Stick-Legged Girl

Most satisfying FO ever

2010-07-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Is it weird that one of the first things I started thinking about when I found out I was pregnant was all the things I would knit for my baby? It must not be too weird, because most of my friends and family members had the same reaction when we shared the news that we were expecting: first, "That is amazing! We are so happy for you!" Almost always followed by, "Has Farrah started knitting yet?"

So it was a lot of pressure to make something seriously awesome for my little boy. I have to say I think I found the perfect pattern in the Gift Wrap Romper. Because he was due at the end of June, I used a cotton blend yarn (Yarn Gang again, purchased on sale again, so total yarn cost of this cuteness was $3). The pattern is fantastic, the process is easy, and the results are...

freaking adorable if I do say so myself.

But wait. That's on the hanger. What about on an actual baby?

Ridiculous adorable. I am obviously biased, but I do have the cutest model in the entire universe. My little guy was 6 lbs. 14 oz. at birth and the newborn size of this romper fit him perfectly. He wore it for his official hospital pictures.

He has also gotten a lot of use out of the simple little umbilical cord hat I made him out of Mini Mochi.

My little model's name is Cian and as expected, he has become my knitting muse and pretty much the center of our world. I can't resist throwing in a non-knitting related picture because this level of baby-liciousness has to be shared...

DIY Bright Modern Nursery

2010-05-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

The nursery project has been in progress for about 6 months now and I have concentrated every nesting instinct I have into this teeny tiny room. We went back and forth, but finally decided to use this mini-room because it gets the best light in the house, has the best view, and using it meant we wouldn't have to get rid of our guest bedroom. It was definitely the right decision.

This is the "before" picture- taken from the doorway right before the painting process began...

And here is the after!

The room doesn't have a theme exactly, but a few motifs. Circles and owls seem to come up a lot...

Now for the details. The stuff that was bought:
1. The crib is the Gulliver from IKEA, which was chosen because it was the smallest crib we could find. Pretty much everything else we considered wouldn't fit into the room.
2. The changing table is also from IKEA- the old standby dresser everyone has in their house, the Malm.
3. The rocking chair is an antique that my parents found on Craigslist and gave us for Christmas.
4. The chest of drawers thing under the window was an amazing find from HomeGoods. It was on clearance for only $100 (marked down from $400!). I couldn't believe how perfectly it fit in the space.
5. The pendant lamp is also from IKEA- the Fado. I love it because it kinda reflects the circle thing we have going.
6. The vinyl wall decal is from Etsy, a shop called Surface Inspired. More circles there and of course the owl which I am obsessed with.
7. Eclipse curtains from Target. I had every intention of making curtains, but when I found these at Target and they were the kind that wouldn't let light through PLUS they had textured circles all over and matched perfectly, I knew it was meant to be.

Stuff we made:
1. The crib skirt. After hours and hours of scouring the web for the perfect material, I ended up finding it at Hobby Lobby. We started out with very plain flat panels but wanted to add a little something extra and ended up finding the rick rack in the craft supplies that I inherited from my grandma. I love that a piece of her is in this room. I looked all over the internet for a pattern for an IKEA crib skirt and couldn't find one, so we made one up. If people are interested, I will try to put together a tutorial.

2. A valence and curtain pulls. I wanted something really flat for the valence, but I didn't feel like making a wooden box and hanging it up. The valence is two layers of fabric with a layer of interfacing in between to make it sturdy. There is also a cord running along the bottom inside to keep it straight and flat. The buttons on the curtain pulls are from the great stash given to me by Mema, so a great-grandma is also represented in the room.

3. Chair cushion and pillow. Material, stuffing, and pillow for these was purchased at Joann for 50% off. To make the chair cushion, we traced the chair bottom onto tracing paper to make a pattern. Cut out two fabric pieces, pinned 4 pieces of ribbon to serve as ties between the two pieces of fabric, sewed it all together, stuffed it with polyester stuffing, and sewed on 4 buttons. For the pillow, just cut out two fabric rectangles 1 inch larger than the pillow form and sewed them together.

4. Changing table pad. To be honest, this is still a work in progress. I made a pattern that would fit the curved sides of the contoured changing pad and sewed them to a piece of fabric that fit all the way around the pad, but right now it is pinned underneath until I can get help figuring out the best way to attach elastic.

5. I found the set of red number drawer pulls at Pottery Barn Kids Outlet for only $5! It was more difficult than expected, but Bryan drilled holes into the Malm dresser to put in the drawer pulls and I think it makes a HUGE difference.

6. The owl mobile, of course, which is described in my last post.

So that's where we're at right now. We have 5 weeks before he's scheduled to arrive and I have a few more things I'd like to get done before then. I want to make a quilt with all the different materials we used in the nursery, but I haven't made a quilt before so it could take some time. I also would like to figure out something to hang up on the wall over the crib, but I am paranoid about hanging things because I'm afraid they will fall on him. I also have 2 or 3 knitting projects I'd like to finish before he gets here as well. OK, all that seems a little ambitious now that I write it out.

If anyone has any ideas for safe things to hang over the crib, I'd love to hear them!

Owl Mobile

2010-05-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

We wanted to create a modernish nursery that had no real theme but just had lots of bright colors and simple shapes. It worked pretty well, I think, but I did get a little obsessed with owls as I went along. Not enough to make it a theme I don't think, but you'll see owls sprinkled around a little.

I wanted to make a handmade mobile for the baby, but I sort of liked the idea that store-bought mobiles could move and play music. I got inspiration when I saw a mobile at TJ Maxx that was missing some pieces (it was also fairly ugly). In a move that is totally unlike me, I talked to the manager and asked if I could get it for a discount because it was missing the little arm covers that were shown on the box. The manager said yes and I got this mobile that winds up to move and play music for only $10.

I found these absolutely ADORABLE owl stuffies on Flickr and decided to make the mobile with little owls that are sewn from the fabrics that I used around the rest of the nursery. I made one test one and loved it, so I gathered everything I would need to make 3 more.

Using the great directions in tutorials by Jenny the Artist and Moonstitches, I sewed these little guys up in just a few minutes. It was a little more fiddly to do the rest of the sewing by hand, but once I got that first one figured out it took no time at all.

I love each of these little guys so much I can't help but show you each one separately. It would be unfair to focus on just one.

One major hint I would offer to anyone making owl stuffies (or any other stuffies for that matter) is to splurge on felt that has sticky glue on the back. It is SO much easier to work with the tiny little felt circles if they just stick where they are supposed to end up while you sew.

I seriously don't have a favorite. I love them all.

As always, my embroidery skills leave lots to be desired, but I tried to use a satin stitch for the little beaks.

I threaded the red embroidery thread through the backs of the owls at an angle so that they were all facing down toward the baby. That way he'd be able to see the contrast, which is kind of the whole point of mobiles, from what I understand. It bugs me when mobiles are angled so that adults can see how cute they are but the babies can only see the boring bottoms.

For the base and the arms, I just measured the girth of each piece, added half an inch along each side for seam allowance, and cut rectangles. Then I hemmed the short ends and sewed the long ends together to form tubes. Slip the tubes over the base and arms and you have custom-fit covers. I did NOT want any ruffly or ruched-looking lines, so I tried hard to make the measurements as exact as possible so the tubes would fit on exactly and look straight and clean.

I'm thrilled with the results- this makes me want to squee every time I look in the tiny little room where our boy is going to live. I'll show you more sewing soon- I'm trying to figure out the best way to take pictures in such a teeny tiny space.

2010-04-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've been busy, but haven't had much blog-able crafting going on lately. Not secret exactly, but I just wasn't ready to put it out there to the world at large. But I think it's time...

Cause it's not like I can actually hide it! We're having a baby come late June and even though I've had 30 weeks to get used to the idea, I still feel kind of shocked by the whole thing.

People who check in here often know I do a lot of baby knitting for my friends and family, but knitting for my own little guy (yep, it's a boy) has actually proven to be a little harder. I don't know why, but for some reason I can't decide on the *perfect* patterns or the *perfect* yarns. I did make him a little pair of pants, though.

I love them. I used the Kanoko pattern as a general guide, but I didn't do any of the texture and I obviously added stripes. I also added a good inch to the length because all the pictures on Ravely made these look a little short on the babies. The yarn is a cotton/acrylic blend called Yarn Gang and was on sale at Michael's for $1 per skein, so these little pants were only $3.

As I was putting together this post I noticed that my most favorite, most anticipated baby pattern ever was just released and I will be knitting it up ASAP. I mean seriously, being able to see my baby wear this makes labor seem almost worth it. Well that and the whole miracle of creating new life stuff, I guess.

I've been doing more sewing lately to fix up the nursery. As soon as I get some time, I am going to post some details of what we've done. My mom and I sewed a crib skirt for the Gulliver crib from IKEA, curtain stuff, and a chair pad and pillow all custom made for our tiny little nursery. I am completely happy with how it turned out and am now just working on getting all the other little decorative details together.

More to come!

Worth the repetition

2010-02-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

I rarely knit something twice, especially with the same yarn, but a few months back when I was working on the Baby Yours sweater, I just kept thinking about how perfect it would be for my friend Kerry's baby.

Back in December, I went to Madison, WI for the baby shower.

I made the sweater exactly the same last time, with the same Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, but I did switch up the buttons. Kerry is 100% Irish, so I thought these silver buttons were perfect for a half-Irish baby. The gender was a surprise, but I thought the color would be appropriate for either.

I love this little thing. Pretty simple knitting and such a huge payoff, particularly with this gorgeous cable in both the front and the back.

Kerry & Jason really loved it. I can't tell you how many times they have mentioned it since the shower. And here's the best part- they already sent pictures of beautiful baby Molly, just five days old, modeling the sweater!

Are you freaking kidding me? This is enough to make a knitter cry. Okay, it did make me cry. Because nothing is better than a beautiful healthy baby girl born to two of your closest friends EXCEPT a picture of that baby wearing a sweater that you knit just for her.

Welcome to the world, baby Molly!

Back on the bandwagon

2010-01-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

I can't imagine how many pairs of these slippers were knitted this holiday season. I contributed with two pairs and I have another in the works (for a particularly impatient little lady who has a birthday in about a week).

The infamous French Press Felted Slippers are a really good gift for a few reasons: all you need to know is a person's size, everyone can use a pair of slippers, and they really don't take too long at all. I didn't manage to get down to the 90 minutes promised by the Yarn Harlot- for me they were more like 3-4 hours once you consider the knitting and the considerable seaming on both slippers. That is not including the felting and sewing the buttons and flaps.

The buttons are from this huge stash of vintage buttons that my grandmother-in-law has been collecting for about 50 years. She gave me this amazing stash over Thanksgiving and I still can't believe how lucky I am to have inherited it.

Not so awesome modeled shot:

I also made a pink pair with really nice brown buttons, but I forgot to get pictures before I gave them away. So all I have is the obligatory Christmas present shot:

To be honest, they aren't my favorite thing in the world to knit because of how fiddly the seaming can be, but I do love the end product. And I think both the recipients so far have been happy. The third recipient next week will almost definitely be happy, considering the degree to which she insisted that she get a pair. I'll show you some modeled shots of those soon.

Flannel is awesome.

2009-12-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for Christmas this year, I realized that my sister and I got our sewing machines from our parents last Christmas and we've had some good times over the last year. I wish I could say my sewing has advanced as much as my knitting did in Year 1 (when it was a full on, all-encompassing obsession), but I have made a few things I've been pretty happy with.

The newest is this little gift set I made for a February baby. I got some really great deals on flannel from Joann, so I looked up ideas for things to do with it. Chickpea Sewing Studio has this great tutorial for a blanket, changing pad, and washcloths and this tutorial for bibs, which were both awesome. I combined the directions from both and just kind of ran with it.

The whole little set contains a huge receiving blanket (flannel on both sides), two washcloths, a changing pad, and a bib (all flannel/terrycloth). I bought 3 yards of fabric and one yard of terrycloth. Even with my super-slow sewing skills, I finished it in an afternoon.

There was a fleece remnant at Joann that matched the green frogs in the flannel, so I decided to make a frog plushie to look like the frog head in the pattern. I free-handed a pattern on tracing paper to look like the frog head, then cut that out, pinned it to the fleece, and cut out two identical fleece pieces. I sewed them together right sides together leaving a small opening for stuffing, flipped it inside out, stuffed it, then ladder stitched the opening closed. Using felt from the craft store that is sticky on one side, I cut out shapes for the facial features and stuck them on the head. Ta da! Frog head plushie!

I gave it to the parents at a baby shower a few weekends back and they were pleased. They were even more pleased with the knitting I did for the little one, though- more on that later.

Hope your last minute holiday knitting is going well and is not stressing you out too much. I have one last project to finish up knitting-wise, but I think I have plenty of time to do it. Now just to wrap all the presents and clean the house and dang it I want to bake some sugar cookies too.

Quick Stuff

2009-12-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

I've been MIA lately, but there actually is a little knitting going on. At least some knitting for little people. On the car ride to Nashville for Thanksgiving, I started working on a hat for a baby girl who is coming in January. I wanted to give a little gift to her Mom during the trip, so I was knitting fast.

Pattern: 10 Cable Baby Hat, my favorite newborn hat
Yarn: baby-pink Plymouth Encore Worsted
Needles: Size 8

I got the hat done in record time, so the night before Thanksgiving I started on some booties to match. I borrowed some antique buttons from Mema (grandmother-in-law extraordinaire) and had a little set ready to go. I made super-girly Mary Janes, which I've made before and love.

Pattern: Mary Jane Baby Booties
Needles: I think size 4s?

There is seaming involved in these booties, but it's not too bad. I think the back turned out pretty well- you can tell they are seamed, but it's not too noticeable.

Pretty cute set together, huh? I think everything together took about 5 hours or so.

It's that unfortunate time of year in the knitting world when the blogs are blank because no one wants to show off their holiday knitting too soon. I'm no different- I'm exclusively working on holiday knitting now, but I do have a few FOs waiting. I'll try to get those blogged soon!

Sunday Late Night

2009-09-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here in my pajamas (which, yes, is exactly what I was wearing when I got out of bed this morning) and wanted to get a quick post in to make me feel like my day hasn't been a total waste. Not that watching four hours of RuPaul's Drag Race and all 17 hours of the Emmy coverage is a waste or anything, but I did actually knit a baby hat, learn a new knitting trick, and learn how to use my new camera. So pajamas or not, that's something, right?

Baby O.C.C., the recipient of this sweater, is going to arrive any day now and I wanted to make him a little hat to wear home from the hospital. I used the same yarn as the sweater and whipped up this little number...

