Omly Crafts

Monster Mash

2012-02-05T19:53:00.003-05:00

This weekend was the Arisia debrief, where the volunteers and staff get together to discuss what worked and what didn't at the past year's convention. In honor of that (and since my work as Arisia staff has seriously slowed my blogging in recent months) I thought I would share a few pictures of one crafty programming item at Arisia '12, the Monster Mash.

Mimi Noyes, the fantastic lady who runs this event brings bags and bags of stuffed animals. Then attendees hack them apart and sew them back together again like Dr. Frankenstein.

The carnage was really incredible. There was stuffing and stuffed-animal parts everywhere!

The results were amazing, like this bird-cow-turtle-something else I can't identify monster. (Sadly I did not have time to stay and make a monster, as I was running around putting out metaphoric fires, but all the creations I saw looked fantastic.)

Zombies!

2012-01-29T16:14:00.002-05:00

There appears to have been a zombie infection in our neighborhood.

This weekend there was a zombie teen social, and Chiquita absolutely wanted to go. Fortunately Chiquita seems to be recovering well from the zombie-infection. In fact she managed to only eat jello brains last night.

She did all the research for the reference photos of what she was thinking about, and then she got me to help actually do it. I have not managed to do much in terms of creative projects recently, so this was a lot of fun.

Decorating for the Holidays

2011-12-11T21:03:00.002-05:00

Today's crafting adventure was part of helping friends decorate their house for the holidays. First we unpacked the and then decorated the tree.

There is something wonderful about the whole process of decorating a tree. The house was full of laughter and activity. And there is something lovely about the uniqueness of each tree, filled with ornaments that are like a unique fingerprint to the household it is in.

After that lights and garland were hung, before we we broke out the crafting supplies. These glass bulbs have been in my craft stash for at least 3 years awaiting the perfect opportunity.

The process for making these is super easy, although it can require patience if you want an even layer of glitter on the inside.

Watered down white craft glue is swirled around the inside, and then you pour in glitter. Repeat as often as you feel like. Once you put the top back on the bulb, all the glitter stays inside making them relatively mess free to hang (if not to make).

We also used stained glass paint to decorate other glass bulbs, although unfortunately I did not get any pictures of them. I will have to think of it the next time I am there, because it was a really interesting process I had not tried before. Neat!

Another Baby Girl BSJ

2011-12-02T09:48:00.000-05:00

It seems to be a baby year. These sorts of things go in cycles. One of the latest arrivals that we are awaiting is my to-be newest neice. My brother and his wife have gone through so much hoping for a baby, that she is highly anticipated.

The baby shower was several weeks ago, but I have just not been able to pull myself together enough to put a post together. So with out further ado another BSJ:

Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Needles: US Size 10 / 6.0

Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Dusty Purple & many leftovers (see below)

As with the last BSJ I made, I put this one together with a sewn seam rather than a crocheted one. That has definitely become my preference for putting together this pattern.

This is the third time I have made this pattern. (The first two can be found here and here.) As always it never fails to delight me with its cleverness, plus the finished garter stitch fabric is super smooshy and awesome. There is good reason this pattern is so renown. I have to admit that I like the stripy ones more though, both aesthetically and for their stash busting.

This sweater had a bunch of leftover yarns from previous projects. The grey yarn was leftover from a wedding afghan I made for one of my brothers. (That was not the same one who is having the baby. His wedding afghan was this one). The minor stripes are leftover from another BSJ which I had made for one of my other nieces.

After giving the leftovers to a friend who I am re-teaching how to crochet, my stash is feeling much better, and I am fairly pleased with myself. I think I may end up re-focusing on using up stash for a while.

Thankful Tree

2011-11-30T15:28:00.003-05:00

Holy crow, but the combination of this semester and a whole lot of life are kicking my butt. I have been thinking you, dear blog, often despite my waywardness when it comes to actually sitting down to write. The good news is that I have finally started to have a lot of creative thoughts and ideas again. The bad news is that I have not actually had any time to pursue them.

Insert one crafty-project that I am really glad that I was able to make time for. We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends, and a few days before hand I was just completely taken with the idea of this project.

The host Majes was kind enough to go out hiking that morning and provide the branches. Chiquita and Jasra, one of the hostesses, prepped the tags with materials I provided. Everyone there provided thoughts and brief messages on the tags of what they were thankful for. Truly we are blessed to have such a full tree and blessed to have in our lives all the people who went into making it happen.

Crafty Museum Social Buys

2011-09-07T08:44:00.003-04:00

Hey Boston area people! Did you know LivingSocial has deals on two of the great crafty museums in the area?

The first is to American Textile Heritage Museum, and the deal can be found here. Salvbard and I went last year, and we found it really interesting. It has some local history, exhibits that are art created with textile techniques, history of textile work in a more general sense (compared with the local history), and even a really neat exhibit of the development of new fibers.

The second is for Fuller Craft Museum, and the deal can be found here.* I have not been yet, but I am intrigued by the website enough to have gotten tickets.

* In the interest of full disclosure, if 3 people buy the second deal with this link, I get mine free.

Mermaid socks

2011-09-05T23:05:00.002-04:00

Despite the time frame in which they made it to the blog, both the cotton socks for Salvbard and these mermaid socks were selected with project spectrum in mind. I didn't really manage to do anything for August, but blue for July I totally had covered. But hey the color for September is yellow, so I guess it all works out.

And here is a slightly larger detail shot of the cable detail. (Click to embiggen):

Yarn: Faery Fiber Superwash Merino 2ply Fingering Weight in Mermaid

Yarn Supplier: Faery Fiber

Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm

Pattern: 'brainless' by Yarnissima (free Rav download)

Modifications: I lengthened these to use up more yardage, hiding the increases in the cables. (See the picture full size to really appreciate the cleverness there.)

Generally I am a big fan of stockinette socks for purse knitting, but given that I was mostly working on these on vacation I went with something just this side of more interesting since it had the cable running up the side. Pretty. I think I would like them even more in a yarn with less variegation though.

Sadly this particular yarn base was discontinued by Tammy's supplier, because I did really like working with it. It had good stitch definition, wasn't splitty, took the colors well, and was even machine washable. Her use of color is fantastic in general, and I am particularly fond of these colors. I actually had several days when I was working on these, in which I looked down only to discover that I matched my knitting.

Green for Irene

2011-08-29T10:26:00.000-04:00

I love New Englanders. Saturday we did a few common sense things to make sure our yard stuff didn't wander away in the wind from Tropical Storm Irene, and then I went off to get a massage and mani pedi.

Seriously, this ended up being one of my favorite methods of storm preparation. And look my nails are green to match my latest project.

My friend Ms. Rubbyducky and I made duct tape dress forms mostly using these instructions. Then we used iv stands for dress stands, as they are inexpensive, adjustable in height (though next time I would use loctite on the threads of the adjustment mechanism) and provide an easy rolling base.

So without further a do, blog, I would like you to meet Pansy. Pansy, this is the blog. Hopefully you will be seeing more of each other in the future.

Her name is Pansy after Pansy Parkinson, as she is green on the outside but silver duct underneath. Many thanks to Cintyber who helped with the naming. Now I just need to plan some more sewing projects!

cotton socks for Salvbard

2011-08-26T23:04:00.001-04:00

I have knit 2 pairs of socks from Cascade Fixation before, the sienna socks and red socks for my housemate. Having finally gained a little bit of confidence about working with this yarn, I was more receptive when Salvbard started hinting that he would really like a pair of cotton socks.

So I let him dig around in the stash, and he surprised me a bit by picking these colors. It is so funny to thing that this is the same man who I was so nervous about whether he would wear the crazy man socks when they turned out to be a little more colorful than originally thought.

Pattern: Lovelyarns Toe-Up Socks by Elinor Gray

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Fixation

Yarn Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns

Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm

Modifications: Not a whole lot, as I really like this pattern! Given that this yarn is both stretchy and slightly larger in gauge than fingering, I knit these in the largest size (a woman's large) which worked well for a man. Then I added a bunch of calf shaping, since Salvbard does have some *ahem* shapely calves.

These were my major project while we were in Europe (as seen previously), once the airlines finally got us our luggage. And the combination of the gauge, length and mindlessness of the stockinette was really welcome as excellent travel knitting.

Forest socks

2011-08-24T11:37:00.000-04:00

We have been safely home from Europe for a few weeks, but I have been taking the time to recenter a bit. I have some things I made on the trip or saw while we were there, but first I wanted to make sure I talked about the project I finished right before we left.

The thing that made me realize that I had never talked about the FG socks is that I had started a second pair for him. I finished them just a few days before we got on the plane to Europe, although I was running around so crazy packing at that point that I didn't get pictures taken then. I have now though as I had a very obliging and tolerant model to help.

Pattern: Foxglove Master Pattern by Cat Bordhi

Pattern Source: New Pathways for Socks

Yarn: ONline Supersocke 6-ply in color 21463

Needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm

Since the last pair I made for him were cuff down, I wanted to see how well toe-up would be. For some people it seems like cuff-down ones just plain fit better, but given how big FG's feet are I really wanted to be able to maximize my yardage if possible.

As with last time, I am simply bemused by just how big this man't feet are. I have to say that making them in 6-ply made them a lot faster though. The legs seem to slouch a little more than I would like, but otherwise a 64 stitch sock seemed just about perfect in sports weight (as opposed to an 80 stitch sock in fingering).

I had to laugh that these socks make his wife think of leprechauns. This yarn was souvenir yarn from a trip to Quebec with Salvbard a few years back. (edit: Ha! Apparently I blogged about the shop we picked it up at when we visited in August 2007!) The colors remind me of deep forests, all different shades of green with touches of brown and light spots.

Knitting in Switzerland

2011-07-26T05:49:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the blog silence. Salvbard, Chiquita and I have been on a European adventure.

You can see me happily knitting away here in a photo taken in Basel, Switzerland two days ago. We had just gotten our luggage returned to us the night before (it was briefly lost by the airlines), and I was very happy to be reunited with my knitting! I was nervous about having a nearly done pair of socks getting confiscated by an overenthusiastic airport security worker, so I had put it in my checked luggage.

(Note that these socks are blue for July in Project Spectrum.)

Frost Giant Socks

2011-07-06T12:12:00.000-04:00

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was making a second pair of socks for my housemate, whom we will affectionately refer to as the Frost Giant. These socks were actually knit more than a year ago (?!) in June 2010, but I hadn't blogged the for lack of a photoshoot. Normally I would just take a photoshoot on my sock blockers if the recipient (or someone with equivalent sized feet) is not available. Unfortunately that isn't an option with FG's US men size 14-15 size feet!

Yarn: Regia Stretch Color in color 84

Yarn Source: Somerville Yarn Swap
Needles: US 1 - 2.25 mm

Pattern: 84 sts, 2X2 rib, heel-stitch heel flap and wedge toe

There are few things less intrinsically awe inspiring than an unworn sock picture, so let's show you a picture with one of my socks for scale.

Aww, my sock looks so wee and cute. Clearly I love FG very much. Seriously an 84 stitch sock?

Anklewarmers

2011-06-26T06:08:00.001-04:00

Project Spectrum does a great job of getting me to look at my yarn stash with fresh eyes. This was a skein from Mind's Eye Yarn's sock club way back in Aug '08. At the time, Lucy said it was inspired by Black Eyed Susans and Daisies.

Yarn: Mind's Eye Yarns Merino/Tencel

Yarn Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns

Needles: US 1 - 2.25 mm

Pattern: 72sts, 9” cuff, 2X2 rib for leg and down instep, heel-stitch heel flap

I got a special request for "toe-less socks to keep my ankles warm" from one of my best friend's mom. After a few more inquiries I figured out what basically looking for. They should have about an 8" cuff (these have 9" un-stretched but should be about 8" when worn), and should stop mid-foot. I ribbed them down the foot to allow for variations in ankle shape and foot width. She lives several hours away so I couldn't just stop by to take a look for myself. I hope they fit!

I wasn't thrilled with how these pooled across 72 stitches, as it is a bit busy for someone not used to hand knit socks from hand dyed yarn. So the next step is sadly to over-dye them slightly. So they will still keep the variation from this colorway, but the differences will be toned down some. To the dye-bath!

