i dream of knitting

something with a bow

2010-10-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

it turns out, i can knit a lot of garter-stitch while walking around OSH. two OSH workers commented on my ability to perform my hobby while living out my "normal" life.

i originally bought this yarn to make some cute kind of anthropologie-esque vest. after ripping this "anthropologie-esque vest" out 4 times, i realized this yarn wanted to be something else. it wanted to be something easy. something cute. something with a bow.

voilá!

quick, simple, fun and fantastic.

Yarn: wool-ease worsted weight yarn in "Sienna"
Needles: US 8
Pattern: my own: CO 16 stitches. knit garter stitch for about 2 feet or as long as desired. BO all sts. tie the garter stitch strip into a bow and sew the CO and BO ends together. use a bit of yarn to tie down the bow to the headband portion if the bow sticks out too much.

loves it.

The Lost Year

2010-08-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

it's been nearly a year since my last post. (i'm alive)

see, last year was my first year as a full-time high school science teacher. it was insane, fantastic, and immensely time consuming. i was THE science teacher at a 7-12 school and i had a 45 minute commute each way, which meant there was little time left for anything else.

this year, however, i am teaching science at Inspire School of Arts and Sciences in Chico. i still don't have much free time, but i WILL be getting creative again. In the spring semester i teach an elective class that i'm calling "fiber arts." it's an introductory class covering knitting, crocheting, hand sewing, machine sewing, weaving and dyeing. seriously. i know; pinch me, i must be dreaming.

the students at this school are refreshingly clever, creative, and inventive. they all seem desperate to set themselves apart and be unique; but in that endeavor they are a family. it almost feels like the "misfits" crew from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. basically, they're awesome.

they've inspired me.

i hope to get inspired enough to make some new patterns in the future. for now, here's the missing year in pictures (many things were knit but i didn't get the chance to photograph them. bummer.)

baby "moc-a-soc" for a friend's baby boy (i made two...naturally)

checkered baby blanket for another friend's new baby boy

wisteria scarf from twinkle weekend knits, twinkle yarn in baby pink (2 skeins)

chunky cowl. plymouth baby alpaca, 1 skein, stockinette in the round on size US 15

"Jane" by Jane Richmond. I lost the yarn band...but it's wool. also made it in yellow like the original pattern for a friend, but i didn't get a photo.

Butterfly Beret Pattern - FREE!

2009-09-07T16:29:00.001-07:00

Butterfly Beret
By Rachel Iufer

Special thanks to Katie Blackman for modeling!

Gauge:
22 sts to 4 inches, 30 rows to 4 inches in stockinette

Materials:
Rowan Felted Tweed (191 yds) 1 ball. Shown in green (avocado 161) and purple (sigh 148)

US 4 (3.5mm) 16” circular needle
US5 (3.75mm) 16” circular needle and double pointed needles

Stitch markers

Tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques:
Knit, purl, increase, decrease, knitting in the round, I-cord, bind off

Terms:
k2tog: knit two stitches together as one
ssk: slip two stitches knitwise. Insert the left needle into the front of the two slipped stitches and knit them together as one.
M1: Insert the tip of the left needle from front to back into the bar between the stitch that was just knit and the next stitch on the left needle. Knit into the back of the bar to twist and close the hole. 1 stitch increased.
Butterfly stitch: Take the RH needle and scoop up the 5 strands from bottom to top, knit one stitch and with the stitch on the RH needle pull the stitch loop down underneath the 5 strands and over the top creating an elongated stitch that gathers the 5 strands slightly.
Butterfly pattern:
Rows 1,3,5,7,9: *knit 5, bring the yarn to the front and slip 5 stitches purlwise, bring the yarn to the back* rep form
Rows 2,4,6,8: knit all stitches
Row 10: *knit 7, butterfly stitch* rep form
Rows 11,13,15,17,19: *bring the yarn to the front and slip 5 stitches purlwise, bring the yarn to the back, knit 5* rep form
Rows 12,14,16,18: knit all stitches
Row 20: *knit 2, butterfly stitch, knit 7* rep form
wyif: with yarn in front
bytb: bring yarn to back
PM: place marker
sl: slip the stitches purlwise
SM: slip marker

Pattern:

With smaller needles, cast on 92 stitches. Place marker and join in the round.
Work in k1,p1 rib for 1 inch, or approximately 7 rows.

Switch to larger circular needles.
Increase row: *k1, M1* 2 times, [k2, M1] 44 times, *k1, M1* two times. 140 stitches.
Rw 1-60: work butterfly stitch repeat 3 times over the next 60 rows.

Begin decreases (move to double points when needed):
Next Round: *wyif sl5, bytb, k2tog, PM, k1, ssk, wyif sl5, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (126 sts)
Rnd 2: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 3: *wyif sl 4, bytb, k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif, sl 4, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (112 sts)
Rnd 4: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 5: *wyif sl 3, bytb, k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif, sl 3, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (98 sts)
Rnd 6: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 7: *wyif sl 2, bytb, k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif, sl 2, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (84 sts)
Rnd 8: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 9: *wyif sl 1, bytb, k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif, sl 1, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (70 sts)
Rnd 10: *butterfly stitch, k1, SM, k2, butterfly stitch, k5* 7 times
Rnd 11:* k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif sl5, bytb* around
Rnd 12: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 13: k1 *SM, K1, SSK, wyif sl 3, bytb, k2tog * at the last stitch k2tog with the first stitch of the next round
Rnd 14: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 15: k *SM, k1, SSK, wyif sl 1, bytb, k2tog around until last k2tog use the first stitch of the next round
Rnd 16: *SM, k2, butterfly stitch the the strands, k1* repeat until the end of the round ending on the butterfly stitch
Rnd 17: K1, *sm, SSK, k2tog* until the end, use the first stitch of the next round for the last k2tog
Rnd 18: knit all stitches and remove all markers
Rnd 19: k2tog around (7sts remain)
Rnd 20-21: k2tog 3 times, k1 (4 sts)
Rnd 21-23: k around (i-cord)
Rnd 24: k2tog, k3tog.
Pull yarn through loops and weave the end in securely.

Weave in all ends.

Blocking makes a difference! I use a plate and the steam of my iron to block my hats. They stretch and get fuzzy with wear (especially if you wear them in the rain. The green hat is a year old and the purple is fresh off the needles)

Enjoy!

added note on size:
The original pattern leaves a wide hat brim. If you find it to be too loose, you can cast on only 80 stitches and increase to 140 stitches by increasing as *K1, M1, K2, M1, K1, M1* around.

Long Time No Blog...

2009-07-23T00:40:00.000-07:00

it seems that getting my credential and becoming a real science teacher proved to be more time consuming than i thought. oh, that's right folks, i'm the real-deal now (and i have the job to prove it!)

i have been knitting since my last post (oh my, almost a year). i'll post a few things that i have photos of now. also, i'm currently in England on a fantastic trip with my wonderful mother! (more on that later)

here are some knitterly things:

specs:
pattern: ribbon lace scarf from knitty.com
yarn: malabrigo sock chocolate brown, one skein
needles: US 3
mods: none
verdict: my favorite scarf yet :)

specs:
pattern: just enough ruffles by cosmicpluto (pattern on ravelry for small $)
yarn: malabrigo silky merino (forgot the color) 2 skeins
needles: size 9 circs
mods: different yarn, but it gave the scarf a flowing texture that was awesome!
made for: my good friend katie, who lived in istanbul at the time
verdict: fabulous

this is just in the works, from vogue magazine a while back...i'll finish it someday...probably....maybe...

PATTERN UPDATE: butterfly beret
I've been making a few more butterfly berets so that i can tidy up my pattern notes (the decreases are very particular) and i'm hoping to have a (free!!!) pattern up on the blog soon (don't ask me what that means....gosh, a month maybe?) keep checking.

well, i'm about to go to bed in the town of Fowey in Cornwall, England. can i just say this place is GORGEOUS! wowee. pics of the trip to come!!!

cute, tiny IGK

2008-09-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

IGK: instant gratification knitting

i needed it badly.

the gifted purple sweater was made just in time for my cousin Lucy's 1st birthday. She looks smashing in purple.

This short sleeved wrap sweater has a fun picot edge around the neck that i just adore. it ties around the back too. Lulu is a fabulous model on her toy car.

just plain CUTE (the sweater's not bad either)

specs:
Pattern: Polly by Martin Storey (RYC book)
Yarn: RYC cashsoft DK
Needles: US 3,6
mods: none
verdict: loves it

I also made a quick clutch for my friend Coco (she's trading with me, i send her knitting, she sends me homemade jam)

i freaking love buttons

and a magnetic snap closure (pretty sweet invention, i do declare)

Specs:
pattern: my own (its a rectangle with a hem.)
yarn: mission cotton 1824 in rust
needles: US 6
verdict: loves it

IGK was completely necessary for me. I have some long term projects that have had to wait on the back burner because of my busy schedule. Getting a teaching credential is the most ridiculous process. with all the work i'm made to do (with out pay) and classes i have to take you'd think that teachers make a million dollars a year or something. Don't get me wrong, i love it so much. it's rewarding and fun, but it's also very hard and draining. finding time to knit can be a challenge. i'll definitely have to minimize my christmas knitting this year (or just make really tiny projects)

these two projects turned out great, and i'm very pleased with them! :)

give it a spin

2008-08-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

so i've been knitting sweaters lately (both in purple). one is for me and one is going to be a gift. I'm knitting "flo" by kim hargreaves and i love it!

the knitting is really very boring. the fun bit happens at the end when i'll add mohair ruffles to the front of the cardigan.

the gift sweater is coming along nicely. more on that later, but here's a peek.

my brother recently came back from a long europe trip, and while he was in denmark he picked out some yarn for me. he surfed knitting blogs to find a yarn shop and did and EXCELLENT job picking out the yarn

it's 70% angora, 10% wool and 20% polymide. this stuff is SOFT and the color is gorgeous (green is my favorite. good job little brother!)

i also decided that i needed to give spinning a try (not that i need another reason to increase my yarn stash). inspired by my little bit of yarn spinning in nazareth, i bought some wool fiber (louet) and got a new drop spindle and went to town.

i'm actually not sure what i'm supposed to do once i have too much on the spindle. how do i make room for more? i have a book on this, but i'm too lazy to find the book. i think the yarn looks pretty :) ooooohhhh colors.....

do you ever get hung up on a certain color? i really like purple right now. i'm not sure how long this will last. maybe just one more sweater....

across the pond (part 2) ISRAEL

2008-07-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

i can still hardly believe i was in the holy land. there was SO much to see and we saw it all (sorta) here is just a taste...

