Knit Picks Options!

May 6, 2009 in knitting, other people's crafts/cool things | Leave a comment

So I had to work (I’m a lifeguard/swim instructor) from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. today, and that kind of sucks. But the day had a fantastic endcap: My last class of the night was cancelled due to thunderstorms and also lack of participants AND when I got home from work, on my bed, I found a package. I proceeded to squeal in excitement and tear it open:

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My Knit Picks Options! And pretty fast shipping–I ordered them late Thursday night so they got the order Friday morning. Go Knit Picks! Anyway, I immediately put together the 24″ US 7/4.5mm needle because it’s the size I’m using for a string bag, and I was previously using a Susan Bates needle, and the cable is constantly all twisty. But look:

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Not twisty at all! Eeeeee! I’m so excited about these needles. In my last Knit Picks order, I ordered US 6 and 7 16″ fixed and I haven’t gotten a chance to knit with them yet. : ( But I have PLANS. For HATS. And it’s going to be awesome.

Oh, and as for actual knitting progress:

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Started a washcloth because I need one. And because this one is cool. And because this yarn is awesome (Lily Sugar and Cream in Playtime which should really be called Sunset). More deets later when it’s done (probably tomorrow if I can get all this swap done in time).

FO: Superman

May 5, 2009 in knitting | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

So I’m officially home for the summer, which is less than great, but it does mean I have lots of time for knitting and blocking and sewing and other such crafting. Which means I’ve finally had time to finish and block and photograph the Superman sweater. And I looove it.

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Specs:

Pattern: Button Me Up by Lauren Chau (I really like her patterns, actually).
Needles: US 8/5 mm
Yarn: About 2.5 skeins of Ella Rae Classic in red and a half a skein of Lion Wool in blue.
Modifications: Pretty much ignored the sleeve instructions and did what I wanted, ignored the striping pattern because a stripe across the boobs looks good on no one. Probably made it longer, cause I do that. Long torso. Made the ribbing shorter. Don’t need five inches of 2×2 rib on my stomach and also I hate knitting ribbing. Also, did the button band different (one button) mostly because I fail at reading directions and did it incorrectly, though I like my mod.

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So, I’m totally in love with this sweater and it’s definitely my favorite sweater that I’ve made to date. It fits wonderfully, it was fun/quick to make, and I love the color scheme. I am a huge fan of this sweater. Unfortunately, it’s made of wool and it’s currently almost May, so that’s a bit of a bummer. It almost definitely won’t be cold enough to actually wear it for a couple of months. :/ Maybe I’ll be able to wear it around the house. My bedroom is a good 10 degrees (at least) colder than the rest of the house, and I actually have a little air conditioner back there. Hmm… I’ll find an occasion to wear it. : )

The yarn is nice, but it’s a little itchy, so I would definitely wear a long sleeved shirt under it. It’s lovely though.

Also, one more picture:

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Meet Elizabeth, the mannequin bust my mother picked up for me in Florida over spring break. The size is off, but since I’ll mostly use it for modeling FO’s (easier to take pictures of it than myself) it’ll be close enough.

Currently on the needles: Various swap things, a string bag (Everlasting Bagstopper, if you’re curious), and fixing to be either a cabled bag (I need to get yarn for it though) or Climbing Vines pullover. I also recently finished a shrug, pictures of which will be up shortly/whenever I get around to it. They’ll probably be on Elizabeth. Cause that is WAY more convenient. : )

FO: Seashore Scarf

May 4, 2009 in knitting | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Another triangle scarf, because I like them.

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Specs:

Pattern: None, it’s just a big triangle with some yo’s.
Yarn: Bernat Satin Sport in Seashore (love the color, not a big fan of the yarn)
Needles: US 6/4 mm

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(More pics on this projects Ravelry Page

It’s basically a huge triangle of stockinette and I got bored, so I cast off a little too soon (because I’m project monogamous, so I couldn’t just start a new one). I still have about half a ball of the yarn left and the scarf is a wee bit too small, but it works and I rather like it anyway. It’s acrylic, so that was no fun, and the yarn was really splitty, so I had to pay attention and it wasn’t quite the mindless knit I had in mind.

