Happy New Year!
I'll spare you the excuses for why I've been so absent from this blog and from commenting on others.
At least I can start 2007 off right by posting a finished project.
They don't come much simpler than this. It's just a simple, garter stitch on the bias scarf, with a row or two or three of eyelets thrown in here and there. I had tried using this yarn for the .
The yarn had a bit too much going on for that pattern and I decided to rip it out. The sparkle factor of the yarn was calling to me this Christmas season so I decided to go with . It's not the sort of knitting project that you can find much to post about, but I like how it turned out.
1. I am practicing to become a 14-year-old YouTube girl.
2.
I have a lazy eye like Paris Hilton.
3. I am the Phantom of the Opera.
4. I am curious (yellow).
5.
Blog absence was necessary due to Extreme Makeover gone awry.
I'm not so good at keeping secrets, so a Certain Special Someone has long known I was knitting him this project. He had feigned interest quite some time ago while I babbled about this from Dale, so I decided to use it to knit him a cap.
Those clever Norwegians -- making wool even more sensible for outdoor gear! It's not the softest yarn in the world, but I wouldn't say it's disagreeably scratchy. I'm sure it will get even softer once I wash it.
It seems like it will make a great cap to wear on a wet winter's day. Of course I don't think everyone was as enamored with this idea as I am, because I believe the yarn is now discontinued.
The pattern I used is a .
I enjoyed knitting from a pattern that hundreds of women and men had used before. I changed it up a bit and added some decreases, because the first time I finished it, the pleated effect was more of a popover effect.
It turned out pretty well (better in real life than in the photo below).
I hope my fella likes it!
This is what over seven feet of soft, fluffy, ruffled alpaca looks like draped around my neck. Yes, that came in, and I was able to finish my ooh-la-la scarf.
The project has morphed a bit since I first started. It was originally going to have a rather subtle, undulating edge, sort of like this . Then I saw all those and knew I had to go with a ruffle.
It's a whole lot of scarf, but I love it!
Cue "Fanfare for the Common Man", because project #33 is finished!
So, is there a prize for what surely must be last place in the ?Yes, the so-called is FINALLY FINISHED!!!
Despite the lengthy delay, I'm quite pleased with myself for taking this project on. It was a lot of fun to come up with a design and then execute it with the expert guidance of Barbara Walker's .
Next time I do a top-down sweater, I'll go a little easier on the raglan increases.
I was nervous about making it too small, so I ended up with a bit too much bulk under the arms. Despite this minor issue, the sweater is still cute (if I do say so myself), comfortable and very warm.
I'm not sure what else to say, other than WOO HOO!
Sockudrama - Project #37 is finished!
I'm dipping my toe back into blogging with a wee finished project post.I assure you there are two completed lichen ribbed socks in this photo.
One is just obscured by that unstylish bit of footwear known as an . Unfortunately, I had a stupid accident and broke my foot two weeks ago. I unintentionally stayed with the soccer/football theme of this World Cup sock yarn and broke (5th metatarsal).
I'll guess have to save the photo for my next pair.
The lichen ribbed sock pattern was quite easy to knit, though next time around, I think I'll knit a different toe. Those p3togs were a nightmare!
It's a good thing the sock knitting went well, because I have a feeling I'll be confined to sensible, sock requiring footwear for quite some time.
project #7: sweater with frills is finally finished!
Fetch your smelling salts -- it's been two years in the making, but the frilled Rebecca sweater is finally finished!*
It's more than a little difficult to come up with anything interesting to say about a project so long in the making. I'm really please to have finished it, though it's a bit anticlimactic because it's completely unwearable. All along I've been paranoid that it would be too small.
Unfortunately, it's quite the opposite. Unless I can borrow Katie Holmes' stunt bump and also sign up for some boob jobbery, this will never fit me. There's just way too much roomy material in the bust and tummy.
This project was started only a couple of months after I started knitting and I just didn't know about the benefits of such wonderful things as negative ease. I guess I'll tuck it into the back of my dresser drawer and save it in case I should ever be great with child.
Some of you were clamoring for a photo of the in action.
