Finished Dr. Who

I finally finished this scarf... in plenty of time for Christmas. I used Knit Picks yarns and made the scarf for under $30. The colors aren't perfect, but close enough, I think. The yarn's worsted weight, so the scarf is really long. I only used 40 stitches across, though so it wouldn't be too wide. I used tomato, hyacinth, fern, pumpkin, snickerdoodle, chestnut, and mist. I think I'd use another red if I did it again.

I still want to knit as much but with the grad school class this fall there was no time. I'd like to make myself a sweater in the break before classes start again, but my immediate thing is to make myself wrist warmers for work.

Working... slowly....

I.. must... knit... (in a William Shatner type of voice) aack. The world is conspiring against my knitting and my fingers itch to knit. I started to fantasize about hiding under my desk at work to sneak some knitting... So besides the wrap sweater I'll never finish, I've got two WIP. 1) is the socks from the 6sox...



The other is a Season 12 Dr. Who scarf (who knew there were so many different ones just worn by Tom Baker?). I went with the less expensive Knit Picks wool of the andes. It halved the cost, but the red and the yellow aren't really right. Everything else is fine. Here's the raw yarn, I'm about 2 feet in but I don't have a picture yet.
I did get an extra purple (hyacinth). I was less than $1 away from free shipping so... anyway, I figure I can make a hat or mittens.

A Prairie Home Companion Lives of the Cowboys (on knitting)

pointed to on KR

ARGH!

I wrote out all the instructions for the doggie toy and they're gone... and my template is still messed up. ARGH!

Anyway, I did actually finish the gray socks. I skipped the last of the 6 sox socks so I'm waiting to start the next socks until October 1 when they unveil the next pattern.

Finally a FO: EV's new toy

I designed and knitted EV a little squeaky man. It's out of 100% lambs pride heavy worsted. I felted it (a lot). It's stuffed with fiber fill and has a squeaker in the tummy. You can buy packs of 4 at the pet store for $2. If I had to do this again, I would have made a smaller tummy and a bigger head. There's only one seam in this -- on the one arm. That's where I stuffed it. I went about this the hard way to avoid seams (and therefore weak points) but that's usually the way I do things -- over engineered and wierd.
Here are the pictures:

Note the blurred tail! That's so funny, she was wagging fast enough to show up as a blur :)

I will post the pattern but I'm not really recommending anyone do it this way!

Finished Chutes and Ladders, now what?

So I hurried up and finished, now I have to wait for the next sock. I've got a 12 hour car ride next week... hmmm. Maybe the Computer socks? Or the Clover lace (still, sigh), or maybe some CnL socks for charity?

My knitting has gone to the dog...

I have a new puppy So it seems like I have no time to sit and knit. Now my poor cat is sitting on the keyboard.... well maybe some progress to show next week.

I'm almost done the cuff of my second chutes and ladders sock.

Updates

I finally got to see Knitty Gritty because we got cable and broadband!! (yipee) It was actually pretty cool.

It's not really cool that it's on at 10:30 at night... She was showing how to recycle sweaters. I think there are going to be more new shows but they show the show a lot during the day. I guess I could record... hmm now I need tivo...

I finished my first Chutes and Ladders sock...




So now I'm going to risk SSS by putting these down and rushing to work on a lap robe. My Grandmother (who never needs or asks for anything) has found that her knees get cold in the air conditioning. This is somewhat surprising to me because she is always too hot. Anyway, Mom asked me if I could make a lap robe, SURE! Dug into the stash and apologetically came back with a bright pink acrylic. No labels but it feels like the soft one from Caron. Turns out that she loves pink (knew that) and bright colors and she wants all acrylic for easy care. Voila!

I'm doing a simple feather and fan with a 4 stitch border of k1p1 on each side and a few rows of garter on the bottom and top. Using worsted and size 10 needles. Her b-day is coming SOON... As you can see, it's about 30" across without being really stretched. I've got 4 skeins and I'm probably 2/3 done the second, so I'll finish when I'm done with the 4th and that's how long it will be.





updated, date changed to when I actually posted this. ok, so that's annoying, it's leaving this huge space.

