You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘swap’ category.
Look, y’all. In my defense, I was out of town for two of the four weeks I didn’t post anything. Internet was spotty and time to post was even spottier (my mother, with whom I went on the trip, along with my younger brother, is sort of a nut about planning and doing things on our biannual trips to Florida to visit the grandparents). I did do a fair amount of knitting (what else are you going to do in an hour wait for Space Mountain?), which I can post over the next week or so. Today’s post is a shawl I finished on December 15 and apparently never got around posting about. Anyway.
Pattern: Catkin
Yarn: Cephalopod Skinny Bugga in Hermit Crab and Crown of Thorns Starfish
Needles: US 4/3.5 Knit Picks Options circular
Mods: None, knit as written
I made this for AnnaMarie as part of a swap. Ravelry tells me it took over a month to knit, but I’m sure I was working on other things besides. Although, to be fair, it does use almost two entire skeins of fingering weight yarn as it is (apparently) a square shawl with a neck hole in the middle. You can tell that it’s supposed to be square shaped by looking at people’s blocking pictures (or when you block the one you made, I guess). Maybe you can tell from the other pictures too, but spatial awareness and reasoning has never really been my strong suit.
I am highly doubtful I’ll knit this pattern again for myself, but it is quite lovely and I would like to have one. There are a whole host of two- or three-color shawls I’d like to have/make (Faberge, Catkin, Color Affection), but who knows when I would get to them. I certainly have plenty of shawls and scarves at the moment. (We won’t talk about how I just put up a WWFY post for a couple of big circular shawls.)
Catkin was pretty fun to make though. The different sections break it up so you never get bored, and once you get the hang of them, each section is pretty intuitive. Bugga, skinny or otherwise, was a delight to work with, as always. Such excellent colors that get in those yarns. And so soft.
If I ever do make one for myself, I’ll probably wear it delightfully sideways as in the picture above. It’s a little quirky, like me. I would like to knit another cape of some sort though as my other one gets plenty of wear. I’m pretty sure “cape” and “capelet” are just nicer ways of saying “poncho” for people who were scarred by the 70s, but that’s okay. They’re warm and comfortable and they stay where you bloody put them (I’m looking at you, shawls).
Let’s see. In fandom watching news, I have finished watching Fullmetal Alchemist (original and Brotherhood), and I’m pretty sure I never told you I’d started. I’m planning to do a sort of anime binge watch before Katsucon in February so I can get a lot more things. Previously I went to anime conventions cause they’re a fun excuse to dress up in costume (from any genre, really; I’ve seen cosplayers do everything from Anastasia to Star Trek to the Ancient Aliens guy) and be a big nerd in a group of big nerds. But I’m gonna watch some anime this go round so I get the full anime con experience. Next up on the list is Cowboy Bebop, which used to be on Cartoon Network all the time when I was in high school but I have never actually seen. Feel free to leave suggestions for others to add to the list. So far I’ve got Cowboy Bebop, Black Butler, Attack on Titan, and Inuyasha. And maybe Gundam Wing.
Anyway, in other news, I am still apartment hunting. I finally finished reading I Jedi, so Joe and I are going to move on to the Hand of Thrawn books soon. Oh, and you should all go check out the Harry Potter Medicinal Re-Read, wherein a bunch of people are re-reading the Harry Potter books and posting about their thoughts and feelings. My friend Kevin (of Made-of-Fail, for the curious) is a part, and I’ve done some editing for his posts. It’s a super fun project and a lovely, thought-provoking, and nostalgic read.
Not the disease or even the Robert Browning poem (which is excellent, btw), the fingerless mitts pattern:
Pattern: Porphyria
Yarn: MadTosh Merino DK in “Flashdance”, about half a skein
Needles: US 4/3.5 mm
Mods: Well I used a dk instead of a fingering, so basically I just took the stitch pattern and made it up as I went.
This is pair two of the first round of WWFY swaps for my new best yarn friend AnnaMarie at Corgi Hill Farms. Like the first, they were super fun and fast to knit in a yarn I am completely in love with. The stitch pattern for Porphyria is interesting–it looks like a cable, but it’s not actually. Kept me on my toes.
