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Before I get to the pictures, here’s an update: I have completely finished Hey Teach, buttons and everything. Still need to photograph it (that’ll happen soon), but in the mean time, I have plenty of other things to post over the next week or so. I sent out one of two swap packages and am expecting mine any day now, so look for that post probably Monday.
But as for now: Two things I’ve done recently and (OMG!) how you can get them in your possession.
First: ADCD tote bag!
Made from an ACDC t-shirt I purchased at Rugged Warehouse and some fabric I purchased at Walmart. It’s 15″ by 15.5″ with a squared bottom and the straps are 16″ tall. It’s totally machine washable and very sturdy. It also has a line of blue topstitching around the top of the bag.
This totebag, perfect for an ACDC fan, is available here on Etsy and here on Artfire.
Item number two: Another dpn/pencil/crochet hook roll.
This is made from cotton houndstooth fabric and a thrifted Barney bedsheet. It has eight pockets, six of which are an inch across and two of which are two inches across. It ties securely with ties made of t-shirt scraps.
This little organizer would be perfect for dpns, crochet hooks, pens, pencils, paint brushes or colored pencils for yourself or as a girl. It’s available here on Artfire.
Stay tuned for more crafts, including Hey Teach, a hat, and the swap.
I’m in Virginia Beach until tomorrow, and the weather is BEAUTIFUL. It’s like 80 outside, and sunny, and it’s lovely in comparison to the snow flurries and freezing cold that has been much of the rest of my “spring break”. It’s fitting that just as the weather is looking up, I’ve JUST finished my cabled cardigan. I still have to sew on the buttons, so a proper FO post will follow once I do the buttons and photograph it. More details on that later.
To match the beautiful weather, I’ve started Hey Teach from the summer ’08 Knitty. I’m using Cascade Sierra, which I actually bought from KnitWits, my LYS in the Beach, instead of a big box craft store. The Sierra was actually a pretty good price, and it’s cotton and wool, so it won’t stretch as much as pure cotton. Also: It’s SO SOFT. Definitely the softest cotton I’ve ever felt. It’s amazing.
Anyway, between yesterday and this morning, I’ve finished a sleeve and brought it and the yarn outside for a photo in the bright summery sun:
Though I’ve sworn off set-in sleeves as a result of the cable cardi (more on that later), I couldn’t resist Hey Teach, and I’ll just sew the sleeves in before I sew the side seams, making everything easier by a long shot. Knitting this so far has been an absolute joy because of the yarn but I also can’t wait to wear such a bright, summery color. : )
What I actually should be working on is a paper, some math homework, and various swap projects, but the call of the Cascade Sierra is so great.
Unfortunately, it is still quite cold, both in Virginia Beach, where I live, and in Fredericksburg, where I school. The sun, however, is shining, and I took advantage of it, snapping this lovely wip photo of my cable cardigan:
But as I’ve said, it’s still cold. I’m home on spring break, but my bedroom, where I spend much of my time, is freezing because the heat doesn’t reach back there. As a result, I had to whip up these:
I used Caron Felt-It in colorway Evening Mist and 4.5mm dpn’s. I used my basic mitten pattern, but I knit these from the top down to make sure I had enough to finish both mitts (I did, with yarn left over). They came out a little too large and I had to rip back the thumb gusset on the first one a few times before I figured it out, but I like them. They’re soft and squishy.
The yarn is interesting. I have a little left over, and I think I’m going to felt something–probably a little bowl. From what I’ve seen on Ravelry, it felts pretty well, which is to be expected seeing as the yarn is pretty much roving.
One last thing: right before leaving school for break, I whipped up this:
A holder for my double-pointed needles (and also crochet hooks). I bought some dowels recently to make my own dpns, so once I finish them, I’ll be moving my crochet hooks elsewhere. I still need something for them and also my circular needles (of which I need many more sizes… Especially 6’s and 7’s).
I finally finished my Corona after much knitting and much modifying:
I really love how it came out. It seems I added just enough length for the sweater to sit comfortably on me. I also shortened the sleeves, as you can see, since I don’t have the patience for long sleeves and I’m not sure how much I want to wear bulky sleeves. Additional modifications:
-Shortened the rib section. I don’t need five inches of 1×1 rib over my stomach/hips, and also I hate knitting 1×1 rib.
-The ribbing on the sleeves is 2×2 because I wasn’t paying attention and that’s how I did the sleeves for the Cable Cardi. Yes, I am smart.
-Obviously, I took off the hood. I don’t wear hoods and they take too long to knit. I’m impatient.
-I decreased for the neckline more rapidly than in the pattern so the V would pull open a bit more.
I used Vanna’s Choice acrylic in Powder Blue. It was cheap and I’m a cheap college student. I’m sure it will pill something terrible, but it’s quite warm and I’m rather fond of it for the moment.
Here is a hat I finished several weeks ago and sent home to my sister (that’s her in the picture):
I sort of used this pattern, but with Red Heart Super Saver, 4.5 mm dpns and much MUCH less increasing. It’s still rather large, but my sister’s head is bigger than mine and she appears to like it alright. The ribbon helps to keep the band smaller also, since ribbing and Red Heart Super Saver don’t really go together well.
Here is one more hat, which completes my cold weather set:
I used a 5 mm circular needle and dpns with Mirasol Miski, which I am convinced is the softest yarn on the planet. It is wonderful to work with and despite the rather loose ply isn’t splitty at all. And it’s made from llama fur! And the proceeds help build schools for girls in Peru! If I could afford it, I would use this yarn SO much more often. Unfortunately, I am in college. : (
Currently on the needles, I have a pair of fingerless mitts for my friend Dalia and another pair of mittens for myself. The mittens are super cool, and you will be impressed, despite the very simple pattern. : )
Hello all! I am officially back to the blog. *dance* Things on the old laptop are still clusterfuck-esque, but in the mean time, I have a small temp laptop which works just as well and (more importantly) will allow me to share pictures of crafty things. There are several things to post since I’ve last been at the pictures.
