Mitts

I really like making mitts. You know, the gloves with half a thumb (or just a thumb hole) and half fingers (or just a long palm part, no separate fingers)? Why? Because I think they're adorable and slightly... I don't know... hmmm quirky? That's not the right word, but it'll have to do!

Anyway, I don't make them much. I should. But I don't, because, you know, in between starting socks, finishing socks, and putting socks down because they're frustrating sometimes, who has time? But last week, for knitting group, I wanted to do something different. I had some Knit Picks City Tweed in Lemon Curd (a lovely, lovely shade of yellow) that I wanted to make into something, and that something was mitts.

I looked high and low on Ravelry for the right pattern, where I (most likely) wouldn't have to take gauge, where I could just go at it when I got there. I found these http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-fan-mitts. They're nice and lacy, but for some reason they look a little... tom-boyish to me. Even though, as I look at them, I can't really see that. At all. It's just the feel of the design, I guess.

Anyway, I managed to print it (finally!) about 20 minutes before I was supposed to go. They're turning out beautifully! I did make some adjustments to the pattern, because that's how I am.

Firstly, I started out with the recommended stitch count, but quickly realized (within the first 4 rounds) that they would be too big if I did that. I'm a loose knitter. So, I took it out, re-cast on with 33 stitches (it's an 11 stitch repeat) and off I went.

As I approached the thumb I realized that I wanted the cuff longer, so I did that. Also, that the thumb was supposed to go on the needle that would have had 22 stitches on it originally (this is knitted in the round on dpns). Oh, well. I figured I could adapt to that. So I did. I kind of did my own increasing at the gusset because sometimes I just can't be bothered with IncR and IncL. I just knit 2 in 1 and that was that. I followed the rounds for increasing - every 3rd - which was a bit difficult because the pattern is on a 4-round repeat. But I did it! The thumb stitches are on a bit of scrap yarn now and I just have to finish the hand/finger part for the first mitt, then it's on do the second.

I really like City Tweed. I like Knit Picks in general, but this is my first time working with City Tweed. I would have expected it to be more splitty and stuff, but it's not! And it's soft. It's very pleasant to work with. It doesn't shed at all either. Another tweed I worked with before did shed and it was a little rough. This one, though. I just love it. I think everyone does!

Other than that? Not much knitting going on.

For my birthday (the 17th) I went to Cindy B.'s craft camp with my sister for the afternoon. I brought my knitting stuff, but didn't knit. They were tie-dying shirts, and I'd never done that before, so I did! It was fun! Although my sister's shirt turned out better than mine, imho. I'll post pictures tomorrow. Also pictures of the baby beaded skunk and the Matrix-colors (read: black and green) lanyard keychain thingy. I know that's a very middle-school-summer-day-camp sort of activity, but I like doing it. Plus... Matrix colors! Come on!

Why, yes, I am a nerd. Thanks for asking!

Oh, yes! And next month, on the 29th, is my first day of college classes! I'm excited. I'll probably move down there on the 28th. I am staying with a family friend; not the dorms. I'm glad, though, because the dorms remind me of a cheep motel room, only you have to share it with a stranger for a long period of time...and I hate motel rooms anyway. So that's all good. I'm making a Jayne Hat at some point so I can wear it around campus while I'm going to school.

I guess that makes me an exhibitionist nerd? Hmm...

So, that's the news for today! I promise; pictures tomorrow! Provided I can find a camera... I think I can :D

Happy Knitting, all you great people!

Hello, hello

So, I've been neglecting my knitting and spinning... well, not completely. I have about 100 yds of handspun alpaca, the grey that I talked about before. It's a lovely fingering/lace weight... a bit thick-and-thin but not too bad.

I finished a par of socks in Knitpicks Imagination in a color called Pixie Dust, which I think is discontinued. It only took 1 219 yd ball for a pair! I made the cuffs ~6 inches long, too - which is not short. Granted, I have kinda small feet, so there is that... The second sock turned out slightly smaller. I don't know why. The stitch number is the same, etc. I think the stitches for the sole of the sock ended up being more - like I didn't split them evenly or something... and then I didn't knit quite long enough to the toe. The good thing is, even if they both were the same length, I have confidence that I wouldn't have used more than one ball. Also, you can't tell when they're on! Haha!

The knitting group is planning a yarning trip. We go do all the yarnshops on "The Coast", eat lunch (might be tricky for me; I'm vegan, but oh well... I'll figure something out!), and have fun! It's an all day deal.

This weekend, I'm probably going over to Cindy's to make stitch markers. It's also my birthday, which I forgot when I told her I would be there. It doesn't change anything; we never do anything really big for birthdays around here!

The reason I haven't been knitting so much? Well... I've kind of taken up running...and I've kind of been getting that on track. As a matter of fact, I'm going to start a blog dedicated to running (I've given up on making this anything other than a knitting blog; it just isn't going to happen, I don't think... although 2 blogs might be hard to maintain... oh,well... we'll see).