It's pretty much based on the Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch & Bitch, but I used DK weight yarn instead of worsted so I casted on 80 stitches. Also, I inserted an extra knit row between each decrease row in the crown because I like hats when they lay more flat on the top. Oh, and I also added stripes. I used TechKnitter's Jogless Stripe tutorial to make traveling stripes, which worked shockingly well I thought.

So the new Canon Powershot Elph camera seems like its pretty great. These pictures are taken in my dining room at 11 at night, with miserable lighting, and I still got pretty good sharpness and colors. I'm excited to see how it does in better conditions.

In totally unrelated-to-knitting news, I can't resist sharing one of my favorite pictures of the weekend. On Friday night we went to the Reds game and Logan cheered his little heart out, but nine innings was just too much for him...

Being an aunt is kinda awesome.

2009-09-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'm 32, so I'm at a time in my life where everyone I know is having a baby. A friend in Philly is having a baby boy next month, so I'm sending this little sweater off tomorrow. I really, really love how it turned out!

Pattern: The Yarn Harlot's Baby Yours (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Debblie Bliss Baby Cashmerino- 2 skeins
Yarn Source: Ewe & I
Buttons: Etched shell buttons from Joann

Ewe & I, where I got the yarn for this, is just down the street from my friend Juliana, whose baby will wear this sweater. When I was visiting her there, Ewe & I was having this awesome sale where you could pop a balloon and whatever percent off it said on the paper inside is the sale you get. I got lucky and got 30% off 7 skeins of baby cashmerino!

I love the pattern, love the little buttons, and of course the cashmerino is awesome. I already have a request to make another one of these!

Part of the reason blog posts have been so scarce lately is my broken camera. I can take pictures, but I can't see what I'm doing on the LCD screen. Luckily, this will be the last post with mystery pictures because I just ordered this new camera from ebay (where it was the same price as Amazon but with free shipping and a memory card, case, and lens cleaner included). I have been swatching for my Opulent Raglan, so stay tuned!

Toronto knitting

2009-08-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

I was in Toronto a few weeks ago for a conference and it turned out to be an excellent knitting vacation. I bought a Knit Kit at the famous Lettuce Knit and then hung out at Kensington Market for the rest of the day. I also made it out to the Beaches, where I got my hair cut on a whim and visited The Naked Sheep, which was having a 25% off-every-yarn-in-the-store sale. I got 5 gorgeous skeins of Elsebeth Silky Wool in a pretty purple to knit the Opulent Raglan. Finally! I have been looking for the perfect yarn to make that sweater forever. I passed The Purple Purl while riding the streetcar back to my hotel and hopped off to check it out. I'm so glad I did because I think it was my favorite Toronto yarn store of all. They had some SWTC Yin at 40% off, so I bought some blue and brown to make a sweater for a baby boy who will be arriving in about a month.

I decided to make a simple little sweater with the baby's initials on the front. I gave it to the parents at their baby shower last Saturday and they seemed to really like it.

Pattern: Modified version of Striped Sweater from Debbie Bliss Simply Baby
Size: 3 month size
Yarn: SWTC Yin (2 skeins Blue, 1 skein Brown)
Needles: Size 6 for body, size 4 for borders
Buttons: tiny wood ones from Joann

I had planned to use intarsia to do the letters, but it just didn't work out so I used duplicate stitch instead. The entire time I was duplicate stitching, I found myself chanting "You down with O.C.C.? Yeah you know me!"

I have another October baby to knit for, but I know just what I'm going to do. I bought some Cashmerino when I was in Philly back in June that is destined to be A Cardigan for Merry. After that, I can move on to my Opulent Raglan.

Let's be honest.

2009-08-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

They don't all work out the way we'd like them to, do they? I hesitated to post this project because it showcases my flaws (in both my knitting and my personality) in such a spectacular way, but I figured why not be realistic. I am almost always impatient and sometimes a little lazy, and those traits have repercussions.

Pattern: Sexy Vesty (Rav link)
Yarn: Jo-Ann Dreamweave, a wool/silk blend I got on sale
Needles: 8's for the body, 7 for the armhole and neck ribbing

CanaryKnits made up this little recipe for a lacy vest and she is very clear that it is not a pattern, but more a general set of guidelines, so the pattern is not to blame for what went wrong. What went wrong is all due to me, and my problems were 5-fold:

1. As I was knitting, it seemed way too small. CanaryKnits was clear that the vest was made for a person with a 35" bust, and my bust is definitely bigger than that. I justified my decision to keep knitting because on Ravelry, someone commented that this yarn "blooms like no yarn I've seen before". So I just figured it would get bigger with blocking. Did I swatch and test this theory? Nope. I just yellled at Daisy on Daisy of Love for having such terrible taste in men and such an unscrupulous plastic surgeon.

2. Ouch. Look at those terrible seams. The thing is that despite my best efforts, I didn't make the front and back the same length at the armholes. I had a feeling I had messed this up, but I somehow ignored this feeling and kept knitting.

3. Look at those tiny armholes! The guidelines said to knit for 2 inches before binding off the top, but that just isn't enough for my arms. I tried on the vest after seaming up the shoulders and the armholes were very clearly too tight, but I somehow convinced myself that adding on the armhole ribbing would fix this. Seriously? How does that even make sense AT ALL??

4. You can't see it that well in these pictures, but the decreases at the front center are wonky as well. Somehow I picked up stitches so that the wrong side was facing me, which meant I had to use P2tog and SSPthroughbackloop to decrease. It looks ridiculous from the right side.

5. Not only is it too tight, it's also way too short. Again, my delusions about blocking led me to ignore the obvious and keep knitting.

So that's it, friends- a real UGH! to add to my Ravelry page. The sad part is that I'm so done with this project that I don't even think I'll frog it for the yarn. The yarn is soft and has a nice halo, but I hate it now because it is associated with nothing but self-contempt.

On to the next, though, right? I'm going to Toronto tomorrow and have big plans to visit all the yarn shops in the area. One of them, the Naked Sheep, is apparently having a huge sale with 25% off every yarn in the store. Can you believe my luck?

If anyone has any ideas of things to do in Toronto this weekend, I would very much appreciate it!

Textured Circle Shrug

2009-07-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this shrug for months- I got hung up on the step where you have to pick up almost 300 stitches. I finally got back in the game when the Lion Brand blog had a knit-a-long that Stefanie Japel herself led, which inspired me to pick this up again and get going.

I have been wearing this around for about a week and just loving it, so I was really hoping to get some great pictures to show off its awesomeness. Unfortunately, our camera is on the fritz so these are going to have to do.

Pattern: Textured Circle Shrug from Stefanie Japel's Glam Knits
Size: 36-38 bust size (second-to-smallest)
Yarn: 6 skeins of Bernat Soy Natural Blends in Oatmeal

Peacock Chic, a blogger I love, always describes her projects in terms of the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am going to steal that idea to describe this.

The good:
- My friend Kris, who is fantastic in every way, brought me Glam Knits when he came to visit a few months ago. It somehow made it more fun to knit this, because it made me think of him.
- I really like how functional this piece is. I think it's going to be great for the fall; I can see myself wearing it at work all the time.
-I got this yarn on major clearance at Michael's a few years ago so I believe this shrug cost about $12. It's 50% acrylic, but the soy makes it soft and I actually kind of liked it. I decided to use it for this project because it has a nice drape and I wanted the shrug to be drapier and silkier than the one in the book. I think it worked!

The bad:
-The miles and miles of 1X1 ribbing- it was cool at first because I needed some mindless knitting in my life, but after something like 70 rounds of k1p1, with around 300 stitches per row, I was SO ready to have this finished.
-I really don't like the holes that are made by the M1P increases. I would absolutely do these differently next time.

The ugly:
-I am kind of famous for my problems understanding spatial dynamics, so it is no surprise that I wasn't thinking about how the shrug would lie on my body and ended up weaving in all the ends on the collar incorrectly. There were tons of knots in the yarn and therefore tons of ends to weave in, so when I got finished and put the thing on there were 7 different places where you could totally see the messy ends sticking out. I had to take them all out and re-weave them in on the other side of the fabric.
-These pictures are kind of ugly, too, but I went ahead and included them to show how it fits. Please ignore the strange lumps under my tank top and the weirdo look on my face.

All in all, a great project that I'm happy to have finished. I just started Sexy Vesty today and guess what? I am thick in the middle of more 1X1 ribbing!

Monster!

2009-06-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

A little late birthday present for my nephew, who turned 1 a couple of weeks ago. One! I can hardly believe it.

Pattern: Little Monster Bear (Rav link)
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted, left over from a Bengals hat I made years ago
Needles: Size 10 1/2 DPNs
Embroidery: Wonky, as usual

It took me one night to knit up all the pieces and another to sew everything together. I had to run it through the washer 3 times and I still don't feel like he felted as much as I would have liked.

As you might suspect from my two month absence from the blog, I've been in a bit of knitting slump lately. I knit this little guy in the attempt to get some mojo back, and I think it worked. I'm knitting the Textured Shrug from Glam knits and now that I've picked up all two hundred stitches, I think I'm on track. Nothing but gloriously monotonous 1X1 rib for days and days...

Baby Hoodie

2009-04-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

My oldest friend in the world, who I just realized I've known 25 years now, had her first baby yesterday. I haven't even seen pictures of the little guy yet, but I've been thinking about him a lot over the past couple of weeks. As I knit this sweater, I got more and more excited to meet Michel's baby. I love this kind of knitting- where every stitch just makes you happier and happier.

The pattern is the Super Easy Baby Cardigan. I picked up stitches for the button band instead of just knitting garter stitch on the edges. Instead of knitting into the front and back of every stitch for the raglan, I did matching M1 increases. I also used a provisional cast on at the very beginning so I could use the 3 needle bind off for the hood. I'm glad- it was super easy and I think it looks more polished (because as always, my seaming is eh.)

The yarn is Cotton-Ease- one skein of Stone covered everything but the second sleeve (I had to go buy another skein for that darn thing). I used a bit of a skein of Charcoal for the borders. Buttons are simple wood ones from Joann (50% off- woot!).

Starburst Mirror Sculpture

2009-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

When we moved into the new house, I had resolved to blog about some of the renovations and other fun stuff we planned to do. Unfortunately, the renovations haven't happened as quickly as we had hoped so I haven't had much to report. But a few weeks ago, some fabulous Miami friends came to visit and I had to spiff the place up a bit so they wouldn't be appalled at my lack of style.

Our house is older and has some neat little features, like these little lamps that are above the fireplace. Unfortunately, we've been living with a big blank space between the little lamps ever since we moved in. I always see these cool looking starburst mirror wall hanging things at Crate and Barrel and other fun places and have always thought they would be perfect for that space. Unfortunately, they are usually kind of expensive (that one at Crate & Barrel is $200!). So when I saw on the CRAFT blog a DIY tutorial, I knew I had the perfect fix.

I did a little further searching on the Internet and used two tutorials for inspiration: one from Apartment Therapy and one from Instructables. I got everything I needed from Michael's, Wal-Mart, & Home Depot:

Glue gun, glue sticks, bamboo skewers, wooden dowels, silver spray paint, silver regular paint, a paintbrush, 2 packs of assorted sized circle mirrors from Michael's (50 total), an auto rearview mirror from Wal-Mart, and 2 circles cut out of carboard.
I forget how much I paid for everything individually, but all together I believe it was under $20.

All of that turned into this:

I'm really happy with the finished product, but I want to tell you about what I did wrong in case you decide to do this. First of all, I bought 4 long wooden dowels from Home Depot, spray painted them silver, and then cut them into smaller 12" sections. That was dumb, because the sawed off part was all raw and ugly and unpainted. So I had to use sandpaper to sand them down until they looked nice and then I had to hand paint silver onto the ends.

Next, I think I bought a slightly too small auto rearview mirror. Originally, the plastic ring around the mirror was black plastic. After I had already assembled the whole mirror I realized that the black plastic didn't look right. But at this point, I already had the starburst hanging on the wall, so I had to get up on a chair and paint the black border by hand with silver paint. I like the look a lot more, but in the future I would paint the center mirror FIRST.

But even with the mishaps, this project was not too time intensive and I really like the results. Now that big blank spot between the retro lamps if filled, and I feel really thrifty and creative every time I look there. Definitely a win!

Goth Socks

2009-03-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Finally I have some knitting to show you! As soon as I saw Cookie A.'s Marlene Socks in Knit.1, I knew I would be making them for myself. I got some Dream in Color Smooshy in Gothic Rose on sale from Sonny and Shear and started these socks right after the holidays. They have taken forever because I've been making mistakes and have frogged at least part of them about 8 times. But it is worth it because these are definitely my favorite socks ever.

Look at this pattern! It is fantastic. All those twisted stitches make these gorgeous lines and the heels and toes flow so perfectly from the foot.

All the ribbing makes them fit really well, too. I love them!

So I need to get started ASAP on a gift for my oldest friend's baby, due in early April. The little one will be living in Philly, so I think I'm going to do a little cotton sweater for spring.

Finally- the mystery present!

2009-03-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

Several astute readers have asked me about the picture on my sidebar of Jason's Christmas Present. In lieu of an FO picture, I just had a picture of my brother-in-law. I had to do that because Jason is super sneaky and joined Ravelry over the holidays so he could try to find out what I was knitting him for Christmas.

Jason is super supportive of my knitting habit- he hand picks yarn for my birthdays and finds knitting books that he thinks I will enjoy. He once told me, when watching me knit a pair of socks, "so basically that heel is a series of short rows, right?" Seriously! He's just the type of person to look up how to knit socks because I am knitting them, even though he has no previous interest in knitting.

So that kind of interest warrants a nice pair of handknit socks, right? I searched for a pattern that was not too crazy, but had just a little something to keep it interesting. I found Mr. Pitts socks, which fit the bill nicely. I used some Patons Kroy Sock Yarn that I found on sale the day after Thanksgiving. I think Kroy sock yarn is one of the most underrated sock yarns out there- it's not indie, but it feel great and you can't beat the value.

I looked up Jason's foot size online and made the socks as long as recommended according to some random sock length chart, but it turns out I was totally wrong. The socks were way too long. So after Christmas I took the socks back, frogged the toe and about 15 rows on the foot, and reknit the toe. Now they fit nicely. I think Jason really likes them, and he is a seriously deserving recipient of quality handknits.

I took these pictures tonight after spending the day sewing with my sister. Today we decided to mix sewing and embroidery and make these wacky little monsters. They are made of fleece, with felt for the eyes and mouth. We embroidered the faces, using french knots for the eyes and satin stitch for the teeth.

Aren't these guys fun? I'm going to send my monster (the one on the right) to my oldest friend Michel, who is set to have a baby in early April. Stay tuned- Michel's new baby definitely will have a knitted present, too!

