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Greetings, all. A couple of knitterly things have been in the works lately. For one thing, I recently started the Cavern Cardigan in Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Lime (I had it on hand and have been meaning to make a light little summery/springy cardigan). I’m going to have a bit of trouble with the sizing because I’m small, and the size of the pattern is medium/36″ bust. I’m either going to have a lot of ease of a lot of fiddling. We’ll see. That’s being worked on.
Other things: I made a hat!
From a chart I found on Ravely. Unfortunately, it came out weird. My large gauge made the motif too wide and also I fucked up the chart a couple of times. Also, it was coming out too long, so I hurried with the decreases, making it really bunchy. It now looks like this:
Yep. But I made some other things too:
It’s the Zune/iPod Wallet found here on the Internets. I used Red Heart Strata in this blue color, which would have been a lot nicer if they hadn’t included the black and white bits. *shrug* I made one using the pattern exactly for my iPod and cast on a couple more and knit a couple extra rounds to make a similar one for my boyfriend’s Creative Zen mp3 player. It’s really a quite useful little cozy because it means I don’t have to search through my whole purse for my headphones and because the cord isn’t EVERYWHERE, the headphones will last longer. So that’s good.
Pictures of Hey Teach are… nonexistant yet. I’m waiting for the weather to warm up and stop being wet so I can take spring-type pictures in the sun. Patience, children. Also, I’m expecting a swap package some time in the realm of soon, so you have that post to look forward to also. : )
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).
While walking around campus the other day, I happened upon this:
A tree cozy, for that little branch. Or: more knit graffiti. I love seeing this sort of thing. : )
In other news, I’m still plugging away on my cardigan. I’ve just started waist decreases and have about, oh, six or seven more inches before I have to separate the pieces for the armholes and such (the pattern is in pieces, but I knit the body as one so I wouldn’t have to seam).
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. : )
I recently participated in a swap on Craftster, the theme of which is naughty words. Awesome, yeah? Well, both my partner and myself have received, so here I will provide you with pictures of all the swear-y goodness.
From me (and these are her pictures because… well, my camera, my laptop, my hard drive, and I don’t really get along that well):
A coffee cozy (Red Heart acrylic on eights, knit flat and seamed. Says Fuck), a pair of fingerless mittens with very crude embroidery/duplicate stitched “fuck!” and “shit!”, a little pouch (with a snap! And a wristband!), and the most awesome bag I’ve ever made. The lettering was a bit tedious, but if anyone wants a bag like this, let me know. I’m more than happy to commission another one cause it was quite fun to make. Also: other words. : )
Anyway, here is my totally bitchin’ package from my partner:
A door sign which is currently on my bookshelf:
Note cards for wishing someone “Whore!” or “Cunt!”:
A kickass box, in which to store my stitch markers:
Many of which she made me:
(As a side-note, I fucking LOVE stitch markers and would like to horde some awesome ones. I’m planning like 47 more swaps, expressly for this purpose.)
And this FUCKING AWESOME embroidery, which is currently residing on my printer:
It was an awesome swap! If you want to see more swear-y, crafty awesome, the swap gallery is located here.
Whatup, kids?
Bad news: I suffered a computer crash recently, so the most interneting I can do is on the school lab computers and my beautiful, lovely, amazing BlackBerry, without which I would have long since lost my mind. Anyway this means few new posts and no new Ravelry pictures. Sad, I know.
But because I know you’re still interested, I’ll tell you that I started and finished Talia (still needs buttons though) and a pair of mittens, pattern my own. More details and pictures when I get this whole computer clusterfuck resolved. And that’s not a candy bar. I’m also fixing to start a Meret for my sister, pictures and details also to follow the clusterfuck. I also have some things I can’t blog quite yet anyway because they are for a swap. You’ll see, you’ll see.
Anyway, there’s going to a bit of a waiting period as I have to backup everything on my laptop and reload the software and/or get a desktop in the meantime, which is a distinct possibility.
Thank for your patience, guys!
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.
Since last updating, I’ve finished a hat and a coffee cozy and have ALMOST finished my sister’s circular shrug (I have about two and a half more inches of ribbing, and then I have to seam). I’ve still got a couple of things to make for various friends at school including at least one calorimetry, a beanie, and a bunch more coffee cozies.
I’m currently in Florida until the fifth of January, so updates will be a bit scarce. The internet is a little iffy, so I won’t be able to post pictures until I get home to my own internet connection. Then I’ll have pictures of the rest of the Christmas knitting, and possibly some other things.
Also, though I knit with needles and not usually a loom, this scarf looks SO COOL. I’ll have to try it out with some stash yarn.
I finally finished my cable cardi after many weeks of its hibernation because I didn’t have enough yarn at school with me. Pictures!
Yarn: Wool, reclaimed from a thrift store sweater
Needles: 5.5mm circular for the body and 5mm straights for the collar.
I got the buttons from a thrift store sweater, and I had to add an extra one in the corner so the edge of the collar wouldn’t flop over. I made the button holes too far into the collar. Despite that, I loved the easy construction of the sweater. It was a lot of fun to knit and I loooove the end product. I started wearing it almost as soon as I finished it. : ) It fits very well and is very comfortable, even over just a tank top, which is how I was wearing it. I would definitely recommend this pattern if you don’t have the patience for a whole sweater with sleeves.
As a bonus gift, here’s a hat I also recently finished:
Various balls of cheap acrylic left over from other things and 5 mm dpn’s. This is my first hat made with the top-down method, and I like it a lot.
Also on the needles: A teddy bear (Heidi from The Knitted Teddy Bear), a pair of mittens (Ravelry link), and a circular shrug (also a Rav link) for my sister for Christmas. Because of course I can finish it by then.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 