So, wish me luck with my yarning adventures next month. And if anyone's actually reading this, could you please reccomend a neat, unique, but not crazy, lace-and-cable scarf pattern? Or just something that would look nice in worsted weight Cascade Pride in pink? I love the yarn; can't find a pattern for it...

Things about Spinning

Hello, hello!

J, from my knitting group, recently decided to try spinning. She knew that I spun, and has been talking about 'getting into it' for a while... she has said, however, that she hasn't been sure, because then she'll have to buy a spinning wheel, and all the nice fibers, along with all the beautiful sock yarns and needles she already gets! But a couple of weeks ago, she decided to take the plunge, along with P and B, and she ordered some Turkish spindles. She also got 3 colors of fleece from an alpaca farm, locally, which she has been carding and turning into rolags.

J asked, to continue the story, if I would be willing to teach her and P to spin. I said "Of course!" P let me borrow her Turkish spindle, since I had never used one, so that I could get used to spinning on that. It was a little difficult to get used to; the spindle was much lighter than my usual. I admit, I was quite frustrated and may have lost my temper a bit when the yarn kept breaking...

I finally got it, though, and I love the fact that the Turkish spindle creates a center pull ball... I'm going to buy one when I can!

So, I spun it, and plied it, and you can see how it's loosely spun and a bit thick-and-thin below:



I have no idea how much this is; I don't want to unroll the nice ball and figure it out, haha.

So, I went to J's house to meet her and P, and we sat together in J's beautifully redone loft (where she used to keep a whole truckload (literally!) of yarn, which she has just cleaned out (she says it was the 'Hoarder's Nest')). I taught them the basics and kind of helped them troubleshoot. P caught on right away; I was so surprised! Not that she wouldn't learn quickly, but that all I had to do was show her once and tell her what to do and, boom, there she was, spinning a light worsted/fingering weight single ply, that was fairly smooth. J had a bit more trouble, but once she had the basics down, I had no doubt she would get it on her own, once she had time to think about it and practice. I was right. Last time I saw her, she said that she was already knitting with the yarn! She says that it's a bit "thick-and-thin" but, in my opinion, that's great! It's so much harder to spin thick-and-then when you've been spinning for a while, concentrating on consistency of thickness.

Anyway, J gave both P and I bags of rolags in white, chestnut, and grey. The chestnut is soooo pretty and I'll post pictures of it once I get to spinning it. Right now, I'm on the grey (the same I used with the Turkish spindle) and it's going nicely. I had 9 rolags and I'm spinning 4.5 at a time, so I can ply it as evenly as possible later. I'm nearly done with the first half.




And now, drum roll please, I have finally finished my dad's socks! Socks that he has been asking for ever since I started making socks, and socks that I have promised him (at least in my head) from that time on. I've had to rip them out 3 times due to missing the stitch count when I was increasing at the toe (I made them toe-up so I could get them nice and long like he wanted). They look great, in my opinion, and the Knit Picks Stroll is so delightful to work with. It's squishy and satiny and soft and warm. I want more of it... for myself.

They were knit in Navy, as you can see, and while I was making them I heard from a lot of people that Navy was their least favorite color to knit in. I can see why; it's nearly impossible to see the stitches in poor light.

They're sort of an early-father's-day, late-birthday gift. I can't wait a whole month to give them to him; I'll do it tonight or tomorrow.

That's pretty much all for now. Oh! To any knitters reading this, any suggestions about what to do with my handspun charcoal grey alpaca would be fantastic! It's going to end up being a heavy lace weight/light fingering weight once plied, I think. I am seriously thinking about putting the white and and the grey in the same project. But I really don't know what to make... It has to be something that will show it off, I don't have to worry about running out of yarn, and is special. I know a scarf is logical, but I don't know that I'll have enough... Anyway, suggestions are totally welcome!

Happy Knitting!

I am Dissapointed

...in myself. One year. Well, nearly... One year since I've posted here, when I had so many hopes and excited feelings about this blogging thing. Reminds me of a few knitting projects I've started, haha.

Well, it isn't too late for new beginnings, is it? Or continuations.

First things first : I've finally finished the first sock of a pair that my dad has been asking for for ages. I've been working on those for nearly a year, too, I think. Seriously, how many mistakes can you make with a simple, toe-up, knee-high sock? Apparently a lot, especially if they're made in navy blue.

I've recently discovered Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Okay, well, that's not completely true. I've heard of her, and looked into her blog once or twice, but never really... gave her a chance, I guess. Then a knitting friend of mine (part of my knitting group, yay! more on that later) gave me a book by her called At Knit's End. I read the whole thing (300 some odd pages) in 2 days. Admittedly, they're small pages, but the book was fantastic and funny and I want it... but I guess I'll have to give it back on Tuesday... sigh...