Thick Camo Socks

2011-06-24T06:12:00.002-04:00

Hey it has been officially summer for a few days, where are the pictures to kick of the Summer of Socks?

There we go, much better. These were a quick knit given the large gauge (for socks). I had been thinking about making these into socks since I designed my sister that pair of Seven of Hearts for my sister (almost 4 years ago!), but Project Spectrum was a great push to get me to actually make them.

Yarn: Art Yarns Supermerino in color 131

Yarn Supplier: Little Knits

Needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm

Pattern: Riverbed Master Pattern

Pattern Source: New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One by Cat Bordhi

This is the second time I have knit this master pattern. The first time was for my Cancer socks. I have to say that I am really taken with this variation of a toe-up standard heel flap sock. Next time though perhaps I should try another of the clever architectures Cat Bordhi has in this book. There are so many great ones to choose from.

Are those socks?

2011-06-23T16:19:00.004-04:00

For just over a year I have had the pleasure of having one of my oldest friends live with us. He has many endearing qualities, but the man has freakishly large feet. And I just started a pair of socks for him. These are his second pair actually Hmm I don't seem to have blogged the first pair. I should fix that later. Anyways, clearly I love him lots.

The pocket knife in this picture, included for scale, is 4" / 10cm long when folded. Yup, these are big socks.

I was recently asked what I was making, and I replied that I was knitting another pair of men's size 15 socks for my housemate. "Oh," came the reply "I wasn't sure if you were knitting hats two at a time." I admit that cracked me up. They really do have approximately the circumference of a baby's head.

bag + stitch def

2011-06-21T23:11:00.001-04:00

We have had 1 week of our CSA farm share now, and whenever we go to pick up our share with our giant cache of reusable bags I find myself wishing more of them were the string mesh kind so as to not let the leafy greens sit wet. But hey I could totally make that right?

Pattern: Willow Bag

Pattern Source: Crochet So Fine: Exquisite Designs with Fine Yarns by Kristin Omdahl

Yarn: Valley Yarns Valley Cotton 10/2

Supplier: WEBS

Hook: 3.0 mm

I have to say that I love a bunch of patterns in this book, but this pattern is the one that cinched the deal for me buying it. Plus this was a great chance to use a bunch more of the coned lace weight cotton in my stash.

There does not seem to be a good way to photograph a whole crocheted mesh bag, especially when it is empty, but I was particularly taken by the stitch pattern used in the body of the bag.

Modifications: I used a lighter weight yarn than recommended and ended up with a slightly smaller bag, which I think is better sized for groceries anyways. Having started it both in this yarn and the recommended dk weight, I can say that it seems to just be the pattern that makes the center medallion seem slightly ruffly. It all works out once the bag comes together though.

I used a different color yarn for the top band and handles. Those were actually done in a really interesting variation of Tunisian crochet (although it was called something else). And I added an extra row of single crochet around the outside of the bag and the inside of the handle loops, which lessened the curl a bit. The stream-pressing recommended by the pattern is still necessary though.

Final consensus: pretty design, easy pattern to memorize, and fun to crochet. Plus now I have a great bag for farm share pick up, the grocery store, or even for my beach things.

If Anyone Were To Ask Us What Our Favorite Color Is

2011-06-09T13:04:00.001-04:00

Anyone know where the post title comes from?

Green is the Project Spectrum color for June, and that is one color that I do not have a shortage of. Apparently my love for green is not a subtle thing. Deep emeralds and bright greens are preferred, but there is also a fair bit of springy and teal-y greens as well.

Also towards the end of this month is the start of Summer of Socks. Hmm more sock knitting plotting must be done...

Red Gauge Square

2011-05-23T23:50:00.002-04:00

It seems that all of a sudden there are a ton of babies on the way among my friends. It is funny how those sorts of things go in waves. So I have been working on a baby sweater in red, in honor of Project Spectrum, and since red is a fantastic gender neutral color.

Look I did a gauge swatch and everything!

Fortunately I am fairly well along on this project, but I am still a bit dubious about whether I will able to eke out the finish before the end of the month. Any one feel like taking odds?

Project Spectrum - May 2011

2011-05-21T21:46:00.000-04:00

I didn't manage to post early in the month, but I was really excited when Lolly announced Project Spectrum 5. I have found it really inspiring every year that I have participated. May is all about the color red, so I did a quick rummage through the stash and found a bunch of red to work with.

I wish that it looked like I was going to get through more of that pile, but I am so happy with my other major project this month, which coincidently is themed in red and black. Two of the people closest to me in my life are getting married in a week. So many details, so little time, but so much love to them both.

Darn it!

2011-05-07T21:04:00.000-04:00

So I mentioned the pair of resoleable socks that I had made with the yarn that was also made into the last pair of leftover socks. I had thought the idea of socks that were completely resoleable was fantastic, a new way of having handknit socks a little longer. And then after only a few wearings, I noticed this:

Apparently the universe was laughing at me. But I did darn it as best I could this week.

Not perfect, but hey, either way this rescues it from the mending bag which it has been resting... for a few years.

Don't they look cute together?

More Leftover Socks?

2011-05-03T10:55:00.000-04:00

Some might notice that the last few pairs of socks have been knit from leftovers. This pair is no exception. I recently reorganized my sock yarn bin, only to discover that it actually closes well these days. Progress! So my next goal is to get the bag of leftover sock yarn to fit well in that bin too. And fewer sock leftovers is one way to make that happen.

Yarn: Wisdom Yarns Marathon Socks-Boston (discont'd) & Jawoll Solid Superwash
Needles: US 1 / 2.5mm

I also used this sock yarn combination for a pair of resole-able socks. (More discussion on those later.) If you read the last two posts, I am sure you won't be surprised by the sock recipe: toe-up, figure 8 cast-on, short row heel. We have been getting to the end of the semester, so I have not have had much brain for anything more complicated.

Ribby Socks

2011-04-30T07:29:00.000-04:00

When I was poking around in my scrap sock yarn bag, I rediscovered a fair amount of leftover Lisa Souza Sock! It had been a gift from my HSPS2 pal, way back in 2007. I had used this yarn in my Ribby Vest, which is still one of my favorite items that I have made.

So these are more socks made from my bag of leftovers, but I had enough to make a reasonable length pair even without doing the toes and heels in a contrasting color. And by working toe-up I could use every last yard of the yarn I had.

Yarn: Lisa Souza Sock! in Emerald City
Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm
Pattern: toes up, figure 8 cast-on, short row heel

Actually these socks became a conversation piece on my commute home one day when I was finishing them. A woman came up to me, asking if she could look closer at the (sewn) bind-off I was working on. She had noticed me on the shuttle to the T-station, but had never seen anyone bind-off without just using the two knitting needles. So we stood on the train platform, demonstrating and discussing the relative merits of different cast-offs until my train came and we went our separate ways.

12 Year Old Socks

2011-04-20T10:03:00.000-04:00

As of this weekend Chiquita is officially 12 years old. Crazy! She had a few friends over, and we all played Apples to Apples and ate Oreo ice cream cake. She got a few commercial gifts, but I also included a pair of anklets.

Main Yarn: Zitron Trekking (XXL) in color 78
Yarn Suppliers: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 1/ 2.5 mm
Pattern: 64 sts toe-up, figure-8 cast on, short row heel

The Trekking was leftover from the pair of Zombie socks I knit as part of March Madness a few years back. The heels, toes and cuffs were Jawoll Solid Superwash leftovers from a few projects over the years (Mer-tinis, Grey Stripey Socks and a pair of knee highs).

Happy birthday, baby girl. Enjoy your last year before teenage-hood. I know you are in a hurry to be grown-up, but enjoy twelve as much as you can first.

Rhythm

2011-04-18T21:55:00.000-04:00

I stopped by Mind's Eye Yarns on Friday and got a chance to catch up with the incomparable Lucy. It has been ages since I had a chance to stop in while she was working, and having lots of life going on makes for little blogging.

While I was there I noticed that there was some Jojoland Rhythm in her clearance basket, and sure enough she confirmed the sad truth that she is no longer going to be carrying it. Sad! Apparently not everyone loved this yarn as much as me, but I did take home several skeins which I immediately cast on.

It is sort of like a Trekking XXL-type yarn in a worsted weight. Love those gradual color shifts! It has many of the joys of knitting with handspun (which I also have not been doing enough of) and has been moving very quickly despite quite a full long weekend. Plus since it is not sock yarn on US 1s/2.5 mm needles, it feels like it is flying towards completion.

Shetland Lace Shrug

2011-04-12T22:19:00.005-04:00

Continuing with the trend of knitting sock yarn, I finished a cute shrug that is perfect for the amazingly temperate weather we have been having in New England. I finished it weeks ago, but due to an absurd amount of day-to-day crazy I have not had time to document the FO. And apparently I look terribly serious, but actually this was a very fun knit.

Pattern: Shetland Shorty by Gudrun Johnston
Size: XS
Pattern Source: Knitty Summer '08
Yarn: Mind's Eye Yarns Merino/Tencel
Yarn Source: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US Size 4 & 5 / 3.5 & 3.75 mm
Mods: ties made according to size small directions

I was worried that I would run out of yarn since the extra small calls for 490 yards, and the Mind's Eye Yarns Merino/Tencel claims that it is only 400 yards per skein. Otherwise I might have opted to knit the small instead of the extra small. I suspect the put-up may be fairly conservative though, since I finished the shrug with the ties made in the next size up with yarn to spare.

The yarn choice was perfect for this design. The stitch has a lot of texture to it, and the shine of the tencel in it really highlights. Lucy's near solids are great for busier patterns like this. It has enough variation in it to have just a little bit of visual interest, without striking you as being variegated at all.

I love this sort of layering piece, but for some reason have not knit that many. I might have to watch out though, Chiquita keeps making pointed noises that she really likes how it came out as well.

Red Socks

2011-03-28T20:50:00.001-04:00

No, not that sort of Red Socks. These are just red socks.

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Fixation Solid in color 3794 (aka red)
Yarn Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm

These are just basic top down socks with a heel flap heel and a wedge toe. Due to sheer laziness I took the numbers from Thuja, but then just knit them in stockinette instead of seed stitch rib. While these may not be terribly exciting technique-wise, I was very happy to be knitting another pair of socks for this particularly recipient. (Wow was that really nearly 2 years ago? Sorry love, you were severely overdue for another pair!)

I had discovered the last time I knit socks from Cascade Fixation that the key for me is to use a much larger needle than seems reasonable. Due to the elastic and huge difference in linear density when this yarn is under tension, the final fabric just comes out a lot more reasonable and it is much nicer to knit that way.

I am not sure why, but I seem to be on a bit of a sock jag. You might want to be prepared for more sock-knitting (and knitting from sock-yarn) in the near future.

Happy Pi Day!

2011-03-14T23:21:00.000-04:00

Happy Pi Day everyone!

Grey Stripey Socks

2011-03-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

Salvbard has been very patient, but I recently realized that it had been ages since he got a pair of socks. He is a great sock-recipient though and wears them often, so I am always happy to knit him another pair. I love him so much, I don't even gripe much as his preference for boring colors. (Hey so they are a bit more fun and stripey, they are still grey right?)

MC Yarn: Regia Banner Color in 5455
Yarn Supplier: Carodan Farm Wool Shop
Toe & Heel Yarn: Jawoll Solid Superwash in 82.0124
Yarn Supplier: The Knitting Room (now closed)
Needles: US 2/2.75 mm and US 1/2.25 mm
Pattern: 72sts, top-down, modified german heel & wedge toe

I have to admit the man has some terribly shapely calves. Through a bit of trial and error, I have found that he generally likes the fit of a mostly ribbed sock, particularly if the top of the leg is done up a sized needle which accommodates his calf better. Here I used a US size 2 for the leg and then switched to a US size 1 for the foot. Given the relatively small diameter of his ankle compared to his calf though, I think next time I would only do the top few inches with the larger needle. Using a smaller needle for the bottom ribbing gives a firmer fabric that stands up a bit better (though his omnipresent boots keep these from slouching there during the day).