King Herod's swimming pool at Ceasarea

Har Megiddo aka Armageddon

A nap on the Sea of Galilee (i can see why jesus took a nap here too)

a piece of the synagogue built by the Roman centurion (Luke 7:1-10)

Spinning yarn in Nazareth

Dome of the Rock, Mount Moriah

2000+ year old olive tree in Gethsemane

knitting in the car after a spa day in the Dead Sea. (two floats and a body mud mask!)

The western wall

entrance to the garden tomb (possible 3 day tomb of jesus)

husband and wife in front of the church of the nativity, Bethlehem

There are many more places that we saw and a lot more photos you can see here
The trip was incredible. i will never forget it!

across the pond (part 1)

2008-07-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

For half of June and part of July the hubby and i were across the pond in London and also in Israel. wow, what a trip. here are some highlights of London:

The Orangery, Kensington Gardens (the hubby thinks those are kumquats but i'm convinced they just bonsai-ed some orange trees)

Picadilly Circus (Times Square may have come second, but it pwns picadilly)

Big Ben. A Big Bus tour guide said that Ben is short for Benjamin (naturally) and that we're lucky he wasn't named Big Richard. guffaw.

The London Eye. So much cooler than it seems. it seats 25 people per pod and goes twice the speed of a clock minute hand (ie it takes 30 minutes to go round)

This sign was posted in so many places and yet, i still have no idea what it's trying to say. even the Top Gear guys have made fun of this sign. good ole British bureaucracy for you.

London was loads of fun. we went to two museums and had a pint or two at a pub (or two). i want to go to England again, but this time to see the famous countryside.

next time on blogland: Israel!

butterfly beret (i'm alive)

2008-06-02T09:25:00.001-07:00

sorry for the long absence (especially for you, Grandma) but things have been so hectic lately. college is out for summer and this is the last week of school at the high school. i will finally have time to knit!

during the last tedious weeks of college classes i made this little green beret. I haven't had time to photograph it until today!

I'm calling it the butterfly beret because i used the butterfly stitch (which i greatly enjoyed knitting).

(also, i got a new hair cut)

i added this little nub to the end of the beret. it is excessively diverting. berets with nubs are my new favorite thing.

Specs:
Yarn: rowan felted tweed
needles: US 4 and 5 circs, US 5 dpns
pattern: butterfly beret (my own)

if there's any interest for a pattern, let me know. i'll have to knit up another one to recall the decreases and whatnot, but i may be able to do it.

slow going

2008-04-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

i haven't posted in a while but i haven't done much knitting either. student-teaching has usurped the majority of my time. knitting has sadly fallen to the wayside. i did manage to squeeze these little fetching mitts out during some spare time.

of course these were finished just in time for a heat wave. figures.

i did manage to get crafty with some epoxy, beads and wire and made a necklace!

this one is for my friend who loves giraffes (quite possibly a compensation for her short stature). I'll be mailing it to her soon.

gathered pullover debut

2008-03-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

It's finished!

doesn't this look like a casual senior portrait pose?

extra fabric in the back

why so serious? i think the sun was in my eyes.

Project specs:
pattern: gathered pullover by hana jason interweave knits winter 2007
yarn: brown sheep top of the lamb sport in "appletree" 7 skeins
needles: US 7
size: 36.5
mods: short row shaping and three needle bind off at the shoulders. omitted the increases and decreases over the bust near the cabled section.

verdict: meh. it's ok.

i was really disappointed with how this sweater came out at first. There was way more ease in the garment than i had originally planned for. the shoulders like to fall down into some sort of flashdance-esque bra display that i'm not into. in the photo i have the sweater safety pinned to the gray undershirt in four places around the shoulder and it's still slouchy. i got a few complements from some people in my college classes which made me realize that it's not a bad sweater, it's just not what i was originally going for.

did you notice the weird color faded stripe in the middle? i didn't notice it until the sweater was nearly done. some kind of freak yarn dyeing fluke. it's not in a terrible spot, but it annoys me a little bit.

all in all it was a quick, enjoyable knit with sizing errors on my part. i still love the color of the yarn. yum yum.

WIPs and stash update

2008-02-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

The gathered pullover has been somewhat neglected. I'm a student teacher now and so many things are competing for my time that i've only been able to knit a few rows here or there. i finished the fronts and i'm nearly done with the back, so there is some progress.

i still love this sweater. even though my dogs knocked my frappuccino over and got drops of sticky coffee/sugar/crap all over the sweater and the yarn. good thing yarn is washable.

i also started the baudelaire sock because i desperately needed a portable knit since my chevron scarf and the gathered pullover are too large and cumbersome to carry everywhere. the sock got a lot of questions from curious onlookers at school.

Sample conversation:
Stranger:"what in the world are you doing with all those sticks?"
Me: "i'm knitting a sock"
S: "for a baby?"
M: "no, for me."
S: *quizzical look*
M: "it starts out small at the toe, and then it gets bigger"
S: "oh...so you're making individual toes?"
M: "no, i'm...well, ask me again next week and you'll see."

the sock is making much more sense now, and hopefully that person will see what i was doing in those early figure-eight-cast-on stages.

i also bought this freaking fantastic yarn online: noro kureyon sock in color 188

drool.

gathered pullover

2008-01-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

I received the perfect amount of yarn in the perfect color for the gathered pullover at Christmas. The yarn (brown sheep "top of the lamb")that it calls for is super well priced so i was curious to find out if it was as itchy as its cousin, brown sheep "lambs pride." i was very pleasantly surprised to find that it is no where near as itchy, likely due to the fact that it is mohair free. it's just 100% wool. wool has the kind of regular itchiness that i don't mind, but the little random pokes from mohair really get to me.

so here is the gathered pullover thus far.

it rolls a lot. a lot. a formal blocking will be necessary on this sweater. i'm soooo in love with that little braid/knot/cable in the center! it was fun to knit and actually got my husband to say "wow, that's impressive"

i know.

the color "appletree" is probably my favorite part of this sweater right now. every time i pick up the sweater to knit i'm like "wow, i love this color" it's a lovely green with a nice bit of blue hue in it and it's so. pretty.

right now i'm singing the praises of this lovely sweater, but i haven't tried it on, and i'm beginning to wonder if maybe it's coming out a little...large? we'll find out soon enough...

i'm a winner! (and an FO update)

2008-01-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

the fabulous tiennie of tienneknits fame gave out tons of prizes and i won one of them!!! what an exciting treat. Is there anything more fun than receiving packages?

this was the lovely prize yarn inside:

Knittery sock yarn in "wildflowers" 70% merino 10% cashmere 20% nylon

THANKS TIENNE!!!

now as you may recall, i was frantically knitting a shawl and the cobblestone in the hopes to finish them in time for christmas morning. the shawl was finished with time to spare!

Shetland triangle, laines du nord mulberry silk, 4 balls, size US8 circs

The cobblestone was not finished in time for Christmas but it was finished before NEXT Christmas which is a new accomplishment for me.

a very successful sweater

Specs:
Pattern: Cobblestone by Jared Flood
Yarn: Queensland Collection Kathmadu aran in dark brown
Needles: US 7 circs
size: smallest size
Mods: i made the sleeves and body longer than the suggested measurements because my husband is thin, but very tall

the husband is concerned that the neck opening is too large, so i will add some elastic to see if that makes it better. if not, i may need to add a few rows and decrease a few more stitches...we'll see. anyway, i'm super duper happy with how the sweater turned out and the husband is very pleased with the sweater as well!

as fast as i can

2007-12-22T16:19:00.001-08:00

4 days left—it's crunch time

2007-12-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

oh crap oh crap oh crap on a crap cracker (ten points if you can name that quote)

i can't believe it's December 20th. i swear i thought i had at least a week left to finish my knits. i have the body to the armscye and one sleeve done on the cobblestone sweater and only about a third of the shawl finished:

both of these items need time for blocking and wrapping up. i did however finish a pair of house socks:

it's gonna be a late night on dec. 24th.

you know you're a knitter when...

2007-12-06T13:51:00.001-08:00

you see a movie and all you remember is how many knits there were.

was the movie good? um. i don't know, but there was a really cute hat and a ton of knitted things that i stared at and tried to figure out which yarns they used and if i could replicate it.

this hat for instance:

(from the Golden Compass)

the hat the girl is wearing was so adorable that i want to knit one up right now. Of course, i know that i need to do all my Christmas knitting first but i really want to give that hat a try. it looks like it's just a stockinette rectangle that's seamed in the back and yarn is used to tie it down. (I saw a sneak peek of this movie last Sunday, and i much prefer pride and prejudice or even Narnia, but the knits were super fun)

morale booster aka stash enhancement

2007-12-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

i was getting burnt out on the Christmas knitting and i needed a pick-me-up. right after i finished taking the CBEST (it's only 100 multiple choice and two essays but it still took me 3 hours to complete, ugh) i hit up heartstrings yarn studio and scored on the discounted yarn section.

Rowan RYC Soft Lux, 10 balls half-price

Cascade Indulgence, 5 balls half-price

Louet Gems Pearl in Eggplant, 2 hanks

Plymouth Encore Chunky, 5 balls

So now i have no excuse for the Christmas knitting blues. now back to that knitting.

25 days

2007-11-30T11:32:00.001-08:00

there are only 25 days until Christmas and i still have a lot, i mean, a lot of Christmas knitting to do. i've devised a "must be knit by this date" worksheet with how much i need to knit on each project for them to be done in time for Christmas. i've already finished two Christmas presents but i have 4 left, two of which are really very large.

