283 Projects

Backstrap Weaving, Take 1.

2012-01-18T10:30:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I took a great Guatemalan Backstrap weaving class at Weaving Hand in Brooklyn. It was an intro class, so we made little sampler belts. I used three different colors of sport-ish weight velour yarn, one of which is variegated. I had a lot of fun making it, and learned enough new stuff to get me excited about weaving again. Yay!

Here it is wrapped around my drill (I was making some DIY heddles...with limited success...)

And here I am modeling it! Yay! Ready for a night out at The Castello Plan!

Chic Knitted Turbans

2012-01-11T09:39:00.000-05:00

The last time I was at the Brooklyn General Store I picked up this great new book, Knitting Vintage by Claire Montgomerie (using my Groupon, no less!). This little gem has a bunch of cute and sometimes goofy (condiser the looped jacket on the cover, which I really wanna make...) patterns, including one for a knitted turban.

I decided to knit up one for myself and one for my coworker Olivia, who had taken care of my puppy over Christmas. The pattern itself is very simple, it's basically a loop of ribbed fabric folded over and twisted, but I ended up making a few changes to it. First I made the band more narrow than it called for. Other peoples' versions on Ravelry just seemed too big (wide), and on closer inspection, so did the picture in the book. Secondly I used a provisional cast on and a three needle bond off to connect the ends instead of just sewing a seam. And lastly, I decided not to secure the knot with any tacking stitches. I like the option to loop it around my neck when I'm not wearing it on my head.

All in all I think they turned out great! And despite being made of cotton (Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima, Jeremy @Purl's suggestion as the best sport weight with a sheen) it is very toasty warm. This project took way less than one skein, so it's a perfect stash buster. Or a perfect reason to buy one skein of whatever super fancy yarn you've been eyeing...

Et voilà...

These amazing photos were taken in my amazing bathroom. That wallpaper is great, right?!

Here are a few of Olivia modeling in her turban at Thompson Alchemists.

She was really happy with it.

And here is one last pic of Miss Esther lookin' cute modeling mine for good measure.

Babies who appreciate my knitting include...

2012-01-05T10:01:00.001-05:00

This one!

And this one!

Hooray for kitty hats! And stripey overalls! Read more about them here.

Wrapping up 2011, looking forward to 2012.

2012-01-03T09:35:00.000-05:00

Once again its time to take a look at what I've accomplished in the last year and set some goals for the new one.

Sadly, looking back on last year's goals, I realize how few I managed to meet.... This is especially sad since I did so well with my 2010 goals! But, frankly I'm going to cut myself a little slack since a whole lot of my lack of productivity can be blamed on Harley, my wonderful wonderful pup who came into my life in June. He is a joy, but also a spare-time-destroyer, which affects my knitting/blogging. In 2010 I managed to churn out 25+ projects, 2011 came to a close at only about 15, and my blog with similarly fewer posts. BUT. I will not let this setback get me down! 2012 is going to be my best year yet! Here are my goals:

1) Finish a sweater. I have a few half knit sweaters lying around. At least one must be completed!
2) Build a website. This was a goal from last year! Perhaps a certain someone will help me out and build me one (or help me build one) for Valentines Day. :)
3) Knit another original design and publish it. My Tinsel & Garlands pattern is available for sale, and in a few queues on Ravelry, but so far, nobody has bought it.
4) Knit away at my stash! I really need to stop buying yarn.
5) Blog at least twice a month. I had 30 posts in 2010 and only 19 in 2011! What's up with that?!
6) Actually begin knitting swatches for the Master's Program. Yup. Never started it. *sigh*

Happy New Year everyone! May it be happy and productive!

Christmas Knitting 2011

2012-01-02T09:28:00.001-05:00

Christmas this year was filled with little knits. For my Starbucks obsessed cousin a coffee cozy (and a gift card inside...), for my Eli warm and woolly socks, and for all the little ones Candy Cane Ponies!

The cozy was knit on the fly with some left over yarn from Gary's hat. I knit it in a 2x2 spiral rib pattern with a few rows of plain ribbing at the bottom and some stockinette at the top to make a curled edge. Super quick to knit up and a very satisfying little gift.

Eli's socks, I think, turned out great! The pattern is from the Purl Bee, Men's Socks for Giving Away.