Pillows and Totes

2009-03-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

Despite Nico's reckless disregard for my crafty efforts, I decided to try again. I made her a fleece pillow, mostly so she would have an alternative to my couch pillow. I even used the project as an opportunity to get a little embroidery practice. It worked well, but of course she started tearing it about 2.2 seconds after she discovered it was there. It's okay, though- she loves it.

My sister and I spent Saturday making tote bags from the Sew Fast Sew Easy book. It was great- we got the fabric from Joann and recycled a sheet for the lining. We estimate that we made them for about $3 each!

We used fusible interfacing for the first time, so the bags are really sturdy.

They also have this hanging pocket on the inside, which was totally worth the extra effort. I really think I'm going to use this all the time. I mean, look at how much it will hold!

Introducing Nico

2009-02-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

I never thought it would happen, but we got a dog. A tiny 5 month old pomeranian/sheltie mix we named Nico. Because she's only 3 lbs. and it is freezing outside here now, I made her a sweater. Well, also because the way I celebrate things is by knitting something.

Pattern: Dogcoat from Garnstudio
Needles: Size 7
Yarn: Knitpicks Swish Worsted

The pattern is great- it's worked mostly in the round and has these delicious cables all over it. It took about 5 days, but the process was fun. More time intensive than most dog sweaters, but the cabley goodness is worth it.

The only negative about the sweater is that it's difficult to get on the dog. It is a turtleneck, for one, and even after you get her head in, you have to wrestle her legs into the sleeves. She doesn't seem to mind the sweater once it's on, but getting it on is not her favorite activity.

Nico herself is something else. She is sweet and lovey, but playful and energetic too.

Okay, you're not going to believe this, but as I type, she just trotted into the room with the sweater in her mouth. She was wearing it five minutes ago when I came upstairs to type this, but that little monkey somehow managed to chew it off. It's pretty much destroyed. These pictures officially show the first and last time Nico wears a sweater.

Bamboo Bear

2009-02-13T07:06:00.000-08:00

A friend from Miami recently had a beautiful baby girl and I knew I wanted to send a care package down, but it's always difficult to decide what to make for warm weather babies. They just don't need sweaters, hats, or blankets the way that cold weather babies do. Every baby needs a teddy bear, though, right?

Pattern: Harry Bear pattern from Berroco (Free!)
Yarn: Bamboospun from Hobby Lobby (held doubled). (On sale for $2.50 per skein)
Needles: Size 10
Ribbon: 4 yd spool from Michael's ($1)
Total cost: $6

I know people hate talking about money and think it's super tacky to add up the total cost of things, but I am one of those people who, when complimented on a shirt, says "Thank you! I got in on sale at TJ Maxx for 7 bucks!" So when I can make a baby gift with this level of adorable for $6, I feel the need to share.

I recently went to a Hobby Lobby for the first time and was very impressed with their yarn selection- lots of natural fiber stuff and sock yarn. This Bamboo Spun is 77% Bamboo, 23% Nylon and only $2.50 for 148 yds. I could make another bear with my leftover yarn, which makes the total cost of the project even lower!

Bamboo Bear ponders the economic crisis while staring out onto the hills of Cincinnati...

This pattern is super cute, especially with yarns that are a little fuzzy or plushy. As cute as it is though, I would only knit it again if I rewrote the directions for working in the round. Seaming this little thing took as long as knitting it- seriously. As always, my seaming leaves a lot to be desired, but luckily this yarn hides lots of mistakes.

I actually started making a sweater for Bamboo Bear, but it just wasn't turning out right and it was covering his little belly, which is one of his best features. Then I started knitting him a little scarf, but I ran out of scrap sock yarn before it was long enough. I wasn't sure I liked it anyway. I decided to just go for the simple ribbon because Bamboo Bear is going to live in Miami anyway. Most people down there wear the equivalent of this ribbon as on-the-town attire.

I'm sure everyone is sick to death of me complaining about how I don't know how to embroider, so I won't go into it again. I did get the Stitch It Kit for Christmas, but I haven't taken the time to really learn yet. Too much apron making and knitting and, um, having a job and stuff.

More aprons

2009-02-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

My sister and I sewed on our own this weekend and made more aprons. I found this fun bee fabric and a coordinating yellow fat quarter for the pocket and ties.

I'm still working on sewing a straight line- I think I'm making it harder than it should be. It's funny- people always tell me I must be patient to knit as much as I do and I never really understood what they meant. I am extraordinarily impatient in life- knitting actually helps with that a lot. I definitely get impatient with sewing- I can't seem to get things right, so I just want to get it done.

I'm going to keep practicing- I just found the Sew Mama Sew blog, which is doing a month-long series on projects to make using fat quarters (which only cost about $1.50, so perfect for practice).

Next up, more knitting. I have a baby present in the works and more of the pretty pretty Marlene socks.

Just in time!

2009-01-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

After knitting my sister's Thorpe, I realized that my ears are cold, too, so I needed one just like it. When I was in Chicago, I stopped by Loopy Yarns (which is fantastic, by the way, and the only LYS I've ever been to in which the only 2 employees were male and nice and honestly, pretty darn cute). I chose Araucania Azapa as my souvenir yarn and it is oh-so-delicious. It's a bulky yarn with silk and merino and alpaca, with little bits of tweed in it. Seriously- it's like malabrigo, but maybe even softer and more luxurious.

ick- I'm not nuts about these pictures.

I used some leftover Ultra Alpaca (double stranded) for the crochet border and braids. I like how it brings out the little brown flecks in the Azapa. And the whole hat is just so soft!

I've been wearing this pretty much non-stop for the past couple of days because we have just been inundated with snow and ice. I've had 2 days off from work and have been going to town on Marlene. I'm using Smooshy in "Gothic Rose" and I just love both the color and the pattern. Pretty pretty socks!

Sapphire Sweater

2009-01-23T08:10:00.000-08:00

The lovely Ingenue from Custom Knits is done, and I just love it. It ended up taking up my extra time for about 8 days. I finished weaving in the ends at about 1 a.m. on Saturday, soaked and blocked, and she spread out on the back seat of the car to finish blocking on the trip up to Chicago on Saturday morning.

She made her debut Sunday night at Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, a performance of 30 plays in 60 minutes at the Neo-Futurists Theater. If you haven't seen it and are in Chicago, you should check it out. It is like nothing else you have ever seen.

I definitely added quite a bit of length to the torso and to the sleeves- I believe it was around 15 rows before the waist decreases and 5 or so extra rows before starting the ridge pattern for the bottom. I believe I added around 10 rows to the sleeves.

I really like the ridge pattern- I was actually thinking of changing it because I wasn't sure about it in the book pictures, but I really dig how it looks in real life. It kicks a regular raglan up into special sweater territory.

My husband took these pictures and without any special instructions, he made sure to get a shot that shows "all the stuff the knitters will want to see"- the raglan lines, the ridge pattern, the sleeves and the hip edge. Smart guy.

So there she is- my first sweater of 2009 (and my first sweater for me ever!). I am wearing it right now at work and really just want to tell everyone who comes into my office- Hey! I knit this sweater! Isn't is AWESOME! But I am not completely obnoxious, so I don't.

Happy 30th, Cola!

2009-01-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

Today is my younger (and only) sister's 30th birthday, which is weirder for me than turning 30 myself. Cola is supposed to be little, and now even she is 30. That means I am getting older for real.

We all went snow tubing for her birthday, which was super duper fun. You can tell, see?

The Knitty-lovers out there may recognize that Cola is wearing a Wavy Scarf in this picture, knit for her by me two years ago. One of my first knitting projects!

You can only barely see it in the snow tubing pictures, but Cola is also sporting the earflap hat I made her for Christmas. She is very easy to knit for because she loves almost anything, and she loves it double if it is blue. This definitely contributes to why she and my nephew are so often the recipients of knitted gifts- she appreciates the gifts, and she appreciates me for knitting them. That makes me just want to knit more.

Pattern: Thorpe, by throughtheloops
Yarn: Cascade Chunky Tweed, with Paton's Classic Merino held doubled for the crochet edging and braids

There's not a lot to say that hasn't been said before about this pattern- it's fast, easy, free, and the results are functional and good-looking. In fact, now that I think about it, I should probably whip one of these up for my trip to Chicago this weekend...

Nah, I know I won't. My heart beats only for Ingenue. We have spent a magical week together, and now I just have one sleeve left. I'll probably try to churn it out Friday night to have it done in time to wear in the Windy City. She deserves a true day out on the town.

The Bandana Sisters Learn to Sew

2009-01-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

My mom is an amazing seamstress- she made us all of these crazy elaborate costumes for Halloween when we were kids, and she even made the bridesmaids' dresses for my sister's wedding. Recently, we have been begging Mom to teach us her skills and we were psyched when our parents got us Project Runway sewing machines for Christmas this year, along with scissors and notions and everything else you could possibly need to start a sewing factory. P.S. - What about this sewing machine makes it related to Project Runway? I don't know and I don't care- I lovelovelove PR so slapping the name on a machine is one marketing ploy that worked on me.

This weekend, Mom and Nicole came to my house and we got down to business. As is her way, Mom brought with her piles and piles of fabric to practice with, as well as all we needed to make our first project- a simple little apron. I saw this apron pattern on the CRAFT blog and mentioned to Mom that I'd love it if she made me one for Christmas. She did me one better- she got me all I needed to make one for myself. P.P.S. - The CRAFT blog, by the way, is just awesome. I have their RSS feed on my iGoogle, so several times a day I get a little burst of crafty coolness. There's something very cheerful about it.

We all set up shop on my giant dining room table and got to work. Sewing is both easier and harder than I thought it would be. It's easier because even when you mess up (don't sew straight lines, end up with big tangles of thread for no apparent reason), you still end up with a product that is cool and neat and professional-looking. It's harder because the simple things- namely making a straight line- are pretty darn hard. I know it will get better with practice, though.

I had bought a book to teach me how to sew, but I honestly don't think I could have gotten anywhere without Mom giving me the hands-on training. And maybe without Logan to supervise :)
I ended up with a colorful, fun, functional apron. I love it! I want to sew more things! I want to make a full apron (because I seem to spill the most things on my shirt, not my pants). I want to make curtains for every window in my house. I want to make pillows for my couch, and tote bags, and skirts, and holy crap I have another freaking craft.

Impulse Knit

2009-01-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

Since Christmas, I've had some roadblocks on the knitting front. I've started Cookie A.'s beautiful Marlene socks from the latest Knit.1, which are amazing but for some reason I just keep making mistake after mistake. So I'm frustrated there. Then I sat down last Saturday and finally seamed together the 3 pieces of my Ohio sweater and my worst suspicions were confirmed- this cardigan is just too small. I'm devastated, because I was seriously in love with the hourglass cables and I had put so much damn time into that thing. But it's a new year, and I'm not going to fool myself. I am not going to waste good yarn on something that I won't wear. So last night I started Ingenue from Custom Knits. I did not finish a single sweater for myself in 2008, but I hereby declare that 2009 will be different!

But before I started Ingenue, I got a hankering to finish something quick and satisfying. I saw the fun little slouchy copycat hat on Ravelry, so I picked up some off-white Cascade 220 from the stash and whipped it up over the course of a couple of nights.

The pattern is quick and simple. I watched Ysolda's long tail tubular cast on video to learn how to make a nice cast on for 2X2 rib. The video and her instructions were excellent, but I'm not totally satisfied with the result. I will keep searching for the perfect 2X2 rib cast on.

I probably wouldn't have chosen this color, as it doesn't really flatter my pasty winter skin, but this was an impulse knit and I needed to start it NOW. I really like the mock cable rib- it is so darn easy and looks great. There's one big thing about this hat that I'm not crazy about at all and that is...

the little coin-sized flat part in the back. I kind of messed around with the instructions, but it only made it more obvious that the mock cable pattern disappeared. I'd change that if I were to make it again.

But hats are fun. I actually recently received an updated picture of a hat I made back in September- it's an action shot of the sailboat baby hat. If you ever doubt that baby hats are worth it (because babies won't wear them, because babies don't need hats, etc.), I challenge you with this:

Little Ava is rocking that hat like a freaking pro. She doesn't care that people think she's a boy because the hat is blue (damn our heteronormative society!)- she works it.

Wildcats Scarf

2008-12-29T15:39:00.001-08:00

My father-in-law is a huge University of Kentucky fan, so for Christmas I knit him up a simple blue and white striped scarf. It's a 1 X 1 rib, with 19 24-row stripes.

I did learn a couple of new tricks while knitting this. My favorite is the tubular cast on, as described in the Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques. It creates such a professional-looking edge, and it wasn't really that hard. I used the kitchener stitch cast-off to create a matching edge on the other side, and that worked out well too.

I also slipped the first and last stitches of every other row to create a nice neat vertical edge as well. I got the idea for these tricks from ogling the beautiful Noro striped scarves on Ravelry- I know I'll eventually get to one of those, too. Sometimes it's just the simple stuff, right?

Tab Blankets

2008-12-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm knitting like crazy, but there are sneaky eyes out there trying to get an early peek, so I can't post anything about it. My brother-in-law has actually put himself on Ravelry's waiting list to try to find out what he's getting for Christmas.

But I can show you another little project my Mom and sister and I worked on this weekend. I didn't know this, but apparently babies really love tabs. Pulling them, feeling them, trying to eat them, etc.- they just love them. There are these little soft blankets covered with tabs made out of ribbons that babies just can't get enough of. In the store, they cost at least $10 or $15, but my sister had the brilliant idea of whipping up some at home for much, much less.

For each blanket, we cut out 2 16" squares of fleece. Then I cut 28 4" pieces of ribbon (4 ribbons each of 7 different types). I pinned all the ribbons to the ducky blanket about 2" apart (which took FOREVER) and then sewed them on. Then Mom sewed the 2 pieces together (inside out) and they were set.

I love that they are super soft, and reversible, and colorful. If the babies love them half as much as my nephew loves his taggy blanket, then I'll be happy.

Blankets with tags- who knew?

Early Present

2008-12-08T14:06:00.000-08:00

It's getting pretty cold and snowy here in Cincinnati, so I got a special request from my sister for a hat for my nephew. She wanted something that would cover his ears, so I searched around for an earflap hat for a baby and went to work.

I used Hey Julie's pattern, with just a few mods. First off, I put a little snowflake pattern on there. I found the chart for it somewhere online, but I can't find it again now. I was using worsted weight yarn (Cascade 220), so I did a little math and ended up making the hat 80 stitches around. It fits that baby perfectly!

