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I made a thing:
Pattern: Lacy Vines, a test knit. I’ll edit with a link when the pattern is up.
Yarn: Recycled wool, hand-dyed by me with Kool Aid
Needles: US 8/5mm
Mods: None, though I did use a provisional cast on.
It was supposed to be a scarf but mine came out rather wide and shortish so it’s more of a shawl. I really do like it. I like it (and you all) so much that I suffered 90 degree (F) temperatures to snap an action shot:
The pattern was super fun to knit and when it goes up, you should all go knit it. It works up super fast in heavy yarn and there are lots of dropped stitches, which is super fun. My yarn was really sticky so I had to tug the dropped stitches all the way down, but it’s lovely nonetheless.
This is a pattern that really benefits from a wet block. When I had finished one half (it’s knitted in two parts and seamed in the middle unless you cast on provisionally, which I did) I steam blocked it to see how it came out, and it’s definitely more open and airy after a good strong wet block than it was with a steam.
I am currently down to two projects on the needles (we won’t talk about the scarf in hibernation): a sweater, which is a design I’ve been showing you, and some TARDIS socks, about which I am totally thrilled.
And one final note about the Ravelympics kerfuffle. If you’ve been following me on Twitter, you’ll know my opinions on the matter (and also that I’ve started watching STTNG). I’m knitting a sweater for the Ravelympics. Because that’s what it is and that’s what I’m calling it and the USOC can suck it. It’s a challenge for me and just because I didn’t sweat, I did train and it is an accomplishment.
The Ravelympics are in the spirit of international cooperation, something the USOC should know and care about it. When you piss off knitters, we band together, stronger, and speak out for ourselves. The Ravelympics is happening (though I’ll not be watching the Olympics after this PR disaster) and I, for one, will not be silenced.
Also, Twitter Knitters are fabulous. I love the community of knitters on the internet.
I’m almost finished with Bigger on the Inside and the first striped sock, but I am currently thinking about moving up to Fairfax at the end of the month. I have too many things, especially craft books. Do you like craft books? Any of the following can be yours for just the price of shipping (otherwise they’re going to the thrift)
Act now! (And if anyone wants a metric shit ton of straight knitting needles, I have those too)
I’ve been doing some things in between substitute teaching. Some crafting things. Some other things. I’ve been watching the West Wing. I’m currently in season four and it is delightful. I got this in the mail yesterday:
Season 2!!!!
And this last week:
Seasons 8 and 9 of the X Files were pretty sad, but I was super excited to see there was a spinoff with the Lone Gunmen, whom I loved. So yay.
Then there was some crafting. I made this out of a floppy disk metal bit:
Why yes, that is the Starship Enterprise. Awwww yeeeeeah. There’s a tut here if you want to make your own.
Finally, there’s half a pair of mittens I’m designing:
They’re for my boyfriend’s cousin who requested the design. What do you guys think? Can you tell what it is? The thumb makes everything a little wonky. It’s a work in progress.
Today is the official last day of KCBW and I’ve apparently been a little lax in participating. I may get a couple more topics in this week. Anyway, today’s topic is crafting balance, specifically between knitting and crochet. I’m gonna expand that a little.
As you probably know, I do about a million different crafts. I like to make things. I knit, crochet, spin, sew, embroider, cross stitch, dye, paper craft, and do the occasional bit of painting. I am very much a Jill of all trades. And I’d love to learn more crafts–weaving, quilting, glass blowing, pottery… I really like making things.
I mostly knit. Which is why most of the pictures in my blog header are of knitted things. It’s portable, enjoyable, and productive. The vast majority of my crafting time is spent knitting because I can take it anywhere. I crochet much less than I knit, mostly because the things I want to make look better knitted. I crochet where it’s better suited, like when I made these nesting bowls:
I love to cross stitch but at a certain point, there’s only so much room on the walls, y’know? And I love stitching words on aida cloth. So I try not to cross stitch as much as I’d like to.
I like sewing but I’m impatient and rubbish at it. I can pretty much only use rectangles.
I LOVE painting, but I can mostly only draw if I’m copying another picture. I’m pretty boss at that too.
Spinning is fun but I haven’t done it in a while. Too many things to knit.
I have too many paper crafting supplies for the amount I do. If I still got hard copies of photos I would totally scrapbook. But I don’t take that many pictures anyway. I like making cards mostly.
I do a lot of things. I like yarn. And I like fabric and floss and roving and stickers and stamps and scrapbook paper.
Basically, I love to make things.
Soooo I totally spaced yesterday. So today’s post will be from day four of KCBW and I’ll do day five… sometime. Anyway. Today/yesterday’s topic is about seasonal knitting. Basically, do you knit seasonally appropriately?
I think I try. But I live in Virginia:
It’s the truth. So when I finished this hat in November
I really thought I was on the ball and SO READY for winter.
And then winter never happened. We had like three days of winter where it was in the 40s and then it was the 60s for the rest of the “winter”.