These were also super quick to knit, and amazingly, he was totally surprised! They are slightly too big, but we havent decided if something should be done about it, I may end up unraveling the toe a bit.

And then, the ponies....

Boy were these fun to make! And sooooo cute! I used various scrap yarns in sport thru aran weights.

Here are some happy cousins, Christmas morn, showing off their ponies.

Peachy Slouchy Gansey Legwarmers

2011-11-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

As soon as I picked up the newest Interweave Knits Weekend, I knew I had to make the Gansey Legwarmers by Courtney Kelley. I headed over to Knit-A-Way, chose a burnt orange alpaca blend (Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light) and cast on! They actually took me a long time to knit, but then again, I figure they are almost the size of two pairs of socks! So maybe I'm not that slow after all. In any case, they turned out wonderfully and I can't wait to wear them!

The dog was feeling photogenic this morning (i.e. wouldn't get out of the way) so any white fuzzy stuff you see is a little bit of Harley.

And in the picture above, he is not in motion, just highlighting a blurry spot on my lens (dog nose juice...I cleaned it after this shot).

Also, if you are interested in my coordinating toenail polish, it's Essie Alligator Purse, available at Thompson Chemists/Alchemists.

Silken Mittens for Fall

2011-11-14T09:12:00.000-05:00

After a relatively unproductive summer, I hit the ground running for Fall. And then stalled. This past weekend I completed a pair of mittens (Celtic Moonrise Mitts in Alchemy Kosmos) that had intended to make 2+ years ago. I knitted all but one thumb back before I began Esther's hat, but somehow couldn't bring myself to pick them up again until now. Boy do I need them too! Just in time for the first real cold snap.

My wonderful fairisle mittens (Vintage pattern, some kind of Rowan tweed wool) that I made back in 2005 were on their last legs even then, and last year at the end of the season I punched a hole right through the front of them in a rather irreparable manner (both thumbs had been repaired on several occasions...).

I will miss them though! This is me making them, back at 283, many many moons ago. :)

Here are the new mittens:

The Alchemy Kosmos yarn is so soft and delicious. And while it's kind of a pain to have to undo anything, its not nearly as bad as Haiku that I was knitting a Citron out of. I feel like I might lose all the yarn I have in the project already because its nigh impossible to unravel because of the stickiness of the mohair.

It felt really good to be able to start and complete a project in a week or so, although I was dissapointed in myself for leaving the finishing for so long. But it's gotten me back into the swing of things. I'm still not sure I'm ready to get back into my larger projects that have been lying about (Raggedy Raglan etc) but hopefully soon! I need to be more disciplined again about having a "home" (read:complex or large) project and a "travel" (small/easy) project at all times because as you, reader, probably well know, the initial planning/start up of a new project can quite be energy intensive even if the project itself is a simple one.

I made just a few changes to the pattern. For starters I made them a lot smaller to fit my tiny hands. I used a size 3 needle for the cuff and a 6 for the rest. I also added a thumb gusset by following GinRose's instructions on ravelry, with some adjustments. I also continued to cable the center even after I had begin the decreases so that I finished with the same row I began with. I think it really turned out nicely. And a three-needle bind off for the top (why not? who wants kitchiner stitch anyway???)

Somewhat slouchy hat for Esther!

2011-10-19T09:47:00.001-04:00

Impressed (and somewhat jealous) of the hat I made our boss earlier in the season, Esther decided she had to have an Emily-made hat for herself! After I convinced her to choose something other than the same pattern I used for Gary, we came up with this slightly slouchy look for her. The pattern is katherine by Erin Archer (available for free on her blog). I sent Esther to Purl Soho to choose her own yarn and was so thrilled with what she chose. Firstly, the color is magnificent. The blue/purple is so rich and has so much depth to it! Secondly, its cashmere(!!!) and was soooo lovely to knit. It is called Anzula For Better or Worsted and the color is Periwinkle. Only one skein was needed.

She's so excited!

PS: If you don't actually know me, and your curious about what I do for a living, check out our website, blog, facebook and twitter! Or just stop in!

Kitty Hats for all! (Plus some stripes!)

2011-09-30T09:38:00.002-04:00

How could I possibly resist making more of these adorable Kitty Hats! This time though, I knit them in the round and used a three needle bind off on the crown. Muy simple!

