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Sorry for the accidental week-long radio silence, people! I am currently in DC, as I mentioned last time, and haven’t gotten to the computer as much as usual. I’d have vacation-type photos to show you, except this week has been extremely relaxing–the vast majority of it has been spent curled up with the boyfriend and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (to which, I might add, I am totally and completely hooked. Damn you, Joss Whedon!). I’ve also, rather uncharacteristically, not been doing as much knitting as I usually would (I am oddly content to simply curl up on the couch with the show instead of needing something to do with my hands as I usually do).
I have been knitting though. The lace ribbon scarf I’ve been working on is nearing completion and looks like this:
It’s approximately five feet tall (I lay down on the floor next to it and was almost the same length) and the remaining yarn ball is about the size of a small plum. So almost done then.
I also started a pair of socks in the car on the way up to DC:
The pattern is Wendy Johnson’s Dainty Anklets (from Toe Up Socks for Every Body), but obviously sized up to fit my feet. I haven’t really been working on them because I’ve been working on the scarf (also the not really knitting thing mentioned above). I suspect I’ll be focusing on them more soon anyway since I’m taking the train home from DC so that’s four or five hours of knitting time.
I’ll be home sometime on Monday evening, and after that, the posting schedule will return to somewhat normal.
Greetings, once again, from DC!
On Wednesday, while discussing with my family what we were planning to do in DC over the couple of days we would be here, the following exchange took place:
Mother: “We should go in the Capitol building!”
Me: “…Okay.”
Mother: “If we go in the Capitol, you can’t bring your knitting needles.”
Me: “…Then we can’t go.”
Mother: “They have lockers in the Natural History Museum. We can leave our stuff there.”
Me: “…If I can’t bring knitting, I do not want to go.”
We did not end up going into the Capitol building.
This is because we missed our reservation while searching for the Vienna metro station, but still. I feel like I’ve won that particular battle.
We did do other things though. My sister, brother, mother and I drove up early Thursday morning (we left the house at like, five am) for my sister’s college orientation. We dropped her off and my brother, mother and I traipsed about the city even though it was about 100 degrees (no exaggeration). We visited the Library of Congress:
and the zoo
and I took a picture of the Capitol:
And we also went to the Hirshorn museum of modern art, Eastern Market, Stitch DC, and the American History museum. I didn’t really take a lot of pictures while we were out. I did do a fair bit of knitting though. I knitted in the car on the way to DC (unfortunately, I have a difficult time sleeping in the car, even if it is five-thirty in the morning), on the metro, and while waiting for various things around town. The scarf I’m knitting (which I believe I mentioned in a previous post) now looks like this:
It’s still got a ways to go (I’m knitting a whole ball of Malabrigo lace), but the pattern is really simple and it’s motoring right along.
So I received in the mail today possibly the most awesome knitting-related thing ever:
It’s a book of stuffed dinosaur patterns. AND THEY ARE AWESOME. It includes a pattern for a 15-inch high Parasaurolophus:
I discovered the booklet while browsing for stuffed animal patterns to make for Sarah for her cousin. I put out a quick note on the ISO/Destash books forum and within a couple hours, I had a reply from someone who had a copy, so I bought it from them. And, to reiterate, it is AWESOME. Much dino knitting will be happening.
In other news, I’ve been knitting. As I mentioned before, I finished the first Lakeside sock:
I also started another swap project, a Ribbon Lace Scarf in Malabrigo Lace (which is hella soft and wonderful):
I’m also working on stuff for another swap, but I’ll tell you about that when it’s all finished. : )
I finished my handspun Swallowtail!
Pattern: Swallowtail by Evelyn Clark
Yarn: My handspun superwash merino. Pretty.
Needles: US 4/3.75 mm Knit Picks Options circ
Mods: 19 Budding Lace repeats.
I love this thing, guys. It’s wonderful. It’s soft and light and warm and I SPUN THE YARN. I love this pattern (this is my second, and I don’t really repeat patterns often), and I love the yarn. The colors are gorgeous, and they worked really well with the pattern, which sort of surprised me since I knew it was going to stripe. But it worked out so well.
WONDERFUL. I really love it. It’s the perfect light layer when my arms are a little cool and it’s SO PRETTY.
Okay, I am going to stop gushing now.