Socks in Progress

I started the Chutes and Ladders for the SixSox Knitalong out of this gray self striping Lana Grossa whatever... it's pretty expensive yarn. I didn't take a picture before I frogged it -- it was so blotchy and yucky. So now I have computer socks; that is, socks I can knit while on the computer because they don't take any concentration. I think I'll try a new heel out of the Folk Socks Book since everything else is plain.

I'm now knitting the Chutes and Ladders out of a cream colored Invicta -- it does look like an Aran sweater

Yarn Touristing

I was in Toronto, Canada, for a conference this past week so I polled KR folks to find good yarn shops. Unfortunately I only made it to the two in (somewhat) easy walking distance: Romney and Lewiscraft (which is actually more like a craft store).

They were both exactly like I had heard: Romney had a huge selection and pretty bad service, and Lewiscraft had some inexpensive sock yarn. By the time I got to Romney I was so overheated from walking I could barely look at the wool so I bought 4 hanks of this Butterfly cotton. I hope it's enough to make a t-shirt. It's a very nice silver gray. Very cool looking and it should go well with the black and navy that I have so much of.

At Lewiscraft I found that the Scheepjes Invicta Extra 4ply sock yarn was on sale for $3.79 Canadian -- about $3 US. I bought 4 50gm skeins, two in gray and two in cream. I frogged the self-striping gray yarn I had started the chutes and ladders in because it looked pretty ugly. I think the cream will look like a nice aran sweater in chutes and ladders. I also got packs of cheap 2.0mm and 3.0mm DPN. They're metal but nice. They were $3.65 Canadian.

Some progress on Lucky

I'm probably 3 inches up the other front. It's going fine. Not very exciting except that I have to keep track of where I am (dec every 9 rows...). At least the pattern is well ingrained.

I'm off to a conference in Toronto next weekend so I'm hoping to have the yarn and be ready to cast on and knit the next of the increasingly inaccurately named six sox knitalong socks. I need something for travel that can be stuffed into a bag and doesn't require a lot of careful attention.

Check this out

My DH saw this and begged it from the calendar's owner.

Finished one and a half cloverleaves

I really like this pattern. As I'm waiting for my pictures to upload I'm now on the decreases after picking up around the heel. It's really going quickly.

Updated: I fixed the pictures. I have no idea what happened to the first ones.

Started the 1st of the 6Sox, Clover Leaf

I never did these because I started the group late. I'm now doing them with some Paton's Kroy on DPN (homemade bamboo skewer dpn). They're going really great and look good on. I took this picture Friday and now I'm halfway down the foot. The yarn is a pleasure to work with and the pattern is easy to remember and really stretchy.

The picture's kind of fuzzy, but you can still see the pattern.

DH's camera bag (before felting)

Doesn't look nearly floppy enough or big enough, I hope it is!

All but finished my fluffy beaded scarf

As my dh says, just in time for warm weather! I didn't string the beads in advance, but added them using a v. v. small crochet hook (0.9mm) through the bead and pulled the loop of yarn through. All that's left to be done is to tie knots on the fringe so the beads don't fall off.

Spike Modeling her new socks

They're actually none too big. She can still grow a little and wear them, but they're really not too big.

Made some socks for Spike

Gosh, Spike's almost 4 months now. She's a big girl! Alas, I think she has small feet. No doubt these socks will go up to her hips! I used the measurements from the sock featured on the Interweave site this month. Anyway, when I get a chance I'll get her to model them.

Let me know if you want the pattern. I'll type it out and post it here.

FO: Lace Sockotta Socks

And good riddance, too. Ugh. I'm glad to finally have these over and on my feet. They do look kind of cool, though, and I did learn a lot. 1) new toe (round, kind of like the top of a hat) 2) sewn bind-off with k2p2 ribbing 3) to pick lace patterns for socks more carefully so I don't have to concentrate so hard on them!

