Stitch, Brinn, Stitch!

FO: Kyo-Kun

February 20, 2013 in knitting | Tags: anime, cat, cons, cosplay, finished object, FO, fruits basket, katsucon, knitting, life, stuffy, toy | Leave a comment

Sooooo this past weekend was Katsucon, an anime convention I attended in National Harbor. It was super mega awesome fun though I completely neglected to take any pictures. I did, however, dress up in costume because that’s how I roll. I recently watched and read the anime/manga Fruits Basket, so one of the days I dressed up as Tohru Honda. There are no pictures, but I basically just wore a cute dress. But I also make a cat-form Kyo to carry around.

Pattern: none, made up as I went along
Yarn: 100purewool.com merino singles, a skein and a half almost exactly.
Needles: US 2/1.75 mm

I’m pretty pleased with the way he came out. He is super cuddly and a perfect use of yarn that’s been kicking around my stash for a while. I will have to cosplay Tohru again so I can carry him around some more. Maybe I can sew or appromimate Tohru’s school uniform for next time.

Speaking of Katsu and Fruits Basket, as a result, I’ve been on quite the anime/manga kick lately. I just watched Ouran Highschool Host Club and I got the manga from the library. I’m currently reading the Library Wars manga.

And speaking of cosplay, here is a bonus picture of me in a red wig I bought for cosplaying Amy Pond, Mara Jade, Ariel, and other redheads.

FO: Weaving + Sewing

February 11, 2013 in knitting, weaving | Tags: bag, finished object, FO, knitting bag, sewing, weaving | Leave a comment

I’ve been on a weaving kick lately, which is unsurprising since it’s still fairly new to me. I’ve got plenty of scarves already and I really don’t need any more so I’ve just been weaving up fabric. And with it, I made a couple of bags.

The fabric was made with a ten dent heddle. The warp is Brown Sheep from a gigantic cone and the warp is a grey wool/nylon blend recycled from a thrift store sweater.

The lining is some mystery fiber fabric I bought at the thrift store a while ago. This is currently housing some shark mittens because they seriously never end.

This one was woven on a six dent heddle. Warp is some recycled cotton/linen blend and the weft is a skein of Wool-Ease I got at a thrift. Much thicker fabric, but.excellent way to use up Wool-Ease. I will definitely be doing it again.

The lining is the same as the first one.

The weaving on the second bag I made just a little too long for a good draw string bag, so I cut off the excess and made this little pouch:

No closures or anything. And the lining fabric is the same.

Not sure what I’ll use it for. Maybe I’ll sew a loop to the back and use it as a belt bag.

I’m thinking of getting into the knitting bag trade through my etsy shop with these woven numbers. What do you guys think? Would people be interested? I’d have to make a bunch more before I could update the shop anyway.

As for knitting: I’ve been doing it. I’ve finished or almost finished a couple of things, but they’re costume parts for Katsucon and I want until they’re finished and I have pictures of the costumes before I show them off. And there’s mittens, always.

FO: Scarfalicious

February 4, 2013 in weaving | Tags: finished object, FO, life, scarf, weaving | 1 comment

You guys, I am SO BAD at this having a blog thing. Apparently. Anyway, I made a thing recently that I can show off.

More weaving cause it is SUPER FUN not to mention fast. The warp is Plymouth Colornep and I used most of a skein. The weft is a hand dyed recycled yarn, some Aran weight wool I’ve had for ages.

I love the even weave. My original intent was to weave fabric for a bag, but I decided I liked it as a scarf even better. And I’ve been wearing it constantly.

I used a six dent heddle because that’s the only one I had at the time (though I’ve since gotten a ten dent heddle. Sorry for non-weavers who have no idea what I’m talking about.)

I have a couple more things that I’ve recently finished so hopefully I’ll remember to post those soon. It includes a couple of costume type things for Katsucon, which is not this weekend but the next. I am super excited about it. Hopefully I’ll remember to take lots of pictures.

Oh, also: I’ve written and posted this from my phone. Hopefully this means I can post more regularly. Hopefully, I will use the word hopefully less frequently

FO: Danish Summer

January 18, 2013 in knitting | Tags: finished object, FO, intswemodo2013, knitting, sweater, top | Leave a comment

Sooo back in October, I apparently decided I had the time to do a test knit of a sweater knit in fingering yarn. Because why the hell not. Cut to several weeks (and several shark mittens) later and I’ve finally had the time to finish it up. And now I have a finished object that is also my first sweater of the year (cause of course I’m doing thatagain):

Pattern: Sort of Danish Summer but then I just made up the top as I went.
Yarn: Recycled cotton/wool/nylon
Needles: US 4/3.5mm and maybe 5/3.75mm?
Mods: Totally changed the top to what I felt like. I also added little sleeves.