Now, about this knitting group... I only found out about it last summer, well, August, I think. I was quite nervous, but how can you not feel comfortable around people who love knitting as much as you do, despite the fact that the youngest person there is more than twice your own age?

Really, I don't mind. They're all lovely, amazing, surprising ladies. They are my knitting friends. They understand. That's one of the main things, isn't it? They're the ones that will get excited over Knit Pick's new Tonals in Wool of the Andes and Stroll. Other people will think "That's nice." Or even "How pretty!" but only a knitter will really get excited. Also, with other knitters, you don't have to explain why you're knitting your hundredth pair of socks (or hundredth sock without a mate) or why you've put down that sweater for over 6 months... or why you have to have that yarn in that color, even though you have no idea what you're going to do with it.

We meet on every week on Tuesdays - someone volunteers their house for us to invade and knit and drink tea or coffee. We knit and talk and help each other out from 1 to 3. It's a fantastic arrangement.

Now, let's hope I can get on with this blog and not leave it abandoned again.

Pictures and details about the socks when they are done. All 56 inches of them...

Also, really, anyone reading this should go check out Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's blog (http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/) she just finished a shawl out of hand-spun that will make you die to knit some lace!

Let's Take A Ramble

I have made a decision. This thing is way too confining. How, now? (to quote Nietzsche). Well, firstly, knitting is more to me than just making a pattern and knitting it up, or knitting someone else's pattern and loving when it comes out just like in the picture. Color me simple, but I still love that feeling.

Anyway, the mild announcement is an expansion in written matter.

Lately, I have been exceptionally bored. It's quite annoying, to say the least. I've been knitting quite a bit; I even finished a pair of my first (completed) socks here on ravelry. I've been working on That Other Pair as well, but I'm not completely enthused. The first one came out a bit short in the foot (teach me to be overeager in getting to the toe, eh?), so the second one will have the toe starting a bit later.

Still working on the Santa Cruz hat... and getting a bit bored with it, I must say. It's not the pattern, it's me. I love the color, the texture that's coming out. It's very nice.

I finished the knucks I started ages ago for my dad. I'll take pictures once I give them to him on his b-day. They're tucked away until then. I can't wait to give them to him! Alright, yes, it's sunny, it's warm, and he probably won't need them for a good 4 months, but I must say that I am very proud of them and I think he'll really get a lot of use out of them.

I just finished a book called The Knitting Circle, by Ann Hood. It was all right, a good book, but not, in my opinion, an excellent one. But I would recommend it to knitters, especially. It tends to focus on the therapy aspect of knitting that so many knitters (me included) love.

I'm reading The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs and it's, again, okay but not excellent. It's more about personal relationships and the problems that arise therein than knitting, which seems to be just a bit more than a background for the plot, but not an integral piece.

I am beginning to want more yarn. Yes, I have quite a bit. No, it's nothing like any other knitter's stash I know of, by which I mean it's actually relatively small. I have plans for most of it, except for some sage green lace-weight that I love, but have no idea what to do with. I want to make a rectangular shawl, but I have no idea where or what to start... After looking at some of Jared Flood's designs, etc, I have determined that I want something complicated, textured, and true knitted lace - meaning the pattern formation takes place on the right and wrong sides and not just the right side.

But I really want some fiber that's exotic, inspiring, something that I can design from. Seriously, I need to get into a position where I can actually get yarn before I start dreaming about it! Alas, the funds are dried up at the moment.

It's looking more spring/summer-like outside. I am wanting some cotton cardigans, scarves, hats, mitts, that sort of thing. Back we go to the yarn craving. I really dislike, though, the fact that the hand-knit things I wear most often (this scarf and these mitts) are more fall-winter items. I want something lighter that I can wear in the spring and summer months.

But enough of that; spring's too nice for me to feel down!

Hello, hello, again!

Alright, so stuff is going on in the knitting realm... and in the other realms affected by it. My progress on my dad's knucks is significant; I'm 5 rows away from actually beginning the body of the first one. I couldn't get a good pic, otherwise there would be one. My camera only takes good pictures in natural, outdoor lighting...and it's cold out there and may rain any second. I don't want to subjugate my knitting to that. No, really, I'm just lazy.

I've finally convinced my brother to stop borrowing my failed VW hat for when he goes out in the cold and to let me make him one. He wants one with a 'slime face' on it..... meaning, basically, a hat that looks like the slime I made before. See previous posts.

I theroughly enjoy all of the knitting blogs I read. I get to go through projects without actually making them, through the experiances of other knitters. A terrific learning experiance, if you ask me.

I have some Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in gray heather that I want to use up. It's almost a full ball. I'm thinking of designing a nice cowl, but then again, Lamb's Pride is a bit scratchy for up close to the neck. I mean, usually I don't mind that, but I thinks something else may be in order. Perhaps a felting project? Probably not. I'm scared to death of felting!

Anyway, that's all for now...