The orange one I made with size 9 needles for Baby Ryan, just in time for his first birthday!

The blue hat is for Baby Jackson, in a smaller size, just in time to celebrate his birth!

Jackson also got a pair of overalls...knit from the odds and ends of the Morehouse Merino yarn I used in the hats. I just love that yarn sooo much I needed to keep knitting with it!

Photos of happy babies in their outfits to follow shortly!

Tinsel & Garlands pattern now on sale!

2011-09-23T12:07:00.000-04:00

Its been almost a year since I promised you, dear reader, that the Tinsel & Garlands pattern (blogged about as "Meg's Mountain Mitts") would be available for sale. I do apologize for the delay, but now its available! Hooray!

I have also created an email just for the knitting/blogging so feel free to contact me at 283projects@gmail.com

Tinsel & Garlands

Easy, fun and quick to knit these fingerless gloves feature a long fairisle cuff with garter stitch edges. The simple peasant thumb makes them interchangeable left and right.

Materials:

Approximately 140 yards Worsted Weight wool in MC and 25 yards CC.

One set US size 5 dpns or size needed to obtain gauge

Stitch marker

Stitch holder/waste yarn

Gauge: 20 st by 27 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Fuzzy Rainbow Cowl

2011-09-16T08:58:00.001-04:00

Just realized I had never posted this and I made it last year! Enjoy!

The yarn is Three Irish Girls Vive Alpaca Silk in Aurora, a club colorway. Pattern is Drooping Elm Cowl by Doggrell Designs.

Warm Hat for Bald Man

2011-09-04T08:53:00.003-04:00

The aforementioned TOP SECRET project is complete! I made a fun cabled hat for my boss who was already beginning to feel the effect of Fall weather on his newly shaven head. The pattern is Knotty but Nice, the yarn Three Irish Girls Springvale Super Merino in Smoke and Mirrors (a club colorway).

I really like the way it turned out. Ever since I got this yarn I knew I had to make him something. The only problem is that the cabled section is really very very inelastic and quite tight. I'm not sure how I would remedy this if I made it again. I'm hoping it will just stretch a bit with wear because right now there is a noticeable difference when you put it on. I also think I would use magic loop if I were to make it again as I found it to be slightly too small for the recommended 16 inch circs.

Another summer goes by with no blogs....

2011-08-24T11:09:00.001-04:00

You may have noticed that it has been quite some time since my last blog....

What can I say...my knitting fell by the wayside for a little bit. I'm not sure how it started actually, but I do know that the nail in the coffin was this little guy, who became a part of my family on June 19th:

And so, instead of knitting before/after work, I spend my time out on walks and snuggling the dog.

BUT, I have resolved to get back on track, and I do have a new (top-secret) project I'm working on. Should be ready in just a few more days, but I may wait to gift it (and blog about it) when the weather is a little cooler. Here's the yarn I'm using. Its from the Stash Menagerie club.

I promise more (interesting) blogs soon! Thanks for reading!

Oh why did I buy all that variegated yarn!?

2011-05-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

If you're like me, you probably have way more variegated yarn that you need. They just look so nice on the shelf! But, when knit up, variegated or multicolored yarns are prone to obscuring complex patterning. Try using a pattern with short rows and/or simple horizontal textures. My Silk Ruffle Scarf is a great example. The short-rows make more fun to knit and cooler looking, while the use of garter stitch, the most basic of all stitches, allows the yarn to be the center of focus. Also, I find that the use of texture eliminates the bad kind of pooling from my knitting, simply because it makes it less noticeable.

This week I've been working on a pair of socks in some Cherry Tree Hill Super Sock Potluck Yarn. I really liked Emily B. Miller's Crosswalker socks, but the yarn I wanted to use is more patchy than stripy so I designed a mitered sock with a simple eyelet pattern between rows of purl stitches. I find that adding the purl rows shows off the true variety of color in this yarn.

Here are some pics. Pattern to follow in a few weeks.

Naughty, naughty Purl...

2011-03-13T10:55:00.000-04:00

Naughty naughty Purl Soho, displaying their sale yarn with each colorway in a ziploc bag, ready to grab and go!

:-/

Now I have so much yarn!

Because I couldn't possibly have broken up the set...

*Sigh*

Cherry Blossom Socks! Just in time for a sunny day!

