Category Archives: Knitting

Latest FO: Confetti the Zombie Cat Stuffie

Confetti the Zombie Cat

 

Finished him several days ago and I’m working on a second. This one is going to a charity but the next is going to Littlest Beanlet.  I had quite a bit left over of this yarn so I’m using up that plus other stash yarn. I have this ginormous bag of poly fill that never seems to empty and that’s being put to good use.

 

This is simple Craft Smart yarn from Michaels, I think their ‘house’ brand. Not a lot of colors as far as I know but I liked this variegated colorway and I figured it didn’t matter who got it, as they’d probably be happy just to have it.

 

Not a whole lot more on the needles right now other than some long-standing WIPs I don’t want to touch.  That cabled hat from the last post was part of a monthly project I’m doing with my Vchat ladies. January was a hat. February will be colorwork but I have NO idea what pattern I will do. I got wind of a crocheted colorwork hat pattern that I just might try. We will see.

 

Also, I’d like to get more blue into my crafting this year. Spring-y, Summer-y blues. And greens too. I grew up obsessed with the color red so I figure it’s time for a change. Only time will tell..

 

TTFN!!

 

Whoa! Happy New Year 2013!

Time sure has flown, hasn’t it. Last I blogged it was the end of November. I’d petered out that last week or so of NaBloPoMo. I was holding my own for a bit there, but yeah. I’d probably have better luck with a sweater. ;)

But the holiday time has come and gone and there was crafting and the emergence of a new, obsession, to use a better word. Nails!

Christmas nails--Project52 week 52

I’d gone to a holiday swap dinner and learned about a monthly nail subscription from Julep. I really like the polishes I got from it; nice and thick, smooth texture and nearly opaque on the first coat! Not sure I’ll purchase every month but I’ll definitely be participating again. I like nail polish because it’s a way to pretty myself up without makeup. I don’t work outside the home, so I have very little need to keep up foundation and lipstick and all that jazz, so nails are the next best thing!

Between polish changes I’ve been crafting.

Cowl-Hat--Project52 week 51

Oh So Cozy Cowl

Handspun Falkland from ShadyFibers

Size 5.0mm  Tunisian crochet hook(H)

Remember when I picked up tunisian crochet back in 2012? Well, it resurfaces every so often and this time it was in the form of a cowl. Strangely enough, it was too narrow to be comfortable so I cinched off the top and now it’s a hat! Perfect! It has a nice, easily memorized stitch pattern, and I’ll probably try it again and get it right the next time!

And here’s my first two FO’s of the new year:

Quick Cable Slouch Hat

Quick Cable Slouch Hat

ArtYarns “Reality”, which I received in the holiday swap

Size 4.5mm and 6.5mm needles

Seed Stitch Mittens (for me)

Seed Stitch Mittens for Men

Misti Alpaca “Qolla”, also received in the holiday swap

Size 4.0mm needles

I’m currently working on a tunisian crochet shawl called Venus. I’m almost done, but here’s a sneak peek:

venus_beginnings_medium

It’s turning out fairly large unblocked because I’m using a sport weight yarn instead of lace, but it won’t grow that much more because it’s a microfiber yarn.

That’s it for this post, TTFN!

It Didn’t Happen… (NaBloPoMo Day 21)

Of course it didn’t. I wimped out. I got the shoulders seamed on the boy sweater and that’s about it. I really don’t like seaming. Of course, there’s a mess of work to handle if you knit in the round and it has its own issues. Ah well. I think he’ll be warm enough with a regular sweat jacket and his coat.

 

What did happen was I solved the mystery of the clunking footman. After last night’s fiasco concerning getting the hex screw out, it started clunking again. To make a long story short, something had to be removed. Granted, the item in question was supposed to be on the wheel but not where I’d put it. It wouldn’t FIT where it’s supposed to go, which is why I put it where it wound up. But it’s gone now and things are moving much smoother without it. Now to solve the bobbin rattle…

 

So, I got to put some more work into the lavendar Little Barn stuff. It’s a fairly easy spin, if a bit rough. This won’t be socks that’s for sure. It was suggested I make felted slippers. Perhaps, but I was thinking more along the lines of some sort of bag, or pouch for a tablet. I could really use the slippers though. But my bad luck with felting garments to fit scares me away.  Sigh, decisions..