Just Enough Mitts

This pattern I came up with when I was wondering what to do with a bit of o~wool in Willow that I had left over from making a cowl that I can't remember the name of at the moment!

These are attractive little mitts made for when it's just cold enough where you want something on your hands, but nothing to heavy. In other words, they're perfect for the typical winter weather of California!

The pattern is written for s/m ladies hands. The thumb gusset is roomy because I don't like tight thumbs! These can be easily adapted to a larger size if needed.

Just Enough Mitts

Materials:

*1 pair size 8 dpns
*tapestry needle
*heavy aran/worsted weight or light bulky weight yarn

Guage:
4 st 5 rows = 1 in

Mitt (make 2) :

Cast on 25st over 3 dpns (8, 8, 9)

Round 1: Join round by slipping the last cast-on stitch to the needle with the first stitch. Knit these two together. P1 "k1, p1" to end of round.

Round 2: "k1, p1" to end of round.

Repeat round 2 for 4 more rounds (6 rounds total from cast on)

Change to stockinette stitch and knit 4 rounds.

Thumb Gusset:

Round 1: k 11, kfb of next 2 st. k11

Round 2: k 11, kfb, k 2, kfb, k11

Round 3: k 11, kfb, k4, kfb, k11

Round 4: k

Round 5: k 11, kfb, k6, kfb, k 11

Round 6: k11, kfb, k8, kfb, k11

Round 7: k11, kfb, k10, kfb, k11

Round 8: k

Round 9: K 12, bind off next 12 st, k 12

Top edging:

Round 1: "k1, p1" to end of round

Round 2: "p1, k1" to end of round.

Continue rounds 10 and 11 (seed stitch) for 8 rounds (4 sets of seed stitch rounds)

Bind off in pattern; weave in ends.

Hello, hello!

Wow, it's been forever since I've posted! It's not like I have a crowd of devoted followers, so I don't feel too guilty... but it's there; the guilt is there...

Anyway, it isn't as though I haven't been knitting, because I have! Not only that, I've gotten my first knitting requests! Okay, so I got them a while back, but things have been hectic... here's the rundown:

knucks (1 pair for my dad, one for my mom)
3 Jaque Custou hats (Dad wanted 3 in each of the modeled colors, gray, brown, and green)
1 Give It A Swirl hat (for a family friend (I tested this pattern and this friend saw the result and loved it))

And I think that's it!

But that's not to say I haven't knit things for people. I have, and they've always liked what I made.

Anyway, am designing (sort of) a cable scarf... incredably simple, but I love it. I'm also thinking of designing and posting more patterns... I actually haven't been knitting enough, methinks. I can't seem to get past my love for making scarves... it was hats, but that's waining... now it's scarves... and cowls... I should get into socks because those are brilliantly portable and supposed to be fun, but I just can't get into making them since my first one failed! I couldn't bind off loose enough, so it wouldn't fit... Finances are an issue, so I can't do sweaters right now... or anything like that....

What I really want is a hood/scarf! I will make one, one day!

Oh, that's good enough for now!

Happy New Year (belatedly),and Happy Knitting!

Favorite Mitts

Favorite Mitts Pattern

Materials:1 skein of worsted/heavy worsted weight yarn. Fiber content doesn't matter; it's up to you!

1 pair size 7 straight needles (or size needed to get gauge)

1 pair size 7 double-pointed needles (or size needed to get gauge) (optional; for thumb)

1 tapestry needle (or a crochet hook if you slip-stitch the seams closed)

Sizes:
S/M (L)

Gauge: 16 stitches, 21 rows = 4 inches (gauge is not CRITICAL in this pattern, but try to get close!)

Pattern:
Cast on 30 (34) stitches using preferred method

Row 1: k

Row 2: k2, p 22 (26), k6

Repeat these two rows until mitt measures about 8 inches. Bind off.
Repeat for second mitt.

Fishing:
Fold one mitt in half, right sides facing in. Sew up seam for 4 (4.5) inches. Skip 1.5 inches, sew up remaining 1.5 inches. Repeat for other mitt.

Optional Thumb:
After the mitt is sewn up, pick up ten stitches around the thumb hole (or number of stitches necessary to make about 2.5 inches AROUND), starting at the top. Knit in the round:

Round 1: k4, kfb twice, k4

Round 2: k

FOR SIZE L ONLY: k 4, kfb, k2, kfb, k4

Continue knitting for about 1.5 inches, or desired length.

Bind off; weave in ends.

Note:

These can be embellished in any way you wish, from adding buttons, embroidery, or bead work before sewing them up, to adding bobbles and cables as you knit them. This is just a basic pattern - perfect for beginners, by the way.

You can do whatever you wish with this pattern, except sell it. If you decide to use it as a learning tool for a class, or you want to distribute it from your yarn shop, then I would just die of delight! In other words, please let me know; I won't stop you, but I'd love to know that my simple pattern was worthy of such enjoyment!
Happy Knitting!