The MadTosh is absolutely gorgeous. The color saturation is amazing. The base is pretty nice too–really sproingy and squishy. The US 4 needles were a wee bit too small for the yarn, but the resulting mitts are gorgeous. The fabric is pleasantly dense without being unyielding. I might have added another stitch repeat to make them slightly bigger, but they stretch nicely.
I had to redo the thumb a couple of times before I was happy with it, but the result fits really well. The recipient’s hands are sized similarly to mine, so they should fit her well too.
I’d definitely like to knit this pattern again for myself. I might even use the same yarn since I have about half a skein left from the first pair that I get to keep. I also have another skein in return for the next round of knitting, so I can make a matching hat or cowl or something. If I make these mitts again, I’ll probably go up a needle size to make them just a wee bit less snug.
What did I get for knitting these mitts and the previous pair, you ask? (As if the gorgeous leftover yarn wasn’t enough.) I’m glad you asked, because I got THE MOST GORGEOUS braid of fiber ever:
60/40 BFL/Tussah Silk. Colorway Senoma. OMG DYING IT’S SO PRETTY. I have like three other spinning projects (only one of which I’ve mentioned at all and has any significant progress on it) so I should wait, but OH I want to spin it. Immediately.
In life news, I am leaving this evening to head up to New York for the long weekend. It’s to visit my grandparents but also it’s to pick up my car! My grandfather owns a business buying and reselling cars, so I asked him to keep an eye out for me. He found a 2003 Pontiac Aztek and it’s mine, all mine! I’m super excited. I’ve been without a car for a while (I rely on my boyfriend’s to get around) and I’ve never had one of my own. I am thrilled and there will definitely be pictures of my baby when I get home. (And bumper stickers, especially geeky ones, are a go).
Soo I made some socks for a swap. I mentioned them in my recent WIP Party post, so you may have seen one in progress. They’re basic acrylic house socks, but I did get some (always desperately needed) grey wool in return (and also a pattern I’ve had my eye on). I made three pairs, all fairly quickly.
Pair one!
Pattern: It’s a top-down sock. Wedge toe, flap and gusset heel.
Yarn: Deborah Norville Everyday Soft Worsted in Parfait
Needles: US 4/3.5 mm
Socks! They worked up pretty quickly. They are sized for a six-year-old foot with a cuff that can be folded over. Sorry they’re not modeled; I don’t know any six-year-olds whose feet I can borrow. I mostly knit on these at work, where I’m lucky enough to have a wee bit of knitting time.
Pair two!
Pattern: Top-down sock. Wedge toe. Afterthought heel.
Yarn: Deborah Norville Everyday Soft Worsted in and some recycled cotton/acrylic from my stash for the heel and toe.
Needles: US 4/3.5 mm
More socks! Same as the first pair, but with a different heel. Also, these are a little bigger. Plus I knit the feet too long the first time and had to snip it out and reattach the toe. It was an excellent way to practice kitchener in the round. And by perfect, I mean soul-sucking.
Pair three!
Pattern: Say it with me now: Top-down sock. Wedge Toe. Flap and Gusset heel. Whoo!
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Blue Mint and Passion
Needles: Yep, US 4/3.5 mm
Even more socks! These ones have non-yarn-patterned stripes and contrast heels and toes. They are bigger still, about a women’s size 7. They took a bit longer to make, but were pretty quick nonetheless. I made the toe of the first one too long, but I just reknit the toe onto the partially frogged foot. That actually ended up being faster.
I did a swap! I don’t do a whole lot of them these days, but I did do an Alice in Wonderland themed swap. It was pretty fun. Here’s what I received from my partner:
Fabulous wall art based on the suits from SyFy’s Alice (which is fabulous by the way).
Minitote! Inside the minitote was Disney’s Alice tea. I don’t drink tea, but Joe likes it. So yay.