Also, this was my first time using yarn thinner than worsted. I still prefer worsted and above, though the sport wasn’t too bad and it’s really more of a dk weight anyway. I ordered some fingering when I ordered from KP, but that will get turned into lace (or possibly Clapotis) so it won’t be too bad. I like knitting lace and it will be sufficiently complicated to keep me entertained.

On the Needles

April 25, 2009 in knitting, life | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

So the Superman Sweater is finished… mostly. The knitting is all done and I even sewed on a button, but I seem to have lost the only tapestry needle I have at school, so unfortunately, I will either need to haul my ass down to Benjamin Franklin and buy some more (probably… Wednesday) or wait until I get home (May 2) to track down the pack I bought over winter break and promptly proceeded to lose in my pig sty of a bedroom before I’d even open the package. Win. So anyway, I haven’t woven in the ends of Superman and I probably won’t until at LEAST Wednesday and it also hasn’t been washed or blocked. That will happen… eventually. Also swap things are, as I’ve said, on hold until I get home because I lack the right supplies.

Also, finals are this upcoming week.

I only have three and they’re on Monday and Tuesday, so they’re not extremely stressful, but one of them kind of is because the professor giving it is a rather terrible teacher and I am still not entirely certain exactly what will be on the test.

Which, of course, means I need a simple, stress-free, but still pretty, knit to get me through finals:

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I’ve been working on a simple triangle scarf of my own (admittedly very very simple) design. This is my first time using sport weight, so, you know, that’s tons of fun, but it’s on US 6/4 mm needles so it’s not too bad. And the yarn (Bernat Satin Sport in Seashore) is very pretty, even if it is acrylic. It’s quite soft and silky, so I imagine it will be lovely to wear on cooler spring/fall/summer days. Also, the colors are very pretty and just like the seashore. Ocean blue, sun shiny yellow, beige sand… I love it. All the pleasure of the beach without the grimy sand, sunburn, gross saltwater, and having to be in a bikini while creepy strange old men try to stare without my noticing. Ahem.

Speaking of acrylic yarn… I’ve gone of it a bit lately. Probably because I have more experience with better fibers. It’s still good for some things, but I find that on the whole, I much prefer plain wool. And you can certainly find wools for almost as cheap as acrylic, and wool is much better for the environment, on my hands, and it, like, breathes, which is more than I can say for acrylic. Acrylic yarn certainly still has its place in blankets that will need to be washed, toys that need to be indestructible, and learning new techniques. If I mess something up horribly in acrylic, no harm no foul, but if I screw it up in alpaca, well, that’s alpaca I don’t get to use for other things. : )

Stay tuned for the completion of this shawl/scarf. I have a feeling I’ll get a lot done on it, if only to keep me from lashing out at dorm mates who disregard quiet hours. Anyone got finals coming up?

No Need to Worry

April 23, 2009 in knitting | Leave a comment

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It appears I didn’t need to worry about running out of the Ella Rae. I have almost a whole skein left and I’m almost at the point of color change anyway (I’m just going to do the ribbing in the blue). I’m going to end up with something like 3/4 of the skein left, which I guess is good cause I can use it for something felted that is on my list of things to do.

So I suppose that this sweater can be my real April sweater since I did Lime mostly in March. Hey Teach was extremely quick to knit up, so I guess it doesn’t really count. Climbing Vines (in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes) will be my May sweater, and I have a vague idea for my June sweater using Knit Picks Comfy. Not sure after that though.

Of course, since I knit so prolifically, I end up knitting like two sweaters a month anyway. : )

Sewing FOs

April 20, 2009 in sewing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I had a bit of sewing-related inspiration recently, so I sewed up a couple of things, one of which you can purchase and keep and own for yourself.

First: Coffee Cozy number one:

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(That last one is the backing fabric.)

There was a bit of trial and error involved in getting the pattern right, but I like how it came out. Two pieces of scrap fabric and a piece of cotton quilt batting, a hair tie, and a button. I wish I’d have sewn the button on before I sewed the whole thing together, but I love how this came out anyway. Also, it’s topstitched, and I love things with topstitching. Also, I love both of these fabrics, which I’ve had forever.