The heel is a variation on the German heel found in the Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. I did it across just 36 stitches, instead of adding 4 stitches from the instep to either side. I have been curious to try different heel shapes for him, as he really likes the Black Man-Socks with the Dutch heel from the same source. Some may remember that he liked those socks so much I had to replace the toes due to wear a while ago.

Crocus Yarn

2011-03-07T16:28:00.000-05:00

We aren't quite to crocus season yet, though I did notice that with the snow melted from my yard, the hyacinths and daffodils are just starting to poke up through the soil. Despite that, I am totally ready!

Having the spinning wheel in the living room has been fantastic. I broke out some fiber that I had received in the Somerville Yarn Swap. (And yes, I have been dipping a lot into the old stash recently.) Total between the four colors, I have 235 grams of superwash wool. The colors are a little more accurate in the above picture.

This is the first skein that I have plied so far from what I have. Given that I have found my singles have been tending more to the fine side, I went with something a little different and made a 3-ply. I wasn't sure if it would muddy the colors too much, but I have to say that at least pre-knit-up the yarn maintains that feeling of mixed crocus colors well. Neat!

Winter Tomato

2011-03-03T16:49:00.006-05:00

Is there anything sadder than grocery store winter tomatoes? Particularly with the cold, dark days I have been thinking longingly of produce not yet in season.

I have also been fairly enamored with the idea of making knitted food toys for my nieces recently. I have no idea where this urge came from, but it is fairly pernicious. Adding to my daydreams of fresh produce, I finally got around to starting to make some toy food.

Pattern: tomato by Hansi Singh
Pattern Source: Amigurumi Knits
Yarn: Lion Brand Woolease in Rancho Red & Caron Simply Soft in Dk. Sage (both discontinued colors)
Needles: US 6/4.0 mm

I bought this book last year after falling in love with most of the contents (except the lantern fish, ugg!), but this is the first thing I have actually made from it. The construction is a bit different than I think I would design, but they are quite clear. I was so excited after having finished this that I immediately cast-on another project from this book.

Bubblegum Socks II

2011-02-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

With only 46 grams left after the first pair of Bubble Gum socks, I set off to make another pair of anklets, this time toe-up in order to use every last bit. (Since the yarn is not superwash, none of it can really go in the mitered blanket, which needs its own update post soon.)

Pattern: Toe-up Socks by Spacekitty
Needles: US 1.5
Yarn: Knit Picks Memories in Hawaii (discontinued)
Yarn Supplier: Somerville Yarn Swap

Modifications: used a picot hem bind-off

Since my yarn was not quite as heavy as the Cascade Fixation that the pattern was written with, I went with a size large so that I could be working across 60 stitches total. It has been ages since I did a short-row heel, but to my surprise I really enjoyed doing these. Spacekitty's instructions make for a very tidy heel, while not being terribly fussy.

These were a little bit shorter than the first pair, especially given that I went with the picot edge. Chiquita loves them though, as she has a thing for anklets. Honestly the idea of wool anklets seems a bit like an oxymoron to me, but she seems quite pleased.

Bouncing Bunny

2011-02-26T23:10:00.001-05:00

This morning we had a visitor to the yard. The little guy was fairly shy at first, hiding next to the compost bin. You could just see his ears peaking up.

Then he got a little braver.

Or perhaps his curiosity just got the better of him.

Fortunately Salvbard was up to doing another photo-shoot, like the one that he did for the amigurumi penguin. And before you knew it, the bunny was ready to strike a pose.

Pattern: Rabbit by Susan B. Anderson
Yarn: some random aran-weight coned rug wool from my stash
Needles: US 6s/4.0 mm

I was somewhat randomly inspired to make a rabbit yesterday. I was looking for something rabbit-themed in honor of the somewhat belated Chinese New Year, and stumbled upon this pattern. The funny thing, was that I had just been listening to back episodes of the Double Knit Podcast, which had mentioned this pattern as well.

The thing that amused me most about this pattern, is that there is an option to make the body with a tennis ball inside. I had read in a few comments on Ravelry that they still don't bounce terribly well, but I still felt like this would make the world's best dog toy. (Don't get me wrong, it would also be really cute as a baby shower gift, but fur-babies need love too.)

Bubble Gum Socks

2011-02-25T21:31:00.000-05:00

All I have wanted to knit recently are boring stockinette socks. So I dug around in the stash until I found some self-patterning sock yarn and started knitting. I hadn't even finished the ribbing before Chiquita announced that she thought these socks should be for her. Given the brightness of the colors (lime green, pink, turquoise and teal), I had to agree that they were more her colors than anyone else's. The colors make me think of the sickly sweet bubblegum we used to like as kids.

Pattern: top-down basic socks (60 sts)
Needles: US 1.5/2.5 mm
Yarn: Knit Picks Memories in Hawaii (discontinued)
Yarn Supplier: Somerville Yarn Swap

This yarn has been discontinued for ages. In fact I think it might have even been already discontinued when I got it at the yarn swap years ago. It is actually very nice to work with and produces a nice soft, thick fabric. Unfortunately it is not machine washable though, but Chiquita takes care of her own hand-knits well. So they should be fine for her.

Sunny Skies Handspun

2011-02-04T17:24:00.001-05:00

Here at casa de omly, I have been trying to get back into a bit of spinning. To that end, I moved the spinning wheel to the living room, which has been great. It also meant that it was time to post an old finished spinning project.

This was some fabulous drum carded merino from Mind's Eye Yarns. Since I am always a little surprised by how the roving goes to finished yarn, I even remembered to take a "before" picture for contrast. Isn't it pretty?

I wasn't sure how the little bits of yellow would work out in the finished yarn, but I don't think it worked out poorly. (Click the picture to see it more up close.) The colors make me think of sunny skies, something we have not had nearly enough of recently in the Boston area.

Yardage: ~360 yards
WPI: 11 wraps per inch (DK weight)

The 3 finished skeins are super lofty. It is lovely and soft, but it is the sort of yarn that I wouldn't use for anything that would get a lot of wear. They might make a nice scarf though. Any recommendations of scarf patterns that are fabulous for handspun out there?

Snow and Knee Highs

2011-01-29T13:51:00.002-05:00

If nothing else, Boston is certainly experiencing a real winter this year. 60.3"/153cm of snow so far this year, and we are likely to get more today. On average Boston only gets 41"/104cm of snow total. Good thing I just finished up a new pair of knee highs to keep my legs warm. Here they are in use:

When I made my Molly Weasley socks I discovered that by using a contrast yarn for heels and toes I can just eke out a pair of knee highs. So armed with this knowledge and some more experience customizing knitting patterns to my own specifications, I started another pair of knee highs.

Main Yarn: Rio De La Plata Yarns Sock Multicolor
Yarn Supplier: Webs
Contrast Yarn: Lang Yarns Jawoll Solid Superwash
Yarn Supplier: Knitting Treasures in Plymouth, MA
Needles: US 1/2.25mm

The pattern for these is just improvised, but these are my best fitting knee-highs I have made so far. I gave them a little extra length so that they wouldn't get tugged down as easily when I walk, and the calf shaping is more personalized than I have done before. Final result: they fit great, and they really do stay up well! It was totally worth the extra time they took, and there is nothing like a pair of hand-knit knee highs as an additional layer to keep you warm.

A Tale of Two Hats

2011-01-27T21:19:00.005-05:00

I wanted to make some hats for two of my brothers, and after digging around for a bit discovered just under 300 yards of Wool-ease. A boy-friendly color and easy care? Perfect!

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids in cranberry
Pattern: improvised ribbed hat (it isn't rocket science)

I know Salvbard prefers a folded brim hat to keep his ears warm, and given the recent weather that seemed a particularly good idea. This was a great stashbuster, and I am happy to announced that Ravelry says there is just one more partial skein of this yarn in my stash! Of course it is in an obnoxiously bright red...

Chiquita's Arisia Costume

2011-01-25T08:53:00.000-05:00

Chiquita has really gotten into costuming in the last few years. This year she had a really specific vision of what she wanted in her head, but I let her know that she would have to do most of the sewing if she wanted it to happen. She is up for the challenge though.

There were a lot of firsts for her. This year we learned about staystitch, ease-stitch, and fusible interfacing. (And was fairly distressed by the smell when ironed.) She installed zippers too!

Pattern: Simplicity 4246 (A & C)
Size: Child 14

Modifications:
We already had a couple yards of green stretch crushed velvet that she wanted to use, so we used that rather than a woven fabric. Also Chiquita decided that she would rather have a zipper in the back of the bodice than putting in buttons and button holes. This meant that she had to adapt the pattern slightly. And since she couldn't find a zipper the right length, she learned how to shorten a zipper and use whip stitch as a zipper stay at the bottom.

This was also Chiquita's first experience working with chiffon. After only a few minutes she announced "I hate chiffon!"Don't we all, little one, don't we all. Besides the chiffon, the stretch crushed velvet also proved quite challenging. So I am so proud of her work!

Pirate Skirt

2011-01-23T17:34:00.000-05:00

This year I really wanted to make something to wear to Arisia. I had been thinking about different designs, but after some shopping around realized I wanted something with a handkerchief hemline. Fortunately a friend sent me a link to the instructions for a handkerchief skirt she had followed for a dance costume she made. Perfect!

So next came fabric selection. The corset I wanted to wear with this skirt has black satin panels, so in an effort to match materials I knew I waned a satin of some type, though I was worried that it would have too much drape and would just lie flat against my body. After poking around at JoAnn Fabrics though, we came across some satin taffeta.

I had never worked with it before, but it was exactly what I was looking for. It had the silky shiny-ness of satin, but with a little more body and stiffness. Perhaps even a bit too much stiffness once the turned hems were put in, but throwing the finished skirt in the washer and dryer fixed that. Plus it came in very wide bolts (58"/147cm!), which allowed for a longer skirt.

The instructions at the link above were pretty good, although after following them exactly the first time, I found I had to have both layers face up and with the top layer on the bottom rather than how it suggests. I also just used 0.75"/2cm wide elastic, mostly because I already had some in the house.

I did not use the table of circle radius to hip circumference measurements, instead opting to do my own math, but it seems to be correct. It does not account for the fact that your circle will gain about another inch/2.5 cm to the radius (and thus correspondingly more to the circumference) after making the waist band. So if you are on the fence between two measurements, you can fairly safely go down to the slightly smaller one and it should still fit over your hips.

I would remind anyone making this skirt however, that you probably want to sew the elastic into a loop so that it sits high enough. I found that I preferred to sew the elastic to a circumference just smaller than my natural waist, otherwise the elastic would stretch slightly during wear and sit just on the top of my hips.

Over all verdict, fairly simple but really cute. I think I will end up making other variations of this skirt in different materials and lengths.

Wedding Shawl In Use

2010-11-01T23:38:00.004-04:00

Hi blog, remember me? I am sorry I disappeared like that. Mostly it was the buildup to the wedding reception I suppose that took me away for so long.

But now that is done, and I am more or less recovered. So I am going to make an effort to be back here again regularly. Promise.

Blue Bunny

2010-08-23T17:20:00.002-04:00

With more of the leftovers from the Betty Lou Lace cardigan I made this really adorable little guy.

Pattern: Knitted Bunny by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer
Yarn: Rowan 4 Ply Cotton in color 129, Aegean
Yarn Supplier: Wild and Wooly in Lexington, MA
Needles: US 2 / 2.75 mm

Modification: Cast on 45 sts instead of 35. Ears done in stockinette and picked up and knit directly

The best thing about this pattern is that it can be done with literally any yarn at all as long as the needles are changed accordingly and/or with any number of stitches, as long as it produces a square. The results will just make a differently sized bunny. Super adorable!

Garter Stitch Shawl

2010-08-17T09:45:00.000-04:00

Well then. Huh, July? Not so much. Salvbard was in China for 3 weeks out of it, and between that and getting ready for his next trip to China, I am afraid I haven't had much time to sit and craft never mind blog about it. I have been thinking about it a fair bit though and have a few post topics lines up to share.

First off the only thing I knit in July:

Ok yes, it isn't super complicated, but it was the perfect mindless project for stressful days. The result is over 1300 yards (1200 meters) of fingering weight in garter stitch, which makes for a fabulous shawl to help cut the chill of over air conditioned buses and businesses.