Here’s what I made for my partner:
I cross stitched the first stanza from the Jabberwocky. It came out super awesome, but let me tell you, I probably unstitched this sucker as much or more than I stitched it. I made a lot of mistakes. It did come out super great though. Even the back looks good:
I glued some felt to the back to make it all neat.
I also made a card:
I drew it by hand. Outline is sharpie pen and the colors are Crayola colored pencils. It came out SO WELL. I don’t draw really, but I can look at a picture and copy it pretty well, which is what I did here.
I hope my partner likes the things I made. This swap was pretty fun to craft for. And now, back to my knitting.
Sooo I’ve started swapping again. I signed up for an Alice in Wonderland swap and I’m doing ows again. I claimed A2K for some plarn and an ewok pin cushion.
Plarn is a portmanteau of plastic bag yarn. I used this tutorial to make yarn from the collection of plastic bags I’ve got kicking around.
I got a total of 202 yards in two skeins. I used my rotary cutter to slice the strips and it actually went pretty quickly. I keep forgetting to bring my reusable bags when I go grocery shopping, so I’ve got quite the collection of plastic bags. I might make some of this yarn myself and use it in weaving.
The other thing I made for the swap is an Ewok.
Pattern: Wicket the Ewok but I mostly just winged it
Yarn: Scraps. Cascade Eco and wool recycled from a sweater with a bit of colorwork.
Hook: 3.75 mm
Mods: I mostly made things up as I went, so there are a lot. Plus I used fabric for the hood and stitched it in place.
Once I finished all the pieces and stitched him together (mostly just the arms since I made the legs, body, and head all in one piece), I used a hand carder to brush out the yarn and make him fuzzy. He’s stuffed with yarn scraps from weaving, so he’s wool all the way through.
I’m particularly pleased with the hood. I played with the fabric and draping for a while before I stitched it down. I tried to crochet the hood, but I kept running out of whatever color I started it in. I guess it takes way more than I was allocating. Oh well. The fabric hood came out really nicely.
There’s a good chance that by the time this posts, the little ewok and the plarn will have made it to their destination. I hope A2K likes them!
So I recently participated in a Sherlock swap on Craftster. The swap was for one large item and partners were secret, so no one had any idea who they were receiving from and we couldn’t ask questions except through the organizer. I finished the thing I made at the last minute due to a billion shark mittens, but I’m going to wait until its been received before I show it here. (Partially because I finished it when it was dark outside and couldn’t find my camera so my only pics are crappy cell pics and I’m hoping the recipient will take some better ones).
Anyway, I ended up receiving from CDEeeek, who is amazing. This is what she sent me:
Isn’t it just the cutest little Baker Street door?! The poster and wreath are removeable. The bricks look so realistic. Just OMG. Love it. I need to hang it up (I haven’t yet cause mostly Joe does the nailing and he’s out of town).
BUT ALSO I received this TOTALLY SWEET card:
The wallpaper! And the smiley face! And presents on the couch! And sparkly tinsel! AHH I LOVE IT. It’s going up on the wall too.
In knitting news, I’m still knitting sharks nonstop, but I have like four more to go so I think the end is in sight. In book news, I recently finished Spinneret by Timothy Zahn and OH it is good. Perfect mix of science and fiction, interesting aliens and fascinating plot. LOVE IT. I’m currently reading The Lost, the second book in the Stargate Atlantis Legacy series, wherein McKay thinks he’s a wraith and I can’t even. So yeah.
Hopefully more different crafts soon. I’m rapidly getting sick of shark mittens. At least they’re fast.
OMG. YOU GUYS. My Doctor Who swap package. PREPARE TO BE AMAZED AND JEALOUS. Behold, my awesome haul from stafaniegk:
AHH WALL HANGING I LOVE IT. Check out this GQMF, Donna:
AHH A CLOCK. We so needed a clock. And of course I will tell people it’s half past David Tennent. BECAUSE YES.