I figured i need to knit 2.5 to 3 inches on the sweater every day, one shawl repeat every day, one sock repeat every day and hopefully knit up a whole darn hat during any available downtime.

this does not include the inevitable event that i will start offering to make wristlets and other small gift items for people and then my timeline will be in vain. Then i'll have to give this card as a gift.

but the worst thing of all is that the only thing i want to do is cast on a pair of socks for myself, and work on the tangled yoke cardigan (which is sitting very sad and lonely in my craft room).

bah humbug.

jury duty

2007-11-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

in a room full of fussy, angry people (most had their arms crossed in defiance) i sat calmly and very happily knitting. i had jury duty on the monday before thanksgiving. although i couldn't afford to be put on the jury (i'm a full time student, you know) i enjoyed the two and a half hours of sitting and knitting and wondering if the man with the slicked back hair was guilty.

here are some angry people:

here is my happy knitting:

the cobblestone pullover is in that phase where you could swear you knit fifty thousand rows and the sweater only grows half an inch. wtf? (the sweater color is much more brown than that photo would lead you to believe.)

i also worked on some more secret christmas knitting and it's coming along nicely.

happy holidays everyone!

not-so-secret knitting

2007-11-15T19:54:00.002-08:00

i thought about knitting the cobblestone pullover for my husband in secret, but really, we live in the same house. also i do the majority of my knitting while i watch movies and tv with my husband. so secret knitting was out of the question. i've been knitting the cobblestone pullover right in front of him and he knows it's for him. the good part about this is that i can get his approval along the way.

not that there's a whole lot of sweater to "approve", but it's getting there. the hubby gave a nod of approval so far. the yarn is queensland kathmandu aran and it's much much much softer than the classic elite skye tweed that the pattern calls for. the tweedy look is still there, but the comfort level goes way up with the queensland yarn. yum yum.

and by the way, men's sweaters are like, ten times simpler than women's sweaters. no body shaping at all. such nice mindless knitting. the only downside is that my hubby's sweater is a lot bigger than the sweaters i knit for myself, so the pace is much slower. anyway, i'm really liking how it's turning out so far!

secret sock knitting

2007-11-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

so i knit some socks in secret for a christmas present. you can see more pictures if you're on ravelry.com (i'm racheliufer)

i'm starting another secret sock knitting project and you can see it in red in the background. the project is cabled footies by leigh radford if you reeeeaally want to know...

also in the background is one finished sleeve for the tangled yoke cardigan and all that yarn and knitting is resting on a biology textbook. what does this mean? i was supposed to be studying all weekend for the big test i had today but instead i finished two socks, turned the heel on another, cast on a new pair of socks and cast on the second sleeve for the TYC.

productive weekend really.

pumpkin contest!!!

2007-10-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Every year, the company i work for (Duarte Design) has a pumpkin carving contest and this year we have a TON of amazing pumpkins. Check out the site and vote for your favorite!

http://www.duarte.com/halloween

yes, i turned in a pumpkin, no i'm not telling you which one is mine....just vote for your favorite :)

in case you wonder what i do, read my bio at work

the fortune cookie knew

2007-10-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

i had some chinese food with my husband for lunch yesterday and i opened my fortune cookie and this was the note inside:

the cookie tattled on me, because i got excited and told my hubby that the fortune was true because i just bought some yarn online....oops.

it's christmas gift yarn, so, it doesn't really count. two skeins of lorna's laces shepherd worsted for the cabled footies by leigh radford.

"cranberry"

"black purl"

oh i can't wait to wind the yarn and get started! i will wait though because i have a slouch and the second twinkle toes sock to knit.

Robin's Egg Blue Hat

2007-10-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

Robin’s Egg Blue Hat
By Rachel Iufer

Approximate finished circumference:
20 inches

Gauge:
16 sts to 4 inches, 24 rows to 4 inches in stockinette
14 sts to 4 inches, 28 rows to 4 inches in seed stitch

Materials:
Patons Shetland Chunky, less than one ball (121 yds)

US 10 (6.0mm) straights and double pointed needles

1 Button: 1 5/8 to 2 inch diameter

Tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques:
Knit, purl, increase, decrease, knitting in the round, bind off

Terms:
K2tog: knit two stitches together as one
Seed stitch: k1, p1 to end. On next, and following rows, knit into the purl stitches and purl into the knit stitches.
Kf/b: knit into the front of the stitch, leave it on the left needle then knit into the back of the stitch. One stitch increased.

Pattern:

With straight needles, cast on 80 stitches

Work 3 rows seed stitch, slip the last stitch purlwise on even rows.

Increase rows:
Rw 1: k1, kf/b, continue in seed stitch
Rw 2: seed stitch

Rep row 1 and 2, two times more (3 stitches increased)

Decrease rows:
Rw 1: k1, k2tog, continue in seed stitch
Rw 2: seed stitch

Rep row 1 and 2, two times more (3 stitches decreased)

Knit two more rows seed stitch.
Next row: bind off 12 stitches, knit to the end of the row and join in the round on double pointed needles (68 stitches total)

Work in the round in stockinette stitch until the hat measures 5- 5.5 inches in total.
Begin decreases: (this is how I decreased on my hat. It’s probably not the prettiest or most perfect way to do this, so if you have a better way, please, decrease the way you like)

Rw 1: *knit 7, k2tog* rep form. k to end.
Rw 2: k all stitches
Rw 3: *knit 6, k2tog* rep form. k to end.
Rw 4: k all stitches
Rw 5: *knit 5, k2tog* rep form. k to end.
Rw 6: k all stitches
Rw 7: *knit 4, k2tog* rep form. k to end.
Rw 8: k all stitches
Rw 9: *knit 3, k2tog* rep form. k to end.
Rw 10: k all stitches
Rw 11: *knit 2, k2tog* rep form. k to end.
Rw 12: k all stitches
Rw 13: *knit 1, k2tog* rep form. k to end.
Rw 14: *k2tog* to end.

Cut yarn, thread tail through the remaining loops and secure.

Tack down the flap to the base of the hat and sew on a button. Weave in all ends.

enjoy!

knitting for charity

2007-10-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

the company i work for raises money every year to buy toys for the less fortunate children for Christmas. this year i decided to knit a hat and sell it to someone at the office so that the proceeds would go to this charity.

here is the hat of my own design:

Yarn: Patons shetland chunky in teal

Needles: size 10 straights and dpns

pattern: my own

Button from Joann's fabrics

I knit the seed stitch portion flat with some increasing and decreasing to round out the flap. Then i bound off stitches and joined the hat in the round. the area with the button flaps around until you pin it down with the button. i really like the way it looks.

if anyone expresses interest in the pattern i'd be happy to write one up. just let me know!

socktoberfest!

2007-10-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

it's that time of year again...

SOCKTOBER!!!!

This is Twinkle Toes by Cookie A. the pattern is free on diynetwork.com

yarn: socks that rock heavyweight in "in the navy"

these lovely foot and heart warming socks are my attempt to get a head start on the Christmas knitting. this particular sock is going to my brother's girlfiend who i think reads my blog on occassion. (pretend to be surprised when you get them sarah!)

let the festivities begin!!!!

temptation took over

2007-09-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

yeah, i caved. the chevron scarf proved too tempting and the socks that rock are just plain irresistible. Socktopus and Loch Ness together just blend into one color and you don't really see the striping. I like this scarf a lot, don't get me wrong, but i think i will go for more contrast between the two colors if i knit it again. the yarn is such a joy to knit with. i might have to order some more to make some socks...

a first encounter

2007-09-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

i've heard of the wonder that is blue moon fiber arts but i've never seen any "socks that rock" in real life. i wasn't sure if it would be worth it to buy some online until i started looking at the chevron scarves flickr group. a lot of people were using the socks that rock, so i finally decided to buy some yarn to make my own chevron scarf.

socks that rock mediumweight in "loch ness"

socks that rock mediumweight in "socktopus"

together, they shall become my chevron scarf :) sadly the first thing i noticed about the yarn was the funky, wet-wool-smell that crept out when i pulled the yarn out of the bag. the colors however, are so rich and beautiful that i quickly ignored my nose and hugged the yarn. yeah, we had a moment. it was beautiful.

there was actually quite a lot of stash enhancement this week, but most of it doesn't count because it's sock yarn, and sock yarn doesn't count.

4 hanks of claudia handpaints:

"copper pennies"

"oops"

and 4 hanks of rowan summer tweed to make two more slouchy berets for two more beret loving friends of Coco. those santa cruz ladies love those berets.

"summer berry" and "torrid"

there is progress on the tangled yoke cardigan too, the body has been set aside and i've started a sleeve. i'm still in love with the cardigan and i work on it during every free moment at school, but "socks that rock" are really, really, really tempting...

where did summer go?

2007-08-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

i was not ready to go back to school this week. there are a lot of things i need to accomplish in the next two weeks and it's seriously freaking me out. summer came and went so quickly and i'm really wishing that all i had to do was knit all day long.

instead i'm freaking out and frantically pulling together everything i need to apply to the teaching credential program at CSU Chico. (a friend says i shouldn't be so worried, they need science teachers in california, you know.) Despite school starting, working part time, and freaking out in between i managed to knit on the tangled yoke cardigan... but how?

this is how.

sandwiched between pens, pencils and notebooks sits the tangled yoke cardigan. EVERY free minute i had was spent on the cardigan. i got some strange looks and a few "what's that you're making?" questions.

i'm almost done with the body before setting it aside to make the sleeves.
these pictures are lame cuz they're from my phone, but you get the idea. also i messed up on the decreasing and it's spaced out incorrectly but you know, i don't really care. it doesn't look deformed when it's wrapped around my body. my row gauge is off and i had an issue with bad math and some impatience but i'm still in love with this cardigan. the yarn fumes must have dopamine in them.

tangled yoke begins!

2007-08-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

can eunny do wrong? because the tangled yoke is so right. even the simple garter rib is completely enjoyable. the simplicity is beautiful.

(elsebeth lavold silky wool #02)

i think it's love. young love to be sure. ask me again when the stockinette begins...

Slouch Version 2.0

2007-08-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

The second slouch for coco is finished and ready for shipment!

Specs:
Pattern: le slouch by wendy bernard
Yarn: Rowan summer tweed in Smoke
Needles: size 8 and 9 dpns
Mods: none!

This slouch is just as fun and satisfying as the first one, except this time i bought enough yarn to make one for myself in the same smoke colorway...yipee!

Le Slouch part deux

2007-08-02T10:14:00.001-07:00

Coco loves her yellow slouch. So does her roommate.

As you can imagine, Coco and the roomie can't wear the yellow slouch at the same time. So a grey slouch was requested and is on the needles.

again, i'm using rowan summer tweed, this time in Smoke. it's a lovely yarn and it's really just perfect for this slouch. saving the day is so much fun :)

i'm in!

