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."

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.

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.

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?

Still Elusive

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

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.

 

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.