I took three strands of yarn and crocheted them on to the back of the hat. Then I took 3 strands and crocheted it to the front of the hat. That left 6 strands of yarn hanging down on each side of the hat, so I divided them into 3 sections and braided it down to the end.

Okay, okay, I know I'm ridiculously biased, but how freaking cute is this baby in his little woodsman outfit? I got that outfit for him before he was born when I was visiting the Smokey Mountains. I remember staring at it, wondering what the little guy who wore it would be like. Now he's here, and man am I crazy about this kid.

Tidbits

2008-11-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

I have a few little tidbits to show you, but we all know what the holidays do to knitblogging, so bear with me.

First up are a couple pairs of baby thumbless mittens, made from leftover sock yarn held doubled. I used this pattern, with one pair a bit bigger than the other. New nephew is especially tiny for a 6 month old, but his 7 month old buddy is especially large. I was worried that they would fall off, but I hear they fit both of the babies well and stay on just fine.

My comfort project lately has been a clapotis made of this gorgeous fluffy, tweedy alpaca that I got last year for my birthday. I know, I know, clapotis are boring and why would anyone want to knit one. I can't help it- I love the pattern and love the results, so whenever I need to just knit for comfort I cuddle up with this guy.

Finally, an actual FO. This will be a Christmas present for a fiery little 5 year old girl and I cannot wait to see her in it! I used the Lil' Devil Baby Hat pattern and good old Paton's Classic Merino.

I used seed stitch instead of garter and put a little stuffing in the horns to make them really stick out there. Like everything else, I wet blocked it and when I did, I made sure to really pin those little devil spikes out.

Hope all your holiday knitting is going well!

I'm Her

2008-10-27T07:12:00.001-07:00

It's official- I am her. I am the childless aunt that knits ridiculous things out of Red Heart yarn and forces her infant kin to model them. I don't know how I got here, but there's no denying it's where I am.

It started with the pumpkin hat from Itty Bitty Hats, which he just had to have for Halloween. I was in a time crunch, so I went to Joann to get some orange yarn and dammit if the only thing they had that was the right orange was Red Heart Soft yarn.

But that was only the beginning. I woke up on Saturday, which happened to be the day of Logan's baptism, and decided I HAD to make matching booties. And finish them before 2:00, when I had to leave the house and become a godmother.

So I went to Ravelry and found Ruth's Perfect Baby Bootie Pattern. I knit the bottom of the booties in the same Pumpkin pattern as the hat and used a seed stitch cuff to look more pumpkin-y. Knitting feverishly in the car on the way to the church, I started a green i-cord tie and finished it on the way over to the party.

Then, the next day, with my sister collaborating, we dressed him up in a Halloween onesie and took some pictures that we will someday show his dates while he cowers in mortification.

I can't even help myself. I'm already planning for Christmas.

Socks that Sorta Get Down

2008-10-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

I finally used Socks That Rock yarn to make myself a pair of socks. I got it in a trade, and it came in a beautiful colorway (Nodding Violet), but once again I've realized that I just don't dig on FOs in varigated yarn. Love looking at it in the store, love it when I wind it into a cake, but don't love it in the actual knitting.

The pattern is Charade, which I think would be perfectly lovely in a nice solid colorway, but in the STR it's just kinda "Meh." They are really comfy, though, and I think they'll be cozy in the winter. Final verdict: these socks don't really Rock so much as Sorta Get Down. Like your Uncle Walt might at your wedding.

I'm still dying to make the Opulent Raglan sweater from the last Knitscene (Julie's gorgeous version didn't help the craving) and I thought I was onto something when I found Soft Lux on sale at littleknits for crazy cheap. So I bought a bag for about $36.

It's soft and pretty and great. But here's the thing- instead of calling the color "camel" they should call it "Half Latina Ohio Girl Skin". Because dammit if it's not the exact same color as my skin!

So I need to sell this bag of Soft Lux so I can buy enough yarn to make my Opulent Raglan. I'm trying to get $30 (shipping included) for the bag, so if you're interested, let me know!

Modeled Shots!

2008-09-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

My nephew is 4 months old already and big enough to fit into the little pullover I made for him before he was born. My sister was nice enough to take some pictures for me because she knows the only thing I like showing off more than knitting is this baby.

It's the placket-neck sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts in Rowan Calmer. Super easy pattern, nice for no-thinking knitting.

When I started knitting this, I didn't yet know that Logan would be a boy, let alone anything about what he would be like. Now he's here, and I'm here in Cincinnati where I get to see him all the time, and these pictures are making me feel a little overwhelmed with how lucky I am for that.

Ladybug for Lilybug

2008-09-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to a ladybug-themed birthday party for my favorite 2 year old, so naturally I had to knit her an appropriate present. Crafty Alien came to the rescue again with a super cute Ladybug pattern, available in the "Buggin Out" set. There is also an ant and a very cute bee, which I can see myself getting around to someday. I know there have been some concerns with the pattern kits at Crafty Alien, but I have ordered pdfs from the website twice now and it's automatic and no problem at all.

Like most little toys, the ladybug was pretty fiddly. You make the body in two separate pieces, and then you make legs and antennae. Then you have to sew the body together and sew all 8 pieces on. The best thing about this project: felting hides everything! As usual, I had the most trouble with the eyes. They actually came out a little wonky because I was late for the party and had to just accept that I still don't know how to embroider.

That reminds me- I came across what looks to be a great tutorial on embroidering on knitting. Check it out.

I think the birthday girl likes her ladybug, though not nearly as much as she likes chocolate cake.

Hats!

2008-09-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've been a little hat crazy lately, because they are fun and easy and don't require me to go into a new LYS. Also, I have had good reason to do gift knitting.

First off, my friend Michelle turned 30! I pulled out a random skein of Noro Kujaku and some Patons Classic Merino in Black to make the Fake Isle Hat. Super fun, super fast knit! I would probably never use the Kujaku again (even if it wasn't discontinued) because it was pretty novelty-ish. It had these little pieces in it that looked like those old school wrapped friendship bracelets we made when we were 8.

The colors were fun, even though I had to rip back a few rows and cut the yarn because it went to a super dark, almost black section. But the green and the purple with pink flecks was cool.

If I were to make this again (which I would), I would change the decreases at the top. It came out a little pointier than I would like.

My next hat is an extra present for Baby Yuri, the now-3-days-late child who better get here so s/he can wear this little piece of adorable.

Here's hoping that Kara doesn't see this because she's at the hospital giving birth! This pattern is from Itty Bitty Hats and I think it's as cute as pie. The baby has a sailing themed nursery and the parents are sailing fanatics, so I think they'll like it. How can they not? It's tiny! And has a boat on it!

Hey, I could make that!

2008-09-04T09:18:00.001-07:00

I'm finally settled in at the house enough to start really knitting again, but the big move has tightened things up so I can only knit from the stash. Lucky for me, the move also made me realize that I really need to get the stash in a better place. I don't mind having lots of yarn, but there's a lot of stuff with no purpose. And not enough of anything to start a new sweater (this sweater, in particular, except without the flared sleeves), which is all I want to do.

In a perfect example of why I should buy yarn for a particular purpose, I pulled some Plymouth Encore I bought to make another Elijah out of the stash and was ready to roll on a present for my friend Kara's soon-to-arrive baby.

Pattern: Elijah by Ysolda
Needles: Size 5 DPNs
Yarn: Plymouth Encore- 3/4 skein of gray, scraps of pink

This is the 2nd Elijah I've made and I still love him. This one is in the 75% acrylic Encore, which usually would not be something I would mess with, but this is surprisingly great yarn. It has a wool content similar to Woolease, but I think it is so much better. It doesn't have that plastically feel- it really just feels like slightly softer wool.

And of course, Ysolda's pattern is as brilliant as they come. Everyone thinks so- that's why there are 340 of these on Ravelry. The swirl the head decreases make, the way the purl row and decreases make the feet look, the way the short rows make the ears look perfect- all of it makes this pattern not only great because it is seamless, but also because it creates an adorable result with spot-on details.

In other news, I was in Urban Outfitters recently looking for fabric and saw this huge knitted purse:

(please ignore ridiculous look on my face- I think I was trying to look casual)

Cute, right? Except this bad boy was 100% Acrylic and $68! So like any good knitter, I made my husband take pictures of it inside the store because I was just positive that I could replicate it.

It looks pretty easy, huh? I may just have to figure that thing out.

Wow, that's bright...

2008-08-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

So we're moving right along with all the painting projects in the house and in general, we're pretty pleased. We decided to go with very bold colors, which we have realized is not exactly for everyone, but we like bright.

We have an old house with a "cozy" living room, so we had to get new furniture that was comfy but still small enough to fit. I fell in love with this little chair from IKEA and actually picked the paint to match it.

I can't actually believe this, but I am going BACK to IKEA today to see if I can find some dining room chairs. I cannot believe how lucky I am that they opened an IKEA in Cincinnati just 3 months before we moved here.

In knitting news, I made a little present for my house this week.

The ubiquitous Swiffer cover. We have hardwood floors downstairs in the new house and I knew right away that I would NOT be purchasing copious amounts of expensive swiffer covers. So I whipped this up and really do think it's one of the most useful knitting patterns I've ever come across. Not necessarily the most exciting, but super useful.

I made mine a little smaller than the pattern directed, mostly out of laziness, with some Sugar and Cream I had lying around.

I'm busy with a secret knit for a friend who is going to have a baby any minute now. I saw her a few days ago and you could watch the kid trying to push his/her way out, so I better get busy.

We're here!

2008-08-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

A little over 2 weeks ago, we packed up our tiny Miami apartment and drove 1200 miles up to Ohio. It was hard- we loved our life in Florida and made the best friends you can imagine there (that's you, my little Menudo!). The drive was actually not horrible, and I knit most of a sock along the way.

My Charade in Socks that Rock (Nodding Violet colorway) had a great time at Sonic- have you guys tried Diet Cherry Limeade there? Seriously- the drive into Georgia was worth it just for that. Partnered with Tater Tots, it is the best road trip treat e v e r!

About halfway through Tennessee, I got through the heel...

And now I just have just the toe left. This sock is okay, but not my favorite ever. The Socks that Rock is nice, but may be a bit much for the pattern. Also, it's really thick. But Charade is great for road trips because it's fun but easy to memorize.

So when you drive north on 75, just before you get to Cincinnati you'll see one of my favorite landmarks in the world. It's in Florence, Kentucky, and it is hilarious:

Its Florence, Y'all! And they really wanted you to know so they painted it on the water tower! I love it! I think it scared the crap out of Bryan (um...Farrah...where are you taking me?).

We closed on the house on July 31st, and since then our life has been all boxes and painting and furniture shopping. And lots and lots and lots of Ikea.

People, both of those carts are ours. Both of them. We went from a 600 square foot apartment to a 1300 square foot house, so we had some needs. Big, expensive needs.

I'll be back at you with some knitting soon, hopefully- we got a couch today so at least I have somewhere to sit. But I'll probably also post some house painting/decorating news, too. I've spent most of my creative energy on choosing things: paint colors, furniture, etc., so you'll hear all about it.

Boy oh boy

2008-07-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

I bought the book Designer One Skein Wonders for a few different patterns, but I especially had my eye on Boy Oh Boy, which calls for exactly one skein of Dream in Color Classy. I love Dream in Color so much, I didn't want to waste this beautiful skein of Blue Lagoon I had on a hat or something that would leave so much yarn left over. This pattern is a perfect one skeiner- I only had maybe 10 yds left over.

How cute is this little thing? And it was so much fun to knit. 5 separate pieces, all small and taking not more than an evening to complete. The seaming, not so much, but it was a good learning experience. It was all in reverse stockinette and so it was good practice for my cabled hoodie.

I went back and forth on the buttons. There were rustic looking wood ones in the pattern photo, which I really liked, but I couldn't resist these elephants. Something about the bright blue yarn just called for elephants.

All in all, I couldn't be happier with the process or the product. I wish I had something so satisfying planned next, but unfortunately I didn't find that *perfect* knit to take along on my long trip up to Cincinnati. I have yarn for a pair of Charade socks, but that doesn't feel quite right. I'll have to make it work, though- the movers came today and all my yarn is packed away!

Forgetting Type A Knitting

2008-07-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I have photographic evidence that I am actually knitting this damn cabled hoodie:

That's the back, a front, and a sleeve. Blocked and just waiting to be seamed together to see if they will actually fit me. They've been like this for a few weeks now, but every night when I come home, seaming just seems like too much to ask. It's hot, so I'm not inspired by the prospect of wearing the hoodie, but I am inspired by these:

Although I really love this little minx and am proud that I've actually gotten this far despite the massive amounts of frustration, I just can't handle her right now. My Ohio sweater will meet her fate and actually be completed in Ohio.

Here's the thing- I have been wrestling with a sense of knitting guilt all week. I put down my sweater because it was just too much and started on a pair of basic socks. I very much enjoyed making these socks for someone who will appreciate them very much, so why did I feel a nagging sense of disappointment in myself for not being more exciting? I feel like I've let my Type A tendencies seep into my knitting- like if I can't make the newest or coolest or best thing, then I shouldn't be knitting it. If I don't have 50 hearts on a Ravelry project, then I need to step up my game.

So today I decided to make a conscious effort to stop being externally motivated. I started another baby sweater for my nephew and forcibly ignored the little voices in my head yelling, "you've had too many baby things on the blog! People will think you're boring! If you have to make a baby sweater, at least make up your own pattern!" and instead took out some delicious Dream in Color Classy in the prettiest bright blue color (Blue Lagoon, it's called) and started on a little sweater from Designer One Skein Wonders. Because even though I know I am a little too effusive in my excitement over my new nephew, I just can't resist. I mean, seriously- look at this kid:

So that's it. I am hereby forgetting my Type A tendencies and just knitting whatever makes me feel good. And baby sweaters in handpainted yarn make me feel good.

Summer Scarf

2008-06-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

I have only a month left in Florida and have been spending as much time on the beach and with friends as possible. Although I wouldn't have it any other way, I haven't been knitting as much as usual. When I do get a chance to knit, I find myself wanting to space out and work on something soothing and beautiful, so the Lace Ribbon Scarf got a lot of play this month. This project came with me to Ohio for the birth of my nephew and has logged more hours than I'd like to admit on the couch watching the first two seasons of Battlestar Gallactica (hey, man- no one is more surprised that I'm BSG crazy than me). I try to spend time with my cardigan, but she is such a fickle and demanding thing. Working out gorgeously, but damn if she doesn't make me work SO HARD for every little thing.

But this scarf...I just never got tired of it. I know several people on Ravelry have commented that the knitting got a little boring after a while, but I never felt that way. I think it's probably because my life is in the midst of turning upside down right now, but I really relished every mindless minute of her.

Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf from Knitty, Spring 2008 by Veronik Avery
Yarn: One skein of Dream in Color Smooshy in Dusky Aurora, purchased from Sonny and Shear
Needles: Size 4 Knitpicks Options
Time: May 13-June 23

This pattern didn't really call my name when it was first published in Knitty, but I didn't feel like making socks and I was hankering to knit with that particular colorway of Smooshy, so I searched around a bit on Ravelry and realized that the ribbon scarf was a perfect fit for my mood- easy, repetitive, pretty, and perfect for one skein of sock yarn. I ended up doing 24 repeats of the pattern and it came out to 80", just like the pattern specified.

I am a bit of a purple lover so I'm obviously biased, but holy crap if this isn't the prettiest colorway of Smooshy ever. My love of this yarn is well documented, and this time is certainly no exception. When the newest Knitty came out, I cast on for the Spring Forward socks immediately with some other sock yarn from my stash and quickly became less interested because it just didn't have the allure of the ever-sexy Smooshy.

I'm not sure what I'll do with this yet. It's so pretty and universal I think it would make an excellent gift, but I really love it and may just get selfish. I know I would get some good use out of it during the fall weather...

I'll catch you up this weekend on the progress of my cabled hoodie. I just need to block the back and left front so I can seam it up and see if this bad boy is going to work out. For now, I can't resist leaving you with one more picture to remind myself of what I have to look forward to when I move away from this place that I love...

2 weeks early

2008-06-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a kid who is loved by a knitter.

My nephew was born early Saturday morning, 2 weeks before his due date and just 5 and a half lbs. Mom and baby are healthy and happy, and I was able to get from Miami to Cincinnati in 12 hours, just 2 hours after he was born. We are all completely bowled over by him.

The cute.

2008-05-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

I am officially on the bandwagon, people. I made Elijah and I am in love- with the pure cleverness of the pattern, with the relief of making a seamless toy, and with the flat out unadulterated cuteness that is this little elephant. I mean seriously people, look at this thing...

Pattern: Elijah by ysolda
Yarn: One skein of Cotton-Ease in Snow and scraps (literally scraps, as in pulled apart a tangled little mess I found under the couch) of Cotton-Ease in Berry
Needles: Size 5 DPNs. Next time I might use size 4s.
Modifications: Very minor- made the feet pink, didn't use french knots for eyes
For: A pregnant friend at work

There's not much else to say about the amazing pattern that hasn't been said before, but my spatial problems did lead me to have bit of trouble with the right ear. I just didn't get what Ysolda meant when she said to do the right ear in the same way except picking up stitches toward the back of the head first. It literally took me about 3 hours to figure it out, but now I've drawn myself a diagram so next time I'll be okay.

I also used a little trick to make sure the ears were picked up evenly on the right side (ask me how many times I picked up stitches incorrectly, forcing me to come up with this little trick. No, don't. I might cry. Again.) I took a DPN and put it through the stuffed head as evenly as I could at the top of the left ear. Then I took another one and put it through the poor elephant's head at the bottom of the left ear. So there were 2 DPNs ends sticking out on either side of the head. Then I picked up the stitches in a line between the 2 DPN ends on the right side. Finally, the right side looked identical to the left- woot!

Instead of french knot embroidered eyes, which were just too small, I just winged it and tried to make 2 bigger eyes using a method I made up as I went along.

Speaking of which, does anyone know a good tutorial about how to embroider knitting? I just can't seem to find one that answers the many questions I have about it. Thanks for any help!

I feel I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this present, which was wildly well-received by my friend and coworkers and made me feel like a freaking superstar, cost less than $10 to make. The pattern was $6, I got a skein of Cotton-Ease with a 50% off coupon and some polyfill at Joann for about $4. If you are looking for a baby shower show stopper but aren't looking to spend a lot, Elijah is the ticket.

Casting on in celebration

2008-05-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

So my job hunt is over and come this summer, I'm moving back to Ohio. Although I will miss the heck out of Miami, I am thrilled to be going back home to my family and to be buying our first house. We couldn't afford to buy a cardboard box in Miami, but the market in Ohio is much more forgiving and we already found a great place. As I type, I have HGTV on in the background and I'm scheming about all the DIY stuff I want to do.

To celebrate, I'm making myself a sweater. I'm hoping it will help me cope with the drastic weather change- I mean, the good thing about winter is the knitwear, right? I loved the Cabled Hoodie from the Paton's Street Smart booklet and was excited to hear that Vy loved it too. We decided to do a mini-KAL, with both of us making major mods to the pattern. Vy subbed the worsted weight for a DK and I decided to change the cable pattern. I just wasn't really digging the bobbles.

I've been working on it for a couple of days and am really coming along on a sleeve:

How you like the yarn-ball in the pajama pants look?

Like Vy, mine fits a bit more snugly than I anticipated. Unlike Vy, I am stubborn and delusional and am choosing to believe that this will work out. It really seems to fit, but it won't be a jacket type sweater like I thought. That's okay, right? I have a crazy feeling this post is going to come back and bite me.

I found this Hourglass cable in Barbara Walker's first Treasury and I just love it. It's a bit difficult to keep up with (I had to frog a couple of pattern repeats already) and I had to chart it out to keep up with the 16 row pattern, but I think I'm on track now.

I love this so far. We'll see how I feel when I get to the back and am doing four of these cables across, but for now I'm loving watching my little sleeve grow.

Onesie Crazy

2008-05-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started knitting, I've been pretty much exclusive to it. I used to make cards and mess around with other crafts, but yarn has taken over my free time (and my life, to be honest) to such a degree that now I just buy my cards at Target like everyone else. But at one of my sister's showers we were asked to decorate a onesie and bring it to the party. Cola got a bunch of cute clothes for the baby and we all just felt great about our cleverness.

I decided to use iron-on transfers (I intended to do embroidery, but then I realized that it was really hard. I'm going to save that new craft for later). Just in case anyone is interested, I thought I'd just describe what I did.

Supplies:
Computer & ink jet printer (I used a color printer, but B&W would work)
Iron On T-shirt transfers (I used Avery ones from Target)
Onesies
Iron
Sharp scissors to cut out image

Instructions:
1. Use Google Images to find pictures to depict your ideas. I searched for the perfect buddha to go with the "rub my tummy" shirt for about 3 hours, I think.

2. If necessary, use picnik to manipulate images. I freaking love picnik- I use it for everything. You can bet that every picture you see on this blog has been cropped, brightened, and fixed using picnik.

3. Insert the images into Powerpoint. I put all 4 images that I used onto one slide so I wouldn't waste the iron-on sheets. It's a great deal- 1 sheet = 4 onesies.

4. To put messages on the images, I wanted to use fancy fonts that went with my pictures. There are tons of places to find them online (e.g.,dafont). For example, I really wanted the Hello onesie to have child-like handwriting, so I found a font called "kid's first font" and used that. I also downloaded tattoo lettering font and the eastern-inspired lettering. I had to download the font to my desktop and then drag it to the "font" folder under the "windows" folder, but that could be different for you.

5. In powerpoint, insert a text box over your image and write the message in your chosen font. You may have to mess with this to get it perfect.

6. When you are finished with your images, print them out onto regular paper to test out how they'll look. Cut them out and place them on the onesie to make sure they are the right size. If you're satisfied, print it out on the iron-on paper.

7. Cut out the images, leaving about 1/8 of an inch around the edges.

8. Following the directions that come with your iron on transfers, iron them on. The directions will probably tell you to have the iron as hot as possible for the fiber in the onesie (probably cotton), not to have the steam function set, and to press as hard as humanly possible when ironing. I was super scared about this step, but it worked out perfectly.

Cute, huh? And such a good deal!

4 100% cotton onesies... 5 dollars

1 sheet of iron on transfer (from pack of 6)... 1 dollar

Forcefully demanding your unborn nephew to declare his love for you from birth... priceless

Revolution

2008-04-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back home from Baby Shower Weekend and I'm happy to report that the knitting went over big. And I can finally tell you all about it!

Pattern: Revolution by Woolly Thoughts
Yarn: Filatura Zara in Red, Yellow, Medium Blue, & Fresh Green (2 skeins each-8 total)
Source: Yarnela
Needles: Size 4 Knitpicks Options
Dimensions before blocking: 29.5 inches across
Final Dimensions (after wet blocking): 35 inches across
Modifications: None, really. I just did an icord bind off instead of a regular one.

First off, let me start with the pattern. I really like the people over at Woolly Thoughts. They sell the pdf versions of Revolution (along with most of their other gorgeous afghan patterns) and they go above and beyond with all they provide in that little pdf. The whole blanket is row after row of garter stitch, so it's fairly mindless, but it's in little rectangular chunks, so I really felt like I got something done each night.

My issue with the blanket is the picked up stitches. Even after trying it a million different ways and researching like crazy to find new methods, I never found a method of picking up the stitches that looked neat enough for my taste. Because of the round design, the picked up stitches pull against the existing pieces a little more than they normally would and I just didn't like how that looked. My family said I was being too perfectionistic about it, but you know how it is. When you see something that you don't like, it's all you see.

I had never done an icord bind off before and I LOVE it. It creates such a nice smooth edge and it's super easy. I used the instructions from the Knitting Answer Book (a little gem my friend Apa got me for my birthday) and they were great.

Blocking did help a lot on this guy. It was super lumpy and wouldn't lay flat at all at first, but wet blocking had it laying flat as a pancake. Unfortunately, it got kinda rippley after it was folded up for the gift giving. I couldn't get it to lay flat again for the pictures, but I'm over it. I'm sure the baby won't be smoothing it flat to the ground every 5 seconds like I have been.

I'd like to tell you that you've seen the last of baby knits for a while, but I doubt that is true. Just looking at Cola's belly gets me pretty motivated to get knitting. And I have at least 3 more babies that deserve something special (get ready, Kara!) In the meantime, though, I am psyched to get started on my Ohio hoodie. Swatching will begin this week!

MIA but busy

2008-04-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

So I've been MIA for the better part of April- it's mostly because I've been crafting away at all my super secret projects and can't say a thing about them until after my sister's shower. Good thing it's next weekend! I don't think I can keep this stuff in much longer.

There is one thing I can share for now, even though it is shower-related. My mom suggested that I knit something as a prize for one of the baby shower games, so I whipped up a set of dishcloths on the train.

Pattern: Lacy Round Dishcloth
Yarn: Lily Sugar & Cream
Needles: Size 5
Modification: Did a provisional cast on and then grafted together at the end instead of seaming.

This was a cute little pattern, and pretty easy to memorize. Very good for train knitting, except they seemed to cause some confusion because people here in Florida apparently don't use dishcloths. People would ask me what I was knitting and look really confused when I answered. When I explained what dishcloths were for, every single person just said, "but why don't you just use a sponge?"

We always used them growing up in Ohio, and that's where the shower is, so hopefully they will go over a little better. Just in case, I am going to package them like this:

Hopefully the Dawn will answer any question as to their utility. The presentation is actually Bryan's idea- he tied them up into that cute little flower. My boy's got talent, yo.

In post-shower news, I got Cascade 220 from the WEBS sale in the mail for my new sweater. I decided on the Cabled Hoodie from the Paton's Street Smart booklet. I'm doing a mini-KAL with Vy and I can't WAIT! Not only because I think this sweater is going to be great, but also because I think it's going to be fun to knit it at the same time as Vy and see how they both become their own versions of the pattern.

Birthday Socks - Done!

2008-04-05T06:06:00.000-07:00

Those size 12 socks for Bryan are finally done, and only two weeks after his birthday (he just corrected me- three weeks after his birthday). He doesn't seem to mind too much, though. He really likes them.

Pattern: Retro Rib Socks from Interweave Knits Favorite Socks (Thanks again, other Farrah)
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Cloud Jungle
Needles: My trusty size 2 Harmony DPNs

As always, Smooshy is the best. The color, the thick and squishy (smooshy, if you will) fabric, everything about it just spells great socks. I'm pretty lucky because Bryan is more open to color than many guys seem to be. He loves the purple color variations and has suggested that his next socks are bright stripes.

The pattern is pretty nice, too. It's super easy to memorize and looks nice, but it just got a little boring. To be fair, I can't imagine a pattern that wouldn't get a little boring after 2 of these gigantic suckers.

In other news, I went to Joann last night armed with a 50% off coupon from Michael's (do you know they take each other's coupons?) and was shocked and thrilled to find several copies of Patons Street Smart. I got it for only $3.00! I've decided to make myself a sweater to celebrate getting a new job- which is in Ohio, so I'm going to need a sweater. Now I need to decide which one:

This cabled hoodie (with no boobles and a different cable) in Sapphire Cascade 220:

I hear the hood on this is gigantic, so I would have to adapt that. I also might shorten the ribbing on the bottom and ad some shaping...but with all these mods, wouldn't I just be making the Central Park Hoodie?

Or a cardigan version of the Urban Aran Cardian:

I love this on others as a jacket, but I'm a little worried that all that ribbing in different directions would be a bit unflattering on me.

Any thoughts?

Poppy Beret

2008-04-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

One of the girls over at TeamKnit was talking last week about her Ravelry Routine. I open up Ravelry more times a day than I'd like to admit, and I, too, go through the same process every time. First: anxiously eye the top right corner of the screen to see if the little envelope icon pops up. Next on to Forums to scan for yarn sales, new Obscure Patterns, etc. Then to Friend Activity and Friend Blogs to see what people are up to. That's how I discovered the gorgeous new Ysolda Teague beret Rose Red (Ravelry link here). I found this, bought it, and started it on Thursday and blocked it Sunday evening.

Pattern: Rose Red by Ysolda Teague, size Large
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Poppy
Needles: Size 4 DPNs and 16" circulars

I can't say enough good things about this pattern. Ysolda includes the directions in both word and chart form, which actually helped me discover that I prefer knitting from a chart. This was a pretty big surprise for me because I cannot even figure out how to use the stove if it has those little diagrams that tell you which control goes with which burner (why doesn't it just say FRONT and BACK?!?!?). But I found I was making lots of mistakes when I was following the word directions, so I tried out the chart and the needles started flying.

I also figured out that I have become completely spoiled by my Knitpicks Options set- I used Clover bamboo needles, which used to be my favorite, and found them to be way too sticky and too dull.

Whereas the pattern is written for DK weight yarn, I used the Shepherd Sport that's been sitting in my stash for a few months and made the Large size to compensate for the gauge difference. I think it worked to a degree, but I do wish my beret kept its shape a little bit more like Ysolda's original.