Pattern: Hera Mountain Ridge Shawl by Thea Eschliman (free pattern)
Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Alpaca Sox & Crazy4Dyeing SlenderSock
Yarn Suppliers: Webs and Crazy4Dyeing
Needles: US 3 / 3.25 mm

This was a great stash buster, and the pattern would work in nearly any weight yarn due to its construction. In the suggested yarn weight and amounts this is a generously sized shawl, though again due to its construction you could easily make it smaller if you preferred.

I hadn't worked with the Alpaca Sox yarn before, but I really hesitated to make it into a pair of socks despite the name. Knowing the lack of memory that alpaca has, it seems like it would make very hot, very slouchy socks. In the shawl it is a bit fuzzier than I might like, but it makes a wonderfully warm, cozy fabric.

Just a brief note about the beautiful location for the pictures here. Salvbard and I took Chiquita out for an adventure in western Massachusetts. Obviously we had to stop into Northampton, but we also took some time to stop and visit the Quabbin. If you are not familiar with its history, it was a really interesting project in terms of the scale of the effort that was required to build it in response to Boston's growing water demands.

Red Cabled Baby Hat

2010-06-29T13:52:00.004-04:00

Red can be a super challenging color to photograph (thank you new housemate!), but I love it for baby boys even more than the "traditional" blue. And this yarn is just right for the little boy in Texas it is intended for. It is made from a 50-50 blend of cotton and soy fiber, which was a new yarn for me. It is very soft and comes in great colors, from brights to softer tones.

Pattern: Cabled Baby Hat by Melanie Hoffman
Size: 0-3 months
Yarn: Queensland Collection Bebe Cotsoy
Yarn Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 8 / 5.0 mm

Modifications: I shortened ribbing by half and then completely made up my own decreases so that they would look more in pattern than the original. This was a free pattern, which can be accessed on the designer's blog (pattern linked directly, above) and is also available as a free Ravelry download.

Just a reminder! My birthday giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight EST. So if you would like to enter, comment on that post.

Birthday Giveaway '10

2010-06-22T22:52:00.000-04:00

It is that time again: time for my birthday giveaway. I love that my birthday giveaway has become a minor tradition. For my last 3 birthdays (2007, 2008, 2009), I have been happy to celebrate by doing a giveaway on my blog. And this year is no exception to that trend.

This year to participate, leave a comment on this post with your favorite birthday meal. If you could pick anything, what would you want? Make sure I have a way of getting back to you if you win! This year, our 3 winners will respectively receive a double pointed needle case from Baguettes by BBL, a skein of Calzino Color sock yarn in colorway 0366 (yes, poetic I know), and the lastest issue of Crochet! (the July 2010 edition). You have until the end of the month, Eastern Standard Time to join in.

Flower Headband

2010-06-19T10:49:00.002-04:00

I am always on the lookout for fun projects to make with the little bit of leftover yarn from a project.

Flower Pattern: Crochet Picot Flower by Julie Armstrong Holetz
Yarn: Rowan 4 Ply Cotton in color 129, Aegean
Yarn Supplier: Wild and Wooly in Lexington, MA
Needles: US 2 / 2.75 mm
Hook: 3.0 mm

In this case, I had some fingering weight cotton left over from the Betty Lou lace cardigan, so I made a cute little flowered headband. It is super simple, just a 3 stitch i-cord and little crocheted flower sewn on.

Betty Lou Lace Cardigan

2010-06-17T09:16:00.000-04:00

This summer the birthdays of my two nieces are coming up, to-be ages 1 and 3 respectively. So I wanted to have something handknit for the youngest, since has tended to get a lot of hand-me-downs from her sister. I wanted to make something just for her.

Pattern: Betty Lou Lace Cardigan by Kristen Rengren
Pattern Source: Vintage Baby Knits
Size: 12-18 months
Yarn: Rowan 4 Ply Cotton in color 129, Aegean
Yarn Supplier: Wild and Wooly in Lexington, MA
Needles: US 2 / 2.75 mm
Modification: omitted pom poms, made tie on the left

The original pattern had pom poms on the ends of the ties, which are absolutely adorable. I just couldn't convince myself that they would hold up well in cotton with frequent machine washing, so I skipped them.

I have been wanting to make something from this book from the moment I started seeing it reviewed on-line. Seriously, it is full of amazingly cute patterns for both girls and boys, but then I have always had a fondness for vintage patterns. And this book makes it super easy, since everything has already been translated into modern knitting terminology and needle sizes.

I adore this pattern, but it seems to run big. The sleeves are meant to be about 3/4 length based on the pictures on the model, which seems about right when looking at the stretchiness of the cuff, the lengths and circumferences. Due to the tied-closed construction though, you could use it on a younger child and let them grow into it. This last point is really excellent, because although I made the 12-18 month size and the gauge is correct, it could almost fit my older niece!

Spiral Scrubbies

2010-06-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

I have never really gotten into the whole washcloth craze. I know there are lots of people who get really into it, though. Recently I stumbled across these on XandraAnneww's Ravelry queue and got really excited. I love the idea of theses as an ultimately-compostable cleaning tool.

Pattern: Spiral Scrubbie by Judith Prindle
(free pattern, also with video instructions)
Yarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream Ombres & Prints
Yarn Supplier: Windsor Button
Hook: J / 6.0 mm

Theses are really clever and surprisingly addictive to make. It is probably a good thing I don't have that much kitchen cotton in my stash, or I might not make anything else for a while.

Stripey Sweater

2010-06-13T09:01:00.004-04:00

Salvbard has been traveling a lot more often to China for business. During a recent trip, he called me very excited as one of his Chinese coworkers' wives there was expecting a son. Could I make something? Sure, I love making baby stuff. I am always at a bit of a loss of what to make for baby boys, though. After flipping through a couple of baby pattern books on the shelf though, I had a plan.

Pattern: Nautical/Matelot Jacket by Lesley Stanfield
Pattern Source: Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers
Hook: D / 3.25 mm
Yarn: a bunch of stash leftover fingering weight
Button Supplier: Windsor Button
Modification: stripes in different colors, hdc rather than sc

I absentmindedly changed the whole sweater to half double crochets rather than single crochets when converting from British abbreviations to the American ones. I really liked the finished fabric though, which is not as stiff as it would have been in the sc. (I believe the pattern described it as "sturdy.") Since the hdc is taller, that meant a little extra math to make sure that the deccreases happened at the right frequency.

I really like the concept of this sweater, but the proportions are really, really weird. After it was done, I looked up the measurements for different sizes, and the chest circumference is really huge, while the widest point of the sleeve is a little smaller than I would like in something like crochet which is less stretchy. Also the pattern has you seam the sleeves so that the cuff must be rolled up. This is fine (though I wish I had realized for the selection of color sequence), but it never tells you how long the finished-folded-back sleeve should be nor how long the cuff should be. Annoying! Fortunately the Craft Yarn Council of America has that information online here.

The pattern calls for this pattern to be a simple, classic two-color affair. For whatever reason the idea of doing it in all different colors sort of tickled my fancy though. Plus it makes it a great use for all those little bits of leftover sock yarn that you might not have enough to do much else with. The result was a lot more fun than it had any right to be.

Also the buttons on this sweater make me absurdly happy. I couldn't find 5 that matched that I liked for this sweater in the giant box of buttons at Windsor Button, but I like the whimsy of all different ones.

Final verdict: cute concept, but I would go with different proportions next time.

Mitered Baby Hat

2010-05-25T16:06:00.000-04:00

This was another hat from the Hat Madness challenge. The major technique people seemed to be employing were to focus on super bulky hats, often crocheted for greater speed. Sometimes I just have to be contrary though, and this is case it expressed itself in a hat knit in sock yarn with 22 ends due to the 10 mitered squares around the edge.

Pattern: Jewel by Sockpixie (free)
Yarn: Patons Kroy sock yarn
Needles: US Size 3s / 3.25 mm

Modifications: I worked the body of the hat in just one yarn since I feared that any more of the bright yellow, misleadingly named 'mellow yellow', might burn out parental and pediatric retinas. Also I worked the deceases differently, mostly out of absentmindedness, since it made sense to me that since there were 10 miters that there would be 10 sets of decreases... I was wrong, but it looks ok. (Please do not mind the wear bump on the left side of the hat in this picture. Apparently I had tugged at it or something before the picture, and didn't notice it looked weird.)

Errata: If you cast on 16 sts for the first miter, and then each subsequent miter had you knit 20 sts miters that would be weird. Take your pick of 16 or 18, but I think you will be happier with just picking one. Given the hat body is done with 90 sts total, I recommend you use 18 per miter.

I have been really wanting to make this pattern since Julie of Knitpickin' made one
Seriously, how awesome is this pattern? AND it is free. AND it is a great way to use leftover bits of sock yarn. That is all win, people. I will definately be making this pattern again.

Two Fleecy Brim Hats

2010-05-24T16:03:00.000-04:00

Wow, so years ago now, the Boston Yarn Party group on Ravelry had a yarn swap in Somerville. It was loads of fun and was a great idea. One of the yarns that I took home in decent quantity was several colors of Knit One Crochet Too Fleece. Have any of you heard of this yarn? I hadn't, but it is very fleecy and nice in the skein. After a failed attempt and knitting with it, I found that it makes a much nicer fabric when crocheted.

Then, one of my Ravelry groups had a hat challenge, to make as many hats as possible in 24 hours. (So you will see the results over the next little while.) Here are two made from the fleecy yarn I got from the Somerville yarn swap.

After the first one, Chiquita announced she one just like it, but slightly bigger and in blue instead. Done!

Pattern: Beanie Brim Cap by Hannah Levine (a free Rav download)
Yarn: Knit One Crochet Too Fleece
Hook: 6.0 mm (J)

The pink version, I crocheted as directed. Given the fact I have some tension issues, this one turned out a bit smaller than the average adult head. Even on me (who has a small head), it was pretty snug. So when Chiquita requested a blue one that was bigger, I just did an extra set of increase rounds before working straight. Also the brim of the pink one was worked with no 2dcs in the brim, while the blue one does.

Super cute pattern! The pattern is really good, and the pattern sheet itself even looks really professional. The only minor complaint I had was that I would have liked a suggestion about where to put the 2dcs in the brim beyond 'to shape to your preference' (not a direct quote). The nice thing about crochet is that it really is that it is really easy to play around with different shaping options for something like this though. If I were to make this again, I might chose a less textured yarn to see the seam details better.

Silk Garden Sweater

2010-05-19T08:34:00.002-04:00

Knit from the top down, I took advantage to use every last yard of this yarn that I had (6 skeins, 816 yards). This yarn had been sitting in my stash since about 2006 (I found the postmark with the yarn). Then it only took a week exactly to finish, since the Noro is a lot of fun to knit. And now the sweater has actually been finished since March. Apparently the knitting is the short step in this process.

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Lite in colorway 2023
Fiber Content: 45% Silk, 45% Mohair, 10% Wool
Yarn supplier: Carodan Farm Wool Shop
Needles: US 4 - 3.5 mm
Pattern: Margot by Linden Heflin
Size: XS with modifications

Modifications: (You knew there would be some right?)

In order to maximize matching, I set aside two balls that clearly had well matched color repeats. I knit the yoke, and then worked the sleeves so that I could fudge the color sequence best with the rest of the yarn if I needed to. Then once that was done, I knit the body. For the whole sweater I made sure that whenever I added a new ball that I chose an end that would blend color-wise so there would not be a hard transition.

I know I used a different number of increases in the yoke, but I just kept trying it on until it was as big as I wanted it. Similarly, I added a lot more waist shaping than the original pattern, changed the length of the waist section, and added slightly more more increases for the hips than there were decreases for the waist. Slightly less ease on the bust is after all more flattering than on the hips. Also sleeves were lengthened and given some shaping after the elbow.

The beauty of this sort of knitting is you can try it on as you go and customize for your body. The result? One of the most wearable sweaters I have knit.

Gore Place

2010-05-06T09:55:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we did not head off to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival unlike many of my knit blogger friends. The weekend before that though, Salvbard and I spent some time together wandering around the Sheep Shearing Festival at Gore Place.