2007-07-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

i've finally been invited to join the club. it's like being accepted into the popular group at school except better. i'm talking about ravelry, of course.

i've already spent all weekend playing around with it and taking pictures of my stash for inventory. it's getting to an unhealthy point. i only knit a few rows all weekend long.

this could be bad. in an amazing way.

a sewing saturday

2007-07-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

i'm working on a secret bit of knitting. i'm test knitting something for a friend's book that will be published soon, so i'm not able to share it on blogland. but i assure you i am knitting.

i have been multitasking as usual though. my SILs birthday was in march. i remembered, but i had no idea what to get her. i gave a million different suggestions and ideas to my husband, but he didn't like any. she's his only sister, and we wanted to be creative. not just "here's some money" because that's just too impersonal. yes, i am aware that it's mid-july now, but i finally came up with a gift. i sewed a tote bag that i'm calling "the partridge tote"

i didn't use a pattern, it came out of my own noggin. i love the details that make it more than a basic tote bag, like the floral cotton print with the blue corduroy, and the tan crochet lace border.

i love the little birdie too. this was my first time using the satin stitch on my machine for applique. fun, but a little wonky here and there.

such a happy little birdie.

the tote is reversible too!

i love the contrast of the pocket on the main fabric. i had a lot of fun sewing this gift (even though i am very much a novice sewer) and i think perhaps this late b-day tote will be acceptable. :)

a malabrigo diversion

2007-07-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

i ordered some laceweight malabrigo in olive.

it's gorgeous. perfect green with more of a golden hue than a bluish one. definitely olive and not hunter. i always prefer olive over hunter.

it's malabrigo, you know. it's soft, airy, lofty and lush. i had to knit it up into something right away, so i started kniting the shetland triangle from wrap style.

this blob turned into this wet wool triangle.

which turned into a shawlette that i am not sure how to wear.

back on the front?

or back in the back?

wait, is there a back at all? i don't know. but i do know that this shetland triangle is pretty and soft and yummy and i love it. i knit it while watching lots of episodes of arrested development so it is also a happy shawl with a sense of humor.

the finished dimensions are smaller than those in the book, but it's still good. it's about three feet by 1.5 feet but it scrunches up nicely around my neck. soooooo soft. yum.

summer knitting

2007-06-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

it gets hot, you know, in the summer. wool is not always conducive to knitting, but noro, who can pass up the noro?

the noro wanted to be knitted. it wanted to be a purse with a liner.

it wanted to become my new favorite thing ever.

the purse looks good with everything. including vegetation.

specs:
yarn: noro kureyon #95
Needles: size 10.5 bamboo
pattern: counterpane carpet bag from handknit holidays
mods: none
notions: from joanne's fabric

i loved knitting this purse. i had forgotton how much i loved noro and i enjoyed every stitch of this. in fact, i may make another one in a different colorway.

in other summer knitting news: cotton!

this is the petal bib from one skein by leigh radford. it's made with mission falls 1824 cotton and it was a fun, quick knit for the same baby that's getting the EZ baby sweater. thank goodness for cotton in the summer. it wicks away any sweat on my hands when i knit. such a great fiber!

i just bought some silk stainless and merino from habu textiles to make the kushu kushu scarf. the light airiness of the yarns make it good for summer knitting too!

that silk stainless stuff is rad. you can crunch the knitting up and it stays shaped because of the stainless steel thread that runs through it. so. cool.

oh summer, you are good to me.

knitting with p&p

2007-06-10T19:40:00.001-07:00

the husband is away which means the chick-flicks came out. I had a "p&p" and "clueless" fest while i knit today.

the knitting station:

the boob tube:

The WIP:

(counterpane purse from handknit holidays in noro kureyon #95)

The FO:

Specs:
Pattern: february sweater from knitters almanac, EZ
Yarn: rowan wool cotton
Needles: size 6
mods: i increased the stitches and pattern to attempt to adjust for the gauge but it made the sweater an odd shape.

babies are oddly shaped though, right?

the yarn is pretty and soft. hopefully it will fit the recipient!

it's probably going to be too big in the body and too short in the arms. what if it doesn't fit her until she's 3? ah, oh well. i'll probably knit up some baby socks to make myself feel better about it. ha!

back from the dead

2007-05-21T20:12:00.001-07:00

it was finals week last week. i lived in the school library, huddled in the corner with my text books. i'm done now and it feels goooooooooood...

my dogs had their first birthday.

(nessie)

(bear)

they didn't like the hats, but they liked the treats we gave them :)

husband surprised me with a trip to carmel and we had a nice relaxing weekend and enjoyed a trip to the monterey bay aquarium. now it's back to work and regular life.

i started a counterpane purse with some noro, and i'm working on the german stockings. pictures to come later.

kermie

2007-05-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

kermie got a wash 'n' block and a button sewn on.

(this was taken in the one beam of sunlight that broke through on a very rainy day)

kermie is cozy and comfy and has a reasonably flattering shape (considering that it's a worsted weight cotton sweater) and i love love love green. i'm like miss piggy or something.

the button was purchased at a hancock's fabric store that was closing so i got it for 50% off. (sweet deal, not sweet losing the store. we have limited sources here in Chico)

Kermie specs:

pattern: something red by wendy

needles: size 7 clover circs and dpns addi turbos for the neckline ribbing
yarn: cascade luna in sprout
size: 36 bust
mods: none (it's written well, and it's cute too!)

love love love green.

slow and steady

2007-04-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

Coco recieved her slouch and loves it very much! thanks for all the wonderful comments :)

i haven't been knitting as fervently as i usually do. i'm not sure why, maybe it's because it's almost the end of spring semester and i'm pooped. i'm really a very slow, methodical, english-style knitter. the joy of knitting is lost for me when i knit fast. therefore, in order to actually finish items, i have to knit for a long time. (it's ok though, this is how i like it)

it's less ok when i make mistakes, and i rip out the stitches knowing it took a long time to knit. the EZ practically seamless baby sweater started out as a pain in the neck. i ripped it back at least 6 times. i had to adjust the pattern for my gauge and that caused further problems. i was having some serious math issues that a fourth grader could have solved faster than me. i've finally got it down though, and i'm making my way through to the finish line.

it's a wonderful knit, and it's cute too. my aunt is pregnant with another girl, and this sweater is for her. i think she'll like it. (the yarn is rowan wool cotton)

i've knit the sleeves and nearly finished the neck band ribbing for something red (or kermie, as he's known in my home)

the yarn is cascade luna in sprout (it's more of a pea green in real life). i like the way the sweater is turning out, but i wish i had discovered combination knitting for the ribbing before i took on this project. my wonky rib will probably bug me. i'll do my best to block them into neat lines, but no promises.

oh, and have you seen cookie A's german stockings? i'm so in love with those. i bought the pattern and i just recieved a giant skein of louet gems in cream that will be enough yarn for both stockings. i'm hoping to have enough yarn left over to test out some dye combos too.

this stuff is so pretty and soft. it has this delicious sheen and lustre...yum!

i'm off to knit astronomically slowly during church! :)

le slouch

2007-04-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

voila! le slouch!

love that buttery yellow hue

looks pretty good from the back too!

Specs:
Pattern: Le Slouch by wendy
Yarn: rowan summer tweed in butter (70% silk, 30% cotton)
Needles: size 8 and 9 dpns
Mods: none

this beret is for my friend coco who is not a fan of wool (sad, i know, but there are many out there who do not understand the magical fiber that is wool). luckily, this silk/cotton blend is perfectly lightweight. in fact, you can hardly tell your wearing it. and it's just oh-so-chic. love it.

i've also started (and restarted and restarted and restarted) the EZ practically seamless baby sweater. it's going better this time. pictures to come later.

what must the neighbors think

2007-03-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

i put the socks on. i walked to the driveway. i layed down on the driveway, stuck my feet in the air and took this photo.

(see the moon?)

maybe that's a little strange, but they are called monkey for a reason.

shocking the muggles

2007-03-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

NYC was a blast! i got to go to a Letterman Show taping (Jack Black was on), enjoyed a day at the Natural History Museum, and of course, the shock the muggles part was sah-weeeet!

it was awesome seeing all the knitters gathered together. the feeling of "fitting in" was incredible! a woman came up to me and said "oh i love your sock, is that monkey?"

this is how knitters greet. they touch the other knitter's knitting. i LOVE this. oh yes, i'm totally wearing the hoodie! and look, it's the yarn harlot!

figures, i have a cheezy michelin man face. i was more star struck then i've ever been. ever. i mean, she's the yarn harlot! after the crowd faded away a little more my mom took some more hoodie pictures...

yay hoodie!

and look at all the knitters...

the yarn harlot was amazing. she was funny and honest and completely entertaining. each person was given needles and yarn to knit a square for "warm-up America" and everyone worked on their square during her speech. i had such a wonderful time.
the harlot wore her amazing bohus sweater (which she took off and threw on the ground and the crowd of knitters yelled at her to fold it neatly, silly knitters)
(super blurry, but you get the idea, right?)

that trip is bound to stay on my favorite memories list forever!

sneak peak

2007-03-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

it's finished, my CPH is done!

it fits well, i love the color and i'm going to NYC tomorrow!!! i can't wait to get photos of my CPH in CP! haha :)

i have plenty to knit on the airplane, including the rest of "something red" and the other monkey sock.

i knit up another calorimetry, this time in fuschia for my friend Tracy.

nessie thought it made a nice cape, but it's not for her. sorry nessie.

i'm off to NYC!

calorimetry

2007-03-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

after the failed jaywalker socks i needed a quick fix to pick up my knitting spirits.

calorimetry to the rescue!

Specs:
Pattern: calorimetry from knitty.com
Yarn: filatura di crosa 127 print in color #27
Needles: clover straights size 8
Notions: sushi button purchased at Britex fabrics
mods: none

it fits nicely, and is just so perfect for ponytail days.

plus, i finally got to use my cute sushi button!!!

ah, so nice. now back to knitting on the CPH.

anyone know a leprechaun?

2007-02-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

i've been knitting my jaywalker sock during school hours, all the while giggling to myself at how clever i am. knitting during school, it's pure genius! then i tried the sock on this weekend. well, i tried to try it on. the sock is WAY too small.

also, i am WAY too stubborn to rip it out and start again. i made my smallest friend try it on, and she couldn't slip it over her heel.

what can be done with a too-small-half-knitted sock? let's find out.

pencil cup?

no

ear wamer?

no

light bulb cozy?

no

dinner?

no

clearly, i need to find a leprechaun for these socks.

in other news, i've been working on the cph.

i'm halfway through the second sleve and i picked up the hood stitches last night. getting closer! i need to have it finished by the time i go to NYC. i'll be there mid-march, wait, what's that? the yarn harlot's (shock the muggles) book signing is in mid-march? oh yes, i'll be there. my mom and i extended our trip to make it :) SO excited!

bandwagons and how i hop on them

2007-02-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

cool knitters have cool heart rate monitors.

i have hopped on that bandwagon. yup, that same exact heart rate monitor is now mine. it matches my running shoes. i'm not really trying to lose weight so much as get cardiovascularly in shape. i rarely exercise and i know that now is the time to get into the habit while i'm still young. that heart rate monitor is really a motivator. i love it!

anyway, after i finished clementine, i was still aching for some top-down raglan action. i cast on and ripped through most of the body for something red. (i'm using cascade luna in sprout #713)

(weird bathroom/mirror shot, i know, but i was not into the whole tripod/self-timer/weirding out the neighbors thing at the time.)

i fully dig how the design makes the ribbing flare out toward the bottom. excellent design element and it's slimming too.

i have had to put this project down for a while and i'm forcing myself to hurry up and finish my CPH already. i'll be going to NYC for a few days in mid-march and i want to take a picture of CPH in Central Park. i mean c'mon, you have to. the back and one and a half fronts are finished. i'm going to try to be monogomous with it when i'm home, but my jaywalkers will stay my project during school hours.

