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It’s getting darkish and I’m in the middle of a bunch of knitting projects, so I’ll show you this sweater my mother found at the thrift for me:
It’s Shetland wool, fingering weight. Pretty sticky cause it’s Shetland, but I bed it would make good outerwear.
I’ll also say that within 12 hours of posting about my sewing machine and mannquin, I had two offers for both. I get rid of some stuff and I get some money woot!
I’ll get back to knitting so I have something more interesting for you tomorrow.
I am Brinn’s utter lack of impulse control.
Went to the thrift yesterday (Thrift Store City if you’re from Hampton Roads. It’s the best thrift basically ever). Because the one thing I need is more yarn, I bought some sweaters (and also a cocktail glass).
An Express merino sweater:
An aran scarf (that is annoyingly knit on a double bed machine)
Aaaaaand four cashmere sweaters:
I am completely incapable of leaving cashmere on the rack. Not sure if I’ll felt or frog it, but ohh, I can’t pass it up. It’s so soft.
I also found this hot mess of fug:
It looks like someone ran over a fox and glued it to a sweater. IDEK.
ETA: Dear Ani: This is for you:
So Monday’s Halloween but people celebrate on the weekend cause they have jobs and stuff. Unfortunately, I’m doing nothing for Halloween. Well, I’ll be knitting. And watching science fiction tv (finishing up Charmed and starting Torchwood next I think). And drinking. Cause I’m a grown up, that’s why.
So I’m bummed that all my friends are three hours away so I have no one to celebrate with. Maybe I’ll wear cat ears and sit on the porch with some candy. Maybe I’ll dress young and go trick or treating. *shrug*
Anyway, things are going slowly on the knitting front because I’ve been volunteering full time. I have substitute orientation on Tuesday, so after that I’ll be actually getting paid for all the work I’ve been doing. Which will be the exact same time commitment but I’ll have some money. Which I’m going to need if I’m going to move next year (and I am).
Here are some things I’m working on:
Lace Ribbons Pullover in mohair for WWFY. Possibly a long-term project.
Fingerless mitts which I’m sure I’ll finish up quickly. Also for WWFY and in EL Silky Wool.
And this sweater. My mother picked it up at the thrift store today for me to unravel, which I’ve started doing. It’s a very loosely spun thick/thin single in a nice blue. Some of it will probably get knit into an Urchin hat, but much of it I think I will attempt to respin into a thinner more even yarn. It’s a ton of yarn as-is and would probably end up as twice as much of an even 2-ply dk. So that’ll be nice.
Do you guys have any plans for Halloween? Tell me in the comments so I can live vicariously through you.
I didn’t go in to my volunteer gig today so I could get some work done for my occasional paid employment (shit I sell on Etsy). I’ve almost finished up a pair of shark mittens and I dyed up some wool for additional mittens and spats.
I just used black RIT dye in a bucket in the sink. I did four skeins then took them out to dry:
It’s damp outside so they’re on the kitchen table until my parents yell, in which case I’ll just hang them up in the shower or something.
All the yarn I dyed was recycled from thrift store sweaters, mainly from the Goodwill Outlet. I actually (or, well, my mother) found the RIT dye at the thrift too. I also used some leftover Dylon dye I’ve had for a bit. I probably paid less than $5 for the yarn, so it was a lot cheaper than buying WotA for mittens.
Because it’s so cheap to whip up, I’m considering offering kits for the mittens and spats. I’m not sure if people will be put-off because it’s recycled yarn and because it doesn’t have a “brand name”, but it’s just an idea. I’m not sure how much people charge for kits anyway. And I’d have to print up patterns. But I’d definitely appreciate another revenue stream.
Anyway, next time on Stitch, Brinn Stitch: Finished shark mittens. Maybe some spats (I forgot to photograph the last two pairs I made). Possibly Karlsro progress (it isn’t much, but I’ve been sneaking in stitches here and there).
So, before we get to the FO: Bad news, bears. I did not get the job I was hoping for. Good news: More time for crafting and therefore blog posting. Bad news: My only income is my Rav pattern store and my Etsy store (so like, buy my shit please). Good news: The intent to move up to Fairfax with my boyfriend is back and stronger than ever. Bad news: Not sure who’d hire me for less than a year since Joe’s planning to go to grad school next year.
Anyway, that’s enough good news/bad news.
Pattern: Box 96 Pullover from IK Summer 2010
Yarn: Recycled 60/40 cotton/acrylic sportish weight.
Needles: US 5/3.75 mm KP Options (I seriously love these needles)
Mods: Removed the roll brim in favor of garter sleeve bands. Crocheted the lace bits to the sweater. I didn’t knit the roll edging at the bottom but started right in on the decreases. It’s stocinette, so it rolls, but not much. And I still might do a row or two of sc along the bottom.
So I totally fell in love with this vest when IK Summer 2010 came out. It stuck in my brain. I eventually got the magazine from someone on Ravelry and have just now gotten around to making the vest. And I love it. I totally love it. The V is a bit deeper than anticipated, so I have to wear a tank under it if I wear it as a shirt.
It did come out a titch too big because I steam blocked it and there’s a substantial acrylic content. It’s got a lot of cotton too, so I think a spin through the washer and dryer should shrink it up a bit. And it does fit as is, I just might have to wear a belt as styled.