2011-03-12T10:53:00.000-05:00

I finished these last night and can't wait to wear them!

Also, just a note on the pattern. Because I used fewer stitches than the original I had to adjust the ribbing pattern as well. Starting with the first decrease stitch I used a pattern of K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2. This way the first 3 "K1"s follow the line of the stitches before, between and after the yarnovers and the "P1" stitches are over the yarnovers. Here's a photo.

And here are two pics of me modeling them. :)

Now the question of the day is what do I knit next?!

Isla's Kitty Cat Hat

2011-03-05T10:45:00.003-05:00

This hat design is just the cutest thing I ever did see. It was the thing that made me buy the book, Chic Knits for Stylish Babies. BUT. And its a big BUT. This pattern is really poorly written. Let me count the ways:

1) There is no weight listed for the yarn. It simply says "any chenille yarn." Looking at the other projects in this collection and the fact that it was meant to be knit on a US8 I figured it was a worsted. Wrong. If I had looked closer I would see that its basically 3 stitches to the inch. :-/

I ended up using US9s at about 4.5 st to the inch because I wanted it to fit a younger baby anyway.

2) It is unclear whether it is knit flat or knit in the round. I had to go on Ravelry to be sure of this.

3) One of the reasons this is not clear is because there is no diagram for what the finished piece should look like pre-sewing up or how the edges should be sewn together.

4) There is an error in the "ear" instructions. They say to decrease one stitch at the end of each alternating row, but it should read EVERY row.

Well, obviously I figured it out, right? But its pretty annoying. I paid good money for those instructions!

Now back to how friggin' cute it is...

The yarn is Morehouse Farm Merino 3-Strand. Very very soft and beautiful bright colors!

As you can see there is a seam at the back. I hate seams so when I make another one (which I will! Like I said I love the design; hate the pattern...) I'll knit it in the round. I'm not sure if this will cause the edges to curl more so I may need to add a ribbed border.

Cuteness!

This little hat was made for the newborn daughter of some customers of mine at Thompson Chemists. She may or may not be born yet as of this morning, she's been slow to arrive. :)

I decided to make it because, as much as I love all the little baby boys in my life, I desperately wanted to knit something for a girl! So, thank you Isla! I hope you love it! (And Mom and Dad too!)

Welcome March, Welcome Cherry Blossoms!

2011-03-01T09:03:00.000-05:00

With the Cherry Blossom festival just a few weeks away, I've been working on some festive pink and silver socks to welcome the Spring.

The pattern is Anastasia Socks, which is available as a free download on Ravelry. I had a bit of trouble with starting each one. With the right foot my gauge was off, and then even when my gauge was right they were too big. So I started again with only 52 stitches (as opposed to 60) with 9 stitches between each spiral. Now they fit just fine!

But then when I started the left foot I just wasn't paying enough attention. First I used the wrong decrease. Frogged. Then I put the decrease/yo in the wrong order. Frogged. But now all seems to be well. Phew!

The yarn is Yarntini Plum Blossom which I got in a trade from the lovely Halation.

Tartine de Miel with Blueberry Compote (Cowl)

2011-02-17T10:47:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago during my usual Sunday visit to Brooklyn General Store I fell head-over-heels (needles-over-wallet???) for a bulky super soft hellomello handspun yarn. Here's what I made.

The colors remind me of honey and blueberries. The yarn is 85% wool, 15% mohair, single-ply. I adored knitting with it. If you want to knit with it, you can purchase it on etsy.com or at Brooklyn General Store. :D

The pattern is the "Tuesday Night Cowl," which is available for a free download on Ravelry. I had to use two techniques that were new to me: the crocheted provisional cast-on and a three needle bind off. Very exciting.

Meg's Mountain Mitts (Tinsel & Garlands Prototype)

2011-02-01T10:13:00.001-05:00

The top-secret project is top-secret no more! I designed these fingerless gloves for my Aunt Meg. They feature a long cuff with a simple fairisle pattern, a peasant thumb (meaning theyre completely interchangeable left and right) and garter stitch edging. The thumb is long, better to keep her warm while allowing her to utilize her Blackberry.

Right now I am test knitting this design and should have it available for download on Ravelry very soon. The title of the pattern is Tinsel & Garlands. It will be available in two sizes, a small/medium to fit most women and a large/x-large to fit most men.