For some reason, my lovely sister thought that she looked a bit haggish not her best in this photo and demanded that I blur out her face. The end result is rather creepy in a sort of way, but it should give you a better idea of how the cowl looks when worn.
In other knitting news, I had a bit of trauma with my .
At some point I accidentally knit a couple of inches with a rogue black yarn, which created an odd stripe. Of course I did not notice this until many inches later. It's now been ripped out and I started over from scratch.
I probably should have just ripped back to the error, but I discovered it at 10 PM at night and tore the whole thing out in a fit of pique. It's now back on the needles. I'll post a photo update soon.
- I've been reading about the some people have to . Perhaps the knitting accident above can also be blamed on the wonder drug. Let the class action lawsuit begin!
Failing a financial settlement, insomniacs should at least get their own hymn (turn your volume up!) [ ].
- [ ]
The Council of Fashion Designers of America is meeting with members of Congress tomorrow to gather support for a bill to offer copyrightlike protection to clothing designs.Seems idiotic to me, especially having read about a few weeks back.While European Union law already contains similar provisions, the CFDA proposal would be a substantial change to the existing American framework. The proposed bill would, for the first time, prevent anyone from copying an original clothing design in the United States and give designers the exclusive right to make, import, distribute, and sell clothes based on their designs.
- When I was a kid, my garage sale fanatic mom bought me at least one of by Helen Wells (also the author of the books, another favorite of mine). I was pretty fascinated by the stewardesses, in part because of their gorgeous uniforms. However, I'm not a uniform freak like .
[ ]. I love the hat on the ( ). The incredibly exhaustive collection even includes numerous photos of .
, including the Braniff Barbie that I highly covet.
- , at least according to . When I play with the site using my photo I get an odd assortment of results: Sammi Cheng, Jessica Alba and Virginia Mayo.
I don't think I resemble any of these people, but I'd trust the results more if the site didn't also identify the tile roof in the background behind me as and Margaret Thatcher.
- - A good discussion in the post and comments on the whole concept of knitting and ease.
| 
-- right around the time I learned to knit.
It seems appropriate that the finished project I am flaunting today is going to . Molly is working on her graduate degree and just completed her student teaching. She deserves a gift in recognition of all of that effort.
The is a simple and elegant knit. It would be easy for a pastel color like this pink to look a bit twee, but the ridged reverse stockinette pattern gives it a modern architectural feel. You can wear the cowl slouched around your neck or pulled up like a hood.
If you haven't yet knit in the round, this would be a great first project. I'd recommend doing as I did, and knit it inside out, so as to spend more time knitting and less time purling.
The yarn I used is the by future .
I didn't have much experience with alpaca, but was seduced by the description. The yarn itself is a bit less elastic than I'm used to with wool, but the fiber knits up to an incredibly soft fabric with a gorgeous halo. It's also very warm.
You'll be able to purchase this yarn online from , a shop that is opening very soon now open. They shipped my test order quickly and the yarn was packaged very nicely. I have a feeling this store will be a big hit.
Full disclosure: I'm a bit biased because the proprietress is one of my favorite knitters. No, I did not get a discount to say this. She has impeccable taste and I'm confident you guys will be as big a fan of her shop as I am.
- is up to . I'm rather frustrated with Yahoo and the way they let these idiots harass their customers.
- I visited yesterday.
The building is gorgeous and the collection was amazing. There's also the obligatory , which sold and these .
- Libby Dole is a real class act.
It's always good to send people .
- and though I was disappointed that lost, was a deserving winner. What surprised me is that I thought was the best of the lot.
or you could .
- I want to go back to Scotland and live in this !
It always feels a bit anticlimactic to finish a project that I had previously completed and ripped out.
This time around, I reduced the number of increases I did per row and was more diligent about trying it on as I went. I was going for a fit similar to and am happy with how it turned out.
Now I need to start training for the .
I'll be working on a sweater of my own design (let's not get into that argument about design vs. pattern making).
- I've long wished for a way to keep track of where I've left comments, so was pleased to find out about [ ].
I'm looking forward to playing around with it.
- The is this afternoon. I'm especially looking forward to her knitwear designs.