Second: Coffee Cozy number two:

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Same pattern as the last one but I attempted to machine sew on the buttons (without a button foot). It came out… Interestingly. I like it a lot, actually, but unfortunately, my bobbin went a little screwy so the back is all messed up, so I can’t sell this extra one. : ( Also, I used a piece of a t-shirt scrap, part of a curtain I bought at the thrift store a while ago, and the quilt batting. And a hair tie (cut in half) and some buttons. : )

Third: Iron Maiden Tote Bag

And this is the item you can own for yourself! If you love Iron Maiden or if you know someone who does, this would be the perfect gift for them (or you):

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A Hot Topic tee I picked up at Rugged Wearhouse for like four dollars (in the kids’ section… win) and some stiff canvas-like fabric. The straps are from a roll of thick fabric ribbon that I got from Target after Christmas.

If you’d like this bag in your possession, you can pick it up here on Artfire.

Coming up soon: Swap things and perhaps the Button Me Up/Superman Sweater which now measures 12.5″. Why yes, I do knit almost constantly. : )

FO: Blue Jeans Leaf Lace Shawl

April 18, 2009 in knitting | Leave a comment

I thought I would try my hand at a triangle scarf to practice knitting lace, and also because I wanted a triangle scarf. After much pondering on what scarf I would knit, I decided on the Blue Jeans Leaf Lace Shawl, which is written for lace-weight. Being impatient and having much worsted weight wool, I sized it up:

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(Ignore the fact that I’m wearing a tank-top and that looks rather incongruous. It’s like eighty degrees outside. I can’t help when I have the urge to knit scarves.)

Specs:

Pattern: Blue Jeans Leaf Lace Shawl
Yarn: Lion Wool in Dark Teal; about 1.3 skeins.
Needles: US 10/6mm straights
Modifications: Upped the yarn and needle size; only did eleven repeats of the pattern.

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It’s amazing what blocking will do for lace. When I was knitting this, it was coming out all bumpy and pulled in everywhere and I was certain that blocking could only help so much. But this came out exactly how I wanted it to, if a little bit short. It is definitely still wearable though, and I think I will get a lot of use out of it come fall/winter. As it is, the Lion Wool is a little scratchy, but I think a dunk in some warm water and a little soap or conditioner will do well. Surprisingly, though I wet-blocked this, I didn’t get any dye leakage at all. That was a pleasant surprise.

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I think I may do another in some sort of cotton blend for spring wear. I would make it longer though, so it wraps around properly.

Currently on the needles, now that this is finished? Well, I still have various swap things going on, though much of that has to wait until I’m home for summer break, and I’ve just started (though rather oppositional to the lovely weather we’ve been having) Lauren Chau’s Button Me Up Raglan (the pattern came in a calendar) in Ella Rae Classic (red) and Lion Wool (blue). It’s my Superman Sweater! Here’s what I have so far:

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My gauge is certainly a bit off (though I didn’t check) but as I measure things based on length and inches and where the decreases will fall on me instead of rows, I think I will be okay. Not sure if I will have enough yarn for this though. I have 3.5 balls of Ella Rae. Hopefully that will be enough, and if not, I’ll just make the sleeves shorter or add more blue, which I have two balls of. We shall see.

THE COOLEST KNITTED THING EVER

April 16, 2009 in other people's crafts/cool things | Leave a comment

Or maybe it’s just me that thinks so. Regardless, Craftster User Kittykitty made the coolest mittens EVAR:

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TEEN GIRL SQUAD! If you don’t know about the wonder that is TGS, please visit this link and watch in amazement.

And/or if you’d like to make these mittens yourself, Kittykitty made a tutorial/pattern from them, which is located here. I know that I am all over these mittens, and will DEFINITELY be making a pair for myself in the future. I’ll just have to work on my embroidery skillz first.

FO: Random Things!

April 13, 2009 in knitting | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Because I’m such a proficient knitter, I recently finished a couple of things:

Home on the Range Mitts:

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(Modeled by my lovely boyfriend.)