Here are the mitts 'unmodeled'

Here is the size comparison. Large is on the left, small/medium on the right.

I hope you enjoy this pattern; I'd love to see variations on it!

What's This?

Well, it has been a while since I posted here! Time for updates, although since it's so late, I'm so tired, and the lighting is bad--no pretty pictures.

I can say this: I haven't been knitting for a few months. *insert collective gasp here*. Why? Well, because I got distracted, that's why! I'm back 'in the groove' now. I've got 1 hat, 1 pair of mitts (both for bro), another hat (for me), a neckwarmer (also for me), and at least 1 scarf (mine) in the works. I've got 3 hats pending for Dad and a Clapotis for Mom, who 'test drove' mine and really liked it. Also, mitts. I've got to make mitts for Dad and Mom. Promises are promises, after all! Shouldn't be too difficult.

This should be a pretty fun week, wouldn't you say so?

Oh! And I'm going to be posting my Very First Design on Ravelry! Probably either at the end of this week, or mid-week. I'm testing it myself, first. I'm afraid to get testers, haha. The pattern will be free, posted here, and linked from Ravelry to here. Say, maybe I'll get a few more readers, eh? (yeah, right :P )

Anyway, my eyelids are sagging and I've got a bit of studying to do before I go to bed, so Ta Ta For Now!

Nope, no pix

Okay, so, despite the lack of visual aid, I thought it would be wise to update my knitting activities--and revive my nearly-dying blog spirit. Hah.

Okay, so as far as knitting goes, I've finally gotten some Noro to work with, and I love it! One skein was Aran/Worsted weight and I made a hat out of it (have I posted about this before, I don't know) which I love! The sock yarn, I'm doing the same thing, except on US 3 needles, so the going is slow.

I'm using some surprisingly soft acrylic to make the VW hat (check it out on Rav) for my bro. I made one already--which turned out too big (my first real lesson in gauge), so I had to size down 2 needle sizes--I'm working on 5's now, which still doesn't get gauge, so I have to watch it. I'm adjusting the size as I go.

Also on the needles is the slouchy hat bag (which you can also Rav), which I am making out of Suri Dream yarn from KnitPicks. I like the yarn, but I should have realized how "Chrismas-y" the colors would look--green and red, can you imagine?. The bag is going to be both of those colors, so I don't know what I'm going to do about that.

I'm in the midst of designing a black-and-red stripped hoodie vest for myself. It's pretty much improvise-as-you-go, and I'm not taking any notes, so it's not going to be posted anywhere or anything. Aside from pix here when it's done!

The socks are still a WPI, as are the gray mittens. There are a couple of other very minor projects which I won't dare mention, but that's about it for now!

Happy Knitting!

What is the Average Flight Speed of an Unladen Swallow?

Why, yes, I do have trouble thinking of headings sometimes! How'd you guess?

Anyway, on with the Gallery Tour.

Below, you will see an anatomically correct (crocheted) sculpture of the legendary Dragon Warrior 1 Slime. In case you don't know about Dragon Warrior, it's a series of RPGs (role playing/adventure games) for the Nintendo consoles. In Dragon Warrior 1, the Blue Slime is the first monster that the main character (you, since it's an RPG) fights. They're harmless, not-so-powerful creatures, but awfully cute, don't you think? My brothers, who have beaten the Dragon Warrior games, were enthralled by this. I told them that they couldn't have it. He's mine.


And this little number below, the hat with the 3-column-raglan shaping, is one of my favorite hats in the whole world. It's roomy, comfortable, warm, and one of my favorite colors--purple.

Actually, it was also the first hat I ever made...ever...I'm pretty sure, at any rate. I didn't really know exactly what I was doing--I didn't follow a pattern since, quite frankly, I was afraid to. I figured out how many stitches would fit my (larger than average female) head on size 10 dpns. I commenced to knit. No, there isn't any ribbing; I wanted a slightly roll brim. So I knit until I liked the length. Then, the decreases. I wasn't sure about those. So, for the first round (so it seems), I did a k2tog 3 times on each needle--beginning, middle, and end. From then on, I'm pretty sure I just did 2 decreases per needles--beginning and end--until I had probably about 4-8 stitches left. Then I finished off. It's made in worsted weight and knits up very quickly, in case you'd like to have one.


And this below is my favorite scarf, knitted not so long ago as the hat above (the hat was knit about 4 years ago, I'd say). The scarf was knit just over a year ago, I think, in Sheep Shop Yarn Sheep 3. I'm not sure of the color, but it's the sky blue looking one. (I have the label...somewhere). I used about 2/3 of a skein and so the scarf didn't come out as long as I normally make them. But I love it all the same. I wore it every day that I could for as long as I could.



And this, below, is the first full sweater I knit. I designed it myself. I used measurements. I used acrylic yarn which, in my humble opinion, should be used for hats, gloves, bags, toys, whatever, but not full garments. It's not "flow-ey" enough, I guess. Well, this is the sweater. It was knitted from the top down. It's lumpy. It looks 'homey' in a bad sort of way. Some have asked why I don't wear it. I don't because I don't like it, really.




