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So I have not been blogging as much as I would like. Part of that is that I was sick in the middle of this week and wasn’t sleeping (four hours of sleep over two days is… fun. Not.), but also I’ve not quite settled into the swing of things back at school, and once I do, it’ll be easier to blog more often.
I have, however, been knitting. I recently did a swap on the Will Work for Yarn group on Ravelry for some swatches (for photographing jewelry) in return for a shawl pin and some leftover Malabrigo:
The darker swatch was knit it Malabrigo, so it’s more like in return for a shawl pin and a bit of yarn, I got to knit with Malabrigo, which is almost just as much of a reward as the first two things.
I have also been working on that sweater I mentioned before. It currently looks like this:
I’m up to some waist shaping at the moment. It’s working up at a fair clip–worsted weight and two-row stripes will do that. I think I’m going to love it when it’s done, thought I still haven’t decided if I want to .do a v-neck or a scoop neck. I’m currently leaning toward scoop (I do love me a good scoop neck), but I could still be persuaded otherwise.
I also just finished up a swap, but I’ll talk about that another time so I can show you all the pictures for it at once. I also think I’m doing another WWFY swap (involving WOLLMEISE, which I’m pretty stoked about), so that’s pretty exciting. I have lots of things planned for the near future (birthday present for boyfriend, capelet that I’m designing as part of a Halloween costume (and also just to wear) but for which I also have to dye some yarn). Stay tuned!
So my first week at school has been pretty busy, hence the lack of posting. That isn’t to say I haven’t been crafting–I have definitely been crafting. And organizing. My craft area sort of looks organized (which if you know me at all is something of an accomplishment). I’ve been busy knitting for swaps (and as I mentioned before, I started a sweater for me). I recently finished two items for an OWS claim:
Pattern: Mary Jane Slippers for what seems like the hundreth time.
Yarn: Vintage wool, which I’m trying desperately to use up since I’m not crazy about it.
Hook: 3.75 mm (f)
Mods: I don’t think any.
I’ve made this pattern so many times I sometimes forgot it’s not my pattern. I don’t usually repeat patterns and certainly not to the degree of this one, so I sometimes forget I’m not just makin’ it up. : )
Pattern: None; I knit the brim flat and picked up stitches for the top part of the hat.
Yarn: More of that vintage wool. I’m down to less than 50g I think.
Needle: US 7/4.5 mm
This yarn frustrates me (nothing wrong with it; I just don’t like the color and I had a lot of it), but I like how the hat came out. It’s cute. I love seed stitch. : ) Not much to say about it; it was pretty easy to make.
In other crafting news, I recently received a crap ton of fabric from an OWS claim, but I’m waiting on one more OWS package, so I’ll just show you all at once. I’m also knitting up some swatches for a WWYF swap (one in linen stitch ❤ and one in stockinette) for which I received a lovely shawl pin. I'll show you that when I show you the OWS stuff. I also recently finished a thing for a friend's birthday, which I will try to show you on Monday. It's super cute.
I finally finished my ribbed socks!
Pattern: None. It’s a ribbed toe-up sock. With a gusset/flap heel.
Yarn: Cascade Sassy Stripes yarn, two skeins
Needles: US 1 circular (for two at a time magic loop)
They came out pretty well and were fittingly mindless to keep in my purse. I liked knitting them. As I said, I’m not crazy about the colors, but the yarn was cheap and they’ll go in my shoes. One of them is a little snug in the leg because I accidentally decreased too many to make the ribbing work above the heel, but it’s not so tight I can’t wear it. They’ll be perfect come winter time.
Speaking of winter, my next project that I’m about to cast on for is a simple pullover for winter–grey and purple two row stripes, short v-neck, seamless set in sleeves. I also have a couple of swap stuff for OWS coming up, as well as a possible personal swap on Craftster and my boyfriend’s birthday present. Which is largish but doesn’t need to be finished until December, so I’ve got plenty of time.
In other news, I am moving back to school TOMORROW. And I’m totally thrilled. Especially to set up all of my crafting stuff in my crafting corner, which I will totally show you all pictures of when it’s all set up.
Pattern: Crocus Socks by Wendy Johnson (from Toe Up Socks for Every Body)
Yarn: Premiere Yarns Serenity Sock in Lavender Topaz (one skein)
Needles: Knit Picks US 1 circular
Mods: Well, they’re shorter but other than that, none.
So I really like these. I know I say that about a lot of the things that I knit, but I really do. The pattern is great, the yarn is… serviceable, and the socks are comfortable and pretty. I followed the pattern more or less exactly, complete with flap/gusset heel. Except when worked toe-up, there’s no actual…flap. I don’t know if Wendy Johnson invented the toe-up flap heel herself, but it really is ingenious. It looks just like a flap heel worked from the top down. I’ll definitely keep the heel in mind for future socks.
Speaking of future socks, I’ve started a new pair. 3×1 ribbed, toe-up, two at a time with Cascade Sassy Stripes. Probably will do the gusset/flap heel again so I can really see how it works (so I can adjust it for different stitch counts). But more on that later.
So I also recently claimed puzzler for some slippers and some notecards. I turned to my trusty slipper pattern and…
Pattern: Mary Jane Slippers from Oh My Goodknits
Yarn: Lion Wool in Dark Teal or somesuch
Hook: 3.75 mm/F
Mods: Made them longer to fit a US size 9/10ish foot.
This is possibly the fourth or fifth time I’ve made slippers from this pattern. It’s a good pattern and it consistently produces good slippers. Also, it’s HELLA fast. Like, two hours for the pair maybe. Very fast. One of these days I’ll make a pair for myself maybe, but in the meantime, they’re great for swaps. Everyone likes slippers, right? : )
Anyway, I also made notecards, as I mentioned above:
I stuck with simple cause that was Puzzler’s request and I really like how they came out. Especially the turtle. I love the turtle. The next time I have to congratulate someone via card, I’m totally making another one. : )
PS: Don’t forget about the giveaway to win a copy of one of my patterns!