Un Chameau! Sur ma chaussette! (Maroc Socks continued...)

2011-01-31T10:10:00.003-05:00

Last night I dragged out ye olde Maroc Socks. I need the needles for another project. But rather than transfer Maroc to waste yarn I decided to try and figure out where I was and continue them.

I was pretty confused by what I saw, and I couldn't find my notes on that section, but I just ran with it, didnt chart anything else and finished it! YAY! I have one Maroc Sock!

I know its difficult to see, but there is a camel on the sole of my foot. :D

Work Shawl at Work!

2011-01-29T09:06:00.000-05:00

I took a moment to pose with my work shawl before we closed last night. Its doing a great job of keeping me warm and so far nothing has fallen out of my pockets! I've been wrapping it around my neck so that the pockets fall at about boob level though because when I have it just draped across my back it get in the way in my tiny tiny store.

Work Shawl of Many Colors

2011-01-25T11:49:00.001-05:00

Yes, yes, yes, my work shawl is finally completed!

This shawl, which is huge by the way, was quite an undertaking. The stitch pattern is easy to memorize, but there are endless endless repeats! It was an exercise in patience for me, especially all the sewing in of ends and then the sewing on of the pockets.

Because this shawl is more or less reversible the ends needed to be woven in invisibly. To do this I split each end into two and wove them in opposite directions, some on the "right side" and some on the "wrong side." This doubled the number of ends that needed to be woven in. *sigh*

But the important thing is that I got through it, and even learned a certain zen appreciation for it. And now I have a beautiful beautiful shawl! With pockets!

I also want to say a little something about the pattern, which was a Ravelry download from designer Martha Marques. The stitch pattern is also her own design, something she calls "Fishbone Lace." The alternating rows of knit and purl make it completely reversible.

Martha very kindly helped me out with a few questions I had when working on the pattern and has since updated the pattern to include the "missing" information (i.e. the stuff that confused me). Indeed the interactions I had with her (including, of course, the wonderful things she had to say about my version of the shawl) made this project even more special.

<3 my knitting community.

Be sure to check out her other designs on Ravelry (marthamarques) or on her website: http://www.marthamarques.com/

These photos were taken at 8am this morning at The Farm on Adderley (yup, they do an excellent early breakfast! And they were very nice about my mini photo shoot.) Thanks guys!

And thanks to my Dad for being an excellent (and willing...at 8am) photographer. :D

Happy New Year!

2011-01-08T09:58:00.000-05:00

Last January I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish (see Crafting Plans/goals/dreams in 2010). Looking back on this list I am pretty satisfied with the number of goals I actually met or worked on.

I've had a very productive year; I think I completed about 25 projects and have a few more that just arent done yet. I have expanded my library of reference books. I knit something from yarn I spun (see the Very Tiny Ear Warmer). On December 31st I became a card carrying member of the Knitters Guild and signed up for the Master's Program. I worked on my sewing skills when I made my Seedless Watermelon Smocked Top Dress. AND I finished the first prototype for an original design! The pattern should be ready by the end of the month!

New goals for 2011 include:

1) Completing and passing Level One of the Master Hand Knitter Program.

2) Convincing people to buy my pattern.

3) Purchasing a domain and building a website. I also need a logo...or something.

4) Making more posts here! I have several posts from December that never got finished! I need to make showcasing my work here a priority.

5) Embroidery. This was on last year's list too.

6) Lastly, I want to continue to be as productive as possible! (Step one is finishing my Work Shawl and the other pattern prototypes)

Happy New Year!

Holiday Spirit

2010-12-14T11:58:00.000-05:00

Sunday afternoon my roommates and I hosted a holiday party, during which we encouraged our guests to decorate sugar cookies and to make ornaments for our tree with fantastic results!

Thanks guys!

Top-secret X-mas Project!

2010-12-11T09:05:00.002-05:00

These are some yarns that I may or may not be using for a top secret x-mas present/original design. Stay tuned for more info (after x-mas!)

Yarn Madness!

2010-12-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

It was 50% off...with free shipping!

10 skeins Cherry Tree Hill Soft Twist Potluck (Supersock Potluck).

Work Shawl

2010-12-08T13:34:00.000-05:00

For the past couple of weeks I've been working tirelessly on a rather large lace shawl for myself. The pattern is very simple, a 4 row repeat of garter stitch with yarn overs and chevrons, but I just love it! Also, it has pockets!