When I finished knitting, the beret was more like a little kid beanie than a beret. I blocked it over a plate and it got larger, but not large enough. I blocked it over a bigger plate and it got big enough, but it lied too flat on my head. I blocked it a third time over a big bowl, and that gave it more of the shape I wanted.

I've always loved berets on other people but not so much on me, and I'm not sure this one is an exception. It was a fun knit and I'm glad I did it, but time will tell how much wear it will get. I feel like it makes me look a little pie-faced. But on those Sunday mornings that I just need to get to brunch without washing my hair, it may come in handy. Either way, thanks Ysolda!

Chic Knits for Stylish Babies-Review

2008-03-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

I'm up to my ears in secret knitting projects lately, which are fun but do not make for good blogging. I was forced to admit defeat on the size 12 birthday socks, which were gifted to Bryan like this:

The good news is that finished one fit him perfectly. The Retro Rib in this pattern is actually really nice, but the socks have to be on the foot in order for the stitch pattern to truly take shape. I'll get an action shot once that second monster is finally finished.

Since I can't talk on the blog about my second secret project (even though I am DYING to talk about it and get opinions), I figured I'd share some pictures and thoughts about this new book I found at Joann (and purchased with a 50% off coupon, natch).

Chic Knits for Stylish Babies by Patricia Wagner- Amazon's got it for $13.97.

I just love the patterns in this book- and there are so many of them (65 to be exact). They are arranged into little wardrobes with lots of coordinating pieces.

The "English Style" set

I'm not sure how big I am on dressing a baby head to toe in knitwear, but I love the idea that you can pick a few pieces and have a nice little set to give at a shower. I have my eye on that little heart sweater and matching booties as a gift for a coworker who is having a little girl.

Rompers! That one on the left has llamas all over it. Babies love llamas, right?

I also like that there are pieces that I haven't seen in other pattern books, like the rompers. There are also dresses, overalls, and these super cute cargo-type pants:

Finally, I really like the way they've used color. There are lots of bright colors, which I love, but I also like how they've used little splashes of bright colors in just the right places, like on this navy sweater that zips along the raglan seam:

Some of the reviews on Amazon complain that all the patterns are for babies one year and younger, but I guess I don't have a problem with that. There are plenty of other books for hip toddler clothes- it's nice to have something different for the little ones. Another complaint is that many of the patterns are made with fingering weight yarn, but can't you just use worsted weight and figure they'll fit into it eventually? That's what I'm thinking, at least.

Basically, this book makes me want to cover every baby I know with super-chic, brightly colored knitted goodness. Lucky for me, I have lots of adorable little ones in my life who are totally worth it.

Ball Winder Winner!

2008-03-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

We have a winner to the ball winder giveaway! I used an extremely complex scientific method to choose the winner...I wrote the names off all the people who entered on slips of paper and had my husband pick one.

After closing his eyes and throwing out each individual paper one by one, there was one paper left and Bryan declared it the winner:

Veronika, you are the winner! I don't have any contact information for you, though. Leave another comment letting me know how to get in touch with you or email it to me directly and I will get the ball winder out to you ASAP.

Thanks so much to everyone for your comments- I feel much better about the whole situation.

Mmmm...mittens

2008-03-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

I just finished one of those crack knits- you know the ones. The ones that you think about all day at work, longing to get home to be able to finish. The ones that call to you from the other room as you are trying to fall asleep, begging you to come back and fix the color pattern mistake that made you finally call it quits at 1:00 am. Oh, how I loved knitting these mittens.

Pattern: Herringbone Mittens, a free pattern from the hugely talented Elliphantom
Needles: Size 4 DPNS for the ribbing, size 6 DPNs for the rest
Yarn: Good old Patons Classic Wool Merino
Modifications: no poms

My mitten love is kind of unexpected, actually. I always see cute mitten patterns, but I never considered making them because I could never really get the point of mittens. I mean, aren't your fingers kind of necessary? I was schooled by my friend Kerry, who lives in a place where it is regularly double digits below zero. Kerry says that when it gets that cold, gloves just don't cut it. As a reward for giving me an excuse to knit mittens, Kerry is getting these for her birthday.

I think the other aspect of these bad boys that contributed to my adoration is the stranding. Man was that FUN! I messed up the pattern on the first mitten 3 times and had to rip back half a glove, but each time I felt secretly happy, because it meant I got to do it again. I'm already jonesing to make another set of mittens for my friend Sara in Chicago...I'm thinking maybe those Bird in Hand ones.

In other news, I got a large, gorgeous umbrella swift this week. I used a 50% coupon at Joann.com, so it was a bit more affordable. I cannot tell you how much I love this thing- it's so much higher quality than I expect from Joann. I'm using it with my new ball winder and am having way too much fun making yarn cakes out of everything in sight.

Which reminds me...don't forget about the ball winder I'm giving away! In my last post, I told you all about how I ended up with an extra ball winder. If you need one, leave a comment in my last post. I will randomly pick someone from the comments and send them my old ball winder FOR FREE! No shipping or anything, people!

Do you need a ball winder?

2008-03-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

My birthday was last week and I got to do some celebrating with my family when I went up to Cincinnati for another job interview. I am lucky because even though no one else in my family knits, they are all super supportive of my obsession. My brother-in-law is the cutest- he has found out all kinds of things about knitting (like he knows that heels on socks require a series of short rows) and he even goes into yarn stores by himself to pick out gifts for me. So for my birthday he went to Knit On, a yarn store in Bellevue, KY, and picked out some lovely gifts.

Rio de la Plata Sock Yarn in Sparkling Grape

Peruvian Tweed- 100% Superfine Alpaca

He also got me a ball winder, not knowing that I already had one. Luckily, he had talked to the salesperson when he bought it and she told him that I could take it back for store credit. So we all went to Knit On so that we could exchange the ball winder for yarn.

Here's where the trouble started. As soon as we walked in, the salesperson said that we could not exchange the ball winder, even for store credit and even with a receipt. Jason explained that he had spoken to the salesperson and was assured that an exchange would be no problem. The woman finally agreed to do the exchange. We started looking around the store to find yarn (and I was getting pretty excited because they did have a really nice selection) when the woman came back and told us that she could not exchange the ball winder because it was "all dirty".

Huh? All dirty? I had just opened the present the night before and hadn't even taken the ball winder out of the box. What the heck was she talking about? Well it turned out that one side of the box had something on it- flecks of dirt or something. The BOX- not the ball winder itself. And honestly, the box was not "all dirty"...here, look for yourself:

See those spots on one side of the box? I swear to you that this is the reason that the woman refused to exchange the gift for store credit. It's really a shame because everyone loses in this situation. I lose because I get no new yarn, my sister and brother in law lose because they went to so much trouble to pick out something nice for me and it didn't work out, and the store loses because they will no longer have our business (which between myself and my family ends up being quite a chunk of change).

I found myself getting kind of upset with all of this losing, so I decided that there needed to be a winner in this situation. And the winner is going to be one of you! Leave a comment if you need a ball winder or know someone who needs a ball winder. Make sure you leave your email, website, or some other way to contact you. I will randomly pick from all the commenters one week from today and send my old ball winder to you for absolutely free- I'll even pay to ship it to you.

Here's to winning!

Fail- Part 2

2008-02-25T08:59:00.001-08:00

Oh, guys. The jinx continues. So last we met, I had woe over the fact that the front and back edges of my cropped cardigan did not match up. After email consultation with Vy (who successfully finished the cropped cardigan and it turned out completely and utterly spectacular- you should seriously see it- look here), I was reassured that I should just try seaming it up. Vy was right- it worked! I felt victorious and secure, telling myself that I need to learn to trust the process and all kind of other ridiculousness. I finished knitting one sleeve. I picked up around 130 stitches for the collar and knit 4 freaking inches of ribbing and then spent 2 whole hours picking up about 180 stitches for the bottom and did around 3 inches of ribbing there. And then I tried it on.

Oh, no.

There are so many levels of wrong. First of all, this whole thing is just WAY too big. My brilliant plan to use a worsted weight yarn but then just go up a size in the Tilted Duster pattern (even though I was making something completely different from the Tilted Duster) ended up being much less than brilliant. This takes ill-fitting to a whole new dimension. The biggest problem is the copious amount of fabric that pools underneath my arms- this thing would fit perfectly if I had boobs that went all the way around my body.

Ah, alas. My dreams of wearing a new sweater to Cincinnati later this week are dashed. Unfortunately, I think my dreams for the cropped cardigan just may be kaput as well. I need to take some time off and think about it for a while, but as of now I'm planning to frog this sucker and use the yarn to make the two-tone shrug from Fitted Knits. Or maybe buy more yarn and make a super simple striped raglan sweater.

In much better knitting news, I spent pretty much all day yesterday happily starting new projects. I am loving the hell out of some herringbone- that pattern is fantastic and so super fun to knit. So fun, in fact, that I don't even mind that my knitting jinx continued and I had to frog back much of what I did yesterday. I also cast on for Bryan's birthday present: the Retro Rib Socks from Interweave in the Smooshy Cloud Jungle. I think he's already planning the modeling session he'll have for the blog.

In super-secret knitting news, I finished a present for the new nephew. I can't post it here because my sister has started checking the blog, but Ravelers can see it here.

Fail.

2008-02-14T07:30:00.001-08:00

I've been working on my cropped cardigan and it was going really well...I learned how to do short-row shoulders, which I much prefer over the traditional stair-step shoulder method, and I'm loving the yarn and the fuzzy-comfy fabric that it makes in stockinette. I finished the back and all is well-I made it 2" longer than the Tilted Duster pattern called for (a mod suggested to me by eyeloveit, the original brains behind this cropped cardigan idea). I was mentally patting myself on the back for my cleverness in picking such a cute pattern and such great yarn...

And then fail began. I knitted the right front, adding on 20 stitches and working out the decreases so it looked the same as the Duster by the time I got to armhole shaping (also as suggested by eyeloveit). It turned out WAY too big, so I frogged and reknit, this time adding only 12 extra stitches and coming up with a new decrease pattern. Guess what?

See those two edges next to my hand? Those are supposed to be seamed together. FAIL. Why can't I figure this out?

This week has been one of those weeks when I really need knitting to be a stress reliever. I needed something sweet and fun, just to take the edge off, you know? Just a little something...

Like a cotton cabled baby hat for my new nephew to wear home from the hospital. This kid isn't even born yet and he's already making me happy.

Pattern: 10 cable baby hat by Julie (free pattern)
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton (leftover from my February Baby Sweater)
Needles: Size 7 (16" circs & DPNs)
Modifications: Cast on 64 stitches instead of 80 and made it a 8 cable baby hat. My yarn was fat and I wanted to make sure this would fit a newborn.

Ahhh...relief. Calming and adorable. I felt better, so I got ballsy. I decided the baby needed cabled booties to go with his adorable hat.

Boooooo! The picture actually doesn't even show the atrociousness. The pattern (which is free) is not the flaw, it's my insistence on trying to use the fatty Organic Cotton. They came out all huge and lopsided and stupid.

Lucky for me, I'm leaving tonight for a fun-filled, relaxing vacation in the Smoky Mountains with some of the funnest people ever. I'm going to use my new Smooshy to make a pair of socks for Bryan's birthday- something soothing and easy, like Thuja (converted to sock yarn). He has huge size 12 feet, so I'll have plenty of time to be soothed.

2008-02-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

Fun things are happening around stick-legged girl, friends! First of all, there have been tons more visitors to the blog over the past few days, which is kind of nice. Thank you, everyone! Did I suddenly become more interesting? Nope- it's mostly because my baby blanket pattern was listed on knitting pattern central. I'm tickled as punch, because I was super proud of that little thing. I hope a few people make it and show me pictures.

I've also been lucky enough to get referrals from other blogs, which is even more flattering. Thank you so much Falling Up, Life is a mix tape, Flowers and Lemons, Old Fashioned Girl, and Bacon in the Soap. Check these girls out!

Lots of knitting business to get to, too...I stayed up super late last night watching Season 6 of the Sopranos, finishing the second boot sock, and drinking wine. Let me tell you, doing these three things at the same time puts you in an interesting state of mind...I was skeeved out by the Sopranos, super excited about getting to the toe, and a little drunk all at once. Kitchener stitch went shockingly well, all things considered.

Pattern: Uptown Boot Socks from Interweave's Favorite Socks
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy
Needles: Knitpicks Harmony DPNs, Size 2
Modifications: Not a one.

I'm not one of those people who are addicted to knitting socks, but I really enjoyed these. It's definitely the yarn- I can't say enough good things. The pattern was fun, too- but I wouldn't even try it without learning how to cable without a cable needle. Basically, it's mostly knit stitches, with every 4th row a cable row. Great for train knitting.

I loved the yarn so much, actually, that I went and bought some more Smooshy online at Sonny and Shear, which has quickly become my absolute favorite online yarn shop. They are having a 25% off everything sale until Feb. 12th, which is why I couldn't resist the Dream in Color call. The yarn arrived at my house 3 days after I ordered it, and is always wrapped up so nicely, with a personalized note.

Dusky Aurora

Cloud Jungle

Gorgeous!

Today, I'm going to get started on that cropped cardi. I've been dong some research and think I'm ready to get started. I have all kinds of new skills I'm going to learn for this, short row shoulders and pattern adaptation among them. Look out for pictures...

p.s.
The shoes in the picture are new and from Target- they are from the Isaac Mizrahi collection and were only $29.99!

About Me Indulging

2008-02-04T16:13:00.000-08:00

I have Veronik Avery's blog on my google reader (cause she's, you know...Veronik Avery) and was kind of tickled at her post today. I usually hate those long list of questions that people send over email (they seem so indulgent, don't they?), but this one is short and the questions are not your usual "favorite color" nonsense. Like Veronik, I never really got around to doing an "about me" section on this blog, so I thought I'd give it a go. (I'm going to get so much crap for this...my sister and friends have been sending me these things for years and I have taken a stern and snotty stand against them. Come to think of it, I kind of deserve the crap.)

1. Childhood ambition? To be a ballerina

2. Best weather? Sun-drenched in any form

3. Favorite food? Tomato-basil-mozzarella salad, with olive oil & sea salt

4. Current book? I should totally lie here…I used to read constantly before I discovered knitting. But the truth is that I'm always reading the current issue of the New Yorker.

5. Guilty pleasure? The Girls Next Door, that terrible show about the Playboy bunnies. Also, original flavored Bugles obtained furtively from the vending machine in the basement at work.

6. One quirk? I don't eat the ends of my French fries because I have this illogical but deeply held feeling that all the grease in the fry is sucked up into the end that my fingers touch.

