nothing, that's what!

And now for adventures with a different kind of cable...

In the spirit of the Finish It! KAL I picked up the stitches for the hood on my Rouge this evening. I did the 1st row of the cable chart which included picking up all the hood stitches, and then I did the 2nd row which involved placing the markers for hood increases. Not a lot of change in progress, but quite a bit of work.

And another revelation:

I used to say I hate purling. That's not quite accurate - the purling is fine, it's the transition between knit and purl that I'm not crazy about. I dread the 2x2 ribbing on socks and sleeves...

So, because I detest knit-purl transitions so much, I started making an entire tank top in seed stitch. Oh, very smart! There are some things we knit for enjoyment, and other things we knit because the yarn was so beautiful and it was on sale and why not?

2 Comments:

Blogger Carolyn B. said...

Good luck on the seed-stitching!

I have an unrelated question: Where did you get (or did you create) the graphics in your right sidebar, showing your progress on various projects? I'm coveting them. Do you mind sharing your source? ;o)

-- Carolyn B.

7:30 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I totally forgot where I got them. It was long ago. Sorry!

12:27 PM  

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Sock Yarn

    A quest to use sock yarns:

    Yarns I've had:
    * means I really liked it

    4-ply Soft
    A Piece of Vermont*
    Alpafina
    Artsygal*
    Artyarns Supermerino*
    Austermann Step
    BMFA Sock Candy*
    Black Bunny Fibers*
    Brown Sheep Naturespun Sport
    Chinese Mystery sock yarn
    Claudia's Handpaints
    Conjoined Creations Flat Feet
    Crystal Palace Maizy
    CTH Supersock
    Dicentra Designs
    Dorchester Farms
    Fabel
    Fearless Fibers
    Fixation*
    Gloss (KP)
    handspun
    Inspinknity*
    Interlacements Beibi Seda
    Interlacements Tiny Toes
    Interlacements Toasty Toes
    Jarbo Raggi
    JKnits*
    Jojoland Melody
    Koigu*
    Kona Superwash
    KP Essential
    KP Merino
    KP Palette
    Limbo
    Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock*
    Macek Designs
    Madelinetosh
    Magic Stripes
    Mega Boots Stretch
    Microspun
    Nature's Palette
    Noro Kureyon Sock
    Opal
    Panda Cotton
    Paton's Kroy*
    Peru DK
    Peruvian Quechua
    Regia Bamboo*
    Regia Cotton
    Regia Strato*
    Ruby Sapphire
    Sockotta
    Socks That Rock*
    Star (Classic Elite)
    Stitch Jones
    Sunshine Yarns*
    Three Fates Cauldron Sock*
    TOFUtsies
    Trekking*
    Wick
    Wildfoote*
    Wollmeise*
    Wool Ease
    Yarn Pirate*

    In Progress:

    Perchance to Knit
    Regia
    Vesper
    Yarns in the stash:

    All Things Heather
    Ancient Threads
    Apple Laine
    Araucania Ranco
    Artyarns Ultramerino
    Autumn House Farm
    Baby Ull
    Ball and Skein
    Baywood Yarns
    Bearfoot (Mountain Colors)
    Briar Rose Fibers
    Brooklyn Handspun
    Cavyshops Handpaint
    C*eye*ber Fiber
    Cervinia Calzetteria
    CTH Superglitz
    Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks
    Chewy Spaghetti
    Classic Elite Alpaca Sox
    Colinette Cadenza
    Colinette Jitterbug
    Country Classic Yarn for Sox
    Crash Into Ewe
    Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop
    Curious Yarns
    Done Roving
    Dream in Color
    Duet (A Swell Yarn Shop)
    Dye Dreams
    Ellen's Half Pint Farm
    End of the World Farm
    Fashion Trend Sportivo
    The Fiber Denn
    Fleece Artist
    The Flock Bransonas
    Fortissima
    French Hill Farm
    Froehlich Blauband
    Fyberspates
    geeyouknit!
    Gjestal Silja
    Great Adirondack Soxie
    Greenwood Fiberworks
    Jaeger Matchmaker
    Jarbo Mini Raggi
    Jawoll
    Jawoll Cotton
    Just Our Yarn
    Knit Purl Natural Collection
    Kona Superwash
    KP Dancing
    KP Essential Tweed
    Lime & Violet
    Lisa Souza
    Louet Gems Pearl
    Luxe
    Mama Llama
    Merlin the Cat
    Meilenweit Cotton
    Meilenweit Trend
    Mind's Eye Merino/Tencel
    Mirasol Hacho
    Misty Mountain Farm
    The Natural Dye Studio
    Neighborhood Fiber Company
    Over the Rainbow Twinkletoes
    Peterle
    Pigeon Roof Studios
    Pine Woods
    Posh Yarn Lucia
    Prism Saki
    Pucker Brush Farm
    Regia Surf
    Reynolds Swizzle
    Reynolds Soft Sea Wool
    Rio De La Plata
    Royale Hare
    Roz Houseknecht
    Schaefer Anne
    Scout's Swag
    Sheep Shop Wensleydale
    Shelridge Farm
    ShibuiKnits
    Sockenwolle Unipo
    Spirit Trail Fiberworks
    Spunky Eclectic
    Steinbach Wolle Sockenwolle
    Sundara Yarn
    Sweetgeorgia
    Tess Designer Yarns
    Twisted
    The Unique Sheep
    Universal Ditto
    Valley Yarns Franklin
    vanCalcar Acres
    White Oak Studio tvyarn
    Wisdom Yarns Marathon
    Wool in the Woods
    The Woolen Rabbit
    Yarn Botanika Radiance
    Yarntini
    Ysolda Yarn
    Zen Yarn Garden


    To check out:

    Pippikneesocks
    Sophie's Toes
    The Spinning Bunny Yarns BFL

WIPs and FOs