I'm on my 4th skein of 6.

Knit on size 7 circulars with Malabrigo Rios.

Silk Ruffle Scarf

2010-11-16T11:53:00.002-05:00

This week's project: a one skein silk scarf.

Knit with Three Irish Girls Wexford in Acadia (August's Stash Menagerie Yarn).

It's a beautiful colorway and knit up nicely. The short rows give a nice blended effect. Its super soft but VERY sticky (felts to itself easily) and kinda splity. It took more concentration than I expected. I am worried about how it will wear and wonder if this yarn would have better durability when knit at a tighter gauge.

The pattern called for about 630 yards, and I only had 240 so its pretty small, but still big enough to be functional.

And it actually folds up into a perfect circle it can double as a doily (not that I would dare actually use it as one!). I keep my pins and other small notions in the purple box below. The color was just so perfect I had to take a picture of the box-top resting on the scarf.

The Great Mitts Project

2010-11-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

Wintertime at Thompson Chemists brings joy to some, and frozen fingers to most. The pharmacist loves the fresh cool air, and consequently, the door is open almost year round. This year I decided to undertake a massive mitt-making project to equip our entire staff with hand-knit fingerless gloves.

Now, we have a staff of about 16 people. I'm not making 16 pairs of gloves. My goal is to have four pairs for Thompson Chemists and two pairs for Thompson Alchemists (unevenly divided based on the number of employees normally scheduled at each location at any given time). So far I have two pairs for ThomChem and one pair for ThomAlchem.

The Grey Mitts

Made for (i.e. inspired by, she still has to share!) and modeled by the lovely Jazmin Cruz.

The Blue Mitts

Modeled by Essy Shasho, the blue mitts are currently the only mitts at Thompson Alchemist and look really smashing with her fair complexion and red hair. They are also merino wool and super super soft.

The Yellow Mitts

Made for and modeled by Imani Thomas, I was inspired to make some extra funky, bold, mismatched mitts for Imani because she loves her bright colors. Made with left overs from my two Cloche hats. Notice that the cuff is much shorter....not enough yarns...

But now, the scent of mitts is in the air and people are coming out of the woodwork left and right to ask for pairs! So far I have only made one other pair, for my roommate Rachel. (I made them as an early birthday present, but her actual birthday is today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!)

Rachel's Mitts

They match the Grey Mitts, except Rachel's are a little longer in the cuff. Here she is enjoying them. In fact, I dont think she has taken them off since I gave them to her.

An ever expanding collection...

2010-11-10T13:04:00.001-05:00

So it's been a while, wow, a really long time, since I shared any of my stash. I've been very productive this fall, but I have also watched my stash expand at an exponential rate. Part of the reason is I now belong to Three Irish Girls Stash Menagerie, which is basically a yarn of the month club. The rest is almost all due to spur of the moment yarn love...

Baltimore Yarns

When I was in B-more a while back, I stopped in at A Good Yarn and walked out with a shameful amount of yarn: seven skeins of Harrisville Designs New England Shetland and three skeins of the Highland. I love how squishy and wooly these yarns are, but so far I have no real plans for them.

Seaport Yarns

My eye doctor is located directly across the street from Seaport Yarns in lower Manhattan. After each appointment, and Ive had many as of late, I stop in for a visit. Until recently I had been very very good. I bought the yarn for my Fox costume there but had resisted buying anything else, though I was planning on buying some Joseph Galler Alpaca with my birthday money.

But then, when I went in for my Alpaca on Monday, yarn love struck...

I bought 6 skeins of Malabrigo Rios, four in the Primavera colorway and two in Zarzamora. I'm planning on making a HUGE beautiful shawl, with the Primavera as the main and the lovely purple Zarzamora as the border.

Oh, and here is the yarn I went in for. Its the same yarn I used for Deidre's Blizzard Scarf and Ryan's Baby Sweater. Again, I think I want it to be a big warm shawl. Maybe something with cables.

Three Irish Girls Stash Menagerie

July: A silk alpaca blend. This yarn has already been used to make one small item. It has not been posted because I plan on gifting it.

August: Wexford Silk. I am loving working with this yarn. Its on my needles right now! Images coming soon!

September: A lovely semi-solid blue on a superwash Merino.