Appreciate my sleeves here, people, because after I finished crocheted around each one, I had about a foot of yarn left. I’ve got more of the yarn, obviously (it came from a gigantic American Eagle sweater), but I didn’t want to wind a whole other skein for a couple yards. And I just made it. HELL YEAH.

I’m not sure how I feel about the bottom lace part. It sits kind of funny. It is, however, super comfy, so I suspect I’ll get a lot of wear out of it when the weather warms up again. Which will be nice, but I am enjoying some cozy sweaters. (But no snow because the weather hates me)

I do really love the cut of the front and the back though. I modeled it on the original pattern, I just didn’t follow the directions as given (I left out a twisty bit and finished all edges with single crochet).

The back isn’t as deep as it appears here, but it is way too cold to take a picture of a short-sleeved top on me. So Elizabeth II it is. Yay.

FO(s): Dishcloths

January 13, 2013 in weaving | Tags: books, dish cloths, finished object, FO, life, towels, weaving | 1 comment

It’s more weaving! I warped the loom with a long length of linen/cotton then made some dishcloths. Whoo!

The weft for all of them is various scraps of Sugar and Cream and Peaches and Cream and other random cotton bits.

I left spaces between each piece, but the fringes were really difficult to tie on the middle ones, so next time I’ll leave a longer spacer.

They were mostly to practice and to use up some cotton scraps, but I think I’ll hang up one of the longer ones in the bathroom to use for a hand towel. Not sure about the others. They were mostly just fun to weave.

My selvages are, of course, awful, especially on the ones where I carried the stripe yarns up the side when I wasn’t using them. I’m not sure how to do that so it doesn’t look terrible, but this was a learning experience, so I’m not all that bothered.

Currently on the loom is some fabric for a bag I’m working on. In knitting news, I’m going back and finishing some WIPs. I frogged the Carousel socks (not enough yarn), though I definitely be making them again in a different yarn. I’m almost finished with Danish Summer, an errant test knit. Once that’s finished, I’m going to finish up the sleeves and collar on my self-designed Diamonds sweater. Then cast on for ALL THE THINGS. I’m feeling like a sweater kind of year. Though I need to make some more mittens/gloves cause I don’t have that many.

In reading news: Joe and I are reading Heir to the Empire. OH MAN MY FEELINGS. In life news, I have a semi-long-term nanny gig (for six months probably) but it’s still only part time and I need a real job at some point. So there’s that. How are y’all?

blows off dust

January 9, 2013 in weaving | Tags: finished object, FO, life, real life, scarf, weaving | 1 comment

Sooo… hi guys. Sorry I abandoned the blog for… a month. I’ve been busy. I was out of town and then I was making a billion shark mittens and working a lot. Anyway.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S COOL? I’ll tell you: WEAVING IS COOL. It’s so cool. Like on a loom?

OH MAN, THAT’S SO COOL.

So yeah, I bought a loom from someone on Ravelry from whom I also bought um, a bit of fleece. Anyway. LOOM. I weave now. Weaving’s cool. /theDoctor It’s loads of fun and a great way of using up yarn quickly. I bought an awesome Intro Weaving class on Craftsy which has been SUPER HELPFUL in figuring out warping and stuff.

Course, as is my wont, when I first received the loom, I looked up a video on YouTube and dove right in because apparently I think waiting to understand what the hell I’m doing is overrated. I threw some yarn on there, practiced a little, then made a scarf. It’s how I do.

It’s a wee bit too short but it is soft and amazing and I love it.

You’re seeing right: THAT SUCKER SPARKLES. The warp is some recycled merino that I dyed the color of surgical waste. The weft is a sparkly angora/wool/glitz blend, also recycled (from a vest, actually. It’s better this way).

Your scarf wants to be this cool.

I then proceeded to whip up some towels/washcloths and THEN purchased and watched the Craftsy class. There’s another scarf on the loom now. But I haven’t taken pictures of either, so those will be another blog post (For real; I’m going to do it this time).

I am still knitting, much more in the last day because I AM DONE WITH SHARKS at least until someone decides to order a pair. But my slate is currently FUCKING CLEAR and I’m so excited to be knitting things for me. LIKE A BOSS.

In reading, Joe and I started the Thrawn trilogy with Heir to the Empire and OH MY GOD FEELINGS. I love it. I want awesome not-empire Outbound Flight!Thrawn back with his adorable relationship with Cardas. In non-reading, I’ve been watching Top Gear because I apparently don’t have enough obsessions. WHOO.

Sherlock Swap Part the First

December 14, 2012 in other people's crafts/cool things, painting/art-type things, swap | Tags: art, baker street, other people's crafts, reading, real life, sharks, Sherlock, sherlock holmes, swap, what I'm reading | Leave a comment

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.