for my friend's birthday we painted ceramics. i'm not much of an artist so i had to think of something to paint beforehand. i decided on this knit/purl logo for a coffee mug. the heart mug was chosen because i painted it near Valentine's day. i like it, but it's kind of hard to tell what it says.

it's nice and large and holds plenty of coffee. i used it while i watched pride and prejudice and knit on the CPH.

i finished one of the hedera socks a while ago but i haven't gotten started on the second.

this photo is not true to it's color, it's much more teal than blue. the sock looks lovely on the foot and it's very cozy. this yarn however, frog tree alpaca fingering weight, is just a little too slippery and fuzzy for my liking.

oh my darlin' clementine

2007-02-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

because i love stephanie japel's patterns, i have to do everything like her. including dpns in the hair, and the same poses.

clementine, er, my forecast is done! i wear her around the house to get adjusted to the tangy orange color and i think i'll be able to brave the public soon. it's definitely a great sweater.

here's the back (which is just SO cute with the cables/bobbles running down)

and i love kissy photos

i love those extra long sleeves. I should have made the body a little longer, but i had to break into a skein that was a different dye-lot for the second sleeve. i don't think you can tell though.

specs:
pattern: forecast by stephanie japel
needles: clover size 8 and 6 circs and dpns
yarn: cascade 220 in some orange (lost all the bands)
mods: extended ribbing on the arms and a little more on the waist, i knit the sleeves in the round and made a 3-stitch bobble instead of five.

i LOVE this sweater!

ok, one more photo

shh! she's blocking

2007-01-31T23:15:00.000-08:00

my forecast, or Clementine, as i've named her, is blocking on my floor.

i think she's turned out a bit snug. also, i'm second guessing my ability to wear orange. but i'm pretty sure i've just gotten tired of the color from knitting it. i bought buttons for the sweater, but i don't love them. they were the best i could find, and i'm anxious to finish so they will have to do. i haven't ripped them off their packaging yet because i have a nagging sense that i'll find the perfect buttons after i've sewn the less-than-perfect buttons on. c'est la vie, non?

the jaywalker socks have become my knitting-in-class project. I'm only going to work on those socks during my school time, i.e. waiting for teachers to get to the classroom, or secretly knitting during lecture. i've been sitting behind a large guy in one of my classes for this specific reason. i'm pretty sure my teacher has no idea. it will be interesting to see how long it will take to knit a whole sock...

TAG!

2007-01-26T09:59:00.000-08:00

i've been tagged by spinneret!

the rules are simple enough:
write five things you haven't talked about on your blog, and tag five people that you'd like to know more about! fun!

1. i like to read novels outside of school but i have a hard time fitting it in when i'd rather be knitting. so i read on the toilet. right now i'm reading through Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Kate Jacob's new novel, The Friday Night Knitting Club. you would be surprised at just how much time can be spent in the bathroom.

2. i may have purchased 12 balls of classic elite skye tweed in paisley pink. it's on sale at webs!

3. i bought a drop spindle and some corriedale fiber about 6 months ago but i haven't mustered the courage to give spinning a go. (not to mention, my dogs already chewed up the non-working end of the spindle.)

4. legally blonde is in my top ten favorite movies list. when i'm feeling down about school, and i'm unmotivated, i watch the movie and i get pumped up again. if elle woods can go to harvard, i can get an 'A' in comparative vertebrate anatomy! *sigh*

5. i wore white converse sneakers under my wedding dress. so much more comfortable than high heels!

now i'm tagging:

fish knits

the square peg

go knit stuff

marywary

life and times of paula tesch

and in other news, i started the jaywalker sock with my self-striping yarn...

i really like how they are striping up! it's very pleasing. i haven't named this colorway yet, any ideas?

the other weekend husband and i went to ikea and i got a new desk (for all that studying) and a new cubby thingy for my yarn!

bear approves of the new cubby. (can you see the paisley pink yarn that i may have purchased on webs?) That really sweet blue vase was a gift from my hubby's grandmother. it was made in 1903 and it's absolutely perfect for holding needles! i love it!

i'm off to class. where's my furry pink pen...

monkey in a tree

2007-01-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

the first monkey is done and it's hanging out while i get started on the second monkey. i love this pattern!

here's the progress on my CPH...

it's lookin' pretty sweet so far. i'm still very in love with this color and the yarn (peace fleece in sea moss). i'm almost at the armhole shaping and that's getting me pretty excited! wheeee!

i haven't done much more than cast on for the jaywalkers with my self-striping yarn, so there is no picture of that yet. perhaps next time.

central park hoodie

2007-01-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

i joined another KAL...
yes, it's because i started another project. judge not.

adventures in self-striping

2007-01-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

i tried my luck at self-striping yarn this last weekend using kool-aid and knitpicks color-your-own fingering weight merino. i first had to make a very very large skein.

i walked around two chairs a million times while the yarn unwound from the swift in the middle of the room. then i tied them off into approximate thirds, soaked the skein in water, then placed each third into its own jar of kool-aid. i put those jars into a pot half-full of water and slowly heated them up.

i turned off the heat and let the yarn cool. then i gave it a rinse with a little bit of wool wash.

i hung it up to dry in the shower then i put it back on the chairs and wound it back on the swift.

i plan on making some jaywalkers with it, but i'm trying to focus on some of my other projects right now, like forecast. (i'm working on the first sleeve right now.)

also, this package arrived and it is especially tempting.

seven skeins of peace fleece worsted in sea moss and two skeins of blue sky alpacas organic cotton. the peace fleece is for the Central Park Hoodie and the cotton is for a decorative pillow. my bedspread needs a little sprucing up.

i hope to have the beginnings of a jaywalker sock the next time i post.

till then, eat a peach from costco. it'll blow your mind.

i'm knitting a lot of socks these days

2007-01-04T23:06:00.000-08:00

so my brother finally sent some photos of the socks and the odessa hat...

specs:
Needles: clover dpns size 2
Yarn: bambino ull some navy blue color
Pattern: basic ribbed version of the yarn harlot's basic sock

specs:
Needles: clover 12" circs size 4 and 6 and clover size 6 dpns
Yarn: Rowan cashsoft dk, some off white color
Pattern: odessa

I've also been working on hedera for my new SIL, jenny

i'm using frog tree alpaca in a fingering weight. it's a little too thin for my size 2 needles but i kind of doubt my SIL will wear them enough to wear them out. but who knows.

i had a pretty sweet christmas and santa told my mom that i needed this

and this

so i made some of these

and i started this

it's monkey. cookie is a genius at sock patterns that intrigue me. pomotomomotatomomus is on the list too.

that's pretty much it for now.

oh, also, i got straight As this fall semester. i was so happy i ate a pint of ben and jerry's phish food. now i feel less happy and more fat. meh.

goodbye 2006

2006-12-31T23:19:00.000-08:00

it's the last hour of 2006 and i'd hoped to post photos of the things i've been knitting lately (but i don't have any). my brother is going to send me pictures of his feet in the socks i made him for christmas and also a picture of my mom in her new Odessa hat. maybe i'll put up some pictures next year. ha. i don't know why i think that's so funny. i'm pretty sure no one else thinks that's funny. hrm.

for now, i'm thinking up some new year's (knitting) resolutions...

1. finish UFOs. i have a million. some of them just need the ends woven in. what's up with that?
2. give steeking a try...ah!
3. knit (and finish) more things for myself.

i'm trying to be realistic with my list. i would commit to going on a yarn diet or giving project monogamy a try but i know it won't last long enough to see results. seriously. not buy yarn? ha! not start a new project every week? pshaw.

we'll save that for '08

happy new year!

blogiversary!

2006-12-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

it's my one year blogiversary (well actually, it was on the 12th but i was knee deep in finals and completely out of it). let's see, i've been doing this for a year now, and my mom JUST figured out how to leave a comment. that's cool. i feel less bad about having so few comments now that i know she wasn't choosing to NOT leave one.

so what did i do in that year? knit. duh. here's the break down...(knitting FOs only...otherwise the list would be infinite)

ipod mini case
Bubby
three lacy ribbon scarves
one blue ribbon scarf
ipod nano case
heart scarf
Eowyn
odessa
bella's ribbed flower hat
counterpane accessory pouch
heart lace bookmark
green socks
shibori scarf
black socks
blackberry beanie (2 of them)

FOs not pictured or blogged about:
Baby sweater for Isabella
Seed stitch beanie for Jack's Mannequin
cabled newsboy hat for my SIL
camera cozy for Nikki
two dog sweaters for Lola
blue ribbed scarf for Cece

thank you for reading :)

FOs, UFOs and stash enhancement

2006-11-22T18:44:00.000-08:00

first, to prove that i CAN finish things...the FOs

specs:

Blackberry Beanie

Pattern: my own
Yarn: Cascade 220 in dark brown. lost the tag :)
Needles: clover size 7 circs and clover dpns
Mods: none

i set the unnamed foam head with the hat on my kitchen counter. the husband walked by, stopped, pulled the beanie off the foam head and placed it on his own. he looked at himself in the mirror and then demanded that i make the same exact one for him, only a little looser and longer...so here is UFO #1

i finished kyle's black socks, and he was very pleased to finally receive them

Specs:
Pattern: yarn harlots basic sock pattern
Yarn: Dale of norway baby ull
Needle: size 2

this first sock is a christmas present for my brother... (act surprised when you get it, Anthony)

and now, the stash enhancement!!!

omg. there's blue koigu and the other three are claudia handpainted yarn. the colors for the CHP are paprika, just plum and john B. i finally realized that the sock yarn itself is the justification for sock knitting. i don't particularly like knitting socks but, my goodness, sock yarn is amazing!

ok, off to the bay area for turkey day! happy thanksgiving to all!

one more row

2006-11-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

there have been many, countless times when i uttered the phrase "just let me finish this row" or "just one more row" to my husband. there are also countless times where i'm convinced that he's not really listening to me, but it usually doesn't bother me either.

today, i wanted to go to lunch with my husband and i kept asking him when he would be ready to go but he wouldn't answer. again, i figured he wasn't listening, probably because he was in a "programming zone" and he hates to be interrupted. I sent him an IM, asking him if we could go already and he wrote back...

"just let me finish this 'row'"

he DOES listen :)

forecast

2006-10-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

i've been working on forecast lately and i'm really loving the pattern. top down raglans are probably my new favorite thing in the world.

Front:

Back:

i've changed the bobbles to 3-stitch because five is right out. i'm extending the length of the ribbing at the bottom of the body and i'm going to start the ribbing on the sleeves after the elbow too. the sweater is snug, but better snug than loose. i think it should fit fine but i need to get buttons. what color? decisions, decisions.

another thing about this sweater...i think i'm running out of yarn. the pattern said 4 skeins and i'm almost done with my third and i haven't started the sleeves...fingers crossed.

pumpkins!!!