Coming soon: swap things (Tuesday probably) and some fiber. I’m also knitting swap things, but I’ll probably post those all at once. Oh, and I’m starting a new sweater. More on that later. : )
In case you were wondering, it is extremely difficult to block a full-length scarf in a dorm room. Just a PSA for your consideration. Still it worked out alright:
Pattern: Saroyan, by Liz Abinante (free Ravelry download)
Yarn: My own handspun BFL!
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm
Mods: Did seven increase repeats, six decrease repeats (yeah, I’m not sure how that worked out either) and 12 straight repeats.
When I started the scarf, I was worried the yarn was too fuzzy and the pattern wouldn’t show up clearly. This was true in the beginning, sort of, because my spinning hadn’t been very even. As the yarn got better, the pattern showed up better, so yay. I’m glad I persevered. It’s super pretty and the pattern is great.
The yarn is also great. Cause I spun it! It’s a little rough/ropey in places where I over plied and over spun, but a nice bath evened most of that out and the BFL is soft enough in most places anyway.
Here are some pretty detail shots:
In other knitting news, I’m fixing to have a couple more small things to show off soon. I claimed for another round of OWS for amigurumi and wrist warmers, so that’s happening. Plus the things I was claimed for.
Also, here’s what’s happening on the Ravelympics sweater:
(Yes, I’m watching the Ravelympics Radar. On my pretty pretty Mac.)
Yeah, I’m so getting gold.
Knitting that is. I’ve done few commissions over the last couple of weeks:
Bufanda Del Diablo
Pattern: It’s garter stitch. Seriously.
Yarn: Lion Brand Fancy Fur in “Bold Black”. Three skeins.
Needles: US 15/10 mm
So, yes, Bufada Del Diablo. The Devil’s Scarf. A, novelty yarn. B, two strands. C, apparently the two skeins I had in my stash weren’t enough, so I literally drove all around town today trying to hunt down more. I tried Dollar Tree, Big Lots, Michael’s, and two different Tuesday Mornings before I found a skein in a clearance bin in AC Moore. BAH.
Anyway, this scarf is for one of my mother’s friends at work. She’s paying me for it, so it’s not like I just make scarves and run all over town for random people my mother knows. I am giving her a cut rate deal though, mostly cause it helped get the damn yarn out of my stash.
Next:
Pattern: My own Shark mittens
Yarn: Cascade Eco and Ella Rae
Needles: US 6/4 mm and US 7/4.5 mm
These mittens are for a girl I know at school. I was in the post office at school before break, and I had my mittens on cause it was cold. She complimented them and asked where I got them. When I told her I made them, she asked if I do commissions. And I most certainly do. : )
Next:
Pattern: My Tissue Cozy.
Yarn: Lily Sugar ‘N’ Cream in Hot Pink, Strawberry, and Playtime
Needles: US 6/4 mm
I don’t actually have a recipient in mind for these, as I’m putting them up for sale on my Etsy and my Artfire. Or, I will. At some point. Yeah.
And last but not least, this cowl:
Pattern: None. It’s a garter stitch rectangle with buttons and button holes.
Yarn: A strand of vintage wool and a strand of acrylic
Needles: Uh… US 9 or 10? I don’t remember.
A big, chunky cowl to keep you warm for winter. : ) The buttons are hand-made by me out of Fimo (or similar brand; I don’t recall) clay. It’s super cozy, and I’d keep it for myself but I can only use so many cowls, ya know? Available on Etsy or Artfire.
This post has been a long time in coming. FINALLY, this is the super secret knitting patten I’ve been talking about since probably July.
Pattern: Counterpoint by Jennifer Crawford, available as a free Ravelry download
Yarn: Plymouth Encore, one skein of each black and white
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm straights, probably from a garage sale
Modifications: Went up a needle size because I didn’t want the scarf to be too difficult/uncomfortable to wear. Other than that, knit as written. I think I got 6.5 octaves.
Now, I’ve knit some fairly complicated things in my knitting history. I’ve done cables and lace, sweaters with shaping, fiddly gloves, and I’ve used teeeny little yarn and fairly small needles. I’ve done color work and entrelac and all sorts of sewing up. All of this absolutely pales in comparison to this scarf, which is absolutely the coolest thing I’ve ever knit. Now, I’m sure illusion knitting is old hat to many knitters, but I don’t care. This scarf probably took me twice as long to knit as it should have, simply because I couldn’t stop admiring it long enough to just knit the damn thing. It’s beautiful and wonderful and cool.