First: My Talia, finished a couple of weeks ago. I used about 2.5 skeins of Vanna Choice acrylic:
It was a bit snug and in the future, I would make the small instead of the extra small. Because of this (and also a lack of buttons), I made a tie front using a length of croceted chain, and that’s working out just fine.
Next: My first pair of mittens made from a more or less improvised pattern using 4.5mm dpns and Ella Rae Classic wool (and a little Lion Wool for the contrast):
I don’t know if you can tell in the picture, but one of the pair is considerable larger than the other, but I am still quite proud of them. I wore them to play in the snow, so the palms are a little felted, but I still adore them. : )
I also made my friend Jon a pair of fingerless mitts so he can have warm hands but be able to press buttons on his camera. They are made out of Vanna’s Choice, random blue acrylic, and my mitten pattern, just without the tops.
He’s very silly. : )
Last but not least, I made myself a cold weather set out of the softest, most amazing yarn EVER. The yarn is Mirasol Miski, which is made from baby llama fur. It is SO SOFT AND SO WARM OH MY GOD.
The set consists of mittens and a cowl (which is just a seamed garter stitch rectangle) and will include a hat when I finish knitting it (just a basic beanie).
I’ve also cast on recently for a Corona (Ravelry link) which currently looks like this:
I’m using Vanna’s Choice again because it’s what I have. And it’s cheap. And I’m a cheap college student.
Soon, probably, I will also have secret swap pictures to show, but you’ll just have to wait. : )
After much time and much vacationing in Florida, I come bearing pictures of all the FO’s I did over winter break. I finished a ton of things, including two hats, two calorimetries, a shrug, and some other things. Pictures!
Hat number one: cable and rib hat of my own divising, based on the pattern from the cable and rib scarf which resembles the Irish Hiking scarf/hat, though that wasn’t intentional.
Bernat Softee Chunky, size 8 dpn’s and a circular, knitted rather loosely.
Two calorimetries, one of which is a gift, and one of which I may keep for myself or may be a gift.
Random blue acrylic from the stash and hand-dyed wool from a thrift store sweater. The pink, hand-dyed one was done using tie-dye, and I crocheted the buttons for both myself due to lack of buttons. I adore this pattern because it knits up, no joke, in two hours. Yay. I only cast on 80 for both, and that was plenty long enough. I repeated row 5 enough times to get 22 stitches on either side of the marker. On the blue one, I used a wrap and turn thing (s last stitch wyif, turn, s1 purlwise, p1, etc.) to make the holes smaller, which worked wonderfully.
Circular shrug:
Made with Caron Simply Soft and size 8’s. CO 200, which worked out fine. Made for my sister for Christmas. The damn thing took FOREVER to knit, and I was very much glad when it was finished. (It is totally finished, seaming and all, I just don’t quite have pictures of the finished project quite yet.
Another hat:
Random blue acrylic and blue Simply Soft, size 8 dpn’s and a circular. Made for my brother for Christmas. Just a simple stockinette with a roll brim.
Coffee Cozies:
Mostly various colors of Red Heart Super Saver in very small amounts I had in the stash. I started browsing a list of various stitches, and that’s how I did the checkerboard one, but I mostly just used variagated yarn or stripes to do my basic coffee cozy: CO 13 or 15 and keep a garter border for three stitches on each side, stockinette in the middle. Continue for nine inches or to fit, sew together. I don’t really know to whom these will go but, there is one that I know the recipient of:
That is my sad attempt at embroidery. It’s a dinosaur; can you tell? Well, I tried.
Currently on the needles, I have a scarf for a friend (which needs to be finished by Monday) and a ladder yarn scarf for my mother, but who knows when that will get finished. In the planning stages, I have a beret (the Meret, actually), a Talia vest (from Knitty) and various unbloggable (well, until much later anyway) things. Also, I bought a bunch of tees, so looks for some t-shirt tote bags on Etsy (and here) soon.
So I finished the body of my ballet-style sweater. It looks like this:
I started a sleeve, but I may have to rip it back because I don’t think it’s wide enough. In any case, I’m taking a break from that sweater because I dislike the large gauge, which is surprising for me since I hate small needles. *shrug*
I’m chugging along on my Mrs. Darcy Cardigan. I said I was putting it down because of the yarn thing, but I cast on for one of the front panels anyway. I probably won’t be able to finish it, but if I can, that would be awesome. I’m thinking I might make the sleeves out of some Simply Soft I’ve got in my stash. The blacks aren’t exactly the same, but oh well. I may also frog a never-finished afghan for the black Red Heart–that probably won’t be the most comfortable, but I’ll wash the sleeves to soften them before I sew them to the body. *shrug* We’ll see.
Despite having two sweaters on the needles already, I am seriously considered using some cream wool I recycled from a thrift store sweater to make this cardigan mostly because I love the collar. I’d probably try to make it close all the way though. Maybe more buttons. : )
Also, I have a FO:
They are the Irish Hiking Armwarmers and my first foray into cables (without a cable needle). Foray successful, despite teaching myself from my cell phone while walking in downtown Fredericksburg. They’re made from some light blue Red Heart (stash yarn) for Sarah’s Christmas present (she’s the model in a previous post). I’ll definitely be doing more with cables (and maybe even use a cable needle this time).
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 