7. Something you've never done that most people have? Been to any Disney-related or Disney-adjacent theme park.

8. Favorite drink: Red wine

9. Oddest job you've had: Hmm…the oddest thing is that I'm 30 and I've still never had a *real* job.

10. Last song you listened to (on purpose, not on the radio): Shit. I should lie here too. Alright, the truth is that the last song I listened to on purpose was the entire Fly album by the Dixie Chicks.

11. Cities/towns/villages you've lived in, in reverse chronological order:

Miami, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Nashville, TN; South Bend, IN; Cape Town, South Africa; Huntington, WV; Bethel, OH

12. Teenage ambition? To not get pregnant

13. Movie you'd most like to be a character in: The Motorcycle Diaries (for the beauty of South America and of Gael Garcia Bernal).

Okay, on to knitting news. I was lucky enough to get the oh-so-rare knitted item action shot. Remember that simple ribbed hat I made for my co-worker a few weeks back? Well it turns out that he loved it- so much that he wanted to make sure I had a picture of him wearing it at his marathon.

Frank's gratitude over this hat has pretty much guaranteed him a lifetime supply of knitted stuff.

On Super Bowl Sunday, my favorite local yarn store (Anneke's Needleworks - visit it if you come to South Florida!) was having a really great sale so I went to try to find yarn for that Revolutions blanket I mentioned in the last post. I think I have some picked out, but Anneke has to special order a color for me. Since I couldn't buy blanket yarn, I just had to buy something else...

4 skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca, in olive and chocolate, to make the cropped cardigan a la eyeloveit. I am just brilliant, my friends- nothing says springtime in Miami like a long-sleeved sweater in a wool-alpaca blend!

I'm back!

2008-01-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

I've been away for the past few weeks, first on a cruise (yay!) and then for more job interviews (yay! but also boo!). My lack of posting on the blog has been an unfortunate by-product of the lack of knitting I've been able to do. Things looks like they are settling down for a bit, though, so I'm back with more inspiration than ever.

As you know, the biggest source of inspiration is my sister's new edition to the family, which we just found out yesterday is a BOY! We are all so excited we can't even contain it. Of course, I immediately cast on for a celebratory sweater with some gorgeous baby blue Rowan Calmer I had waiting, just in case...

I'm starting with the Baby Placket-Neck Sweater pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, but I may add a hood. We'll see how it all feels when we get there.

I was tooling around Ravelry yesterday and found the most gorgeous blanket EVER. It's from the folks over at Woolly Thoughts, who are "mathematical knitters". I kinda had my heart set on designing my own blanket for my first nephew, but after seeing this, it's all over. I mean seriously- look at this thing!

I will definitely make it using different colors...the pattern apparently has instructions for 2, 4, or 8 colors. I may do 4 shades of green, or 8 bright colors...I'll have to pick a yarn and start putting skeins next to one another. I'm so excited!

In other knitting news, I am using the materials the other Farrah sent me in our swap to make a pair of Uptown Boot Socks (from the Interweave Favorite Socks book that she sent). The yarn is Dream in Color sock yarn in the most gorgeous green-the picture doesn't do it justice. I never thought I would be one of those people who gets all crazy over sock yarn ($20 for a pair of socks, seriously? I mean, it's for your feet, right?) but the difference in both the knitting experience and the quality of the sock is so exponentially better with the DIC yarn, it's just ridiculous.

I have the cuff done on the second sock, so we're looking at about quite a bit of train knitting until I have a nice pair. I would like to have them done for our trip to the Smoky Mountains on President's Day weekend, though...I better get cracking.

So those are my WIPS so far, but I have my inspiration back, so watch out! I received some Socks That Rock yarn in a Ravelry trade that I believe I'm going to use to make Anastasia socks. Also, Raveler eyeloveit saw a gorgeous little cropped sweater at Anthropologie and gawddang it if she didn't go and figure out how to make it for herself-check it out on her blog.
I think I'm going to try my hand at this, too.

Simple Socks

2008-01-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Besides being pretty much the best girl in the whole world, my sister also happens to be the most adorable pregnant woman you will ever see. Everyone says this, but I have evidence...

See? Adorable! (she's in Belize in this picture, by the way). Anyway, Cola is having this baby in June and I am super crazy excited about it-not only because I'll have a new niece or nephew, but also because I get to knit for it. Be prepared, blog friends- there's a lot of stick-legged baby coming.

Pattern: Comfy Socks from Greetings from Knit Cafe
Yarn: Knitpicks Ambrosia in mint (2 balls) and some light blue color they don't have anymore (1 ball)
Needles: Size 2 Harmony DPNs from Knitpicks

This is the first pattern I've made from Greetings from the Knit Cafe, even though I've had it for ages. It's one of those books that I flip through all the time- it's filled with pretty pictures and everything is all bright and fun- but I never seem to find a reason to knit anything from it. I don't think I'm alone on this- I've noticed on Ravelry that most of the patterns have less than 5 projects posted.

This was my first time working with Knitpicks yarn, which is kind of hard to believe considering what a cheapo I am. I liked it- it's soft and the colors are nice and muted. What I really love here are those Harmony needles- like buttah, people. Love 'em. Can't see knitting socks on anything else.

I think that about wraps up my Christmas knits...from here on out we're looking at lots of baby stuff, with hopefully a sweater for me in the not-too-distant future. I just can't find a pattern that's calling my name. I've swatched and swatched some Rowanspun DK I have lurking in the stash, but so far it' s a no-go. I'll keep you posted.

A few little things

2008-01-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

I may be a in a little bit of a post-holiday knitting slump. I'm going on a cruise in a little over a week and will have tons of knitting time, but I just can't decide what to start. Everything seems too small or too big or...or too something. Anyone have any ideas?

Meanwhile, I have a few little things to share. First up, my 2007 ornaments. I've been making ornaments for the women in my family for the past few years, and this year I combined my two favorite things- knitting and wine- to make korknisse.

Pattern: Korknisse - free pattern by Manne
Yarn: Scraps from my Central Park Hoodie & Silk Garden from Mom's Lady E
Needles: Size 3 DPNs

You can't see them that well, but I found these little snowflake and holly buttons at Joann that I sewed on the hats for decoration- I think they really added something.

Next up, my friend Frank is running a half marathon next weekend and had the audacity to mention that he needed to buy a hat for the race. Seriously? Frank, seriously? We got on Ravelry and he picked out this pattern. I wanted to knit it up in something that would be warm but nice and soft, so I tried out Berroco Ultra Alpaca in this pretty heathered green.

Pattern: Fig & Plum's Ribbed Hat (another free pattern)
Yarn: About a half a skein of Ultra Alpaca
Needles: Size 8 Addis

Yay- it fits! And I think he likes it!

Finally, I got a new phone! (Sidebar: I got a Sprint Rumor phone, which has a keyboard that pops out of the side for text messaging. I'm no gadget girl, but this thing is kind of changing my life). The day I got it, I came home from work and knit up this little cozy. I decided to make it with a stranded design to give the phone more protection, and I had all these bright colors of Sugar & Cream cotton laying around so I went with that.

Pattern: Improvised (aka pulled out of my ass)
Yarn: Sugar & Cream cotton scraps
Needles: Size 7 DPNs

After making the button mistake with my cabled bag, I knew I had to do something less fussy with this bad boy. I picked up a magnet closure and then just sewed a button to the outside to cover it (this was actually a big of a saga).

That's what I got for now...hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll have some decisions made about my next big thing.

A Tale of Two Eleanors

2008-01-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

Last January, I chose Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style as my first large scale knitting project. It turned out beautifully...so beautifully, in fact, that my mom saw it and fell crazy in love with it. She came down to visit for a week and pretty much kept Lady E wrapped around her the whole time. Yes, a chunky weight wool shawl- in Florida. She kept hinting that she would love a Lady E of her own (by hinting, I mean she kept saying, "wow...I would just really, really love to have one! It would be the best present I could ever imagine!)

I decided if I was going to make another Lady E, I would at least have to make it
with a different yarn, just to shake it up. I chose Noro Silk Garden because I had never used Noro before and found a great deal on it on eBay. Just for kicks, I thought I'd do a comparison here of the two shawls- same pattern, different yarn.

Lady #1
Yarn: 9 balls of Patons SWS in Natural Earth
Source: Michael's...bought 1 skein at a time using 40% off coupons
Needles: Size 9 Knitpicks Options
Total Yarn Cost: about $36

Lady #2
Yarn: 8 balls of Noro Silk Garden, Color #225
Source: Ebay seller allatthecove
Needles: Size 8 Knitpicks Options
Total Yarn Cost: $63

So how do the two compare?

With the SWS, it seems like the length of the colors suits the pattern perfectly. The finished object is rustic, warm, and comfy. My problem with the SWS is the fuzziness factor- it got fuzzier and fuzzier while knitting it, and now after wearing it regularly it's pretty darn fuzzy. Sometimes I think the ends even look a little ratty. All of that being said, I still really love it after a year and people still tell me all the time how pretty it is. Also, you just can't beat the price. $35!!!

The Silk Garden seems to give a more crisp texture to the piece, and it only felt better the more I knitted with it. The finished piece is much lighter than the SWS and has a more elegant, light feel because of the silk. And of course the colors are gorgeous. My problem with the Silk Garden is that the color lengths are so long. At some points, I had done almost an entire row of blocks and I was still on the same color. It worked out in the end, though- I just paid more attention to the how the colors worked out and cut out the black pieces when needed. Pricewise, the Silk Garden was almost double the price (even with the awesome eBay deal), but because it was a Christmas present for my Mom, it was more than worth the extra cost.

So that's my Lady E analysis...I'd love to hear from others who knit this shawl to hear what yarn you used and how it's holding up!

Back with a Bag

2007-12-30T20:15:00.000-08:00

I've been away for a few weeks visiting the family for the holidays, where the knitted gifts went over quite well. I didn't get to do much knitting, but I did get to finish this fun little bag. The knitting was done months ago, but I left it with my mom so she could sew in the lining (I have no sewing machine and NO sewing skills).

Pattern: Drops Bag with Cable Pattern
Yarn: Patons Shetland Chunky Tweeds in Biscuit (2 skeins)
Needles: Size 10 Knitpicks Options
Handles, Buttons, and fabric for lining from Joann.com

Modifications: None really, but the pattern was a little vague in places. In particular, I had a little trouble with the decreases. You have 220 stitches and have to go down to 75 stitches, meaning that you have to find a way to evenly decrease 145 stitches. I found some advice on Craftster and this is what I did, in case anyone is interested:

k3tog 11 times, k2tog (k3tog 12 times, k2tog, k3tog 11 times, k2tog), repeat, k3tog 13 times.

If I were to make this again, I would not do the buttonholes...I'd sew on the buttons just for show, but I'd have some kind of magnet or snap deal to close the purse up. The buttons are just kind of a pain.

I've been wearing this pretty much nonstop and have gotten tons of compliments on it- I love it! Several people requested one for Christmas next year, so there may be more of these in my future.

Big thanks to Mom for sewing the lining and helping me figure out how to do the handles-they turned out functional and cute.

In other exciting news, we got a new camera for Christmas! It's an Olympus Stylus 820; it has all kinds of great features and so far I am impressed. These pictures are the first batch...you will be seeing many, many more in the future!

Quickie Gauntlets

2007-12-17T08:36:00.000-08:00

You know how when people see something you've knit and are all, "wow- that's awesome! Make me one in blue!" and you just cringe on the inside because you know they have no idea how much time and effort goes into it? Well, imagine the opposite- one of your favorite people in the world, who supports your knitting and your general bloggy geekiness, sees a picture of some handwarmers that you've made and comments that he would absolutely adore a pair in charcoal gray. That was my situation, friends, and I was so crazy excited that I dropped all of my Christmas knitting to get these done in time for our holiday party on Saturday. Luckily, they were super quick and I had them finished, blocked, and wrapped up with plenty of time to spare.

Pattern: Symmetrical Braided Gauntlets
Yarn: One skein of Filatura Di Crosa Wave (75% wool, 25% silk)
Needles: Size 7 DPNs
Modifications: Because yarn was DK weight, I cast on 39 stitches instead of 35.
Lessons learned: I learned to cable without a cable needle and I have seen the light! It is so easy and saves so much time.

I've made this pattern before (see a pic here), but this second time around I realized that I actually didn't follow the directions the first time- I continued the ribbing throughout the glove instead of switching to stockinette as the pattern instructs. It's all good, though- I like it both ways.

I was a little iffy about the yarn at first, but I picked it out because it was the perfect color. I knit up a couple inches and had some serious misgivings about how it would look, but I persisted and I'm so glad I did. After wet blocking, the yarn bloomed up and the cables popped out. Also, I think the slubbiness of the silk creates a more manly look.

If there ever was a boy who could rock the fingerless gloves in Miami, it's Kris. He wore these to brunch yesterday and looked positively adorable.

P.S. This picture was taken at 11:30 a.m. and he is totally drinking red wine out of that mug. See now why he's one of my favorite people in the world?

Airport Knitting

2007-12-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

I had a job interview 2 weeks ago and had to spend about 6 hours on planes and in airports each way, so I decided to forgo my usual airport routine (read People magazine and eat whatever health-horror delicacy a city might provide- in this case the dreaded Kentucky "Hot Brown") and knit a Christmas present instead. I needed something small enough to work on without bothering the people sitting next to me, but complicated enough to keep my attention during the tedious hours of traveling. I found the *perfect* project, if I do say so myself.

Pattern: Koolhaas by Jared Flood (aka every one's knitting crush, brooklyntweed), from Interweave Holiday Issue 2007
Yarn: Malabrigo in...well, in that brown color
Needles: 6 for the ribbing, 8 for the rest.

I had a lot of time to think about this project, and I have compiled a list of several lessons learned. I can't recommend Koolhaas highly enough, but here are a few things I'm glad to know for when I make it again:

1. Malabrigo is just perfect for this project. Excellent definition, perfect softness, and oh, the colors! As if I have to convince anyone of the virtues of Malabrigo...

2. Why oh why am I so impatient? I knew good and well that I should have learned how to cable without a cable needle before I left for my trip, but I just couldn't find the time to look at grumperina's tutorial (stay tuned- I've gained some sense in the meantime and am working on a project now using grumperina's advice). And I lost my cable needle, so I wrestled my way through all those freaking cables using a size 8 DPN as a cable needle. My hands hurt just thinking about it. Interestingly, just today Jen over at 14 Inches of I-Cord posted a tip about how to make things easier. If you're making Koolhaas, check it out!

3. Speaking of my aching hands, I started the hat using Clover Bamboo 16" circular needles and it was just killing me! I have a pretty high tolerance for hand strain, but all of that cabling with those sticky needles was just torture. While in Lexington, I dragged my friend Robert to a yarn shop (Rebelle, and for those who are interested- it was absolutely lovely) and promptly bought some size 8 Addi Turbos. So much better! I personally still prefer Knitpicks Options over Addis, but the improvement over the bamboo needles was well worth the $15.