HAI YOU GUYZ

December 8, 2012 in blog, knitting, life | Tags: books, commissions, Etsy, knitting, life, real life, what I'm reading | 1 comment

Hey, so remember when I had that blog and I updated it and told everyone about the stuff I was making? And then I apparently fell of a cliff and never got around to posting for like a month? Yeah. So hi. It’s my birthday today (I’m 23), so I guess you guys get the gift of a post today. I don’t know. Anyway.

I’ve been hella busy recently. I went up to visit the boyfriend’s paternal folks for Thanksgiving and as such spent several days in New York City. There are no pictures, but we played a lot of Scrabble and other tabletop games and also there was food or whatever. Every side of the boyfriend’s family is awesome and it’s totally not fair.

On the crafting front, I have been knitting like a madwoman, but almost entirely shark mittens for Etsy. And I still have like five open orders because I apparently hate knitting anything for myself ever. Anyway. One of the Etsy things I made was a matching set of mittens and hat. Stegosaurus versions! So have some pictures:

Pattern: Jurassic Mittens (Steggie version)
Yarn: Cotton/acrylic blend. Broke my sweater fast for the yarn.
Needles: US 8/5mm

So now that I’ve actually made the Steggie mittens, I’m going to update the Jurassic Mittens pattern with more pictures and fix everything up and what all.

Here’s the hat:

There’s no pattern cause I made it up as I went along, but I’m pretty pleased with how it came out. The boyfriend reminded me about the little spikes at the end of a Steg’s tail, so I included them on the hat. Perhaps I’ll write it up. I haven’t done any pattern writing in a while.

I’ll try to get back on the posting ball, but I’m mostly just making sharks here. And I rarely photograph them before I send them out. Plus I’m going down to Virginia Beach on the 19th and spending Christmas in Florida, so I’ll be busy. But I’ll try.

In book news: Joe and I read Outgoing Flight, which was AHH AMAZING and I totally worship at the church of Timothy Zahn. I’m currently reading Spinneret, a book of his I bought on Amazon’s black Friday sale. ALSO did you know that there are Stargate Atlantis books that follow the show cancellation? OF COURSE I bought those suckers. I finished the first one. For more book news, you can follow me on Goodreads here.

On the Needles

November 3, 2012 in knitting | Tags: knitting, mittens, socks, sweater, wip, work in progress | 1 comment

I’ve got a couple of things on the needles and in the works currently. I haven’t done much knitting in the last few days as I’ve been kind of busy. Working, halloween, random get-together at a friend’s. So yeah. But here’s what I’m working on:

There’s a Carousel sock in Red Heart Heart and Sole:

I’ve got deadline knitting preventing me from working on these too much, which is too bad because I love them and I need more socks.

There’s a pair of dinosaur mittens for Etsy:

These are much further along now. I will try my hardest to snap a picture before I send them off. I usually forget.

I’m also working on a test knit of a sweater pattern.

I’m a bit further along on this too. The deadline is November 14 I believe and I should be able to have it done by then. It’s a short sleeve top and I’m almost to the underbust.

Hopefully more interesting craft things to report soon. In fandom news, I am almost through reading the Courtship of Princess Leia with the boy and it is cracktastically awesome except for the purple prose and occasional lack of continuity. In life news, Tuesday is election day for Americans, so get out and vote. I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m hella liberal, so, y’know, go ‘Bama. But seriously though? VOTE.

FO: A Couple Shades of Grey

October 30, 2012 in knitting, life | Tags: finished object, FO, knitting, life, ows, scarf, swap | 1 comment

Okay, first off: I’m fine, my folks are fine. We’re in DC and just got some rain. Never even lost power. My heart goes out to those in NY and Delaware (including the boy’s folks and my aunt) and everywhere else and I hope everyone’s okay or at least doing the best they can.

In lighter knittier news, I knit a scarf. It’s for Ongoing Wish Swap, which I got around to rejoining. It’s a super simple scarf–just knit length-wise in garter.

Pattern: I CO like 175 and worked garter stitch
Needles: US 8/5 mm
Yarn: All the leftover bits from shark mittens. As you can see, shark mittens have been many shades over the years.

It has fringe. I’m pretty chuffed with it. Sort of displeased I have to send it away, but I think I’m going to make a similar one for myself with the various other wool scraps I have kicking around. I’m thinking rainbow colors. Fun.

I took a picture of this the other day intending to do a WIP post of everything I’m working on, but I realized I was only a couple of rows from the end, so I just finished it and photographed the finished scarf. I will have a WIP post up soon as even though I’ve been remiss about posting, I have certainly been knitting and working on lots of things.

If you’re on the East coast, stay safe and dry. I know I got super lucky but a lot of people didn’t.