Pattern: My own, with a slightly different thumb (involving CO 9 stitches instead of holding them). Also, I cast on more. Also, to keep them from curling, I did a row of seed stitch before the cast off. You wouldn’t expect this, but it works like a charm, and I’ll definitely be doing this for all my fingerless mitts from now on.
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Needles: US 6/4 mm
Notes: Made for my friend, who wanted a pair of fingerless mitts that he could wear to the range so his other ones wouldn’t smell like… guns. Whatever that is. Powder? Smoke? Guns.

Basic Black Socks:

Pattern: Lifestyle Socks (Basic pattern)
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Needles: US 6/4 mm
Modifications: Worsted weight. DPNs. Ended up just using figure 8 cast on.

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(More pictures of these on Ravelry.)

Okay, I love these. They’re acrylic so they won’t breathe very well, so they’ll stink to high heaven and I’ll have to wash them a lot, but I looooove them. They knit up VERY quickly. Like, a day or two. They’re like mittens. They’re comfy and lovely and wonderful. The first sock of this pair is a little messed up cause I made the heel too pointy and the ribbed bit around the ankle is a little large, but I solved the first by fewer rows on the heel and the second by decreasing four stitches after the heel is complete. LOVE. Definitely will be making more socks. Many more socks. Because I have much yarn, and they’re so quick and useful and wonderful.

Zebra Socks

Pattern: Lifestyle Socks (basic pattern)
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Needles: US 6/4 mm
Modifications: Same as above.

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OH MY GOD, LOVE LOVE LOVE. SO much love. I fiddled with a few things for these socks, meaning they fit AMAZINGLY and oh god, so comfy. The ONLY thing I would do differently is make the solid toe section a little shorter, starting the colorwork/stripes earlier. But other than that, perfect fit. A sewn bind off makes for a sufficiently stretchy cuff which is made tight enough by going down a couple needle sizes. Love these socks. Definitely going to make a ton more in more fun colors. I need more Simply Soft…

RIGHT NOW: I have a couple of projects on the needles for a swap, so stay tuned for that. I may start another sweater (a ballet-style wrap cardigan out of JoAnn Sensations Rainbow Boucle) or I may just make more socks for myself, using wool this time. I think I’m going to get some DK weight wool and slowly ease into sock-weight yarn for socks. I’ll get there. Probably.

FO: Lime

April 9, 2009 in knitting | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 comments

I finished my Cavern Cardigan, button and all, in about a week and a half. The thing knit up EXTREMELY quickly.

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Specs:

Pattern: Cavern Cardigan from Cosmicpluto.
Needles: US 7/4.5mm 29″ circular and dpns.
Yarn: Almost exactly three skeins of Lion Brand Cotton-Ease
Modifications: Fewer raglan increases, fewer increases for the fronts, probably lengthened the body and the sleeves, changed the ties to a button/button flap.

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I really like how this came out, actually. I originally did the sleeves too short, so I ripped them back and made them longer, and now they fit perfectly. I love how it looks on me, and the cotton/acrylic blend is nice and light, perfect for cool spring/summer evenings. It’s just long enough and fits well across the bust. I think I am going to get a lot of wear out of this one. : ) And because I am a poor college student, I would certainly use cotton-ease again.

So now that this is finished, I need another sweater on the needles. I have a few patterns I’m considering, including the Climbing Vines Pullover from the Winter 08 Interweave Knits. That’ll probably be my next sweater project, in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes.

Speaking of sweaters: Around various blogs and Ravelry, I’ve seen reference to this knitting challenge, which is to knit a sweater for every month. I’ve decided this will be my goal. Here’s what I’ve done for this year so far:

January: Corona/Talia (I did them both in January)
February: Burgandy (Cable Cardi from Knit Simple)
March: Spring Cardi (Hey Teach)
April: Lime (I finished it in April. It counts).

I just placed a huge (almost $70) order from Knit Picks for enough Wool of the Andes to knit the Climbing Vines Pullover (in Lake Ice Heather, a lovely grey color). I also ordered a bunch of Comfy as well as a couple balls of a different color of WotA, some Palette for a shawl, and some knitting needles. Squee.