FO: Go Team Socks

These socks were great. Maybe I'll make another pair someday.

Addicted to the Go Terps! Socks

I have not done any of the other knitting I should be doing. I'm really, really enjoying the fair isle and spelling the words, and the knitting on dpn...

So, what's the problem? You see, tomorrow is Easter. I'm Ukrainian Catholic and we're on the other calendar. I spent all day baking yesterday with my dSIL and dMIL so that's all ready. But... I've been saving several cadbury eggs and have promised more little chickies to members of this side of my family. My family by blood has theirs already and I figured I had plenty of time to work on these. ARGH! All I want to knit are go team socks!

No progress on the lucky wrap sweater. The fuzzy beaded scarf is now at 56" but I have to figure out exactly how I want to do the beaded fringe. I started the ribbing on the sockotta lace socks, but I'm really not so thrilled with that.

Hmm, maybe it's the wool vs. cotton?

Comments

I was using a free plug-in program for my comments. I started using this well before blogger offered comments and I decided to keep the plug-in after blogger added comments because it allowed smilies and other icons. Well, the plug-in web page has been down for a while, so I just decided to ditch it. I'm pretty sure that means that older comments are gone. Aack.

Anyway, you can still leave comments. It should ask you if you have a blogger account but you don't need one to comment. Just choose to comment anonymously.

Finished my Right sock of the Go Team Socks

This is the 6th sock of the 6sox knitalong. Mine is in University of Maryland colors: yellow, black, red, and white. The first one says "Hell in a Shell!! UM" and the second one will just say Go Terps! twice. The first one is done. It's a little big but works ok. The majority of the wool is from the donations from the weaver friend and is Harrisville 2ply. The yellow is Nature Spun from my favorite LYS. I did these on my homemade bamboo DPN. I had forgotten how I like to knit on DPN. It seemed to go faster than knitting on 2circs. I guess it's good to mix things up a little.

It's funny because that one view looks like I'm saying UM Hell. Oh, well, I guess I should have thought of that before!

Fo: Wrist Warmers for my co-worker

My dear co-worker, LP, has carpal tunnel and is in a lot of pain so I made her these spiffy wrist warmers. They're out of the same yarn as the fluted bannister socks I made for Dad. 100% Merino. When I was modeling them for the picture I almost didn't want to give them away. So soft and squishy!

Here's the pattern if you're interested.
Using size 4 DPN and ~sport merino
CO 60 stitches
K2 P2 Rib for 2.5", decrease 4x evenly around
Continue until 3" from CO edge
BO 5 continue pattern around (you're now knitting back and forth)
BO1 at the beg of the next 2 rows
sl1 continue pattern around, each row until 5" from CO edge
CO 1 at each end of next row
CO 5 and rejoin around
Continue pattern until 7" from CO edge. BO.

And here's where I was a week ago on the socks

Just catching up on posting. I've now turned the heel and am headed up the legs.

Here's a detail of the lace

Finished the back of the Lucky Wrap Sweater

I actually finished it a week ago when I took this picture. I'm now about 6" up the right front.

New sock for 6sox

They're team socks. I would have, like, never in a million years done these otherwise but I'm looking forward to them. This is what I'm going for

Here are my choices for officially trademarked UM slogans:

• Go Terps!
• Hell in a Shell (I kid you not, it's trademarked)
• Fear the Turtle

Anyone have a graph of a terrapin? One that looks like Testudo?

This is crazy

Normally I just talk about myself in this space, but I wanted to link to this article because it's so crazy. I might just have to try it. Knitting two socks at one time on 1 set (yes, that's right 1 set) of DPN! The link was up on socknitters. It's from a 1918 needlecraft magazine although I believe there's a more recent book. Hmm. Might be faster if you got the hang of it. Does anyone know why the second sock is done wrong side out? Just to keep them separate? Hmmm. Well, here's the link.