(IE only, unfortunately). A couple of the fashion blogs have been and from the tents. They even .
I've enjoyed their reportage, though I don't quite get why .
-
Each weekday in February, the Magazine [BBC] is featuring a classic public information film from the past 60 years, concluding with a vote on your favourite of all the films.
The mystery project was never much of a secret, but for those of you who didn't guess, it can now be revealed as the Big Bad Baby Blanket.
This pattern is quite simple, but it was an enjoyable knit and the end result is gorgeous. I can see why it's been such a popular pattern. I'll soon be giving it to the cute little guy I knit it for (I'll update this post with an "action" shot).
- , one of my favorite films from last year, was nominated for a whole passel of . George Clooney has certainly come a long way since his days in . was .
I really don't understand the complaints that it was confusing.
- [ ]. Perhaps an Oscar gown is in his future.
- with Extreme Breastfeeding and The Perfect P****. I'm not at all disappointed that these aren't showing in the US.
- Two great posts on - and [ ]
Bush on Tuesday night is going to pretend to tell the nation how his government is working in the beginning of his sixth year in office.The history of Bush's state of the union speeches tells us his version is going to be an Olympic class con job delivered with relentless sincerity.
Thankfully, I am almost over whatever it was that was ailing me for the past two weeks and am here to post my finished mittens. It took three mittens to do it, but I ended up with a pair that are well matched in size and form.
I finished up the last thumb this morning while watching the beautiful Audrey Hepburn in . It made me think of a lovely Thanksgiving day I spent in Paris seven long years ago. Sigh.
.. such happy memories.
I'm off now to assemble the . Happy Thanksgiving!
| The Yarn: in Charcoal purchased from (The knitting store with the speediest shipping ever!
)
The Needles: US2, 3 and US6 circular needle 24-inch
That pesky last bit of ribbing took me more than a little time to finish because I've been a bit under the weather (I'm partial to trends so am thinking it must be the avian flu). When and my carefully crafted failed me, I had to bring in the big guns -- music from . There's nothing like some rousing Copland-ish songs to get a girl in the mood for finishing a knitting project.
Truthfully, I still have to do the straps. I'm trying to decide what to do for those. I'm thinking perhaps a thin strap with a ribbon woven through eyelets.
Straps or not, I am really happy with this project. It may very well be my favorite knit I've finished so far. is well crafted and gave me a bit of exposure to short rows.
My only folly was that I chose the wrong size the first go around. At least I plowed through try #2 fairly quickly.
Now I just need to decide -- new project or WIP.
Hmm...
Yeah, I'm milking this swap for as many blog posts as possible. I promise this is the last one (I think).
When I finished up I made a silly offhand remark that it would be funny if her cute new puppy, , had a matching scarf.
I remembered that I had some purple yarn in my stash that I had originally purchased for another project (abandoned because the yarn was way too purple for me), so I decided to be goofy and make him one.
After doing some exhaustive research into the neck size of Chihuahuas I came to the conclusion that a wee keyhole version of the scarf would work best.
Here's the finished scarf, as modeled by Fauxpoleon.
Please note that the color in these photos is really crappy.
Hot swappable! project #24: hubba bubba bobble scarf is finished!
proposed a swap a couple months back, which I gladly accepted. We sorted out the yarn I should order and then I went to town. Well, er, I mean it did take me nearly a million years to finish, but that is just how I am.
I only knit in fits and spurts.
This photo shows how I wear my original version of this scarf. -- doubled, with the scarf pulled through the loop (I think this is Angela's preferred way).
This is the third scarf I've made based on the I came up with earlier this year. I've used a different yarn each time around. was made using a worsted weight mohair yarn that my sister had given me.
used the Knit Picks Andean Silk. Though the weight and drape of that yarn was lovely, I found it a bit less than ideal for bobble making.
I very much enjoyed knitting this one with the Noro Cash Iroha.
It has a luxurious feel, and the thick and thin texture is very interesting. I especially liked how it made the bobbles come out in different shapes and sizes. I used three hanks of yarn for this project and ended up with a scarf about six-and-a-half feet long and approximately 4.