Salvbard took lots of cute animal pictures for me. There were alpacas:

And baby lambs:

So cute!

And tiny baby goats:

We avoided any stash enhancement, although I had been thinking of picking up some locks to play with spinning. I was super happy to see Lucy of Minds Eye yarns (and associated etsy store). It has been far too long! I was hoping to pick up the latest Vogue Knitting Magazine. I guess the fact that they had run out is just a good excuse to stop by and visit sometime soon.

Day 6: Revisit a past F/O

2010-05-01T23:55:00.001-04:00

Bring the fortune and life of a past finished project up to the present. Document the current state and use of an object you have knitted or crocheted…

I have actually been doing this for a bit in my recap series, looking at how socks in particular that I have made have held up. The pair for today though hasn't worn any holes yet though. They are the sienna socks I made last summer. Unfortunatley they were too long in the foot, so they hadn't gotten much wear.

This picture shows one sock with the toe ripped back and re-knit and the other marked to where I needed to rip back to. They fit a lot better now, which hopefully means they will get worn more often.

Cascade fixation is a funny yarn because of just how much it stretches. Normally I knit with only a tiny amount of negative ease lengthwise (if any), but this is the second pair I have made to the length that I would have with a wool yarn, only to find them too long. Apparently I just need to take more negative ease into account with this yarn. Between that knowledge and the fact that I am happiest knitting it on a significantly larger than expected needle size I think I am ready to tackle another pair of socks in this yarn (which is good since I have a bit of it stashed).

Day 5: Location, Location, Location

2010-04-30T11:46:00.003-04:00

Knitting is my on the go project generally. Although I knit a little bit at home (mostly in the corner of the L-shaped couch), most of my knitting is done during commuting time. Crochet is just as likely to be done at home or out and about, and just about everything else is just done at home on the couch or desk.

This picture is used under a Creative Common Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 license.

I spend a lot of time knitting on the buses and subways of the MBTA. And though I don't take pictures of other subway crafters like the Subway Knitter, I do keep an eye out for them. I see a lot of socks and small projects in Boston, which are generally my preference too as they are easy to pull from my purse and shove back in when I need to. Larger projects tend to stay at home on the couch.

Day 4: A New Skill

2010-04-29T07:43:00.003-04:00

I hope you will forgive the fact that this is neither a knitting nor a crochet, but hey at Omly Crafts we aren't so picky about just doing those two types of crafting. Plus this topic looks really fun. The latest skill I have been interested in acquiring is learning how to make nuno (cloth) zori (or zouri).

There is a neat series by the eco-samurai learning to make them on her blog, though you can see a pdf of full instructions here by someone else. Zenrinkan also made a good tutorial blog for making these.

These would be a great alternative to my Fibertrend clogs I wear all winter but for the summer! And it is like recycling but for fabric. Even if you didn't have anything at home to make these out of, a thrift store could be a great source of fabric.

Day 3: One Great Knitter

2010-04-28T23:54:00.000-04:00

My knitterly pick for this prompt is Amy of Stash Knit Repeat. Some of you may be familiar with her Fit to Flatter series she is doing. (Seriously even if you don't make any kind of adult garments ever, this is worth a read if you are female and at least occasionally wear clothes.)

She is (very) local to me, though we have not met. (I have met her friend Diana, though I knew of Diana first. I randomly met her on a bus when we were both knitting and we exchanged blog info.) I adore both her sense of color and style. Plus, for those of you who are littles-inclined, Amy has two of the most adorable kids on the planet.

She is both an excellent knitter as well as blogger, which makes her lots of fun to read. Some blogs I read because of a sense of community, while others are more for entertainment. Amy not only has a beautiful blog, but her notes on what she has knit are often super helpful. Sometimes they are actually compelling enough all on their own that I might consider something I might not otherwise because of her notes and modification section alone.

Day 2: An Inspirational Pattern

2010-04-27T23:57:00.001-04:00

When it comes to knitting that I aspire to there is no question as to what the topic would be for me: Latvian knitting.

I haven't done a whole lot of colorwork knitting. So far, I have no fairisle finished projects, although all my Slytherin bag has been missing for years now is technically the lining. And the poi gloves I made weren't fairisle, but rather a sort of an adhoc intasia.

A while back my mom got me both a copy of Latvian Mittens: Traditional Designs & Techniques and Latvian Dreams: Knitting Patterns from Weaving Charts to encourage my knitting interest in our heritage. I would really love to make several pairs of mittens, although to date I have only finished one wee baby mitten.

That is right, not even a proper pair. (Sorry sis!)

If I was to be completely honest, I might admit to the fact that I think some of the patterns in Latvian Dreams really are just that to me. The scale just puts them out of reach for me though. Geez, I can't even manage a second baby mitten...

Day 1: Starting Out

2010-04-26T16:10:00.005-04:00

I know, I know it has been ages since I posted. I have been crafting, but it has been crazy with Salvbard in China and then catching up with things around the house. (By the way, there are some really beautiful pictures of his last trip to be found there.) But I will be participating in Knit and Crochet Blog Week organized by Eskimimi Knits as a partial apology, and then I have lots of crafting stuff to share after that. Promise!

Day 1 : Starting Out
How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting? was it a skill passed down through generations of your family, or something you learned from Knitting For Dummies? What or who made you pick up the needles/hook for the first time? Was it the celebrity knitting ‘trend’ or your great aunt Hilda?

I learned to knit when I was just starting graduate school. I wanted to have a hobby to keep my hands busy since I was entering a period of such stress. I just taught myself with a combination of a copy of Stitch 'n Bitch by Debbie Stoller and Knitting Help (mostly the latter). For a long time my knit stitches were twisted until a lovely lady at The Wool Basket helped me to figure out what I was doing "wrong".

It turns out that knitting in grad school was a really fabulous thing for me in general. My thesis topic, which was selected by my adviser later, was fairly abstract and having a tangible hobby as an outlet kept my sanity sometimes. Plus, I quickly learned to knit without looking (a parlor trick I use regularly still) which was a really great way to help all the journal reading I had to do. In fact knitting, like meditation, can help induce a state of alpha brainwave activity which helps with the retention of new information!

About 2-3 years later, I decided to relearn how to crochet. I had learned the very basics from a neighbor who would let me come over for "art lessons" on Sundays as a child, but I didn't really get the idea. There was something wrong with where I was making the new stitches in the starting chain or fabric... But something clicked the first time I took a class (at the now sadly closed Knitting Room in East Arlington) on crochet. Apparently I did have some muscle memory of it after all.

Tomorrow's topic: An Inspirational Pattern

Hot Chili Pepper socks

2010-04-07T23:42:00.001-04:00

Periodically I feel like I should try to knit socks with some sort of pattern on them rather than just stockinette ones. But with the slight variegation in this yarn, I didn't want anything too busy either.

Pattern: Charade by Sandra Park (free Ravelry download)
Yarn: Hello Yarn Sock in "hot peppers"
Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm

Modifications: Um, I don't think I made any, but then again I sort of didn't look at the pattern again after getting the stitch pattern started on the leg. (I used a slip stitch heel and wedge toe, continuing with the patterning from the leg on the top of the foot. All of which I am pretty sure were in the original.)

The herring bone rib stitch pattern is a smidgen fiddly because of how the yarnover sits under the stitch that was passed over, but other than that this pattern moved surprisingly quickly.

FO: My Wedding Shawl

2010-03-27T23:40:00.000-04:00

All done blocking! On to the finished photos:

Pattern: Peacock Feathers Shawl by Dorothy Siemens
Yarn: JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18
Yarn Supplier: Lakeside Fibers in Madison, WI
Needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm

Can I just say how much I love this yarn? Well as I mentioned previously, this yarn is amazing to the touch. And the color is pretty fabulous as well. As beautiful as the shawl I knit for my sister's wedding is in white, the green is way more "me".

Normally I tend to need to go up a needle size or three, since I am a fairly tight knitter. Given the fact that I about 5'3" (160 cm), though, I really did not need a shawl with an 84" (214 cm) wingspan! So I actually (gasp!) went down a needle size. Seriously people, this is unheard of for me. Yet, this shawl is still quite generously sized.

I am really impressed by this pattern. It was really well written and easy to follow, especially given the complexity of the pattern. After only a short time I could see if the row I was working on was lining up correctly or not, which prevented the need to rip out long rows to fix mistakes. By the end, there was just under five hundred stitches per row, so that was greatly appreciated!

I guess now, I just need to figure out all of the other wedding details...

Peacock Shawl - Preblocking

2010-03-24T23:50:00.000-04:00

The shawl has been done since last week, before I packed up for NYC for the weekend. Here it is unblocked, but you can still see a lot of the patterning thanks to a little bit of flash.

Finding a good time to block it however has been harder than it sounds. It is finishing drying now, and hopefully I will have final pictures soon.

Manly Grey Socks - Fixed

2010-03-19T20:52:00.000-04:00

Back in January 2007 I finished a pair of manly grey socks for Salvbard out of some Trekking XXL. This was my earlier attempts at socks, which were mostly focused on making them toe-up to make them as long as possible. This led to a problem though once Salvbard finally developed a hole on them this fall, however.

So the repair job on this pair was less than perfect. I found some other grey yarn in my spare sock yarn bag that was good enough for something that was just going to be hidden in a boot anyways.

Due to the location of the replacement I ended up ripping out the whole toe and then knitting it in the reverse direction than it had been done in originally, as a wedge toe.

Still, these socks took an amazing 20 months of use before developing a hole! And this is a pair that he loves and wears all the time. They have some felting along the bottom, but they look in great shape other than the toe that needed replacing. Trekking XXL gets two thumbs up for both pleasure of knitting and for excellent wear.

Green Handspun

2010-03-17T20:23:00.002-04:00

Happy Evacuation day! Well ok, if you are not in the Boston area, you are probably celebrating St. Patrick's day. And in the spirit of the latter it seems a good time to share my latest handspun, actually finished up during the Olympics, but now soaked and twisted into finished hanks.

I started with this lovely 4 oz braid of superwash roving from Mind's Eye Yarns, which I am pretty sure I bought 2 years ago at a Gore Place Sheapshearing Festival.

I spun most of the singles during the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. They are a bit finer than I usually do and could have possibly used a higher twist. It gave a nice lofty final product though.

The three final skeins add up to 299 yards of a DK weight yarn. This yarn is lovely and soft. I would like to think I will make something for myself out of it. (Perhaps the yoke of a sweater?) I seem to have a poor record for actually knitting most of my handspun though. Got any great recommendations of patterns to inspire me to get this on the needles?

Shawl Body - Done!

2010-03-15T16:20:00.001-04:00

When last we heard from out shawl-knitting heroine, she had just passed the 1/3 mark of her shawl. Well as of late last night, the body of the shawl is finished, which means there is just the edging and the bind-off left to do. Huzzah!

Yup, lace knitting still does not look like anything special.

Since this takes me through row 224 of 250, a little basic geometry tells us that I have finished 80.28% of the shawl. Yes that means a fifth of all the knitting in the shawl is just in the edging. I guess there is nothing for it though, except to get back to work.

Happy Pi Day!

2010-03-14T22:21:00.002-04:00

Happy Pi Day, everyone! (Get it? It is 3.14, today.)

Here at Casa de Omly we celebrated with a tasty pumpkin pie. Hope your Pi Day was great too if you celebrated. (Also happy birthday Albert Einstein!)

shrug It's Vintage

2010-03-08T18:23:00.003-05:00

Many moons ago I decided to make a shrug for my housemate for when she was in the office. Having finished it is one of the few things that could make me smile about standing outside while it snowed on me without a coat.

And the back:

Pattern: Beacon Hill Shawl (free vintage pattern)
Yarn: Lion Brand Microspun
Needles: US 2 / 2.75 mm & US 4 / 3.5 mm

Modifications: I lengthened the sleeves to be wrist length, and omitted the crocheted edging. Lengthening the sleeves meant I seemed a little more than the recommended 6" above the ribbing.

