Elwood Swatching

I am beyond smitten with Elwood & Ringo, an adorable set of mitten patterns in the new Twist Collective. I am trying to make them from stash since they take so little yarn. I have some brown Koigu and am trying to find something to knit with them that's a little more interesting than white.



What do you think? I think the level of contrast is pretty good. But maybe I should just do white?

Beads on the Vine

Pattern: Beads on the Vine by Sivia Harding, kit purchased at Earthfaire.com
Needles: US0 Crystal Palace DPNs
Notes: The website wasn't very clear about the color combinations so this is a lot more purple than I was expecting. The pattern is simple but fiddly and takes nearly no time at all. I accidentally wove in my ends before attaching the "dangle" near the clasp. I won't bother adding it.

Interweave Crochet Preview

The preview is up but I'm not really seeing anything that grabs me. I really don't care for the color palette of this issue but that's just me.

Tome for the Holidays

For Hanukkah Wes and I got one another terrific books. I received The New Biographical Dictionary of Film: Fifth Edition, Completely Updated and Expanded. It is a massive encyclopedia of people involved in all aspect of film. It's not a cover-to-cover read but a pick-up-at-random-flip-to-a-page kind of deal. Opening it for the first time sent me back to my childhood when I would peruse the encyclopedia. Yes, I was a nerd. What of it?

I got Wes 40: A Doonesbury Retrospective. It's an abridged look at 4o years of Doonesbury. It's titanic. It weighs ten pounds.

All this book love reminds me of another great book for gift giving, Lane Smith's It's a Book.

Doubleknit #46

It's up.

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Moscow Fashion Week!

Common Octopus

Pattern: Common Octopus from Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh
Yarn: Leftover Cascade 220 and 220 Superwash
Needle: US5 Addi Turbo
Notes: I decided not to use chenille stems to make the legs poseable. Partly because I was worried about the sharps ends poking the gift recipient and partly because I couldn't find the ones I bought for the anglerfish. I also opted for safety eyes instead of embroidering eyes. I always feel like I knit a lovely stuffed animal then ruin it by stitching on the eyes badly. This is way easier. It's a very clever pattern. There is quite a bit of seaming. All those legs need to be stitched up. But it all goes very quickly and it quite entertaining to see the design take shape.

Moebius Cowl

Pattern: Moebius Cowl (.pdf) by Cat Bordhi
Yarn: Brooks Farm Four Play, 1 skein
Needle: US10 Addi Turbo Lace Clicks
Notes: I cast on 160 sts because that's the number of stitches I used for my first moebius and I liked the finished size. This one is so long! I can wrap it three times around my neck. I didn't account for the extra stretch of the lace pattern and this silky yarn. I also didn't have enough yarn to knit the complete lace edging so I just fudged it.

Bejeweled

Pendant by Hotcakes Design




Bracelet made by me!

Elijah

Pattern: Elijah by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Cascade 220 (about half a skein)
Needle: US3 Addi Turbos
Notes: This is such a clever knit. Elijah is entirely seamless. You knit the head, pick up for the body, pick up for the arms, legs and ears. And then you're done! Plus he's adorable.

Brain Dump

In no particular order.

1. I finished my Elijah the Elephant. He is super-cute and requires absolutely no finishing which we all know is completely and totally awesome.


2. I took a Say It on Your Wrist class this week at a local bead shop. It was really fun to learn something new. We used metal stamps to hammer messages onto silver then shaped it into a bracelet. Mine says, "KNIT ON...THROUGH ALL CRISES." (Not enough space for the full quote.) There was some extra time so I also made a pendant that says "FUCK OFF I'M KNITTING." I also finally learned the correct way to close a jump ring.
   
   


3. I drove by a sign last night that read TACOMA ELF STORAGE. Thought it was nicely seasonally appropriate.


4. This week at the shop we were visited on separate days by designers Cirilia Rose, Anna Hrachovec from Mochimochiland and Twinkie Chan.


5. I cast on for an octopus from Amigurumi Knits. It will have a lot of finishing which is okay because it is an awesome-looking pattern. It will also hopefully mark the end of my holiday knitting.


6. I started a Beads on a Vine necklace. Sivia Harding was wearing it when she spoke at the Seattle Knitters Guild this summer and I was smitten. It will be a total fiddly, pain in the ass to knit but the effect is cool. I bought beads to make more and I don't know why. The beads always call out to me.

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

Meet "Treasure Trousers." Because nothing puts you in a holiday mood like rooting around in a dismembered pilgrim's ass for candy.

But what about Christmas, I hear you say. Don't worry. Santa'a torso has been ripped off and his lower half stuffed with yummy treats! Peanut butter cup, anyone?



They are clearly perfect for any occasion. Who needs a whole baby when you can stuff so many toiletries into one that's been torn in two!



Enjoy!