A blog about my life, knitting, and other stuff.

December 29, 2011

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

We say it a lot but it's true. Sometimes the look on the model's face is all the commentary a design needs.


"Moooooooommmmm, can I go back inside now?"


"When you are not looking I will eat your favorite shoes."


"I want a divorce."

December 27, 2011

198 Yds. of Heaven




Pattern: 198 Yds. of Heaven by Christy Verity
Yarn: Cascade Eco Duo, 1 skein
Needles: US8 Addi Turbos
Notes: Knit as written. It's quite petite but can be worn as a neckerchief when pinned. The yarn is delicious but a bear to rip out.

December 22, 2011

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

Sometimes a designer thinks a pattern needs that little something to make it special, to help it stand out from the crowd.



The one thing I'll say for this pattern is it certainly stands out.

Now I'm off for a double feature of Idle Hands and Evil Dead II to work out my strategy for when those hands become sentient and start killing people.

December 20, 2011

It Was Supposed to Be a Hat



Pattern: Improvised
Yarn: Universal Dolce Merino, 1 skein
Needles: US5 Addi Turbos
Notes: This is a FAIL that ended up cute in spite of itself. I started this at a movie, intending to make a hat to donate to charity. I knit the bottom garter band and joined in the round and knit up. At some point I realized that it was HUGE. Far too big to be a hat. I decided it would be a cowl. Then ran out of yarn on the top garter band (which was inexplicably at an enormously different gauge despite using the same needles. I put a small recycled glass button on the bottom band and I think it’s actually pretty cute.

Vogue Winter Preview

It's up. Other than a few nice accessories it looks overflowing with ponchos, capelets and blankets with armholes. Your thoughts?

December 18, 2011

Still Elusive

Three years later and that squirrel still just out of reach.


December 15, 2011

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

When I saw these photos I thought they were an entry into last year's Regretsy Skant contest.
 Alas, they are not.

 

December 14, 2011

As These Things Happen

I have been using my Wool Peddler's Shawl a lot recently. I keep it in my car and put it in my lap if I'm cool while I'm driving or bring it with me if I'm going somewhere I think I will be chilly. This weekend I was very happy to have it since I went for a walk and it was a lot colder than I was expecting. I had it wrapped around my neck and shoulders keeping me quite warm. Then it started to rain and I pulled it up over my head and stayed warm and dry until I got where I was going.

This has lead me to realize that I want some more big, worsted-weight shawls. I looked through my Ravlery queue and found Olatz. I received the pattern as a gift back in January from knittybarb on Ravlery. It would be lovely in the Fleece Artist Blue Faced Leicester Aran I got at the November retreat. I needed a size 8 circular needle. I went to my needle case and had none. Hmmm. Where could it have been? I searched my hibernating projects on Ravelry and found that I had started 198 Yards of Heaven last December as a gift but changed my mind about it for some reason. I never ripped it out so it was still on the needles. I searched and searched and eventually found it. Hmmm. It wasn't so bad. The Cascade Eco Duo is pretty nice. Hmmm...



Olatz? What Olatz?

December 13, 2011

Carnaby



Pattern: Carnaby by Nikol Lohr
Yarn: Tahki Yarns Designer Homespun Tweed
Needles: US6 Addi Turbos
Notes: I cast on 90 stitches and worked my short rows at 80, 70, 60, etc. I was worried it would be too short but it's probably a bit too long on me now.
I'm still struggling with how to wear it, what shoes, tops, etc. But I thought I'd give it a try today and see.

December 11, 2011

Slouchy Copy Cat Hat





Pattern: Slouchy Copy Cat Hat by Terra Jamieson
Yarn: Lana Grossa Evento
Needles: US7 Addi Lace
Notes: A small gift for my hairdresser. I thought she would want something simple but trendy. This is a nice, free pattern. I love the way it came out.

December 10, 2011

Simplest Mitts




Pattern: Improvised but I'm sure there are hundreds like this on Ravelry
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Verde Adriana and Paris Night
Needles: US7 Addi Turbos
Notes: I was wearing my Prairie Mitts at the shop last weekend and a customer said I should write up the pattern and teach a class on it. I don't know if I'll do that but I did think these would be great, fast holiday gifts so I whipped up two pairs in the last few days. I kept them short because I was working with leftovers and only had about 40-45 grams of each color. They are just garter stitch with a basic buttonhole for the thumb. If I had been a more diligent knitter I would have gotten out Knitter's Almanac and done a proper One Row Buttonhole.

December 9, 2011

Eight Years!

Holy cow, I started this blog EIGHT years ago. How is that possible? I want to thank you all for coming by and reading my thoughts, my rantings and general weirdness all these years. It means so much to be a part of this online world of knitters.

December 8, 2011

Embracing Her Thursday Side

Designer Deborah Newton discusses the reaction to her design, Hat With Wings.

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

Hello there.



What? You're quite muffled. I can't hear you.




Oh, you're trapped? Don't worry, I'll send for help.

December 4, 2011

To Photo or Not to Photo

I finished Carnaby over a week ago but haven't taken any photos yet. I can't decide how to "style" it yet. I bought tights in two colors. I don't feel like I have the right shoes/boots for it. There's nothing to be done for the footwear though. I have really wide feet and zero tolerance for shoes that are not completely comfortable which makes finding shoes that I like nearly impossible. In the meantime I've been knitting a Rib and Cable sock by Nancy Bush, a slouchy, faux-cabled hat, some handwarmers and my Cornflower shawl.

Wes is out singing in a concert tonight and I was making oven barbecued ribs for dinner for the kids and me. In the midst of my whisking around the kitchen I dropped, no, not dropped, flung, a glass dish of tomato sauce across one quarter of the kitchen. Amazingly the glass dish did not break but a large section of the kitchen was dripping in tomato sauce. I stood there for a moment and thought, "Should I take a picture of this before I clean it up?" But before I could make a decision the dogs swooped in to assist with clean up. I'm sure dried patches of tomato will be discovered for decades to come.

December 1, 2011

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

This series of photos answers an ages-old question.





"What does camel toe look like in reverse stockinette?"

Special thanks to Janet E for bringing this to my attention.