Also I am not terribly clever and for the first few inches missed the fact that there was supposed to be in garter stitch at the edges of the lace section. So instead I did it in stockinette, which I actually really liked. Especially in the Microspun it gave a lovely soft rolled edge (which also meant omitting sewing down the edge as a collar as suggested) and beautiful seam on the inside of the arm (can be seen in the first photo). Given the generosity of the width of the lace panel, you do not miss the stitches "lost" to the curled edge.

I was a little nervous about doing the lace in a non-animal fiber yarn (eek, no blocking), but it was a must given a wool allergy. This yarn makes an amazing fabric, though, with good drape, and the pattern, which is rib-like, makes a fabric with surprising memory even in something so drapey. My only complaint is that the yarn is just twisted together rather than plied, which occasionally made it annoying to work with.

Easter Egg Sweater

2010-03-03T10:45:00.002-05:00

When the Knitting Room was closing I had picked up 2 single skeins of Cotton Fleece in the colors CW-840 Lime Light and CW-240 Pink-a-boo to make my niece a sweater. Well these days she is almost to the point where together that was just enough yarn to do so, before she got any bigger. Besides green and pink will make a great sweater for Easter, right?

Pattern: Children's Hooded Tunic #232 by Diane Soucy
Size: 2-4
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece
Yarn Supplier: the Knitting Room in Arlington (now closed)
Needles: US 7 / 4.5 mm & US 8 / 5.0 mm

This is a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern, which I have been very pleased with in the past in terms of simple and clear instructions. I had a slight advantage on this pattern though anyways, as I have knit it once before in a different size.

I knit it using similar modifications as last time to knit the sleeves after the yoke by using a crocheted provisional cast on. Also, as I was running low on yarn, I omitted the hood in favor of a free-form collar in garter stitch.

A Third of a Shawl

2010-03-01T21:37:00.001-05:00

It got quiet around here with the end of February kicking my butt, but there is still stuff going on. Yesterday I finished the first third of my shawl. Like all unblocked lace, it doesn't look like much.

Despite all the stitch markers making this look fairly complicated, it is moving along well now that I have another copy of the pattern.

Oh wait, did I mention that? Seems not. Well after Arisia, my copy of the pattern went missing. I waited over a month before deciding I had to replace it, which meant ordering another hardcopy from Canada (the only source). It eventually arrived, despite the pokey-ness of the Canadian post. Of course then over this weekend a friend announced that she had had it at her house since then and just hadn't thought to mention it. Gah!

Mini Jayne Hat Ornament

2010-02-22T23:51:00.000-05:00

You would think I would be tired of this idea after both the adult sized and baby sized Jayne hats I have made in the past. But apparently not!

For Christmas I had this idea for a little Jayne hat ornament. I know I had seen one on Ravelry, but there was no pattern to be found. I figured if I was going to work out a pattern, I might as well write it out while I was at it. And so I present the Mini Jayne Hat Ornament.

Materials:
I made mine with Vanna's Choice Solids & Heathers (a worsted weight yarn) in brick, terracotta and mustard, but you could use whatever size yarn you liked as long as you chose an appropriate size needle since exact gauge is unimportant.

Cast on 24 sts with orange.
Join, careful not to join.
*K1P1* around for 2 rounds.
Knit in stockinette for 4 rounds.
Break orange yarn and join yellow.
Knit in stockinette for 2 rounds.
*K2 k2tog* around. Knit 1 round even.
*K1 k2tog* around. Knit 1 round even.
*K2tog* around. Break yarn and draw through

Ear Flap (do twice):
Pick up 6 sts from inside of cast on edge.
Knit 6 rows of stockinette.
ssk k2 ktog
p1 row
ssk k2tog
break yarn and draw through last 2 sts
Do not sew in end. Then add 2 additional lengths of yarn in the same place to make a tassel.

Note: You want the second ear flap to be about 6 sts after the first one you do.

Make and attach a tiny tiny pompom and weave in all ends. Then I strung it up with another piece of string so that it could be hung on a tree if desired.

Jayne Hat

2010-02-21T23:51:00.000-05:00

One of the WIPs that was high on my priority list for the Ravelympics was the Jayne hat I was working on. Once it got really cold this, went into rotation even without having the finishing touches done. This was great motivation to make sure the flaps and pom pom actually got completed.

Pattern: My Jayne Hat by Erika Barcott (free Rav download) of Redshirt Knitting
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solids in brick, terracotta, and mustard
Needles: US 10½ / 6.5 mm

Modifications: I adapted a larger size by casting on 68 sts. This also meant that I needed to add 2 extra decrease rounds (k2tog around & knit around).

I remember reading about Erika making this and writing the pattern when she first posted about it on her blog. For a long time, it remained as one of those things that I just said I was going to make. It was a well written pattern though, with lots of thought about screen accuracy put into its write-up. I am really glad that I actually made it.

Quidditch Headband

2010-02-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

I know that I said I was trying to get things off the needles, but I did cast-on one quick project to wear as my Quidditch uniform for the House Cup. It had been a while since I had done any double knitting. There was a double knit Slytherin hat for a friend and podcaster, and my stained glass hat from way back in 2006 before that.

Headband Pattern: Double-Knit Headband by Nancy Lindberg
Colorwork Pattern: Pillbox Flowers by Deb Gemmell
Pattern Source: Knit Hats!
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in 801 (green)
& Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash in 09 (grey)
Yarn Suppliers: Woolcott & Co. (now closed) & Windsor Button
Needle: US 5 / 3.75 mm

Look, it's reversible!

This project is yet another from a pattern book that I have had for a while, but never knit from. It is actually a hybrid of two patterns from this book: Double-Knit Headband for the headband instructions and Pillbox Flowers for the design. I also added a few rows to the top and bottom of the band for a little additional width. Done over 84 sts in worsted weight, but on 5s gave a nice dense fabric still small enough for my little head.

I really like the instructions for the cast-on and bind-off that leave this project perfectly stretchy. Clever! The double knitting feels really slow though, as a more experienced (English) knitter, compared to regular knitting.

Winter Olympics 2010

2010-02-17T10:03:00.003-05:00

There is just something about the Winter Olympics that I just love. I have been watching with great interest on tv, but I was also pleased to see how much the knitting blog-o-sphere has been talking about it. There are so many blogs on my Bloglines that I have been delighted to see that have posted for the first time in ages to talk about it.

There are two major craft-alongs going on. There is of course the Yarn Harlot and her Knitting Olympics. And the Ravelympics over on Ravelry, with more types of events. Although I am not doing the Knitting Olympics this year, it does hold a special place in my heart. I participated in 2006, shortly before I started this blog, knitting my first pair of toe-up socks for Chiquita.

This year as I am trying to focus on stuff already on the needles, I am focusing on the WIP dancing events and possible some Aerial Unwind events over on the Ravelympics for Team Sexy Slytherins (Rav link). The HPKCHC (another Rav link) is counting Ravelympics participation as Quidditch, so there is some added motivation to finish things ups and earn some point for my house.

Dark Mark Socks

2010-02-14T18:04:00.000-05:00

Last year I met up with some of the lovely ladies of the HPKCHS (Ravelry group page) at Webs. So since we were going to meet up again last weekend, I wanted to have some of the last yarn I bought in the last trip to be on the needles. I had bought this yarn because of a passing mention of the fact that it was the colors of a cast Dark Mark. Who wouldn't want a pair of socks like that?

Yarn: Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy Socks in color 1556
Yarn Supplier: Webs
Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm
Pattern: 64 st cuff down standard socks

I had not heard of this yarn before when I bought it, and I haven't heard much about it in the year since. It is great though! Highly recommended. I was really taken by the long color stretches in the ball, but even more so I love the feel of this yarn knit up. It is super springy and soft. I would not have known it had any nylon content if I hadn't read the ball band.

Mermaid Bowl

2010-02-11T10:54:00.004-05:00

This year at Arisia, I did something that was a first for me. Every year I really try to get up to the Arisia Art Show and see all the incredible things the artists have created, but this year was particularly amazing. There was so many things that appealed to me. Also the Artist Guest of Honor was Sarah Clemens, whose paintings are really incredible. (Go look if you have never seen her work before.)

But back the to the thing that I had never done before. I bought something at the Art Show. No, it wasn't a painting. It was this:

The artist, Anna Borodovsky, does not appear to have a website, but there is a picture of her work in this blog post on her partner's blog. The stencil is very nice, but more so I really love how it harmonizes with the lines of the colors and texture of the swirl at the bottom. I am afraid I washed out the amazing depth of the cobalt blue in this picture in order to make sure that you could see it clearly in the photo.

Love! I am afraid I am a little too fond of this piece to let it go into circulation as dishware. Yes I know it could take it, but it gives me great joy every time I walk past my dresser and is useful for holding elastics and other assorted items that float around my dresser.

Convertible Mittens - Take Four?

2010-02-09T12:33:00.001-05:00

I was looking for the perfect pair of convertible mittens for my housemate. I thought I had found it in this pattern. It has the little fingerlets and flap exactly the way I wanted, but I started getting a little nervous when I started reading the comments on Ravelry.

Many people seemed to mention that even though they had large hands for a woman they had to knit the small size. "That is ok," I thought. "I will just downsize it a little, since these are for a woman with small hands."

After getting through the ribbing, thumb gusset, the thumb and started up the palm, I had to rip out not once but twice. Looking at the photo on the pattern rather than the finished projects on Ravelry, though I noticed something. See how weird and baggy the mitten looks at the beginning at the bottom of the hand after the wrist? Arg, that is exactly the problem I was having problems over coming.

So I thought it was time to break out the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns and rework the flap on my own from that beginning. Yet I still only managed to get something remotely acceptable on the fourth try, and despite all the same number of stitches, the second mitt is slightly larger in the palm area. Seriously what gives!

Whatever, I am just going with it at this point, since they are wearable. Ok, so now the mitt part is done. I just need to go back and add the flaps.

Blue Spiral Hat

2010-02-07T11:36:00.002-05:00

Chiquita requested a new hat for her walk to school, since it has been quite chilly here in the Boston area. Nothing too fancy, this was just to be something to keep her head warm.

Pattern: Hurricane Hat by Andrea Goutier of String in Motion
Yarn: Reynolds Odyssey in color 410
Yarn Supplier: The Wool Basket
Needles: US 7

Long term blog readers may remember this yarn from way back in 2006 when I made my sister a DNA cable hat. For some reason I don't hear a lot about this yarn, though it has been around for ages. Love this yarn! It is soft, interesting to knit, and comes in some great colors.

Iris in the snow

2010-01-27T23:22:00.002-05:00

A few years ago as a graduate student, I spent some time in Madison, WI one summer. The research I did there was really interesting, and I was surrounded by people doing stuff very similar to me. Despite all that though I was fairly lonely, and spent a far amount of time on gtalk with my friends and family, knitting away while I was on the line.

That is how I found Lakeside Fibers in my exploration of Madison, I had run out of stuff that I had brought and needed something new. These days I still have a few items in the stash from there, though they are slowly disappearing. So fast forward to the present, and I have one more FO from the yarn I had purchased there.

The colorway is called "Iris", and I could not resist it when I looked outside with all the snow. I feel like we have had more snow on the ground this year than the last few. Since I am anxious to do some planting this spring, I hope that trend doesn't continue too much.

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi in Iris
Yarn Supplier: Lakeside Fibers in Madison, Wisconsin
Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm

These are a pair of socklettes for Chiquita, who prefers short wool socks. Somehow that seems like an oxymoron in some way. Hey, it is super cold with lots of snow. I know what would be perfect, a really short pair of socks! But if it makes her happy, how can I say no? Especially when they are so quick to make.

The Mending Bag

2010-01-25T23:55:00.001-05:00

Like many crafty people I know, I have a mending pile. It is filled with items with small tears and rips, items to be be hemmed, and other assorted things that I am convinced that I could fix... That is if anything ever came out of the black hole which is that pile. You see, the mending bag is really where things go to die.

I did manage to hem a few pairs of pants after we moved, but then again the bag was immediately refilled with a few items from my housemate that I was sure we could save.

One of them was this wrap/hanging that had been left in a window and had been sun damaged. The full length of it had been damaged, though it was signifiantly worse in some areas.

Here you can see the extent of the damage. Side by side we have an undamaged section next to a sun bleached one. Nothing we couldn't solve with careful use of dye right? Fortunately I already had in the craft stash some RIT dye in cornflower blue that looked like it might work.