5 inches wide (the pattern naturally pulls in, but you can easily stretch it wider). The scarf is pretty stretchy in all directions, at least at the gauge I knit it for this project. With its high silk content and relaxed gauge, I don't think it's going to be the warmest scarf ever, but it feels great on.
I've read that some people ran into trouble when they wet blocked projects knit from this yarn. I did notice it got a little less plump in places, but it didn't really bother me. My main complaint with the yarn is that each hank had at least one knot lurking somewhere in the middle.
Angela - I hope you like the finished product!
(Whew - who knew I could write so much about one silly scarf!)
It also shows what the "wrong" side of the stitch pattern looks like.
Project #20: Orangina is finished (finally)!
Though finished with the knitting quite some time ago, I had a bit of trouble with the shoulder seams and couldn't be bothered to sort it out until this afternoon. I'm so happy to be done!
If I had it to do over again, I would have knitted the smaller size and used needles other than the Addis. I know those needles are a favorite of many.
They were just a bit too slippery for me with this fine cotton yarn. The only thing I changed in the pattern was to go down a needle size for the ribbing section. I can't remember which blog I read that tip on, but it was very helpful.
I seamed the sides using mattress stitch (my first attempt), which turned out quite well. I resorted to crocheted seams to fix my shoulder mess, which I then flattened with my steam iron. I lightly blocked the lace section using steam and a pressing cloth (thanks, for that bit of blocking advice).
Now I just need to find the perfect "nude" camisole to wear under it!
I finished this scarf sometime last week. This was my "go to" project to work on while riding the bus to my office.
The yarn was great to work with and I have to thank again for the idea of what to make with it.
I'm planning to send it to an auntie of mine who has been very hospitable to me over the years. The colors will be perfect for her.
I woke up in a cranky mood today for various and sundry reasons -- some large, some small. So, I cheered myself up by watching Tommy February videos while I finished up the bobble scarf for my sister. I think it did the trick.
This scarf was done in the Andean Silk from Knit Picks. The yarn was rather splitty, which made it a bit unpleasant to work with, but the feel and drape you get is lovely.
This is my second variation on the bobbles theme.
My was just your traditional scarf that you loop around your neck. This time I made it a lot shorter with a keyhole to keep it in place. I think it turned out great!
Yes that is a notebook computer you see in the photo above. I've been very dissatisfied with it and wish I would have just had my company buy me a Sony Vaio. The machine is only 8 months old, but it's had numerous problems and their customer service is really poor.
We even paid extra for one day "in home" service and I still got the runaround when I had to have the motherboard, heat sink and fan replaced a month or so ago. I'm happy to see is .
I used to recommend Dell to friends and family who asked for my advice about which brand of computer to purchase.
Obviously, I do not do that any longer. It's really too bad because my friends can attest to how excited I was to get this computer last winter. However, the wireless card crapped out the day after I got the computer and it was a lengthy ordeal to get it replaced.
At one point one of their techs said (in a charming Indian accent) that I "must be a very unlucky person". Yep, I guess that explains it. The machine has been tainted ever since.
The earbuds that came with the iPod are going to have to go. Perhaps I have abnormally small ears, but those things hurt! I'm temporarily substiting some el cheapo headphones I picked up to use with my computer.
However, this new toy will be a great thing to have on my long commute to/from work each day.
Inspired by , I'll show you all of the crap essential things I was carrying in my handbag to get me through my commute and my day.
What's in my handbag?
Out of the Past - Project #10 is finished (finally)!
I've for you to know that Frida and I have had a rather tortured relationship. I frogged my first attempt last year, restarted it, let it molder in my stash box until a few weeks ago, only to run out of yarn for the straps. I thought about just ripping it up and finding a new project, but instead ordered another ball of yarn so I could refashion the straps in the proper way.
Such drama!
I finished the second version of the straps last weekend while watching an excellent noir, (starring a delicious ). It's one of my favorite noirs, and I was pleased to notice a line mentioning knitting, albeit in a somewhat sexist way.
You know, a dame with a rod [gun] is like a guy with a knitting needle. As the mysterious relationships in a noir are sometimes difficult to disentangle, so were the straps I first made for this project.