Ravelry tells me I finally finished these shorts in mid-March:
Notice how I have tights and a sweater on. Because even though winter never happened and it was officially spring, it was bloody cold that day.
If Virginia had proper seasons, I think I’d knit for them. I finished my Karlsro in September
which should have been just in time for the cooler fall weather. And then there… wasn’t any.
I made my Great Gatsby Dress in July:
and that seems perfectly suitable to July.
Of course I also knit heavy knee high socks in July…
I try. It’s not my fault if the weather’s made up! I think I’ll go to Boston. I hear it’s nice in the summer. Some snow would be nice….. /Augustana
Day two of KCBW Round three! Today’s topic is a photo challenge. Set a scene or a story with a photo. Given that I am crap with photos and didn’t exactly plan ahead (which obviously I should have), I’ll just share the one photo I actually took while on vacation:
Yes, that is a terrible photo of Mr. Smee holding both my in-progress Carousel sock and his nose. I was going for a “hold my sock” photo a la Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and this is what happened instead. I guess that’s what happens when you take pictures with Disney villains. Next year I’ll have to go with a princess. Or some sort of furry character.
I am participating in Knitting and Crochet Blog Week again this year! I have participated for the last two years and it’s a lot of fun. I love meeting new people and new blogs through the tag system. Fortunately, KCBW starts the Monday after I get back from Florida, so I won’t have to worry too much about planning my posts ahead.
If you have a blog, I hope you participate too! Information can be found on eskimimimakes.com. Topics include color, knitting for seasons, and a photography challenge.
In regular knitting news, I have finished all the hexagons, the neckline and 1.5 armbands on my swap Hexagon Petal Tee. I should finish it up in short order but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to post about it. We’re going to the Magic Kingdom tomorrow, MGM/Hollywood Studios on Tuesday and Animal Kingdom on Thursday. It’ll be a busy week but fun I think.
I’m down to the last hexagon on my Hexagon Petal Tee but it’s too bulky to tote around Disney parks, so I started something smaller. I cast on for Clapotis in some recycled merino from a J Crew sweater. I haven’t done too much so far because I’ve been rather engrossed in a book (Insatiable by Meg Cabot, which is basically if Twilight was good), but I’ve got a bit:
I’ve been doing a lot of reading this week. I finished The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire and I’m waiting desperately for my hold on The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest to be available. I’m reading them on my Kindle (which, by the way is amazing and love). I’m also reading the Castle tie-in novels, which are delightful, if transparent. I don’t even care. I am picturing all of the characters as the ones from the show (“Lauren Perry” is OBVIOUSLY Lannie and Ochoa is OBVIOUSLY Espo and that’s who I picture speaking). I finished the first one, Heat Wave, and am about halfway through Naked Heat.
On my reading list for the next couple of weeks is the rest of the Castle books, the Wrinkle in Time trilogy (I think I’ll actually understand them this go round) and the Hunger Games. I really want to get to the Hunger Games, but I bought the ebook trilogy so I’m reading my library books first. Impatiently.
Kind of paused on the X Files because I’m away from my internet, but chatter on that will resume when I get back to it.
So I’ve been working on this top for a WWFY swap. It’s a pretty easy knit once I figured out how to read the dang pattern. It’s going pretty quickly and I intend to make one for myself when I’m finished. Here’s what I got so far:
Here’s what the back looks like:
In life news, I am leaving for Florida tomorrow, where I will be for two weeks. I suspect I’ll get a lot of knitting done but I’m not sure I’ll be able to post as much as I’d like. So there’s that. I have several other things on the needles so I’m sure I’ll have lots of things to show off either while I’m gone or when I get back.
In fandom news, I am about halfway through season three of the X Files and I am LOVING. IT. UST for real, but it’s so good. I’m also about halfway through The Girl Who Played With Fire and I’m really liking that so far too. And yes, I will probably do some X Files crafts at some point. It’s kind of a thing now.
You know, I really don’t mean to go off the radar for weeks at a time. Anyway, I’m working on things. First up, socks:
I frogged the blotchy socks I was working on before (they were coming out too small) and restarted with the Carousel Sock pattern from the latest Knitting. The structure is really interesting and holds my interest for the entire sock. Plus you only have 12 stitches at a time, so that’s nice.
The next project is a Hexagon Petal Tee from the IK Spring 2011 in Tahki Cotton Classic. I’m making it for a WWFY swap except, as I have more than enough time, I received two back issues of IK, Inspired to Knit, and Whimsical Little Knits Two. Because you can never have enough knitting books, right? Right.
I’m sure I will have a full WIP post about this last project if for no other reason than I’ve restarted the damn thing five times. Apparently I have trouble with charts. IDEK.
It looks like this now (plus a few more rounds if I haven’t ripped it all out in frustration/inability to count when you read this):
Oh, and also, I bought a Kindle Fire. It is amazing and I’m currently reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I got through the library. Excite. Also, it’s fantastic for knitting patterns and charts.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 