Well it took 6 months to finally get around to working on it, but now it is done. This was a good start to an attempt this year actually fixing the items that have gone to the mending basket instead of just letting them die. (Heh, the pun was unintentional.) I suppose that means I should go hem some more pants now...

Wedding Shawl Take 2

2010-01-21T11:01:00.007-05:00

About 2.5-3 years ago I shared with you all the journey of my sister's wedding shawl from cast-on to FO. Well now I am starting a new one, not for my sister (who is still happily married with two beautiful children), but for me.

This one will be in Zephyr like the other, but otherwise quite different. The Peacock Feather Shawl is triangular and has several different charts as you work through. And as I am not one for white, I am going with a deep emerald.

2009 in Review

2010-01-08T18:09:00.008-05:00

I have been trying to put together a New Years post (similar to my 2008 review) for several weeks now, and somehow it just hasn't happened. Part of that is that I have been busy getting ready for Arisia.

One of the things I wanted to talk about was a sort of "State of the Stash." This looks to be another stash diving year with having bought a house.

Plus I have been thinking a lot about how best to store my yarn in the new space. I like having my yarn where I can see it, and that means that using what I have makes that more possible. I am pretty happy with the contents of my stash though, and I feel it is full of stuff stuff that I am happy to use.
(Points of interest here are the 2 places where the yardage goes up only one of which was in 2009, both of which were trips to Webs. Also note the leveling out the past 2 months or so as I have been doing Arisia stuff instead of that much knitting.)

A brief pictorial review of some of the highlights:
So in 2009 I knit or crocheted:

3 sweaters
1 vest
14 baby items
7 pairs of socks
1 pair of mittens
1 scarf
7 hat
3 blankets
1 shawl
6 misc. items

Not a bad year all and all, even if it was not quite as productive as the prior year. I did not manage the ~1 mile per month average pace of last year, much of which had to do with the house hunting, moving, a particularly busy work schedule this semester and a larger volunteering role than I have taken previously. But it was a good year, and I am looking forward to the rest of 2010.

Crazy Man Socks - Fixed

2009-12-26T17:11:00.002-05:00

Many weeks ago I mentioned I had some darning to do, and I wanted to get back to recapping socks as I fixed them. This pair was Salvbard's Crazy Man Socks. These were socks that surprised me when I knit them because the rainbow quality wasn't what I expected from the on-line color sample. Not to fear though, the color really didn't keep Salvbard from wearing these in the end.

These lasted 20 months of hard boot use before developing a hole, so slightly longer than the black pair discussed previously. I am not sure if the difference was due to the yarns (roughly similar fiber other than these have 7% PBT, whatever that is), needles used (0s for these, 1s for the other), or just frequency of use (the black ones were slightly preferred). In any case, these held up really well.

The feet of these felted slightly after only a few wearings, but that only made them more warm and durable. All and all, I think Mega Boots Stretch sock yarn really does live up to its name. It does make great hard-wearing boot socks.

Wreath Ornaments

2009-12-23T12:55:00.002-05:00

Lately I have had ornament making on the brain, since I like to include ornaments on the tops of little gifts or in cards. One of the latest Stormtroopers 365 even had the troopers making ornaments. (If you haven't seen this project yet, it is super cute.)

This year I have been focusing on origami wreaths, altought I had hoped to do some felt mittens like those seen on Handmade Homeschool. Maybe next year.

The little wreaths are easy, especially if you have access to a paper guillotine, and are a great way to use up some of my 8"X8" scrap booking paper. One page makes exactly one wreath. Or two pages makes two wreaths if you alternate paper types.

These were a great project to do with Chiquita as well. Although she is often frustrated with origami, this was a project she really took to. The 3 wreaths seen here were made by me, but she spent hours making these in all different types of paper as gifts for friends, family and teachers. Each one is fairly simple but has beautiful results.

Comm Pad

2009-12-10T15:51:00.000-05:00

I need to play with my acrylic paint stash more. My housemate asked if I had any paint to do her comm pad for her Imperial Crew uniform. Obviously she had not taken a serious look at the size of the craft stash.

Plus she let me play with actually painting. I had a hard time finding a yellow I was happy with, but fortunately it is just paint. So I was able to just custom mix a color that was slightly better.

Elvin Bride Nearing Completion

2009-11-29T11:59:00.001-05:00

Sorry there has not been much blogging this month. I have been frantically knitting my Elvin Bride (of the green swatch) in hope fo finishing it by the end of the this month. Here is where I am as of this morning:

Almost done! Somehow this project didn't get it's fair share of WIP posts, perhaps because it doesn't go together in an intuitive way and doesn't look like much most of the time.

Tufts baby hat

2009-11-01T00:34:00.000-04:00

Along with the baby socks, I also made a matching baby hat:

Pattern: Baby Hat by Sandi Rosner
Pattern Source: Not Just Socks
Size: 6 months
Yarn: Mind's Eye Yarns Merino/Tencel
Yarn Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 2 / 2.75 mm

Modifications: skipped rolled stockinette edge and included a 2X2 rib at bottom of hat

Again, I do not like the rolled edge with ribbing,so I skipped it. The result is super cute though, and the garter rib is fabulous for hand dyed stripey yarn as it visually breaks up where exactly the color changes.

Tufts baby socks

2009-10-28T23:40:00.002-04:00

In addition to the 3 pairs of adult pairs of socks I made for Soctoberfest, I also finished this one pair of baby socks. These were super fast, cute, and at only ~80 yards of fingering weight, they are a great use for leftover bits of sock yarn.

Pattern: Booties by Sansi Rosner
Pattern Source: Not Just Socks
Size: 6 months
Yarn: Mind's Eye Yarns Merino/Tencel
Yarn Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 2 / 2.75mm

After I graduated, I asked Lucy if she could dye some sock yarn in the colors of Tufts University. The result has been sitting in my stash, waiting for just the right idea. The length of the color repeats looked just perfect for baby items.

So I took out my copy of Not Just Socks to check out the coordinating items for the baby sweater in there. (You may remember the smores sweater I made with that pattern.)

I made the same modification to these socks where I skipped the rolled edge, which I just can not bring myself to like if followed immediately by ribbing. Instead I jumped right into the garter ribbing. Besides the fact that these are really socks, not booties, I have no other real complaints about the pattern. They are cute and unisex. You could lean one way or another with color choice, but the pattern is just right either way.

Fall Socks

2009-10-26T22:01:00.000-04:00

The Fall 2004 Issue of Knitty is famous for a bunch of really great patterns such as Shedir and the Clapotis. This pattern has very seldom been knit in comparison (only 18 currently on Ravelry including this pair). They were the perfect solution to having just 170 yards of this gorgeous hand-dyed though.

Pattern: Lou Lou Comfort Socks by Amy Swenson
Pattern Source: Knitty Fall 04 Surprise
Yarn: Spunky Eclectic Super Sport in "I <3>

Modifications: I used a masterbed pathway heel because I found the short row heel too shallow and a then ribbed cuff with sewn bind-off rather than the picot edge. I think a picot edge is cute, but the version used in the instructions is not my favorite.

My housemate loves these colors but is allergic to wool and can't wear anything made from it, so I knit her a decorative mini sock with the leftovers. You can see the colors better in this one. They really are the colors of Fall in New England!

Pattern: Alpaca Sox Mini Socks by Classic Elite Yarns
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Modifications: cast-on 20 sts

Does this coound as 3 more socks for Soctober or just 2? Either way, I feel like I am making progress on the sock yarn stash.

Two Pair Down!

2009-10-23T21:36:00.003-04:00

Salvbard gets a fair number of my socks, and he is a good recipient in that he wears them all the time. So a few days ago when he came to me with two pairs with holes, I wasn't shocked. I was pleasantly surprised by just how much wear they got before they did wear out the toes. Fortunately I had a little yarn saved for each of these.

First up was the younger of the two pairs. After replacing the toe so that this pair could go back to live in the drawer.

This pair was made in April 2008 from souvenir yarn from Germany in April 2007. They are one of his favorite pairs, and get worn a lot, in boots no less. So these lasted 18 months despite quite frequent use, and they do not have seem to have significant wear anywhere else.

Leo-colored Socks

2009-10-21T23:35:00.002-04:00

More sock knitting has been happening, though mid-term preparations has been slowing down the blogging about them.

Yarn: Lana Grossa Meilenweit 50 Uni in color 1102
Yarn Supplier: The Knitting Kitten
Needles: US Size 1s/2.25 mm

Just plain old stockinette socks, but as we have established stockinette is good for stress. And self-striping yarn is good for stockinette socks, so this was perfect.

PoA Slytherin Scarf

2009-10-16T23:06:00.000-04:00

I have been sitting on this post for a month waiting to get better photos. I guess it is time to accept that that is just not going to happen.

After the move I needed a mindless project. And this was a project that I have wanted the finished product of for a long time, but it was too boring to knit normally. In this case, however, lots of stockinette in the round was just what the doctor ordered.

Pattern: Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban Scarf by Lauren Kent
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash (color 801)
and Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash (color 01)
Yarn Suppliers: Woolcoot & Co. and Windsor Button respectively
Needles: US 8 / 5.0 mm

This knit grew significantly just after soaking and laying flat. Although it was not stretched at all, during blocking it easily gained 8-12 inches in total length. Now it falls just past my knees. I don't have much to say about the pattern; it is simple but well written. And now I have a super warm scarf to get me through the Boston winter.

Locust Socks

2009-10-12T23:22:00.003-04:00

I hope that everyone in the US had a great Columbus day. Even if he just "discovered" an already populated continent, a school holiday is still welcome. It was a surprisingly beautiful day, with that perfect chill edge of autumn. And that meant good light to take new FO pictures.

Here we are 12 days into Socktober, and I haven't gotten around to mentioning it once! Well at the beginning of the month, I cast-on a pair of socks in honor of the celebration. These would not have taken so long if I wasn't working on another pair of socks as well.

Pattern: Yarrow Ribbed Socks
Pattern Source: Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Yarn Ahoy Superwash Handpainted Merino Sock
Needles: US 0 / 2.0 mm

Modifications: leg and foot done in stockinette with a wedge toe.

I started this pattern to try something new, but after doing the top ribbing I was unhappy with the way this variegated yarn looked in ribbing. I really wanted to try the german heel in this pattern though. It was fun to do, but not hugely different from a standard heel-flap. I would have done the french toe too, but I was just too tired to figure out how to convert it to 2 at a time magic loop whe I got that far.

This yarn was one I traded for on Ravelry for the huge leftover ball of yarn from my sister's wedding shawl. From that person I had the yarn name, but not the colorway, so I started doing some research. It is almost exactly like Yarn Ahoy's Sour Grapes colorway, but with brown instrad of purple. (Accidental over dyeing of purple with the neon green?) I have decided this version of the colorway makes me think of locusts, particularly like in this picture. (Obviously if you are bug-phobic don't click through.)

So are any of you celebrating Soctoberfest at all this year? I am hearing a lot less on the blog-o-sphere for whatever reason.

Little Red Sweater

2009-10-05T18:15:00.003-04:00

One of the challenges in the HPKCHC last month was to knit something that was made from at least 50% plant fiber. Looking around my stash (well virtually anyways in Ravelry), I noticed that I had 5 skeins of Cascade Pima Tencel that I had bought years ago to make a sleeveless top. Looking closely at the yardage though, I was sure I could get a small sweater out of it, especially if I was willing to have half or 3/4 length sleeves.

Pattern: 3-Hour Sweater
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Pima Tencel
Yarn Supplier: WEBS
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm & US 8 / 5.0

Modifications: You know there had to be a bunch, right? Especially since it was (loosely) based on a vintage 1930s pattern.

I cast on 134 stitches in the round, rather than the smaller suggested number and in pieces. I also used a smaller needle size than suggested because of the "paparazzi effect" many Ravelers had complained of when using size 10.5 needles.