I finally got it sorted and present to you the final product; shamefully late for the I joined last year.
I made a couple of minor modifications to the pattern to make it work better for me. The first incarnation of Frida rolled an awful lot at the bottom, so I added ribbing to help keep it in place. I also lengthened it by a wee bit, which seems to have been a very good thing, as it still appears a bit cropped with low-rise jeans.
The stockinette for the straps also rolled a bit too much for my taste, so I added in a garter edge to help it out a bit. The end result seems pretty good for my first completed garment. I do believe I will actually wear it -- perhaps with a blue tank underneath for contrast.
Yet another scarf to add to my collection. This yarn had been hanging around for quite some time and I was pleased to finally find a use for it. They don't look so hot in the photo due to the lighting, but I like the look of the bobbles.
However, man were they tedious! Sorry about the horrible photo.
A kind visitor from asked me if I could write up instructions on how I made this scarf.
Basically, you would just cast on stitches appropriate to the width you'd like for your scarf. The body of the scarf is done in a seed stitch rib pattern. You'll need to cast on a multiple of 3 stitches plus 1 to use the seed stitch rib pattern.
Row 1 (Right Side): (K2, P1) repeat to last stitch, K1
Row 2: (P2, K1) repeat to last stitch, P1
Repeat these rows to create stitch pattern.
I randomly added in bobbles to give it more detail. The bobbles go in place of a knit stitch on the "right" side of your scarf.
For example, K1, make bobble, P1. Make sense?
I know there are loads of ways to make a bobble, so find instructions that make sense to you and go with it.
Here's . The instructions I used came from the Casey pattern in . For my 6-foot long scarf I kept the bobbles to 1 foot at each end.
That's really it! It's a very basic scarf, but one that shows off variegated mohair rather nicely, if I do say so myself.
My inner knit blog police are telling me it's time to stop posting about Project Runway and to start posting about my knitting again.
This little scarf was my Valentine's Day present to myself.
Perfect!
The pattern I worked from was a freebie from .
I tried to follow the pattern at first, but as my crocheting is less and more hac (half a**ed crochet), I decided to knit the collar and then do my best with the, um, dangly bits. This was a very quick knit. Most of it was done in a matter of a couple of hours-- I was just slow about weaving in the ends and attaching it all together.
I'm quite happy with the way it turned out.
A new project and a finished project all in one! How's that for the world's slowest knitter?
Perhaps I am a cruel woman for leading web surfers astray by naming this scarf not after the Bourne Supremacy. I have a logical enough reason for not naming it so, but I'll start things off by pointing those googlers .
I'm NOT going to say I had the flu.
I'll instead say I was suffering from ague. That sounds a bit more more appealing, does it not? I stayed home from work to rest, but I'm not a patient patient so, though I couldn't even keep my head about me to read, I decided to knit.
Luckily there was some chunkorific yarn begging to be garter stitched, and the Bourne Supremacy DVD for visual stimulation. This was the first thing I've knit that let me really grasp the appeal of chunky yarn and chunky needles. What fun it was to finish a project in the length of time it takes to watch a DVD (and a few of the extras)!
The scarf is amazingly cozy and will be quite fab for those horribly cold days I know are still to come.
Woo hoo! A few firsts!
First finished project of 2005!
First project with seams!
I started this hat in a moment of desperation, just needing a simple project to bring with me to the SnB, so didn't actually hold high hopes for the end result.
Though it may not seem so from my blog postings, this was actually a pretty quick knit -- finished in about 3 sittings. I added the pom poms to give it a little something extra and am quite happy with the result. The added bonus is that it fits!
Perhaps I'll even wear it.
It was rather fun to knit. The seed stitch and rib are two great things that go great together.
I will have to improvise other projects out of this stitch. I think it would look great in a slightly fluffy yarn with a touch more mohair.
oh mine papa - project #15 is finished!
Yeehaw! I finished my father's scarf on Sunday night. I just need to tidy it up a bit with some gentle blocking.
PHOTO UPDATE: The photo below is just a last minute one I snapped (wet hair and all) before I had to wrap up the scarf and head out to celebrate Christmas. The weird giant boob shelf view is a result of a wide angle lens so certain objects appear much larger than they are in real life. I'll post a better photo when I can.