This is my second sweater. The Spring Green sweater on my rav project page. This one, I love. It's soft, it's comfy. I used the formula pattern found in one of the knitty issues--I think it was called Knitting With Numbers or Knitting By Numbers or something like that. It's not hard to find and it makes a great first sweater. This one I made with 3/4 sleeves because I didn't want 'puffy' sleeves around my wrists. Since you double the sleeve stitches after you're done working the ribbing for the sleeve, it's a little puffy.

Admittedly, it's probably not going to last that long because I used size 8 needles with an Aran weight yarn. I thought it was worsted. As a matter of fact, I thought it was a little thin for worsted. But, oh well. It doesn't matter; I can make a new one when this one wears out. But I love this one. You can tell by how much I rambled about it.


And that's all for now. I might actually post again later today to show my progress on my Clapotis (over half way done! Looking beautiful) and the crocheted vest/hoodie that I made a couple of years ago. I'm actually quite proud of it because it turned out so well and, once again, I didn't follow a pattern! I just measured here and there. Granted, there's hardly any shaping, but it's somehow a little fitted anyway--in a good way. I wish I could remember exactly what I did, though... meh.

Oh well. Anyway, that's all for now.

--NerdyNunchucks/NoobyKnitter

Alright, so here I am with the previously promised (yesterday) pix. The first is the progress of the Resurrected Socks. You can find them on Rav here.


On a side note, I don't know why people don't like working on dpns! To me, it's more fun than working on circs. The whole process is fascinating to me. Also, I love tiny needles! Those socks are being worked on US Size 0, as I believed I mentioned before.

This next picture is (drum roll please) my Clapotis. Okay, so I'll admit I let it hibernate for too long. But I've picked it up again! And I'm very glad I did. I'm really liking the way it looks.


So, that's all for now, folks! Time to get working around the house so that I can knit later without worrying about everything. There's nothing worse than knitting and worrying about housework at the same time. Ugh.

TTFN!

--NerdyNunchucks/NoobyKnitter

Etc.

Finally, here is the link for Detainglers. For pics, see the link and my previous post...

Secondly, here is my latest test pattern, Rainbow Bobbles Bag. I think it's pretty darn cute, don't you? Right now, I'm using the one I made as my purse. I don't like big purses anyway, so if you're that type of person too, or if you just like cute little bags...or...maybe you need to store your D&D dice (you know who you are!), this is the right little project. I turned it out in about 2-3 hours. Perfect if you're watching a movie or whatever.




The second is a little illusion knit tote bag called Lucky Stars on Rav. I had fun knitting it because I got to see the illusion star take form. I would stop once or twice a row, turn the knitting flat, and look along it to see how the star was coming along. I'm making a black and white one here pretty soon :)




I've been working on the Resurrected Socks (as they will heretofore be called). I actually ripped the one I was nearly done with because the bind off was Way Too Tight and wouldn't fit over my heel. This one is top down and pretty simple so far. I was going to work a pattern into it, but decided not to because it wasn't looking right at all. So I ripped back about 5 rounds and continued in plain stockinette. They're being knitted in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock 'Envy', by the way, which not only reminds me of yummy summer squashes each time I dwell on the colors, but also has very good stitch definition. I like that because I'm knitting on US size 0 needles and the stitches are nice, tiny, and cute.

Also, I've picked up my Clapotis again. I dropped my first stitch today. Other than that, the pattern is pretty straight forward and simple. I plan on listening to some old 'Suspense' recordings tonight while I knit it. I want to get it done by Father's Day. We're going to a parade with some friends and I want to show it off--at least in the morning before it gets too hot.

Tomorrow morning I'll take pix and post them. The more bright, natural light the better and the morning is perfect for that.

I'm kind of slow working on the socks because I want to be able to knit them while watching the parade. It's the second WWKIP (World Wide Knit In Public) day for this year. There's two because they're switching the day from the 2nd week of June to the 3rd, because the 3rd week is also National Needlework Week, or something like that. I'm so glad I 'caught' it in time to participate! Well, I won't be grouping with other knitters (I don't know any around here) like other WWKIPers will, but at least I will be Knitting in Public!

It's almost a super-power ;)

That's all for tonight.

Happy Fiber-Working Goodness to You!

--NerdyNunchucks/NoobyKnitter

It's About Time!

Well, the title has two meanings.

The first being that it has been an embarrassingly long time since I've posted (although I'm fairly certain I'm the only reader my blog has right now, so maybe it doesn't matter so much), and secondly, I can post pix now.

Haha, yeah, no I'm not joking. I'll prove it to you. Watch:

Small, medium, and large size detanglers, from left to right.

These are the "Detanglers" that I test-crocheted for someone on Ravelry. The pattern will be posted here shortly, I'm sure. When they are, I'll post the link.