I extended the bottom ribbing to for from the beginning of my hips to the start of my bust, then switched to stockinette just before starting the arm holes. I changed this to have a scoop neckline instead of the one suggested in the pattern. And rather than using a set-in sleeve, I adapted this to have a raglan shoulders by using a crocheted provisional cast-on for the sleeve stitches. This also allowed me to knit the sleeves last, making them as long as possible with the yarn amount I had.

The result is a very fitted sweater that I could try on all along the process to make sure it fit the way I wanted it too. It also, not surprisingly, took significantly longer than 3 hours to make. Totally worth the time though, it was still very fast!

My only complaint was that the yarn, which is lovely and soft, not to mention an amazing color, produced huge amounts of fuzzies that are now covering basically my entire house. My girlfriend who lives with us even found some in the shower one morning, even though the sweater had not ever been in that room. Washing it helped, and putting it in the dryer by itself helped even more. I still don't trust it enough to wash it with other things yet though.

Mitered Mittens

2009-10-03T23:50:00.000-04:00

I have been trying for the last year or so to knit more from my book stash. I have all these wonderful pattern books, and I really wanted to be using them. Additionally, I have been spinning again the last few months, which has motivated me to think about knitting my handspun.

So it was only natural that these two thoughts would collide. The result is a pair of super-fun mittens. This yarn was spun back in July, and was a single stand of handspun plied with a strand of silver sparkly sewing thread. It is always neat to watch how handspun will knit up , and the way the roving had two strands of differently colored pencil roving held together gives this a heathered look, similar to what it had been if I had plied two singles together.

Pattern: Mitered Mittens (May) by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Pattern Source: Knitter's Almanac
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Yarn: my handspun

Modifications: My mitered sections were only slightly larger 13 stitches each, because my handspun was finer but I have small hands. I did a shorter cuff because I was worried about running out of yarn in the same color sequence. Also I made a thumb gusset similar to the ones done by Kathryn Ivy. And finally I did a more rounded area by the fingers.

I was a little worried when I spun this yarn that the sparkle would be too garish, but it really just adds a little interest and fun. This pattern was great for really highlighting an interesting yarn, and I could see myself making it again.

NICU hats

2009-09-24T11:50:00.000-04:00

After my newest niece was born, she spent several days in the NICU due some health worries. The men and woman at Brigham and Women's Hospital were amazing, and after she stabilized she got to go home much sooner that most of the babies in there. My sister mentioned the idea of making them some thank you baskets (of her making) possibly with some hats for the babies there.

When Ms. S had her visit there, she was given a tiny ribbed hat like this pink one on Mr. Blue (the bear). This shape was great because it was very forgiving of different sized babies and could be rolled up as needed. This round of hats are on the large size, since they had very few that could fit a 7 lb baby. The small ones would fit a slightly smaller baby though.

These are super addictive to make since they go so quickly. And they are a great use for even scraps of nice acrylic. It is important that they be made of something that can be washed and dried on hot for the hospital's use. Most of these are in "boy" colors, but I can see myself making a bunch more in other colors.

Green Swatch

2009-09-23T23:41:00.004-04:00

Swatching before starting a project? Who is that, and what have they done with Omly?

I am seriously considering making Elfin Bride by Jennifer Stafford, but there is a lot of knitting done on the bias so not only stitch gauge, but also row gauge is important. (It is a really neat construction if you have a moment to flip through the gallery.)

Plus this is sort of like knitting from my book stash, which is always a good thing. How can it only be sort of? Well, the author includes pictures of this sweater in Domiknitrix, but they ran out of time in space to put the actual pattern in. So this pattern is available for download at the website (linked above) with a password from the book.

I has been quite a while since I finished knitting an adult sized sweater, yet I have a couple of sweater quantities of yarn in my stash. I would like to be finishing more than one a year until I run through the sweater-quantity stash.

Watercolor Hat

2009-09-17T23:40:00.004-04:00

Knitting with handspun is always an adventure. Sometimes you just have to accept the quirky, irregular nature of it, and this hat does a great job playing up the watercolor painting of this yarn, both in color and texture.

Pattern: Robin's Egg Blue Hat by Rachel Iufer
Needles: US 10½ / 6.5 mm
Yarn: my handspun
Button Suplier: Windsor Button

This is a super cute (and free!) pattern for bulky yarn. The seed stitch band (done flat through the rest of the hat is done in the round) is particularly good at mixing up variegated yarn. And it is a great chance to use huge, fun buttons.

Dyeing In the Ball?!

2009-09-14T23:49:00.003-04:00

I am pretty sure I originally spun this yarn in 2006, but I can't find any reference to it in my archives. It started off just as a white fleece, which I spun into a crazy thick and thin bulky two-ply. Then I tried to dye it with cake dye, but I didn't have a concentrated enough die bath and/or the wool was not fully wetted. The result was disappointingly pale areas of blue and pink on a white yarn.

Then I decided that I really wanted to knit this yarn, but I just didn't love the colors enough to do so. Solution? Overdye! (Sorry, I really wish I had a pre-over-dyeing picture. As I said, I thought I had blogged these before....)

I had been wanting to try this technique for dyeing a yarn directly in the ball, and this seemed like a good oppurtunity. It is not just an illusion of the photograph, the top of each of these really is a little greener and the bottom a little tealer. (Is tealer a word? I guess it is now.)

You will see this yarn again shortly as I have already cast on with it.

Peach Preserves

2009-09-09T21:09:00.001-04:00

I have started some really neat knitting projects (to be discussed in the upcoming days), but I have also been busy in the kitchen recently. Our new home has two lovely little peach trees. Unfortunately they have not been taken very good care of, but even so it was such a good year for peaches that we have gotten a fair amount of fruit.

Have you ever noticed how many people in the knitting community are also interested in things like canning?

I set to work and was able to put away a micro batch of peach preserves entirely from our peaches from our yard. Salvbard claims they taste even better because of where the fruit is from, but I will say they are pretty tasty either way. Plus the color is beautiful.

PS. Did everybody notice that today is 9/9/09? I had to aim to post this by 9:09 just because.

Wedding Afghan #2

2009-09-07T22:32:00.000-04:00

My brother and his new wife are successfully married. It was a beautiful ceremony, and I was happy to have been able to celebrate it with them. It also gave us the chance to give them the second wedding afghan. (The first you may remember went to another brother early this summer.)

Pattern: Cross Your Heart by Lesley Stanfield
Pattern Source: Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers
Yarn: Ella Rae Classic (18 skeins) and some Valley Yarns Greenwich
Hook: G / 4.00 mm

The original pattern is meant to be a baby blanket, but the pattern gives no yardage requirements or suggested size. Knowing I had more than 4000 yards of the Ella Rae in my stash though, I figured that would be fine.

The only problem was that the more I thought about it, the bigger I wanted this blanket to be. Both my brother and his new wife are generously sized people, and I wanted this to be big enough to be comfortable curling up together under. Ultimately it was big enough to quite comfortably cover a twin bed.

Unlike the example in the book, this was done mostly in just two colors: the grey and green Ella Rae. Then the edging around each block was done in a brighter blue that I had bought a cone of at Webs a while back. That gave it just a touch of interest without being overwhelming once the grey seams went on.

This was actually a fairly fun project. I memorized the heart motif fairly quickly. I am not sure how long these took since I just sort of did them on the fly whenever I had downtime. But I found that I could do 10-12 of the blue edgings in an hour once I had. So given the number of squares that meant I spent more than 16 hours just putting on the edgings.

The major downside to this pattern was the seaming. Since each square was only about 4"/10 cm there was a lot of seaming to do. Each of the seams going the short way took half an hour (so another 7.5 hours there), and I didn't dare time myself to see how long the long seams took each.

By the end of it, I was quite ready to be done. There was some extra excitement though, since I ran out of the grey yarn. I only used 8 skeins of each color on the squares, but I used a full 2 skeins on the seaming with not quite enough left to do the other edge in single crochet.

Modifications: I followed the instructions pretty much exactly. (Shocking I know!) The only exception was that I couldn't find the book among the boxes to see what the final edging was supposed to be, and I opted to do a half double crochet border in the green, while I did the seaming with the grey (in the recommended single crochet edging).

Final verdict? Cute pattern, which was fun to do. Ultimately it took way too long though, because I opted to make it huge. Good thing I love my family so much. I wouldn't mind using the heart motif in another project, but I would would love to do less seaming in whatever I did it in.

A different sort of heart problem

2009-09-03T21:50:00.002-04:00

Please excuse the crappy photo quality. This image was taken shortly before some ripping, and I didn't want to wait for better lighting.

Do you notice anything odd about the orientation of that center heart? Obviously I was too tired to be seaming when I put that one in. The good news is though that I am almost done, even given the ripping out. A FO post to come shortly, and none too soon as the recipients are getting marred this weekend!

Book Covers

2009-08-21T12:26:00.002-04:00

Today's post is not about my own creative efforts, but those of a friend I met through the Creative Mom Podcast group.

Ok so I spend a fair amount on the bus. Now of course a lot of that time is taken up by knitting, but I am also an avid reader. So I was really excited when I saw that Jessica of Ocean of Creativity was making fabric book covers.

I actually received these more than a year ago, but I kept waiting for her to post more in her Etsy store. I haven't seen her do so, but if you were interested I bet she could make some more if you contacted her.

I can't say that I am terribly skilled when it comes to sewing, but I absolutely loved the idea of these. Generally most of my books are library discards or donated library booksale finds. Good reading, but they aren't always in the best shape. So I contacted Jessica about the possibility of sending her some much loved fabric that I wasn't going to do anything with, and I have to say I am thrilled with the results.

She made me one one in a hardback and one in paperback size (I would say up to 350-400 pages, but I bet you could request one that accommodated a thicker paperback if you wanted). There is a ribbon at the top of the spine that you can use as a bookmark, and a loop of fabric that goes through a ribbon loop at the side to hold the book closed while it is in your bag.

I am a tactile person, and I have to say that my first impression is that these really have some thickness to them. They are fully lined and in the case of the hardcover it has an extra layer of interfacing that gives it some substance and added protection.

Which leads to me to my next question. It is the end of summer. I am doing a lot of chilling on the new couch reading since it has been too hot to knit much. What have you all been reading this summer? Anything you would recommend?

Omly Crafts

Monster Mash

Zombies!

Decorating for the Holidays

Another Baby Girl BSJ

Thankful Tree

Crafty Museum Social Buys

Mermaid socks

Green for Irene

cotton socks for Salvbard

Forest socks

Knitting in Switzerland

Frost Giant Socks

Anklewarmers

Thick Camo Socks

Are those socks?

bag + stitch def

If Anyone Were To Ask Us What Our Favorite Color Is

Red Gauge Square

Project Spectrum - May 2011

Darn it!

More Leftover Socks?

Ribby Socks

12 Year Old Socks

Rhythm

Shetland Lace Shrug

Red Socks

Happy Pi Day!

Grey Stripey Socks

Crocus Yarn

Winter Tomato

Bubblegum Socks II

Bouncing Bunny

Bubble Gum Socks

Sunny Skies Handspun

Snow and Knee Highs

A Tale of Two Hats

Chiquita's Arisia Costume

Pirate Skirt

Wedding Shawl In Use

Blue Bunny

Garter Stitch Shawl

Red Cabled Baby Hat

Birthday Giveaway '10

Flower Headband

Betty Lou Lace Cardigan

Spiral Scrubbies

Stripey Sweater

Mitered Baby Hat

Two Fleecy Brim Hats

Silk Garden Sweater

Gore Place

Day 6: Revisit a past F/O

Day 5: Location, Location, Location

Day 4: A New Skill

Day 3: One Great Knitter

Day 2: An Inspirational Pattern

Day 1: Starting Out

Hot Chili Pepper socks

FO: My Wedding Shawl

Peacock Shawl - Preblocking

Manly Grey Socks - Fixed

Green Handspun

Shawl Body - Done!

Happy Pi Day!

*shrug* It's Vintage

Easter Egg Sweater

A Third of a Shawl

Mini Jayne Hat Ornament

Jayne Hat

Quidditch Headband

Winter Olympics 2010

Dark Mark Socks

Mermaid Bowl

Convertible Mittens - Take Four?

Blue Spiral Hat

Iris in the snow

The Mending Bag

Wedding Shawl Take 2

2009 in Review

shrug It's Vintage