This has been fairly long in the planning. About a year ago, I was browsing Ravelry with my boyfriend in the room, and he thought this pattern was super cool. I’d made him a scarf for his birthday last year, but it was a pretty plain cabled scarf is Bernat Satin Soft – lovely, but nowhere near as nice as this particular pattern. I kept it in the back of my mind and didn’t actually buy the yarn until July. I started knitting in August, working on it off and on in between other projects, both on deadline and just because I wanted something different.
I will say that there was a significant learning curve to getting comfortable with illusion knitting. I couldn’t knit a stitch without the chart and I had no idea which knits or purls were doing what and what was creating that super cool patterns.
Then, all of a sudden, I got it. And now I’m fairly confident I could design my own illusion-knitted garment (though I find they’re mostly confined to scarves and dishcloths) fairly easily. My advice for those just starting illusion knitting, I would say to keep at it until it clicks. Because it will click. It just takes a little work first.
Okay, so maybe I lied. Turns out I figured how to gain internet access, and that means you all get an early post! Whoo! Anyway, as I said, knitting has been happening:
(Sorry for ridiculous edited photos. The second one (the next one after this) has the most accurate color.)
Pattern: It’s a triangle with eyelets. Do you really need a pattern?
Yarn: Combo yarn I got in a swap. I believe it’s silk and cotton.
Needles: US 10/6 mm Knit Picks Options circular
(This is the most accurate shot of color.)
This came out exactly how I wanted it too: large and warm. It’s a lovely scarf. It’s cotton, so it’s not the best fiber for winter, but until I get around to knitting a wool triangle scarf, this will do. Plus I love the yarn. The light green strand, the silk, is shiny and soft and the cottons are nice too. The tweed bits are interesting (though I think I’d have preferred to leave them out).
So what else is going on? Well, Ongoing Wish Swap is happening. I’m expecting two packages hopefully in the next two weeks, otherwise I’ll have to wait until I get back to school after winter break. I’ve also finished a hat, which I’ll hopefully post on Monday. I’m also working on a pair of vanilla socks, as I mentioned yesterday, I think, and those will probably show up on Wednesday. After the socks, there might be another break in posting as it’s the last two weeks of the semester starting Monday (a week of classes and then a week of finals), and I have a ton of schoolwork to finish in that time. But I’ll give you a better update then. Stay tuned!
Once again, I have multiple works in progress on the needles. I usually prefer to only have one at a time, but one will take a while and is less than thrilling to knit (the super secret project), one is almost done, and one I started (once again) so I’d have something to knit at Busch Gardens.
I can’t show you pictures of the super secret project, but here are the other two:
A pair of shorts because I felt like knitting shorts. I have very few shorts beause I can never find any that fit. : ( These are almost done.
I also started a light weight lace scarf in a yummy alpaca yarn in a lovely maroon color. I bought it at the Knitting Corner, another yarn store in Virginia Beach that I hadn’t been to before this summer.
Like I said, the shorts are almost done, so look for an FO post about that soon. I also have inchies and a swap coming up, so stay tuned!
Another triangle scarf, because I like them.
Specs:
Pattern: None, it’s just a big triangle with some yo’s.
Yarn: Bernat Satin Sport in Seashore (love the color, not a big fan of the yarn)
Needles: US 6/4 mm
(More pics on this projects Ravelry Page
It’s basically a huge triangle of stockinette and I got bored, so I cast off a little too soon (because I’m project monogamous, so I couldn’t just start a new one). I still have about half a ball of the yarn left and the scarf is a wee bit too small, but it works and I rather like it anyway. It’s acrylic, so that was no fun, and the yarn was really splitty, so I had to pay attention and it wasn’t quite the mindless knit I had in mind.
Also, this was my first time using yarn thinner than worsted. I still prefer worsted and above, though the sport wasn’t too bad and it’s really more of a dk weight anyway. I ordered some fingering when I ordered from KP, but that will get turned into lace (or possibly Clapotis) so it won’t be too bad. I like knitting lace and it will be sufficiently complicated to keep me entertained.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 