Just for good measure, here's the detanglers (small) being put to good use:

So, now there will be more pix of the stuff I'm doing! I've figured out that natural light is best for the camera that I'm using.

More later (hopefully, shortly).

In the meanwhile, Happy Knitting, Spinning, Crocheting and Whatever Else You May Do.

Good Gravy

I've decided that whining about pics isn't going to do my any good in the long run, so I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to snag some one's camera in an appropriately sneaky style, take pics, post pics, and stealthily replace the camera where it was.

Okay, so all the fun sneaking around probably won't take place and I'll most likely just ask politely and the rest will quietly follow.

But that's later.

What's right now is updates on my knitting.

First is first. I haven't been living up to my name--i.e., 'Daily Knitter'. I have, in fact, been blatantly neglecting my knitting. The only time I really have knit is when we watched a movie or two in the past couple of weeks and I worked on my uber-easy wool scarf, which is turning out all nice and nubby and perfect for winter. In any case, the Clapotis is neglected and so is the pair of socks I started and various other things.

*sigh*

But I will return!

Secondly, I got an awesome book entitled "Amigumuri! Super Happy Crochet Cute" by Elisabeth A. Doherty. Yes, it is crochet, but I do that also. Besides that, the projects in the book are adorable! Also, I just happen to like making dolls. Don't' ask me why; I feel like I should have outgrown that sort of thing a long time ago...but it's so fun!

Thirdly, I may be starting an Etsy shop. Why? Because there is no market for hand spun yarns, handmade items, etc. in my tiny little town and I would really like to make and sell items in that area. I'll keep the blog updated.

Fourthly, I am starting a new blog. It's not like I'm abandoning this blog, it's merely that this blog is my knitting blog. I need one where I can write about my reading! So, there's that.


For update number Five, my brother and I are working at a farm/nursery locally here. A lot of people wouldn't call it a real job; it's mostly menial stuff like weeding, but my 'old' job was an office job and I hated it because I couldn't go outside. With this job, I'm outside for four hours. Even if it is hard work, I don't care; at least I'm outside!

And that's about it, I think. Hopefully, I'll be able to update more frequently now. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

Angry Face

Okay, so I managed to get pix of all of my projects and, guess what? My stupid SD card reader isn't working! Not only can I not blog my projects, I can't post pix on Ravelry either. And you know what? I hate not having pictures to go with my projects!

Okay, now that that's done with, let's have a look see at what I've completed in two days:

Thorpe, slightly modified. Which I love. It's so soft; made with mirasol miski baby alpaca and I love it. I put a little bit of color work into it because I got bored with plain stockinette, but it's not really a big deal.

Hannah, a pony-tail friendly hat that I'm not to pleased with because I should have known to add an extra button-hole repeat to make it long enough. I'm working out a way to fix it up. I look like a burglar in it, so I'm gonna spiff it up a little with some flowery embroidery of some kind. Daisy-chain flowers, most likely.

Clapotis. Only 2 repeats to go before I begin the Straight Rows section, yay! I'm getting surprisingly bored with this pattern. I'm dissapointed in myself. But never knit completely for the process of knitting; I greatly look forward to the finished project. And the yarn is just the color of dark denim which has been faded by some wear, so it looks ever so comfy.

Spinning. Well, I stayed up to late the past couple of nights to get to it. I got the stuff out, and then had to put it back because I was just too tired. It's not like I'm not thinking about it thought; I want to spin up a good, long, narrow single so that I can try Navajo plying.

Reading. I'm behind on my reading majorly. Hopefully I'll catch up today. Finished "A Distant Mirror" (Barbara W. Tuchman) today and am very glad that I read it. But my other reading has lapsed because of my knitting fanaticism. Also, my water-studies have lapsed. Oy.

Oh, well, it's Purim and there's no reason to be unhappy! We had hamenstashen last night (spelt, because my sister can't eat wheat) and read the Magila. Had tons of fun. The cookies were good, but they were a bit overdone (the recipe said 15 minutes; I cooked them for 15 minutes), so next time, I'll cook them a bit less.

Hopefully I'll get pix up soon. This is getting really tiresome, that I can't post them. Oh, well.

TTFN

Spinning

I've been spinning off-and-on for about...a year, I guess. I didn't really spin anything worthy of note until a couple of months ago. The reason? The stuff that I spun wasn't perfect, and I was convinced I was doing something wrong.

As it turns out, I was doing something wrong. I wasn't relaxed. Unless a person relaxes, one can't spin. At least, not enjoyably. The single, at first, doesn't have to be perfect. It'll be thick, thin, overspun, underspun, and everything in between. That isn't bad. In fact, experienced spinners, I've found out, often struggle to get that varied texture in order to create special yarns for specific projects.

So, I began to spin again, without getting uptight because the yarn wasn't consistent. I tried my best and, sure enough, my yarn got better as I went along--not near perfect, but better, smoother and more even.