2006-10-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

vote for your favorite pumpkin!

mail time

2006-10-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

here's the mail it never fails it makes me wannna wag my tail; when it comes i wanna wail, MAIL!!!

enough of that blues clues crap (WHY do i know that song?) knitpicks brought happiness right to my door.

shine sport, in "butter." it's quite a lover-ly color. this will be another shibori experiment using eyelets with wool strung through them.

i bought the "sweet mary jane" pattern and alpaca cloud in "midnight" it's either going to be granny, or funky when it's done. let's hope for funky.

and this, my friends, is my favorite part...COLOR CARDS!!!

oh, how i love color cards. it's so nice to really see the colors and not just hope they are what your monitor tells you. fab.

also, i finished Kyle's sock the first and i'm working on Kyle's sock the second.

unfortunately, Kyle's sock the second will probably not be done in time and it's all Nessie's fault. you see, Nessie likes yarn too, so she thrashed my ball of yarn until it became this horrible knot...

she is so lucky she's cute.

oh, here's Bear in a shirt.

tootles.

knit tote

2006-10-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

i sewed about knitting. is anyone surprised by that? no, i didn't think so.

a purl tote will probably happen next, although, i have no fabric for that one yet. we can dream...

more later (and it'll be real knitting too!)

shibori!

2006-09-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

i did it, i dyed and discombobulated my scarf and it looks great! I'll show you each step so that you can use shibori too!

first: knit the scarf

i used cascade ecological wool in it's lightest color. it's untreated with chemicals which guarantees a good felt and it will take up dye easily. plus, they give you 478 yards which is a steal for 15 bucks.

then, place the scarf in warm water until all the air bubbles are out, and slowly add heat and dye (i used four packs of black cherry kool-aid.)

to achieve the gradation that i wanted, i slowly lifted the middle of the scarf out of the dye and continued to add dye to the rest of the scarf in the pot.

i added more and more dye while pulling the scarf out until i reached the end.

i rinsed it in warm water, then layed it on a table to figure out the bead placement.

i pressed the beads into the wrong side of the scarf so that the bubbles would appear on the right side and stretched the fabric tightly across the beads. i wrapped them with rubber bands and then i smelled very bad, like a wet sheep that swam in black cherry kool-aide.

next i threw that sucker in the washing machine with some detergent. i made sure that water was hot hot hot! and out popped a fabulously felted scarf.

i took off the rubber bands, popped the beads out and presto! cool scarf!

nice

it's about time

2006-09-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

i'm recovering from some bad blogging disorder. i'm gonna try to update this more often, i've simply gone too long without an update. so here it is...

I finished my first pair of socks! ever! even the strings are all darned in!

nessie is the half-dog in the background. she was pretty excited about the socks too. she tried to eat them.

i'm currently testing out some dye colors. i mixed a packet of cherry, black cherry and grape together and played around with concentration to make this.

the darkest concentration turned out a bit too maroon for my taste. i'll probably test a few more colors and concentrations until i find a winner. once i find the winner i'll dye this scarf

then (this is the exciting part) i'm going to go shibori on it's ass. that's right people, shibori. i'm gonna tie some rocks to the ends of the scarf using rubber bands then felt it. i really hope it turns out cool, otherwise it will become a new tug o' war toy for the pups. they do love their wool.

i'm working on ANOTHER pair of socks (am i turning into a sock whore? how does this happen?) Kyle, my BIL demanded a pair of black socks which he will be getting for his birthday on october 4th. i knit these almost exclusively at school (we're on week 4)

speaking of school, i'm not loving it. my classes are mostly lame and require unholy amounts of reading. it's not worthwhile reading though, it's mumbo-jumbo repetitive junk. all junk. boo.

which reminds me, i have to go to class.

what? it was on sale.

2006-08-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

the lys had a store-wide yarn sale. i had no choice but to hoard. here are the goods:

Cascade 220, enough brownish green yarn and orange yarn to make a sweater in each color:

noro kureyon #95:

classic elite Bazic superwash wool:

here's the second sock progress:

no use in documenting the green k1 sweater, it's hard to imagine it as a whole since it's only pieces right now. i'm starting the sleeves tonight. i'm also hoping to hit up Britex Fabrics on saturday as well, but we'll see.

no excuse

2006-07-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

there is no excuse for why i haven't been blogging. i've been knitting, honestly, i have. I turned the heel on my second sock, i've finished the back, the right panel and most of the left panel of my green sweater, i dyed some lace weight yarn and i've tryed several times to over-dye some ugly knitpicks yarn (my computer monitor decieved me).

here's the deal, the puppies LOVE my yarn, so i have to hide it in my craft room (in which the puppies never go). I can't leave them alone because they like to pee and poo (and eat the poo) when i'm not looking. so knitting was paused until i went on vacation. i promise that photos will come later. i think. i have to find my camera first. bah.

oh my goodness

2006-07-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

husband loves his little ones.

they enjoy wool yarn very much. bear found my tape measure for me. (what a sweetie)

oops! i did it again

2006-06-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ummmmm...so...I kinda sorta bought another puppy.

he's SO cute though...

His name is Bear and he's only two days older than Nessie. We will get them both around the same time, the Fourth of July weekend.

there will be so much poop to clean up. but look at that face! it's worth it!

house

2006-06-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

i haven't been posting lately because i've been REALLY busy with moving. there was a ton to pack, tons to throw away and tons to move into OUR HOUSE! i LOVE our new home. it's so beautiful, and there's a craft room just for me!!! AHHHH!!!

this is the house

i'll post a picture of the craft room once everything is out of the boxes. i started the second green sock. i was bored. pictures of that later too.

the end!

yarn and free motion dinosaurs

2006-06-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

i dyed the knitpicks yarn a while ago with 3 packets of strawberry kool-aid. it was hideous. the most awful coral color i've ever seen. so i decided to overdye it with a packet of cherry and a sprinkle of grape and it turned out a little better. so what are the only words i could find to describe the color? Ronald McDonald.

enter Ronald McDonald sock yarn. stage right.

i still have one skein of color-your-own left, i'll have to watch that batch more closely. and you know, NOT use strawberry kool-aid.

WARNING: unholy amounts of yarn were purchased as a birthday gift from me to me. (43 skeins. more or less)

fine, i admit i might have an addiction to yarn. at least knit picks is reasonlably priced.

the green yarn is for this K1 sweater.

i'm not going to do that weird cut out thing. i have a tummy worth covering up.

i've started the back!

i'm forced to question my timing in beginning this sweater, especially considering chico is now reaching the 100+ degree weather for summer and early fall. awesome. at least i'll have the sweater done in time for the cold, whenever that gets here.

the Shine in watermelon is for Something Red. i'm excited about that one too. even though it's cotton, it's not 112 degree weather clothing. bah.

in other news, i gave free motion quilting a go on my machine. i had to make a dinosaur of course! i think i'll turn it into a potholder. i really can't think of any other use for it. just practice really.

dinosaurs rock!

woooohoooo!

2006-05-31T10:08:00.000-07:00

i'm 21!!! i'm 21!!! AHH! this is the last important birthday until i'm 40, which is not nearly as exciting as 21!

i actually considered buying a case of beer at the gas station by my apartment this morning, just because i can. luckily, i didn't do that.

if you're in chico tonight, meet me at the Bear :) i'll be the person with a beer in one hand and some knitting in the other.

variety hour

2006-05-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

first, before i forget, i've finished a sock!

it really fits my foot. amazing.

actually having the finished sock almost makes me want to knit the other one. almost. we'll have to see how i feel about that once i've cast on and started the ribbing for sock #2. i actually found the toe grafting to be quite fun. well, fun for sock knitting.

i also bought some yarn. it's life purpose is a secret until june 18th. (let's see if the smart ones know why...)

during a team meeting at work, i could not control the urges i had to doodle. then i doodled this sweater. i'm really starting to like it.

bulky alpaca blend yarn on size 11 needles or something along those lines. it has potential.

i had my first Britex Fabrics experience and i was quite overwhelmed. i don't know what i was thinking when i heard it was a four story shop. maybe something like "oh, that's cool" but in real life it's evokes a "my God, this is what heaven must look like" reaction. I went with my mom and paula and we were all in for a surprise.

Floor 1

bolts upon bolts of every color imaginable. in the center there were tons of designer fabrics and hand-beaded patterns on precious silk. quite impressive, and quite expensive. me = cheap. so i went upstairs.

Floor 2

upholstry fabrics galore. paula didn't know what to do with herself.

up the stairs we went to...

Floor 3

this one made me weak in the knees.

i have never seen so many buttons before. this floor had notions galore. this is where i laid down the plastic. it was worth it.

Floor 4

SALE!!!

everything up there was on sale! unfortunately, my small budget only got me some scraps of the scraps. SF is expensive. bummer.

here's the best news yet. i'm getting a puppy!!!!!!! i've picked her out, she's a long-haired dachshund and she's only two weeks old. i'll bring her home in about 5 weeks.

i'm in love.

finally some knitting content (and sewing too)

2006-05-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

i bought some lace/cobweb weight yarn a while ago and i needed to test it out with something small. but what? ah yes, a lace bookmark! i used the "heart" pattern (8 repeats) from knitty.com on size 1 needles and a teeny tiny bookmark pooped out.

i think it's very nice.

it's only 6 inches long and less than two inches wide. i think my mom needs one.

more knitting developments: a sock in the making.

check out that heel!

i can't believe it's coming out foot-shaped. turning the heel is pretty exciting but overall i'm not overjoyed with sock-knitting. i'm only giving it a shot because the yarn harlot convinced me in her latest book. i'll do my best to complete a whole pair, but there are no guarantees. let me know if you know any amputees with one foot who needs a green sock. they may be in luck.

yesterday, this came in the mail.

knitpicks dye your own yarn!!! (two skeins) i bought some kool-aid too and i plan on dying a skein tonight while watching the office reruns.

i'm done with finals which means IT'S SUMMER!!! with my new found freedom i realized that i had some time to spare and opened my yarn closet. after finding nothing interesting on the top layers i began to dig through the underbrush and re-discovered my butterfly yarn. i sat down with my Rowan magazine and a ball of kidsilk haze and worked four repeats of the dress edge.

i'm looking forward to making this dress, even though the KSH is a difficult yarn to work with (i get very mad at it on the p2tog tbl sections). it's just too pretty to pass up.

i get bored easily so i put down butterfly and sat at the sewing machine for a little while.

it's my first quilted card (those other ones were the handywork of the fabulous Paula "so-cute" Tesch). i don't know who i will send this card to, but i do plan on sending it. i think.

there was still more time to craft, so i worked a little on yet another secret project. it was quite an eventful evening.

ah well, lunch break is over. back to work i go...

i swear this is a knitting blog

2006-05-08T00:55:00.000-07:00

sew, it happened again. the sewing machine was out and i had a serious need for a short needle case (yes, i've also been considering my need for a double-pointed-needle case as well, but first things first).

it went by quickly this time.

i modified the stitch 'n' bitch pattern to hold the short needles and i added the shell button and used yarn for the tie instead of ribbon. i find it more attractive.

the colors are so full of springtime! fabulous. loves it.

also, this happened.

it's an apron, in case you couldn't figure that out. i'm not even that into cooking. i do make large messes, so perhaps i was thinking of that when i made this. or not. you pick.

paula was my accomplice with all this sewing. we are bad influences on each other. i bought this book.

paula saw this pattern.

then she made these.

i know what you're thinking. you wish you were her friend so she could send you one of these awesome cards. aren't they stunning!?!?