The Project: Newcastle United scarf for Luke
The Yarn: Plymouth Encore worsted weight yarn in black and white - purchased at
The Needles: 5-1/2mm
: March 2004
Finished: October 31,2004
I finally finished Luke's scarf, and just in time for his birthday. This scarf does not photograph well at all. I can't believe I finished this project so quickly.
Thank God for comfort knitting. It really helped me keep my mind off the weirdness that will ensue this week at work.
The texture of this yarn is absolutely amazing.
I am totally in love with it! It's ridiculously soft and "pettable". It's disappointing that my LYS no longer carries it.
Fuzzy black yarn is definitely more of a challenge to knit with than smooth, light colored yarn. The upside is that if you make a tiny mistake it is not likely to show. While I certainly wouldn't want a persnickety knitting critic to look at my last seed stitch section, the errors of my ways aren't visible to the untrained eye.
Finished: October 11, 2004
Hurrah - a finished project! This was a pleasantly quick knit (for me). It's already turned very cold here and I've had a few chances to wear this fuzzy little number.
I love it! It turned out so luxurious that it feels a bit decadent to wear it around during the day. If I had it to do over again I'd knit it a little narrower and a little longer, but those are minor quibbles.
I'm displaying it on my much loved Sony Vaio laptop. I'm in the market for a new laptop computer for work. Any recommendations for a well designed, well functioning Windows OS laptop are welcome.
I saw a very lovely shiny white one (nope, not an ibook) somewhere, but I can't seem to find it. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Finished: September 24, 2004
(yes, I do love that movie) - the we got spirit yes we do scarflet is finished!
I finally sewed on the pompoms and finished this up last night. Being only 13 stitches across, the k1p1 ribbed scarflet knitted up very quickly. I did most of it while riding the bus to work and finished the scarflet section while watching (more on that below).
I initially intended on making this a choker, but went a little longer to make it more comfortable.
I'm flyin', I jump! You can look but don't you hump!
Whoo!
The pompoms were the most tedious part. , the pompom maker I purchased really sucked, so I ended up making them the old fashioned way.
They turned out fine, but it took a fair amount of trimming to get them to look even. Oh well, -- no pom poms, no we got spirit yes we do scarflet!
I'm major, I roar!
I swear I'm not a whore!
The scarflet will be a nice accessory for this early fall weather. I'm shamefully tooting my own horn here, but I think it turned out pretty durned cute!
Okay, enough of the cheering, what's not to love about ? I'll confess I was partial to the film before I'd even seen it, due to my weird fascination with all things (blame that on and ). I should train myself to become better at , but I'll simply say that the pre-fall of the stuff was as my spoiled capitalist pig self imagined it would have been and the film exceeded my expectations by being somewhat sad, very amusing and quite sweet.
There is even a in it!
Finished: A long time ago, so exact date is a mystery to me
Ooh! Ahh!
It's a finished object - an oh so thrilling scarf done in, yep, garter stitch. No longer a mystery, this one is going to my mom, who though quite fond of , is thankfully not a member of the . Nor is she a member of the party.
Finished: March 19, 2004
It's not even leatha! Finished up while watching last night. I'm completely inept at weaving in the ends, so I expect a few stray bits will work themselves out over time, but that's ok!
I started this scarf on the first day of the and was hoping it would be sorted out before I finished, but sadly it was not the case. Here's hoping the strike will be settled soon and I'll be back on the bus knitting away very shortly.
Why yes, it is another washcloth and done in the same sugar n cream as the last one.
I wanted to try out seed stitch and this was a good sized project to knit on the bus.
Finished: Feb 2004!
Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel proud enough of it to wear it.
Although partially due to my lack of skills, the spongy Skyline Light yarn was initially a bit tricky for me. However, by the end of the scarf I fell in love with it. In fact, just this weekend I went back and bought up the four skeins left at the store so I can make a matching hat.
The scarf has pilled a little, but that's livable.
I should really start this one up again.
Must have been smoking crack, and had cast on for wrong size. Ripped out and started over.
On hold until further notice.
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