For the August iteration of Ongoing Wish Swap, I claimed Juicebox29for some cold weather goodness, when I decided to make in the form of pretty mittens:
Pattern: Bella’s Mittens
Yarn: Jo Ann Sensations Rainbow Classic, a furry bulky acrylic I’ve had forever.
Needles: US 8/5mm
Mods: None, really. I had intended to make the cuff shorter but then I… didn’t.
I like how these came out. Not enough to make them for myself, probably, but I do like them. Even in this fuzzy acrylic. It is a pretty color (I did buy it for a reason), but in general I prefer working with smooth wool.
I like these mittens a lot, as I said, and the pattern is good, if a little confusing. There are definite pattern repeats, especially of the cuff, but the instructions are written line by line so there’s no way to really memorize the pattern. I would have liked a chart I think. Still, they came out pretty well, even if I did goof and cross the cables every six rows instead of every seven. Oh well. Cute, as I said.
Oh, also, reminder! Don’t forget about the giveaway to win a copy of one of my patterns!
I finished another pair of shark mittens for a commission on Etsy. Whoo!
(The model, btw, is my brother, whose fingers are waaaay to long for the mittens but whom I shanghaied into modeling because his learning to drive is using up the gas I pay for with no input from him)
Pattern: My shark mittens
Yarn: Cascade Eco and overdyed vintage wool
Needles: US 6/4mm
Mods: None
You know, I really like knitting shark mittens. The pattern is definitely my most successful pattern to date (by a landslide). The result, I think, is super cute, and they’re pretty fast. I made this pair in like three days. I like ’em.
In other knitting news, I am still working on the Crocus socks. I’ll try to snap a picture of them sometime tomorrow so you can see where I am. I’ve also recently made a couple of OWS claims, so I have a cold weather set (probably a hat and shorter Bella Mittens) and a pair of slippers to make (plus some notecards). Fortunately, those are all really quick knits, so I’ll be able to knock them out pretty quickly. I’ve started (like today) watching Firefly (it’s on Netflix), so they’ll all be things I can knit up in a couple of episodes.
I finished the Lace Ribbon Scarf!
Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf from Knitty
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Loro Barranquero, about a skein
Needles: US 4/3.5 mm
Mods: Took out a horizontal repeat to make it narrower.
So I’m pretty pleased with how this came out. It’s nice and long and the yarn holds the pattern quite well, even though I didn’t properly block it with water and whatnot. It’s also nice and long. The recipient of the scarf is knitter Jenarita, who I hope likes it. : )
The pattern was pretty fun to knit. It was mostly mindless, but I had to pay attention to the double yarn overs on the purl back rows. So it was a pretty good balance. The yarn, by the way, was utterly fantastic. Man, the things people say about Malabrigo are totally true. It’s so frickin’ soft. And the colors mixed nicely, not pooling or anything. Nice. I have some black Mal lace in my stash for a Featherweight when I ever get around to it, but it was nice to try out the yarn before I begin that monster.
In other knitting news, I frogged back to the toes on the Dainty Anklets I was knitting. The pattern wasn’t coming out the way I wanted it to, so instead I started the Crocus Socks in the same book. I also started a pair of shark mittens on a commission through Etsy. But more on those later.
Or: THEY’RE DONE THEY’RE DONE THEY’RE DONE!!
Pattern: Lakeside Socks from Knotions
Yarn: Fleece Artist Nyoni
Needles: US 1
Mods: None? Maybe made them a tick longer? I think I mostly knit them as written.
Holy crap, these socks took so long. But they are DONE. I actually really enjoyed knitting them–the pattern was simple and easy to memorize, and the shaping was pretty intuitive. I’m still not sure how much I like knitting socks cuff down as opposed to toe up, but these actually went by pretty quickly, even though Ravelry tells me they’ve been a wip for about a month. But now they are done! And I can knit other things! Like the other WWFY trade I’m working on. : )
As for the yarn: I did enjoy working with the Nyoni. It’s a little think/thin, but it’s pretty squishy. I don’t know how much I’d like it for knee socks (it’s a little itchy on my calves, but who knows, that may come out in the wash). The colorway is GORGEOUS though, and I love it a lot.
Currently, as I mentioned, I am working on another WWFY trade: a lace ribbon scarf in Malabrigo lace (LOVE). I have some Mal lace in my stash from my trip to Fiber Space that will eventually become a Featherweight cardigan, but it’s nice to get a feel for the Mal in something smaller first. : ) I’ll show you pictures of the scarf a little later, but it’s looking great so far.
Pattern: My own! Which I am writing up and will be available for test knitting… soonish? Eventually.
Yarn: Cascade Pima Tencel (the longer 109 yarn skeins), three skeins (I know. It was close.)
Needles: US 5/3.75 mm
I love this tank. I basically made it up as I went along (I took notes though), and it’s got waist shaping, a slight A-line flare, and a deep v cut. Love it. I suspect it’s a shape that looks good on a lot of people, though the tiny straps might be too tiny for some. I find it’s super comfortable. I knit mine a little short (I was worried about the yarn I had) so I have to wear it over a tank top (otherwise it’s opaque enough to just wear a bra under).
I’ve written up the pattern and it’s currently undergoing test knitting, and I anticipate it being ready about the end of July. Which is a little late in the season, but it gets pretty hot many places in August and September, so it should still be appropriate knitting: cool fiber and no long sleeves to try on. I’ll keep you guys posted when it’s available, of course.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 