Darning Socks

My cool striped socks developed this terrible hole in the foot. Not to mention that they're kind of fuzzing up. I have plenty of the yarn left so I decided to darn them. Searched online and found these very clear instructions from Holly Shaltz. I don't have a darning egg so I used what was handy -- a computer mouse. Not ideal but it seemed to work. I hope I get better at this with practice. On second thought, I hope I never have to do this again! Here are the pictures:

And now in other news...

Huge flattery received today - my dear sister told me she wore HUGE holes in the socks I made her. Why is this flattery? She must have worn them a ton -- I have a pair of socks out of the same yarn just made maybe a month earlier and they're just fine. COOL! She's sending them back to me and I'm going to repair them. There might even be an extra pair in the package on the way back : )

The lucky cardigan is going well. I'm chugging along on the back, probably about 5" up. Pictures to come, eventually.

Bought some Cascade 220 from my favorite LYS, felted a swatch, ready to go on my dh's camera bag as soon as he figures out how big he wants it.

Working on the scarf with the beads - about 31" along, I'm going to go until I run out of yarn (or almost, then do fringe. I still have about 40% of the skein left.

Working on the sockotta socks -- I'm slacking on them because I have a conference next week and I figure they'll be good for the trip and down times.

Easter Chicks

Walkersmom originally posted a link to a pattern on KR. Of course I had to make them better!

Here's the pattern I finally came up with:

Easter Chick Cadbury Egg Covers

Yellow cheap acrylic worsted weight yarn (I recommend the stuff that's about 88 cents)
4 DPN in size 6 (what gauge? if you have 7's, cool, 2 circs, cool, magic loop, fine...)
Plastic google eyes (huge pack at Michaels' for $2.99 -- should be available for less elsewhere)
Orange felt (about 20 cents)
Glue gun (or craft glue)
Scissors

Cast on 8 stitches evenly around the 3 needles
1) Join, Knit the first row increasing in every stitch by knitting in the front and back
2) Purl this row and all even rows (until you get to the ribbing)
3) Knit, increasing evenly 4 times around
5) Knit, increasing evenly 4 times around - total of 24 stitches
Continue on alternating K and P rounds until you've finished about 12 rounds total
13) *k1p1*
14)*k1p1*
Bind off in pattern (ok if it's tight).

Use the yarn left from your cast on to draw the top circle tight so there's no hole - darn over it if necessary. Weave the other end of the yarn.

Cut a small triangle out of felt. Use glue gun and attach eyes and beak to chick. Voila...

Getting Lucky!

I just got my yarn yesterday and I'm working on the swatch. I wanted to knit this sweater anyway (hence my little design for spike) but it's the perfect time right now: KAL, RC selling Rowan 4-ply, ready for a new project, spring is coming...

This color is Fandango. Isn't it great?

The big green monster... is ... GASP....

not wool?

nice little swatch before felting




after forever in the washer with 160degF water, dishwashing liquid, on "ultra heavy" cycle





eek. so then I lit it on fire a la Fran

bleep, bleep, bleep (the censors got to my blog), what the bleep? I distinctly remember buying wool and in the skein it looks just like lopi. What is this stuff? I'm guessing now that it's some funky wool-acrylic blend. When I held the flame close it melted and shrunk up. The wool caught fire and ashed but something melted and left a bump. I guess the old dh won't get a felted camera case out of this after all. Hmm. Maybe I'll have to go shopping at the lys this weekend...

Fuzzy Beaded Scarf

I wanted to do something to demonstrate adding beads with a tiny crochet hook (size 13/14, 0.9mm). I was originally going to spell out "let it snow" or do snowflakes, but I guess I'll just stay with this nice pattern. Understated but very pretty. This way you get the contrast of the shiny glass beads with the fuzzy yarn without skinning the yarn by running the beads down it.

You take the crochet hook, put a bead on it, then pull the loop through ... either before or after you knit it. Somewhat time consuming but very cool. I think I'll do some beads on the fringe, too. Yes, this scarf will curl -- it's nothing but stockinette, but I don't think that will matter.