 

Time for relaxation and mental prep for Thanksgiving with the (out)laws. ;)

 

TTFN

My Love-Hate for Handknit Sweaters (NaBloPoMo Day 14)

I knit my first adult sweater back in 2004. Well, I started it back in 2004. I didn’t finish it til about halfway through 2005.  It was then my Love-Hate relationship with knit sweaters began. I’d see something awesome, get the materials(or something close to it) and start. And somewhere along that line one of several things will happen:

1) I’ll find an error in the pattern I can’t figure out and have to rip it and call it a day.

2) I’ll get bored with the actual knitting and stall on it.

3) I’ll finish all the pieces and stall on  blocking the pieces so I can seam them.

4) I’ll have blocked them and stall on the seaming itself.

5)I’ll have seamed it and stall on weaving in the ends.. You get the picture. Procrastination galore. That’s always been an issue, not just with crafting. Or,

6) I’ll get it all done in a timely manner and

a) It won’t fit correctly( or at all!)

b) It will fit ok, but somehow it’ll get ruined.

Take the Incredible Custom-Fit raglan that’s floating around the web, for instance. I knit a swatch, took my measurements and knit a sweater that I could fit 1.5 of me in. I tried felting it to shrink it a bit but that didn’t work. At all.

Then there’s the Central Park Hoodie, which my MIL got a hold of during a house move, and did manage to felt. That sweater took me all of 4 months to knit, seam and weave in the ends(one of my fastest knit sweaters), and she undid it all in a 20 minute wash.

 

That stung me to a point where I vowed I’d never knit another sweater again. That was about 4 years ago. I finally got my courage back in late 2009 when I spun for and began the Heather Hoodie. Unfortunately, I didn’t spin enough yarn and there was no more of the fiber. That got ripped out.  Early in 2011 during a crazy snow storm I cast on for Eileen and, between gauge and sizing issues and stalling for (you guessed it) seaming, I completed it, zipper and all just in time for Rhinebeck 2012.

 

In a matter of 8 years I’ve gone from

bigsackdone

to

Eileen is finished!

and I think I’m ready for more. As soon as I finish blocking and seaming Boy Beanlet’s sweater… ;)

TTFN!!

It’s FO Time! (NaBloPoMo day 12)

FO, is a yarncraft term meaning, “finished object”. I worked on the Turn-a-Square hat and in less than 5 days I’m done. Truthfully, that hat shouldn’t have taken that long. I just stopped to spin a bit and do all the other things a living person needs to do.  After walking all day at the photowalk yesterday I didn’t want to go anywhere, but a last-minute need for printer ink(and a sweet coupon from Michaels) led me down the road. With ink and sock and kid-cowl yarn in hand, I was back home in a flash and picking up the hat.

It is a hit already:

 

 

A little big but it’s all wool so I might be able to shrink it just a bit. I do have a hooded cowl on the horizon to go with it, instead of the scarf business, so should the hat go flopping around at least she’ll have the extra layer.  I still have quite a bit of the yarn left for matching mittens.  I’m sure she’ll love the whole thing..

 

 

TTFN!

Wouldn’t You Know It? (NaBloPoMo day 7)

Well. I guess that’s it. Might as well call it winter with the Nor’easter we’re having. Now, it’s not nearly as windy as Sandy was, and this time it’s bringing snow, but I am certain the North East just does NOT need this right now. But one thing is certain. It’s a sign that the cold weather is pretty much here to stay for a while.

I also needed to accept that the Terzetto hat was just not working.  I don’t know if it was the yarn quality, the color or the pattern. I just wasn’t feeling the twisted 1×1 ribbing and the stitch pattern just didn’t pop the way I’d hoped for. I’m gonna go with a combo of bad yarn and bad color.  The brown yarn will make a great plan stockinette hat, but the patterning on Terzetto needs brightness.