My first single--which was probably between 20 and 30 yards (I didn't measure) was overtwisted and certainly uneven. I made a case for my mp3 player (a picture of which I will post tomorrow) and am very happy with it--proud of the fact that I spun my own yarn and knit with it.

Now, for my next feat, I will spin a pound (yes, a pound) of silk/mohair that I have and Navajo-ply it. 'Normal' plying doesn't sound near as appealing as using only 1 single to make a 3 ply yarn. Hopefully, it'll be easy enough to do on my spindle. There's no way on this earth that I could afford the lovely Ashfords and the like that are so tantalizingly sprinkled over the Internet.

So, tomorrow will be the day I begin spinning. Right now, I'm working on the 'increase' rows of my first Clapotis. I'm knitting it in a lovely denim-color multi sock yarn on size 6 needles. I want to get the increase rows done tonight so I can really see how wide it is going to be. The origonal pattern calls for worsted-weight yarn and size 8 needles. We'll see how it goes.

Well, it's off to ravelry and to see if the new Knitty has been posted yet.

Ah, the Yarnage

Some might think that I'm loosing it a little since I seem to be buying so much yarn from other knitters on Ravelry. Seriously, people are worried. I have to console them by letting them know I am not going to dig myself into a financial ditch by buying too much yarn (is there any such thing?)!

But I am getting some beautiful yarn from some very nice people on Ravelry. Okay, so I don't know them personally, but they've been very nice to me (well, of course; I'm getting beautiful yarn from them).

Seriously, YodaGirl has got somet talent in those fingers! She's a fantastic knitter. PassionateMind is a very sweet person (that's my impression over the InterWebz, anyway) and also a very active knitter. jeanius is the same.

And pix as soona as those yarns come in. I can't wait!

But since the office where I work will be shutting down (mostly) shortly, then I'm going to have to curb my yarn spending a whole lot until I get a new job someplace. I hope that wherever I work next will not be an office job; I really don't think I'm cut out for office work. I don't like it much at all. I wish I could work from home or outside. Maybe I'll just speed through my water training and just do that, but as far as I know there is no demand for a water operater around here just now. *sigh*.

But there's always knitting.

Which brings me to another thing. I cast on the sleeve for the Ms Babs sweater last night and I'm very happy! I thought knitting on bamboo dpns would be a nightmare because they are so light and I hate knitting on light plastic needles. But these are much better than plastic. I really like them. My stitches don't slip like I thought, though they do slip a little (the yarn is slippery, though), and they're really comfortable to work with. Now I know why some knitters swear by wooden needles. I don't think I'll ever use them exclusively--I'm not picky enough for that--but I do think I will be acquireing some more!

But back to the sweater. The increase for the sleave is right after the ribbing--all the increases on one row, which doubles the stitch number on the needles. It makes the sleeve look poufy. That's fine, but I don't want a full length sleeve with a pouf. I'm making them 3/4 length and adding a hood to the sweater. Won't that be just great? It will certainly be unique and I will be very happy with it!

The Merchant Mariner is done, as you have probably guessed. It just needs to be blocked. It's nice and soft and the length is medium. I still have some yarn left over; I don't know what I'll use it for. There's not that much, I don't think. Maybe a lacy cowl?

Anyway, I might just let myself start the socks since I'm so happy! But not tonight, and tomorrow is going to be so busy, I probably won't get a chance to write at all. I'll get on Ravelry for a few minutes in the afternoon because I have the proverbial "promises to keep", but beyond that I'll be busy around the house.

It's getting kinda late, so g'night to all, and Happy Knitting!

First Socks

Okay, well, I haven't started them yet, but I got the yarn and needles from Alpaca Direct today. I'm going to have to curb myself and not start them until I've finished my Ms Babs sweater. Why? Well, this Merchant Marine scarf refuses to be put down! It's like a needy pet. 'Finish me!' it cries. 'But...' I reply. 'Finish! Please! It'll only take a little time!' And thus I've knitted all day for 2 days in a row, go to work today, and guess what I do when I get home? You got it. The scarf calls.

But it's nearly the right length, now. I'll finish it tonight. I can actually start the end edgings anytime I want right now.

I know; you want the pix that I keep promising. Well, I'm having a hard time getting that together, so Sunday, probably, will be the Coming of the Pix. Seriously.

Well, I need to find the first sock pattern I'm going to use. I think (I haven't looked around yet, but I think) I'm going to use a generic toe-up sock pattern with a ribbed cuff. But most likely, I'll get to the cuff and decide that I want to do something different and incorporate a cable or different rib or something. Which is fine, so long as they fit!

Anyway, time to straighten my Knitting Room and clean out the last bit of scrambled stash that's in here. I think I've got another tub downstairs with random bits of stuff in it that I'll have to sort out later, but not right now.

And I promise Pix on Sunday!

Happy Knitting, and Good Night!