CHECK OUT THESE BOXES. I love boxes. This are covered with Doctor Who goodness. The one on the right is entirely pictures from The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. YAY. The boxes are from IKEA and I had to assemble them (which was… interesting). I’m highly amused that there’s a rivet that had to go through Rose’s temple:
All the doctors! I am going to store all the things. Inside this fab box was this:
Basically a billion cards (with envelopes!) all with Who quotes. SO MANY QUOTES. Inspiration for my next embroidery project. Will be sending cards to everyone I know. : )
Laminated copies of this pic. ADORABLE. Hello, new bookmarks.
And the best thing of all:
YOU GUYS, STEFANIE MADE ME GUESS WHO. IT’S GUESS DOCTOR WHO. AHH. I love it. Look at the little character cards:
And as if that wasn’t enough (which, Christ), she sent everything in this totally awesome box covered with Who pictures:
EVEN THE BOTTOM HAS PICTURES:
So yeah. All the things. I can’t even word you guys. I’m just stunned and so very grateful for the awesome people I get to swap with. Just… OMG.
I AM TERRIBLE AT POSTING. What is this having a job nonsense? Don’t people know I’m supposed to be knitting and telling people on the internet about it? Anyway. As I mentioned, like a week ago, I received a while ago from the Yarnie vs. Hooper swap. And what I got was AMAZING and FABULOUS. AHH.
First, this fannish hoop:
Ahh, Doctor Horrible! I love it. Who watched the premiere on the CW yesterday? I don’t have tv so I didn’t, but I am fixing to watch it on Netflix. Bonus: My awesome partner dyed the muslin yellow.
Also, can we just talk about this satin stitch? Because damn. I hate satin stitch, but this is so PERFECT and so EVEN and I’m amazed. FOUR FOR YOU FELICIASLAYDCRG, YOU GO FELICIASLAYDCRG.
Aaaaand the second fabulous hoop:
I’m sooooort of obsessed with the Rickroll, especially in physical media like this. I LOVE IT. And look at the little stitched Astley! He’s so cute! The stitches are so little and even! AHH. My hoop wall/door is getting awesome. I love it.
I actually did some cross stitching myself, so I have to photograph that so I can show you. I will tell you that the fandom (because OF COURSE there’s a fandom) is Star Wars. My boyfriend got me in to the EU starting with Rogue Squadron and now I’m all obsessive.
I also received for the Doctor Who swap and OMG. Need pictures though. Plus all the stuff I’m knitting. Must blog more.
As promised, here’s what I made for the Doctor Who Swap on Craftster I participated in:
Pattern: TARDIS socks
Yarn: Lion Brand Sock Ease and some white and black scraps
Needles: US 1/2.25mm
Modifications: Well, they’re mitts and not socks soo….
I’m pretty chuffed with how they came out. They were a bit large for my hands, but I have small hands.
I made this zipper pouch, the fabric of which you will recognize from the drawstring bag I made myself.
This drawing of the Doctor’s name from his cot in “A Good Man Goes to War” (the second part; can’t remember what that one’s called). I actually traced it from my computer screen, though I did sketch it out more fully on my own.
I painted a notebook to look like River’s spoiler journal and coated it with mod podge. I drew this on the inside front cover:
It says “Spoilers” in circular Galifreyan. I love it.
I also made a card, but I don’t have a picture of it. I signed my name in circular Galifreyan thought. : ) My package should arrive sometime next week (excite) and I will definitely show that off.
Next time: What I received in the yarnies vs. hoopers swap. Because it’s awesome.
You guuuuuuuuuys I got my package from the Whedonverse swap last week and I need to show you the awesome things I received from FaerieCyn.
This TOTALLY SWEET mug. It says “Love isn’t brains, children, it’s blood” around the bottom, one of my favorite Spike quotes. I’m not sure how it’ll stand up to washing so I haven’t been using it for coffee, it’s just up on the shelf.
Willow Rosenberg
You guys probably know about my desperate love for Willow. And vamp Willow. So yeah. Yay. Both embroideries are up on my nerd/art wall.
And finally, this TOTALLY BITCHIN Serenity hoodie. Ignore my face and the cat hair. You know I can’t resist a good kitty snuggle, pictures be damned.
So yeah. Yay!
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 