October: Minimally processed Merino in a very festive colorway!

Other Random Additions

The above two were purchased at Knit-A-Way in Brooklyn. And the one below was a spur of the moment purchase at The Bay Window in Irvington, VA where I spent a lovely afternoon in the company of other knitters.

This last one was a gift from the lovely Amy Madden. Its a gorgeous hand dyed cotton. I spent a solid hour untangling this skein (I have two, the other was fine) and just having it in my hands was...almost erotic. Ahh yarn love...

Imafoxnotacat! Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T10:53:00.001-04:00

Yes, Yes, I knit those ears...

Yup, and the tail.

Knit more or less on the fly with Gedifra's "Techno Hair Oro" (really guys?) and a smidge of Classic Elite's La Gran Mohair. I designed and knit this project on my Quaker meeting's yearly retreat last weekend. :)

The ears are knit flat and then attached to a headband. They have wire holding them up in the proper shape. The tail was knit in the round from the top down. I stuffed it with a bit of pillow stuffing to give it some body, but the yarn itself was so dense that I didnt use much. Just a wee bit to make the tail nice and round on the end.

A fox in the city!

IM-A-FOX-NOT-A-CAT!

Happy Halloween!

Raggedy Raglan

2010-09-27T10:36:00.002-04:00

A few months back I dropped into Purl Soho to get some needles and as usual I walked about for a few minutes squeezing things and smelling things and generally pawing at their yarns. And even though I was supposed to be on a yarn diet, I ended up falling so head over heels (love at first squeeze) with Imperial Stock Ranch's Tracie yarn that I had to come back the next day and buy it!

What's so lovely about this yarn, you ask? First, its minimally processed so it smells like lanolin. Its oh so very squishy (this is my new favorite characteristic in yarn) with lots and lots of bloom. It claims to be a fingering weight, but with all the squish and fuzz its more like a light DK I guess...I'm using size 5s. Its just wooly wooly goodness! Encapsulated. Or, skeined. Lol.

So this wooly wooly goodness is slowly transforming itself into my first ever custom raglan sweater. I'm loosely basing it on Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage system, but because I want it to be very fitted I'm just sort of starting there and making other adjustments on the fly.

So far so good, I'm working on the sleeves at the moment. Here are some pics:

The sleeve I made on the addi turbo needles is a tiny bit smaller than the one on the bamboo needles so I have had to adjust my tension a little. I don't think it will be much of a problem though.

Beautiful

2010-09-21T23:27:00.003-04:00

Got this pic in my email tonight from my best friend. Welcome to the world little one! I'm smitten already!

Pssst! I made that hat!

Daffodil Cloche Hat!

2010-09-13T14:57:00.001-04:00

Since the last hat was a little too big, I went down a needle size for this one. Also, I made the eyelet band but decided not to put anything through it for now.

Watermelon under the Brooklyn Bridge!

2010-09-10T09:03:00.001-04:00

Some new pics of me in the Watermelon dress!

Its totally comfy, had a great drape and isn't too heavy/warm at all! Still having a bit of trouble with the top and hem curling, but I think a little pressing would fix that. Haven't done it yet because when I pulled out my rarely used iron it was rusted! :(

Two hats in two weeks

2010-09-09T14:46:00.003-04:00

I've been a busy knitter lately! About to cast on for hat number three and a squishy raglan sweater. I think its safe to say I'm ready for fall!

Hat #1:

Ribbed sailor's type hat (Käänteinen - Reversible Rib Cap by Pirita Hiltunen with mods by KnittingSM) in Berroco Ultra Alpaca, Durfee that I purchased in Denver last X-mas. Made for Josh.

Hat #2:

Bel Cloche by Carina Spencer in Three Irish Girls Springvale Super Merino, Cameron and Cian. Really liked working with this yarn and the hat knit up super fast! Its slightly too big though, it comes down low over my neck. The i-cord helps make it fit better but on my next one I think I'll either go down a needle size or take out one repeat.

I was so excited to post that I took these photos in my PJs (yup thats my super sexy Coney Island Cyclones sleep tee..) and before I had even sewn in the ends!

End of Summer Harvest

2010-08-23T17:56:00.001-04:00

Watermelon!