 

So, to soothe my bruised ego I cast on for Turn A Square, instead. So far, so good. Really it’s a striped hat and that can’t be too hard. What makes it special is the manner of crown decreases. I’ve never done a hat with raglan decreases before, so this should prove interesting. At the very least, I’ve become reacquainted with the ‘jogless’ method of striping. I’m using a natural/cream color of Premier Merit wool and leftovers from the bright pink  Eileen sweater I made out of Patons Classic wool.  I’m sure little Beanlet will love it.

 

In the interest of time I’ve decided to crochet the charity hats. They go faster and I’d like to get them out to the organizers as soon as possible. Of course, the local Save-A-Thon store is having a big sale so I will definitely be checking them out for some good discount acrylics and wool blends. We’ll see.

 

TTFN!

What Can I Say? (NaBloPoMo day 6)

Not a lot of crafting got done today. Too emotionally stressed today. The Presidential Election just drains me.  I’ve mostly managed to internalize the insanity surrounding this election and could move through the daily routines smoothly. Some days were  harder than others. I don’t know what the future holds. I think that sucks the most.

 

I went out to vote early this morning and brought along a sock project, expecting ridiculously long lines. I was, instead, out of there rather quickly and had no time to cast on the Jaywalker socks I was planning on. I did manage to cast on a Terzetto hat, and do a few rows of ribbing, but part of me just wasn’t feeling it. Hoping I don’t lose my mojo before my current WIPs are complete.

 

That spinning project I showed the other day has to come to a halt. One of the spokes of the spindle is designed in such a way that it makes getting the singles/yarn very difficult to get off of it. I spun a good ounce of the fiber and after tugging every which way, risking losing the leader end of the yarn, I decided to wait until the spoke can be replaced. At least my wheel will get a little exercise again. There are some other sets of singles that need plying and I’d already broken my promise to myself to get those done before starting anything new.  To make matters worse I have another 4 oz of hand dyed fiber coming my way soon, and I will have to resist the urge to spin it first. Sigh.  I’m still waiting for those 10 pairs of arms…

 

TTFN

 

 

I always do it to myself (NaBloPoMo–day 5)

Procrastination: That thing you do when you don’t want to do something.  I always do it to myself. That, or I get distracted by the shiny and awesome and forget to do what I need to.

Take today’s cold weather, for instance. Scrambling for warm hats at last minute this morning reminded me that it’s time to work on more winter wear. Why didn’t I think of this back in September?? Oh yeah, prepping for Rhinebeck and such. Getting into the groove of a new school year. Rhinebeck. Dealing with crazy in-laws. And once again, Rhinebeck. ;)

As it were, the festival was warm for October. Last time I went I was freezing. This year, we’re all sweating and removing all the handknits we wore to show off. But now, it’s time or the cold-weather wear. This year I want to do something different: instead of long-ass scarves I will pick out some cowls and such. Same purpose, not so long and dangly. They’re much quicker(especially if knit in worsted, chunky or bulky), and as long as the kids’ necks are warm, I really don’t think they’ll care that it’s not a traditional scarf.

I’m also planning on doing a few charity hats this time around, for various charities as I hear about them. I heard tell someone local to me was collecting warm items for Sandy survivors; I’ll gladly send a few their way.  I have a few patterns in mind; nothing too fancy, but varied enough not to bore me to tears.  I’m currently in the process of making school-color sweaters for the two biggest Beanlets, and I just got a mitten request from little one. Oy, I’ll need at least 10 pairs of arms to get all that done.  Oh well, I asked for it.

If it’s Fall for you now, are you yarn-ready for Winter? ;)

TTFN!

Hookin’ Again( Or, Yay, Crochet!)

I started out crocheting years ago, as a child. I picked it up again as a young adult but by my third child I was ready for something new, so I learned to knit..

Over the years I kept seeing those long crochet hooks or sometimes double-ended ones and didn’t know what they were for. Right before I learned to knit I dabbled in what is called Tunisian(or Afghan) crochet and it was ok, but I didn’t quite get it that first time around.