SECRETS REVEALED!

i've been working on a secret project for tracy and it's finished! i'll be putting it in the mail this week.

i hate sewing zippers, and i forced myself to sit down and finish the darn thing. then there was the liner, and i have a new hatred for that. but it's so adorable i've forgiven it momentarily.

turns out, knitted and crocheted bags are way hot right now. i must be a fashion guru. (if you know kyle you'll get that)

i've been working on my first sock. it's growing slowly and i had taken a photo of it but it was accidentally deleted by my fat thumb. wtf thumb, why you in the way like that? i'll take a photo of it later, maybe after my attempt to turn the heel. wish me luck on that. the sock is green by the way, in case you were wondering. whoever you are.

it's late and i'm getting weirdly paranoid.

ciao!

oh sew distracting

2006-04-25T00:16:00.000-07:00

the semester is nearing its end which means lots of tests, projects and papers. if i had any sense i probably would have caught up on some studying this weekend. but on wednesday this came in the mail...

oh, i love me some amy butler fabrics.

then jenny came to town with a little dog and a quilting project. we decided to sew, and i made this.

it's a knitting needle case, for my long and straight needles. i'm sew happy with the pretty colors!

i used the pattern from the stitch 'n' bitch handbook. it's pretty large, which is nice for the longer straights, but i think i need to make a miniature version for my shorter needles. ok one more picture.

yeah, it's pretty much a guarantee that i'll make another needle case. i'm going to Britex fabrics in SF this coming saturday and i'll probably pick up some goodies from there.

there has been knitting, though most of it was on a secret project. I also started a sock but it doesn't look like anything yet. just a blurb. but i've decided that i like knitting on DPNs more than circulars and here's why: people think i'm way talented when there are needles sticking out every which-way. circulars are not impressive. DPNs look dangerous, and painful and confusing. if i can tame those beasts, i must be cooler than your average granny knitter. right?

right.

i'm going to bed!

cute little cousins

2006-04-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

i haven't been knitting much lately. i finished the two pieces for the counterpane accessories pouch but i hate sewing the zipper and lining. i also am not a fan of the fabric that i bought for it. i'll probably wait until i buy a better fabric from a good fabric store.

i've got a bit of a secret project going for tracy. i owe her knitted things. sowy.

this past weekend i went down to the bay area to go to my cousin sofia's second birthday party. i bought the smallest ballet slippers i could find and they fit her perfectly!

she calls them princess shoes :)

my beautiful one-year-old cousin Bella modelled the hat i knit for her!

it was made with the leftovers from the sweater i knit for her from special knits (the cover sweater). isn't she adorable?

my freaking awesome mom bought me yarn too! i don't know what i did with my camera, so pictures are going to come once i start the projects. i'm going to make another odessa for my mom, the nutcracker slippers for me, and i'll give a pair of socks a try. i've never knit socks, and i'm still not convinced it's a good idea, but i'm going to do it anyway. i'll probably mess it all up, but whatever.

genetics homework time. wheeee.

catching up

2006-03-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

i know, it's been a while since i've posted but can you blame me? i was pretty much out of commission last week because of the stomach flu. i barfed a lot. i hadn't barfed in about 7 years, now i have to start that clock again. flu = no fun.

a week ago i went to the LYS and bought this beauty.

it is necessary for me to point out that i am not a fan of variegated yarn. i think they look weird, and the pooling colors bother me. i love the richness and strength in the simplicity of a good solid color. but this one, this Manos del Uruguay wool called me out. i LOVE it. the yarn told me that i wanted to knit it, and it also told me that it wanted to become this...

oh yes, the counterpane accessory pouch from Handknit Holidays. immediate cast-on was in order. then this happened.

i don't even remember knitting it, it just came off the needles like that. but i have to finish knitting the second half which is proving to be more difficult. i frogged the second half 4 times already. stupid mistakes, of course. they're always stupid mistakes. bah. i'm working on it.

oh yes, how could i forget, ODESSA!

yay! i got to wear it in the snow in Michigan!

this pattern was so fun to knit. the hat is soft and the beads are easy to work with. it's likely that i'll knit another one.

i guess that's all for now. i'd better do some homework, and some knitting :)

papa bob

2006-03-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

i'm not sure where to start. there's so much i could say about him, but i'm not sure how to say it.

my papa bob passed away on monday, March 13th. i love him dearly. he was very funny, in fact, he wrote hilarious short mystery stories for alfred hitchcock magazine. he really loved a good joke. his smile was so quirky it softened your heart. he was an awesome grandfather to me. he gave me a gift that brings me solace and comfort each day. it continually brings me joy and i feel creative and unique when i use this gift. my papa bob taught me to knit.

when i was eight years old, he took me into the "little house" where he and my granny lived and he pulled out a bag of yarn. i picked out a dusty blue yarn and he gave me some old metal needles, then he proceeded to teach me the long-tail cast on. next came the incredible knit stitch. i knit and knit on the bed in the little house. he was so patient with me. i'm a very easily distracted person, but he managed to sit me down long enough to teach me to knit. i was on a roll for about a year, but i put the craft down for years only to rediscover it again my freshman year of college and he was overjoyed to hear that i'd fallen in love with it again. my papa bob loved to knit these booties that were almost a sock but without the shaping. if you mention the booties to anyone in my family, they know exactly what i'm talking about. he and my granny always had a pair on. my granny is giving me the pattern, which really means a lot to me.

i think i miss his smile most.

ode to odessa

2006-03-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

last saturday, paula and i went all over town doing all sorts of stuff. our first stop was at a bead shop where i found the perfect beads for odessa!

check it out, the beads blend perfectly with the yarn.

in fact, in the knitting they almost don't look like beads at all, they look like the subtle bumps of a purl stitch. in the right light they are iridescent and bluish. love 'em.

odessa is coming along nicely and i love love love the pattern. it's soooo simple but you wouldn't believe the comments it gets.

"that's knitting? but it looks store bought!"-awesome girl in my genetics class
"oh what's that, an arm band?"-guy in ecology who mistakenly thinks my arms are as thick as my thighs.
"wow! it looks like an ice cream cone!"-awesome guy in my ecology lab.
"oh my god, i wish i could knit. that is so cute."-girl in genetics.

thank you odessa, you make me feel like a knitting genius. but i'm not. not even close. but yesterday i sure felt like one. :)

look! she swirls.

gratuitous bead shot

i'll surely be wearing this by the time i land at the chicago airport. EXCITEMENT!

eowyn

2006-03-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

the pieces for eowyn have been finished and blocked for a few days. i planned to seam them up a while ago, but i've been too busy with school lately. after a geology lab exam this morning, i had time to sit down, eat lunch and seam eowyn up.

done!

they're beautiful and fabulously cozy. i got three compliments on them already today! i love the finished product, but i found that rowan kid classic yarn feels oddly greasy when i'm knitting with it. it isn't greasy, but it feeeeels greasy. however, the wristwarmers feel great on and i love 'em to bits.

i think i need to knit a hat soon. i'm going to visit my brother at his high school out in Michigan in a week and it's much colder than california. odessa maybe? i have a skein of rowan dk that is perrrrfect for it. i just can't find the right seed beads. bah.

dag. i have tons of genetics homework to do AND the office is on later. no knitting for me tonight.

even a knitter

2006-02-24T17:46:00.000-08:00

so, i definitely bought the new stitch 'n' bitch. yes, THAT stitch 'n' bitch, the one about crocheting.

but look, see? see that? right there...

there, it says "stitch-by-stitch instructions so clear anyone can learn to crochet—even a knitter" talk about calling me out. well heck, how could i NOT buy it? I flipped through the pages and found a simple scarf pattern that had a shell stitch border, something i hadn't done before(actually, the only thing i've done is a single crochet potholder.) i bought the recomended yarn (patons classic wool) and hook. by the way, patons classic wool merino is the most acryllic-like wool i've ever used. i was pretty convinced that it wasn't wool, but there was a felted sample at the store. weird.

look, ma! i'm a hooker!

i like it, i really do. it went by quickly and the shell stitch is pretty fun to do. i'll be trying out some more crochet patterns from that book soon. i'll also probably get some ribbon to run through the center of this scarf to add a splash of color and style. loves it.

better!

2006-02-16T18:22:00.000-08:00

my finger is still tender but it's much much better! i haven't knit much at all since the last post, but i did start(and finish) a hat for my cousin Isabella. i had a ball and a half of debbie bliss cashmerino aran left over from a sweater i knit for her birthday two months ago. she's so cute! she's walking and knows some sign language and can say momma, dadda, and doggie. too cute.

i knit the hat up in a hurry, slapped on a knitted flower and gave the hat away before taking any photos. next time i see my cousin i'll get a picture of her wearing her pink ensemble.

my parents came into town before Valentine's day and my dad took me to the LYS and bought me some Rowan kid classic! YAY!!! I started Eowyn from Rowan magazine 38, look!

this is fun to knit, and quick too. I did that whole bit in one sitting. i can't wait to wear them. they're my reward if i can get through this week (geology and ecology test tomorrow, ecology lab test thursday, genetic map of 6 genes due thursday, and a genetic test friday) i may also reward myself with ice cream.

well, i've really got to study for the two tests i have tomorrow. of course, i'll knit a few rows during my study breaks (sometimes those happen more frequently than the studying itself. meh.)

oh oh, here's my finger. huge hole = gross.

ew.