4. Working on Koolhaas in public will make you feel brilliant, which is a significant bonus when you're on your way to a job interview. People were commenting on it like crazy- everyone from a 15 year boy next to me on the plane to the 85 year old woman who approached me in the airport. Just take a look at the way the decreases in the top of the hat flow perfectly with the pattern...

Brilliant! I think my Dad will really like it, too.

I'm still chugging away at Lady Eleanor for my Mom for Christmas- I have 9 tiers left and about 10 days to finish, so I should be just fine. The problem is that I also have a pair of arm warmers, the last 25% of a sock, and a bunch of little Christmas ornaments to finish. And I can't stop thinking about what I'm going to knit in the airports during all my Christmas traveling...

The Farrah Swap

2007-12-08T09:14:00.001-08:00

So I've never actually met another girl named Farrah in my life, but soon after joining Ravelry I got a message from another Farrah- not only another Farrah, but a knitter! The other Farrah and I started chatting and turns out we have tons in common. The other Farrah came up with a great idea- we'd have a Farrah swap, in which we would send each other a little package made up of fun stuff we knew the other would like. I had had more fun than I'd like to admit putting together the package (you can see what I sent to Farrah here), and she sent me a really, really great package.

First, a book I've been wanting forever.
Interweave Favorite Socks
So many beautiful patterns, all in one spiral bound book. I'm particularly excited about the Uptown Boot socks...

Farrah also sent me some Dream in Color Sock Yarn, which is too delicious for words. So delicious, actually, that I sent her the EXACT SAME YARN without even knowing! In red, because that is one of her favorite colors, but the same sock yarn all the same. Our Farrah vibe is crazy, yo!

She also sent a super-fun scarf kit, with instructions to make a striped ribbed scarf, 2 balls of this Burgundy wool, and 1 ball of a funky matching yarn. I love it!

I might have mentioned I love chocolate, so she sent some Dove dark chocolate covered almonds, which are single-handedly accounting for the extra pound hanging on each of my hips, and some Lindt chocolate truffles. Also, some "F" note cards, which I will use all the time.

I am spoiled, y'all. Seriously.

Embossed Leaves

2007-12-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Last week I finally finished a pair of Embossed Leaves socks, which I'm now realizing is just behind Jaywalkers and Monkeys in popularity. It's for good reason- these socks are fun to knit, look gorgeously complicated, but aren't really too difficult. I knitted them up over the course of a month or so, almost exclusively on the Metrorail, which means they got about 40 minutes of attention per weekday and lots of funny looks from my fellow travelers (actual quote: "what you doin' with all those sticks, girl?").

Pattern: Embossed Leaves, by Mona Schmidt (Interweave Knits Winter 2005)
Yarn: Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn in Peasant Blue (purchased for a super-steep discount from Sheep Shed Studio)
Needles: Knitpicks's new Harmony DPNs, Size 2
Modifications: None

So I found the cast on for this to be a little silly, and it turns out that Mona Schmidt actually intended for the pattern to have a "Two-strand tubular cast-on" (link goes to a tutorial Mona has on her blog). I didn't realize this until after I had finished the first sock, of course, so I had to just do the 2nd one with the silly cast on, too. Since then, I have discovered the elastic joy of the twisted German cast on and I haven't looked back.

These socks ended up being way bigger than I anticipated, so instead of going to my sister, with her size 7 foot, they are going to my grandmother-in-law, with her size 9 foot. I hope she likes them- I'm a little worried they may be a little fancy for her tastes, but I know she'll appreciate the effort.

Lessons learned:
1. Stop being so impatient and do your Ravelry research before you cast on
2. Shave your freaking legs before you take close up pictures of them

When Farrah discovers shawls

2007-12-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I never really thought I'd knit one. They're beautiful for sure, but my fashion sense can be dubious enough as it is, without adding elaborate lace work into the mix. But it's Christmas, and I wanted to knit something for my Grandma Betty, so what better occasion to try the wonder of lace?

Pattern: Shetland Triangle Shawl from Scarf Style
Yarn: Not even a full skein of Schaefer Anne (a yarn souvenir from a trip to Philly this past summer, in which I dragged 5 non-knitters into the tiny Rosie's Yarn Cellar and it was such a cool place they didn't even complain)
Needles: Size 6 Knitpicks Options
Modifications: One extra lace repeat

This was definitely a learning experience- I just am not experienced enough to do even the simplest lace when watching Heroes. Even if I really want to watch Heroes and knit, my desire is just not proportional to my talent. So I had to frog back a ton, and often, and it dented my spirit and made this thing take forever to finish. But as I got closer to the end, I began to fall in love and ended up even adding an extra repeat to the pattern to make it bigger. It still could use to be a little bigger, honestly, but I really think it is just beautiful.

The best part is that I get to give this to my super-crafty Grandma for Christmas, who will truly cherish it and understand how much work went into it. And I actually sort of feel fabulous wearing it, which means I'm going to have to reevaluate my no-shawls policy. Great.

Best. Sweater. Ever.

2007-12-02T19:38:00.001-08:00

I have some fun things to share, but I've been consumed with job interviews over the past 2 weeks. I will be back with pictures later this week, but until then, please enjoy the absolute best Christmas sweater ever. Please note: that is actually some pretty awesome knitting- the intarsia, the creative use of texture (see reverse stockinette mouth), etc. But let this be a lesson for us: good knitting does not aways equal good clothing.

Daisy Baby Set

2007-11-13T17:23:00.000-08:00

Patterns: Upside down daisy hat from Itty Bitty Hats and Saartje's Bootees
Yarn: Cotton-Ease in Berry (with scraps of lime & White)
Buttons: Daisy buttons from Joann
Needles: Size 7 Circs and DPNs for the hat and Size 4 needles for the bootees
For: Coworker's baby shower

I wanted to make something quick but cute for a baby shower I'm going to this weekend, so I thought a little hat & booties set would be the way to go. I had some Cotton-Ease left over from the baby blanket, so I didn't have to buy new yarn. That means I could get away with buying a book, right? I thought so, so I ordered the Itty Bitty Hats book. I think I'll get some good use out of it, considering I will be an aunt soon and what kind of knitting aunt would I be if I didn't shower my little neice or nephew with hats?

The hat was pretty fiddly, though. You have to sew on the petals at the end and I had some trouble getting it right. Same deal with the booties- I had to reknit one of them because my seaming was so terrible. Also, the buttonhole loops were kind of fiddly, too. These things are cute and all, but I wonder if next time I should just knit a sweater?

Bringing the crazy for Crazy Aunt Purl

2007-11-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

The book fair was this weekend, but it's not just any year at the book fair- Crazy Aunt Purl was speaking and signing books- woo hoo!

Of course, it couldn't just go down normally. I couldn't just arrive early, serenely knitting until the talk began. Instead, the Metrorail was taking forever and I spent 40 minutes staring the clock while my 3 male companions teased me about being late for the knitting superstar.

When I finally got to the book fair, I just start running around. I'm looking for building 3 to no avail, desperately searching for anyone who looks like they can direct me. I am actually sweating to a pretty uncomfortable degree by this point. Finally, someone tells me that building 3 is back near the metro stop (of course it is- that's where I started). Run back to building 3. Run up 2 flights of stairs. Open the door to the room, where I immediately see Laurie sitting at the front, listening to some dude talk about therapy. A woman at the back of the room who is filming everything gives me the evil eye and tells me to scootch down low so I won't be in her video.

Here's the best part- I am now disheveled, sweating, and breathing hard, trying to crab-walk my way to the empty seats, climbing over 10 people to get to, when a CELL PHONE BEGINS TO RING. It can't be my cell phone, because I had left that at the yarn store earlier in the day (same day-different fiasco). I'm in the clear. Except wait- it's coming from my bag. Crap. It's Bryan's cell phone, which I don't know how to work, so it's ringing and ringing and everyone is staring at me because I'm the jerk who leaves her cell phone on at the talk. I'm frantically punching at the buttons, trying to make it stop, but it just doesn't work.

It finally stopped ringing, and I started knitting, and Laurie started talking, and it was all a lot better. It was fantastic to hear her read from her book and even better to meet her afterwards.

P.S.
You may notice I'm wearing my new Ravelry tee, which I totally love. Even the aforementioned male companions, who are happy to tease me liberally for my knitting addiction, thought "where my stitches at" was a really cool tagline. There has been an absolute sh*tstorm over at Ravelry over the fit of these shirts, but I love love love mine and hope that Ravelry sticks with American Apparel. I also hope Jess & Casey are able to avoid taking the negativity too personally (I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to!).

Cotton-Ease Baby Blanket

2007-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

This past summer, I wanted to make something special for a friend who was having a
baby. I was kind of itching to make a blanket, but I wanted something classic looking and gender neutral, with no pastels or frills. I was having an amazingly difficult time finding what I wanted, so I cobbled together some ideas and made a go of it on my own. It's nothing revolutionary- just mitered squares- but I posted the result on the Lion Brand website and have gotten quite a few requests for the pattern, so I thought I'd post it here for reference.

Color Block Baby Blanket

Materials:
2 balls each Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Maize, Lime, Violet, Berry, & Lake
Size 6 and size 8 needles

Gauge: 17 stitches = 4 inches using size 8 needles

Notes:
· Instead of purling, I used backward knitting for quite a bit of this blanket and I think it was a real time saver. If you're interested, tutorial is available here: http://www.drgirlfriend.com/knittingbackwards.html
· I tend to knit a bit tightly, so you may not want to pay too much attention to my gauge.
· This blanket is worked in rounds. I kept getting confused about the correct place to start the next square (which lead to lots and lots of frogging), so I included a diagram at the end of the pattern to help clarify. Hope it helps and doesn't add to the confusion.
· I wove in ends as I finished each round of blocks to make it less hellacious at the end. I highly recommend this strategy, because even with this provision, the weaving is pretty damn horrific at the end.

Stitch Guide:

DD (double decrease): Slip 2 stitches together as if to k2tog, then knit next st; pass 2 slipped sts over last knit st.

Let's begin!

Square 1:

With smaller needles and Light Blue, cast on 29 st. K 1 row. Change to larger needles.
Row 1: Slip 1, K 12, DD, k to end.
Row 2 and all WS rows: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end.
Row 3: Slip 1, K 11, DD, k to end.
Row 5: Slip 1, K 10, DD, k to end.
Row 7: Slip 1, K 9, DD, k to end.
Row 9: Slip 1, K 8, DD, k to end.
Row 11: Slip 1, K 7, DD, k to end.
Row 13: Slip 1, K 6, DD, k to end.
Row 15: Slip 1, K 5, DD, k to end.
Row 17: Slip 1, K 4, DD, k to end.
Row 19: Slip 1, K 3, DD, k to end.
Row 21: Slip 1, K 2, DD, k to end.
Row 23: Slip 1, K 1, DD, k to end.
Row 25: K1, DD, k to end.

You will now have 3 stitches on your needle, with WS facing. Sl first 2 sts purlwise, p1, pass 2 slipped sts over last purl stitch. Fasten loop.

Square 2:

Using smaller needles and Violet (with RS facing), pick up and k 14 sts along the edge of previous square (see diagram), pick up 1 st from the top DD of the square, then cast on 14 stitches- 29 sts total. K 1 row. Complete in the same way as Square 1.

Square 3:
With smaller needles and Light Blue (with RS facing), pick up and k 14 sts along the edge of Square 2 (see diagram), pick up 1 st from the top DD of the square, then cast on 14 sts- 29 sts total. K 1 row. Complete in the same way as Square 1.

Square 4:
With smaller needles and Violet (with RS facing), pick up and k 14 sts along edge of Square 3 (see diagram), 1 st from the top of Square 2, and 14 stitches along the edge of Square 1- 29 sts total. K 1 row. Complete in the same way as Square 1.

You now have a big square made of 4 little squares and you're ready for the next round.

Using the diagram to determine where to begin, begin making the first square of the next round.

Using smaller needles and Lime (with RS facing), pick up and k 14 sts along the edge of the very first square that you knit (see diagram), pick up 1 st from the middle, then cast on 14 stitches- 29 sts total. K 1 row. Complete in the same way as Square 1.

Following diagram and color chart, continue making squares in order. NOTE: you only need to cast on new stitches 4 times per round (once for each side). Once you make the first new square on a particular side, every other square will only require picking up stitches- no casting on.

Border:
With RS facing, pick up stitches along an edge of the blanket.

Row 1, 3, & 5 (WS): Sl 1, k1, knit through front and back loop, knit to end.

Row 2 & 4: (RS): Knit.

Bind off loosely.

Repeat for other 3 edges of blanket, then seam the border edges.

Weave and weave and weave in the ends.

And the bonus pic that shows why all those freaking ends are worth it...

Juliet and the Birth of the Blog

2007-11-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

Here it goes- my very first post! After a year of knitting, I have succumbed to temptation and started a blog to document my work and to become part of the crazy community of knitters online. I don't know any other knitters in real life, so I've been stalking your blogs for the past year (yes- yours, too!) for inspiration and vicarious knitting. Now I'm jumping in...

I'll start my venture into the blog world with a finished object that I'm just delighted with. Juliet, another genius pattern from the girls at Zephyr Style, is a pretty little thing that is easy TV knitting. I was pretty sure that this cardigan would look terrible on me, but for some reason I could not resist those assymetrical buttons! I had major concerns: I don't own anything with this empire style for good reasons, the idea of a cropped sweater sounded terrible for me, and the swingy-ness of the bottom was just begging to make me look pregnant (I'm not, BTW. Mom, seriously, I'm not). But the buttons! The fat assymetrical buttons! I could not resist their call. I irresponsibly ignored all my Christmas knitting and spent a week knitting Juliet almost exclusively.

The details:

Pattern: Juliet (http://www.zephyrstyle.com/) in size Small (I would normally be a medium but I read that this turned out huge for others, so I went down a size. It was the right decision).

Yarn: 5 skeins of RYC Soft Tweed by Rowan in Kingfisher

Yarn Source: Webs (http://www.yarn.com/) for only 4! Dollars! a skein! That makes this a $20 cardigan!

Needles: Size 10 1/2, on Knitpicks Options Metal circulars

Buttons: Shell buttons from a LYS (unfortunately not the deal that the yarn was)

Modifications: None. I made the cropped version and crocheted the button loops. I swatched some different lace patterns to try to change it up a bit, but none of them looked as good as the original so I just stuck with it.

Thanks for checking out my blog! I still can't really believe I'm doing this...