I can never remember whether I’ve told you about the 12 sweaters/12 months challenge I participate in on Ravelry (the group is here, but this marks number nine fr the year. I frogged a couple I made (some Leah versions), but I still made them, so I’m right on track for knitting 12 sweaters this year. Also, not all of them were for me.
I’ve pulled out the yarn, needles, and pattern book for Karlsro, a wrap sweater from Noro Book One. I knit a version for a WWFY swap and I rather liked the pattern, so I’m starting one for myself in a brown recycled wool. Y’know, once I finish all the shark mittens. : )
So the other day I did a bunch of sewing. Like, a LOT of sewing. I think I mentioned a while ago that I was working on a t-shirt quilt with all the shirts I got at UMW. I set up my sewing machine and got to work. First I sewed the strips of squares into a finished top:
Then I sewed the backing on, which is a sheet I got from the thrift. It was a challenge, considering the sheet was waaaaaaay bigger than the top (I used a King and a Full or Queen would have been more than sufficient):
Finally, I top-stitched around the outside and in the ditch of all the squares (for which I had to refill my bobbin three times). And of course, hassled my brother into holding it for the picture:
It’s a little wonky and a little puckery (sewing knits onto wovens is… difficult), but OH I love it. I made a t-shirt quilt a couple of years ago but didn’t bother to actually quilt it and it makes a huge difference. LOVE. I didn’t bother to include batting (didn’t have any), so it’s a pretty light blanket (basically two sheets), but I love it and it is great. : )
Incidentally, I just yesterday ran into a tut on a blog (I forget where exactly) about quilting without binding. Apparently some people were like, “This is a cool new thing!” and I’m like, “…I don’t like to sew binding.” So yeah. I guess I’m right on trend with my miles of top stitching. : )
*awkwardly shuffles to the front*
*taps mic*
Hello?
Well, it’s certainly been a while, huh? Two and a half weeks. Do I even have readers left?
I know it can be irritating to read posts that are just apologies for not posting, so I’ll keep it brief: As I mentioned before, I spent some time in DC and then I spent some time in the hospital (I’m fine now, it was a mental health thing). I just got back to Virginia Beach yesterday and spent most of the day cleaning.
I haven’t been doing a whole lot of knitting, but I’ve sort of been working on the first of a pair of Skew socks:
I also did/am doing some unravelling:
(A 60/40 cotton/acrylic with horrible seams)
(lambswool/angora/nylon)
(wool/nylon)
Oh, also, while I was in DC, I visited a yarn store (Knit and Stitch = Bliss in Bethesda) and purchased a skein of Malabrigo worsted in Noviembre:
So I’ll go back to the knitting and then I’ll get back to the posting. : )
I made some things for a swap. They are not particularly ground-breaking, but I quite like how they turned out. : ) I claimed Craftster user SciFunk for felted nesting bowls and something else I had yet to determine. Here are the felted bowls:
I used Lamb’s Pride, Lion Wool, and some orange wool (I think Cascade 220?). And another color of Cascade 220. I like making these little bowls. They’re super quick and a great way to use up small bits of wool. Crochet a bowl, throw in the washer and dryer and hit it with some steam and an ironing and you have cute bowls.
After much dithering and pouring over SciFunk’s list, I finally decided what else to make for her. Dog toys was on her list, so I whipped up three rope toys:
I used strips of t-shirt fabric from some left-over sleeves (from the university shirt-quilt I’m making and will show pictures of eventually). Cut off the hem, cut the sleeve open, and cut across for a straight strip. Tie a knot in the top, braid, and tie a knot in the bottom. Voila!
The thicker ones used both sleeves of each shirt (so there were six strips) and the thinner one used one sleeve (three strips). They took about 10 minutes to make all of them and that’s only because the bottom knots in the thicker ones were a little difficult to tie. If my dog actually enjoyed this sort of thing, I’d make some for him, but he doesn’t.
I did, you know. That’s the only explanation for why I’ve taken up card making in earnest. It all started with these books I got out of the library. Cardmaking books. About card making.
And it was all downhill from there. I gathered as many supplies as I could find in my house: Construction paper, elmer’s glue, ribbon, a magazine, scissors, fabric glue, buttons, and water colors. Plus these books I got at a sale at the Fredericksburg library, one in German and on in French. At the time, I figured they’d be useful in some sort of papercraft. Anyway, I spend several hours with the supplies and the books, and this is what I came up with:
My favorite is definitely the one with the pink bow and the panties (or I guess it could be bathing suit bottoms), but I am really quite fond of the wine glasses too. They’re not perfect by any means, and I am definitely more crafty than artsy, but I rather like them. I would prefer to use cardstock and I would eventually like to get better supplies/better quality so I can sell them in my artfire shop (in the sidebar). At the moment, I’ll work on my technique and use them for friends and for swap packages. These are definitely a lot prettier than a sheet of notebook paper. : ) Also, I’ll include a note that they can just glue a sheet of white paper over my note to reuse the card. Eco-friendly! I mean, they are already because of the books and the magazines, but still.
In knitting news: Climbing Vines is DONE and all sewn together. Pictures soon. I also just finished a tank top out of Cascade Sierra, so that’s coming also.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 