(the date on this post is off because i started writing it on the 16th, and didn't finish till the 21st. what took me so long??)

a knitter's worst nightmare

2006-02-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

i smashed my finger in my car door this morning. it quickly filled with blood, and i tearfully walked into work and asked for some advil. my parents are working in the chico office this week and my mom snapped into mommy-mode and got me a baggy of ice and some medicine. then she drove me to the health center, waited with me and went into the doctor's office with me. the doctor advised that i get the blood drained because i would have a 50% chance of losing the fingernail FOREVER. so, i woefully agreed and he brought out a tool that i call the medical soldering iron. he burnt a hole through my fingernail near the base, and the blood under my nail rushed out. then he burnt another hole through my nail, about in the center and SQUEEZED MY FINGER to get the rest out. the squeezing part hurt, but the hole burning wasn't bad.

the thing that kept bringing me to tears was the realization that i wouldn't be able to knit for a while. how horrible! i'm typing with one hand right now, but how do you knit with one hand? i'm sure i'll figure out a way to wedge one needle between my knees and move the other needle with my good hand. we shall see.

but, before the finger accident, i knit the thumb of katie's converitbles, and now i just have to knit the convertible part.

here's the underside.

i'm going to go practice my one-handed-knitting.

katie's convertibles

2006-02-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

i've been working on katie's convertible mittens in between classes and on an ecology field trip (just the bus ride). here they are so far...

here's a close up of the fair isle.

a little tight in some areas, but i'll stretch it a bit when i block it. i love this 100% alpaca yarn. i plan to pick up the stitches for the top of the mitten soon, and then knit the thumb. i hope it turns out alright, i'm not a fan of frogging. infact, i wouldn't frog it at all. i'd probably keep the janky mittens for myself and start a new pair (with lessons learned) and hope for the best. but, let's hope for the best the first time around.

my friend amy got the most adorable yorkshire terrier puppy. she's incredibly cheerful and has the sweetest disposition. so, i have to knit her a sweater. she's just yelping for a hot pink one. so i cast on during the superbowl. i'm hoping it will be a quick knit because i have several projects that have priority over this, but i'm just so easily distracted.

pink!

tootles!

two scarves in one weekend

2006-01-30T00:20:00.000-08:00

school is back in session. my classload was too heavy (17 units) so i dropped a class and now i'm down to 14 units, but i'll still end the semester a unit ahead. so it's all good.

between classes i managed to knit a few stitches here and there and i knit under the table in my ecology lab for a solid hour. sah-weet.

so thar she blows, ribbon scarf #4, the product of knitting during classes.

the photo's a little dark, sorry. i wore it to trader joe's and a random lady grabbed my scarf and said "it's so cool, i had to touch it" and then walked away. freakin' hippies. alright, i was hugely flattered.

on saturday i got some scrumptious chunky frog tree yarn. as soon as i got in the car i knit a swatch. and lo, a swatch was born.

i found the perfect pattern for the goods, "heart" from knitty.com's special breast cancer awareness month issue. i cast on, and took off. i'd forgotten just how quick US 15's and chunky yarn went. i couldn't stop. i knit and knit and knit and then wham, a scarf was born. i'm in lust.

i heart "heart".

oh, and you better believe these scarves are mine, mine, all mine! MWAHAHA!

NANO!

2006-01-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

my amazing husband bought me an ipod nano for being a good wife! how awesome is that?
i plugged in the tiny jukebox, thanked my hubby the way a good wife does, and what next? knit a case for it, duh.

i used some frog tree yarn, and i found the perfect button for it too. the thick cloth case that comes with the ipod fits inside the knit case for extra protection.

i've been busy lately, so not much has been accomplished with my knitting.

ribbon scarf #4 is in the works.

i finally started the weezer tote straps, but there's not much to show for it.

sad news, school starts back up tomorrow. ick. full time school + 16 hrs of work + married life = very little knitting time. but i know better, we all know better; there's always time for knitting.

my first crocheted object

2006-01-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

it's a potholder. typical. lame. but at least it's not a barbie doll dress toilet paper roll cover. those are lamer. i never understood why anyone would ever make those. so tacky.

close up of some flawless hooker skills. haha.

this project only strengthened my love for knitting. it's so much prettier. crocheted objects are just so bulky. as i read in stephanie pearl-mcphee's Yarn Harlot, crocheting uses three times more yarn than knitting, and only burns eighty Calories per hour compared to knitting's eighty-five Calories per hour. that adds up over time, i swear.

anyhow, i'm ready to pick up my sticks again and stuff the hooks in a dark corner of my yarn closet for quite a while.

frog tree

2006-01-15T00:19:00.000-08:00

i haven't wanted to hoard anything like this since i was a kid after the candy had just burst out from a pinata. frog tree yarn is lusty and delicious. i bought three skeins at my LYS with plans to make some mitten-esque hand warmers for my friend Katherine. i started knitting a swatch and i suddenly couldn't stop thinking about what colors i should buy next. horror struck me when i realized i wouldn't be able to go to the yarn store again until monday. it's my yarn candy. i LOVE it.

look at this beautiful 100% alpaca sport weight loving.

i've also come to grips with my need to own some crochet hooks. each time i fall in love with a knitting pattern i notice a small edging or aplique that calls for the crocheted beast. i'm folding, and i'll be learning a few techniques soon (i think). i bought three bamboo hooks, and some size four dpns for my frog tree yarn :)

oh, how could i forget! i re-organized my knitting closet. it's beautiful. but i did realize that i have less knit-worthy yarn than i thought. this is good and bad. i've just discovered yarn candy, but my post-christmas budget is in the negatives. i'll just buy two shades of green...

three musketeers and a geisha

2006-01-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

i had an amazing time in hawaii! i sunbathed and read memoirs of a geisha (which took away from my knitting time), i went whale watching, played glow-in-the-dark miniature golf, hiked through a bamboo forest to a waterfall and much much more. definitely one of the best vacations ever. i was so happy to play with paula while i was there too. we had a really great time, but i must admit, i'm really happy to be back at home in chico.

whilst in a cabana in maui, i finished the body of the weezer tote. i'm pretty excited, but i'm a little concerned with my handstitching skills, er, lack thereof.

i cut and pinned the asian-style fabric (memoirs of a geisha must have been fresh in my mind).

then backstitched the hell out of it. or something like that.

now i just have to knit two straps, line them with fabric, attach them to the purse and stitch the fabric lining snugly inside the tote. um. this is going to be a really late christmas present. meh.

on the airplane i worked on ribbon scarf numero tres. aqui esta:

look at how pretty the three musketeers are!

currently on the needles:
Rowan Butterfly (pictures coming soon)
Ribbon Scarf #4 (for me!)
Pasha the Penguin, for husband
Straps for the weezer tote

over and out.

sweet, sweet vacation

2006-01-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

i have never needed a vacation as much as i do now. what a Godsend.

i'm in HAWAII!!!
see?

right now i'm going to work out in the gym with my mom. Husband is scuba diving at Molokini until noon. the best part about today though, is that Paula arrives at 1:45! i'm going to pick her up at the airport because her friend's (3rd?) car blew up. so that's cool. she's hanging out with him all week, but i'll reserve a few time slots to play with her :)

ok work out time now.

part deux

2005-12-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

i know, it's mindblowingly sexy.

lauren's gonna LOVE this scarfypoo. it inspired me to buy yarn to make a warmer version for myself.

cue yarn.

so, i knit my first toy, and i'm feeling a bit smug. it's a koala, given to marisa for her 21st birthday. you're never too old for toys.

christmas was sahweeet in the gift department this year. i got two knitting books from husband, one from the iufers, one from my parents AND they also bought me the yarn to make Butterfly from Rowan magazine 37. sooo happay. i love this color.

ok, i have a massive amount of work to do on that weezer tote. also, i would like a piece of chocolate.

so many WIPs

2005-12-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

so, this has been a craaaaazy week. and heck, it's only thursday. i've only been able to knit on car rides to work and one productive trip to clayton (thanks dad).

this thang is going to be a tote...eventually. it's the weezer symbol in hot pink. this one goes to tracy, because weezer loves HER.

iPod mini case

2005-12-14T22:09:00.000-08:00

a protective carrying case for a pink iPod mini (original design, hence the crookedness here and there)

i imagine it won't look so crooked once an iPod is actually in it.

a lovely view of the back. i really like this pattern. i went fair-isle on its ass because intarsia would be retarded and the carried yarn serves as double padding. i just hope katherine agrees with my thinking patterns.

ribbon scarf: part 1

2005-12-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

it is done.

So, photos at night look awful. don't judge me.

i wasn't totally pleased with the length of the scarf, i think i like it better wrapped close to the neck. it's almost like a cowl, or a light blue fuzz ball of loving. either or.

as far as lauren's white scarf, i may modify the pattern slightly. although, i'm concerned that i'll run out of yarn, and i was really hoping for a one-skein-wonder. also, now that my prototype is finished, i don't think any beads would show in the cast off considering how much the ripples curl. hrm. i guess i'll just add 10 stitches to the cast on for added length, and skip the beads altogether. they'd probably feel cold anyway.

oh oh oh, i only have one final left. zoology final at 10:00AM on friday. i'll be studying at starbucks fo sho. the best part about friday is that i only have to work for two hours AND the office is paying for everyone at work to see King Kong. STOKED. i hope it's good. i'll bring knitting just in case the dinosaur vs. kong fight isn't convincing. also i just like knitting. good for waiting in line too. i knit two feet of a scarf whilst in line for narnia.

ok, time to start lauren's scarf!

the best sentences start with "yeah right..."

2005-12-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

Example:
"the word is pronounced 'div-EYE-sive'" -me
*pause*
"yeah right, it's 'div-ISS-ive'" -kyle

i will always love 'yeah right' sentences.

in other news, i made a quick trip to my fave LYS today. i had planned on spending around 30 bucks but ended up spending the least amount of money i've ever spent in that store. a grand total of $6.42. i'm pretty sure that's a world record.
i picked up the cheapest mohair-ish yarn in the chico area: Kid Merino from Crystal Palace Yarns. in my opinion, it serves as a fine substitute for Rowan Kidsilk, especially since it's 40% of the cost.

i plan on using this yarn to make a ribbon scarf for Lauren as a Christmas gift. i think i'll spruce it up with adding white seed beads every tenth stich in the cast off. we'll see if i still think that's a good idea when i'm squinting and fumbling with 120 tiny beads. meh.

here's the practice ribbon scarf, most likely to go to a beloved cousin.

this little bugger is in the cast off stage as i type. funny story; 1,200 stitches is an absurd amount, and i hate my life.

green light

2005-12-12T16:04:00.000-08:00

this is shameful really. i've spent a total of probably 12 hours reading other knitting blogs, and finally, i decided to make my own. not that i have anything blog-worthy to show. i guess this is mostly a motivational thing. let's see if it works...

in other news, that's a picture of me, in my zoology lab. yes, that's a fetal pig that i'm waving in the air. her name is Petunia. the smell is incredible. you can't get it out of your hands. husband went to kiss me that day, and commented on my new stench. i have a feeling that the people in my poli sci class think i smell like that normally. hrm. that's awkward.