Fast forward to 2012 where I met some lovely ladies in a G+ Hangout and re-learned the process. I’ve since cast on for a Red Scarf project submission but I put it down because the hook was just too fiddly and too small for the yarn I am using.

Just last week I purchased a larger, flexible, double-ended crochet hook and I will restart the scarf. But in the meantime I’ve started a cute little dishcloth, a la a pattern from Jennifer Hansen, on Craftsy.com (The course in which the pattern appears is $29.99–check it out!)

The smaller, stiff hook I was using for the scarf would probably go better with this Sugar N Cream yarn but I’m going to keep on keepin’ on until I finish. The next one will get the smaller hook, so that I can free this one up for the scarf. ;)

What’ve I been up to?

Tunisian Dishcloth(Craftsy.com class)–:

Tunisian Dishcloth

Honey Badger Socks(Ravelry link)– Made in scrumptious Shalimar Yarns ‘Breathless’ in colorway ‘Sedge’:
Honey Badger Socks Honey Badger Socks close-up

Cotton Granny Square Apron(two separate links)–:

Granny Square Apron

This apron is actually a mixture of two ‘patterns’. The square featured is not in the original apron concept pattern, but I figured any square would work.

 

I’ve since finished the Sari Lace Triangle and all that needs blocking is the corners. Yeah. It’s so big I couldn’t fit it all on a queen-sized bed.

 

Maybe if I’m lucky, after these, I’ll catch a bout of finish-itis and clean up my WIPs. One can dream, right? ;)

 

What are you working on?

 

 

Knit-Chat Alphabet Knits 2012

Aran Twist Socks

The lovely ladies of the G+ Knit Chat and I have begun a year-long project whereby we are going to start/work on/complete a project based on a corresponding letter of the English-language alphabet, every two weeks. Started on New Year’s day, which was conveniently on a Sunday, and I’m now working on “D”. The rules are somewhat up to interpretation, such that we can alter project names to suit.

The socks above are my “A” project. The Aran Twist Socks were a heck of a project, mostly because I kept messing up and having to restart. Annoying as heck but user error for sure. Nice simple pattern that I would likely do again. I did a different heel than what’s listed in the pattern but the main thing is the top and leg of the foot right? :)

Next up is my “B”. I had originally thought of the Buttercup Tunic (Ravelry link) sweater but that pattern is a disaster, IMO. I read through it to familiarize myself with the construction and couldn’t make heads or tails of why it’s constructed the way it is, so I changed my mind and went for a Tappan Zee Sweater, renamed ‘Bridge Sweater’ to fit the project. So far, not bad. I’m already done with the knitting. I opted to make it into a pullover instead of the cardigan it’s designed as. Not sure if that was a good idea, or if I just used a not-very-good choice of yarn because it bloomed like CRAZY with blocking. Instead of buttons I will be adding in some ribbon to cinch the neckline and button band. Whoops.

Then there’s “C”: the Caroline Hat. Caroline Hat

This needs a ribbon and I already bought it, but you know me, procrastination galore here in Chez Bean. I bought it the same day I got the ribbon for the Bridge sweater, so at least I’m on something of a roll in terms of acquiring the embellishments. I’m sure I’ll get it done before Fall. ;)

Finally, I’m on “D”. First, understand that projects are NOT required to be finished within the two weeks, just that it should be the main thing I’m working on.

'Da Age of Brass and Steam shawl

I’m knitting The (‘Da) Age of Brass and Steam next. It’s all in my own handspun. Some of the fiber is pre-dyed Grafton Fibers Merino that I picked up in a buying frenzy when I first learned to spin back in ’06. The rest is some undyed Merino that I dyed myself, with Koolaid the following year. I’m just now getting around to using it. I’m sort of on a stash-burning quest in the process of completing these projects. Kill two birds with one stone, or something like that.

Eileen is next on the horizon, though, guess what? She’s done! Except for the zipper, which makes things easier, but I’ll likely throw in a secondary “E” project for $hits and giggles. We’ll see..

TTFN!