Yup, my "Seedless Watermelon Smocked Top Dress" is finally complete! This is officially the biggest thing I've ever knit, and took the most skill. The smocking pattern wasn't so bad once I got it figured out, but this garment took more finishing (and consequently patience) than anything else I've made. There was a fair amount of sewing involved, as well as endless sewing-in of ends, endless stockinette for the skirt and it even has elastic woven into the top and bottom of the bodice to make it fit better (otherwise it sags, its heavy). What can I say except that I'm delighted with the way it turned out and can't wait to wear it!

Heirloom Sweater for Baby Ryan

2010-07-16T10:28:00.001-04:00

So baby shower number one has come and gone which means I am now free to post pics of the Top Secret baby item I was working on! This is the Cabled Raglan Baby Sweater by Rebecca L. Daniels. The pattern is available for free via Interweave.

It is a top-down raglan sweater. I loved making this. It was an easy but compelling project and small enough to carry on the train! I loved the little cable borders too. AND since its knit in one piece it requires minimal sewing, yay!

One of the hardest things was choosing a button. The button itself is purely decorative. There is a snap closure underneath it.

Oh, and yes, this is the same yarn I used for Deidre's Blizzard Scarf. I have it in bleached and unbleached. This is the unbleached.

Seedless Watermelon Smocked Top Dress

2010-06-27T15:36:00.003-04:00

This project has been a lot of fun so far. The pattern is the Cotton Bam Boo Smocked Top by Classic Elite. I am using Kollage Corntastic, a 100% corn yarn (yup!) in Coral and Jade. Obviously Im also making it into a dress.

I had a lot of trouble with the gauge. I ended up using size 3 needles on the bodice and size 5 and 6 on the skirt. The smocked pattern was easy once I memorized it, and now I just have a few hours of endless stockinette to do...

Here are some pics of the bodice.

I worked very hard to make sure the seam was nice and neat. Finishing techniques are something I need to practice! I hope to have the skirt done in the next two weeks or so. Stay tuned!

FO's and WIPs galore! Thats what happens when I take so long between posts!

2010-06-19T09:58:00.001-04:00

So, it's been a while. Much has happened.

Three days after my last post, just after midnight on Easter Sunday, the pharmacy that has been my life, my job, my family for the past 7 years burnt to the ground. Or almost. No one was hurt, our tin ceiling saved the building, and we moved into a new space to continue operating just about as seamlessly as anyone could.

Next on the list of stuff-that-happened is my trip to Mexico. I got my tax refund, found a cheap ticket and away I went! Spent 6 days in Mexico City and 3 in Puebla. Que chido!

Then there is the quasi-emergency minor eye surgery I had yesterday, which is why I'm home instead of at work today. Last week I went for a check-up, just to see if my glasses were still ok, and my (wonderful) doctor found a little something on my retina that he wanted me to have looked at. Thursday I went to the specialist's office, spent 2.5 hours being poked, prodded, injected and inspected and was told I needed to have laser eye surgery asap to prevent a possible detachment of my left retina. Boy was that a surprise. So here I am, at home recovering, mostly blind in one eye, typing by feel, using the right eye when I actually need to see. :(

Oh! And you might notice from my pictures that I also moved since my last post! LOVE my new apt.

But enough about me, lets move on to what this blog is really about: the projects!

#1: Granny's Multnomah Shawl

None of these photos do it justice, but I was in a bit of a rush to get it in the mail to her! The top two are taken with artificial light and the bottom two in natural but low light.

#2: Mossy Citron

Yup, I'm working on the ever popular Citron pattern. I'm using the Alchemy Haiku yarn that I had been drooling over at Purl Soho since last winter. Let me tell you though, this yarn is a PAIN to work with. It's extra difficult for me because I'm so damn blind, but its very sticky and mostly impossible to pull out. Because its so hard to backtrack on, I have also been forced to make this an increase-sampler because so far I've tried at least 4 different ones and havent liked any! Hopefully only knitters will notice! This one is hibernating right now because of this next project.

#3: Seedless Watermelon Smocked Top Dress

I'm still swatching on this one. I have had a terrible time getting the gauge right! :(

I'm also too lazy to take another photo of the swatch. So stay tuned, kids!

#4: TOP SECRET

I can't tell you much about this next project, its one of my top-secret-baby-knits! My best-friend is having her first child in September and between me and grandma this baby is going to be COVERED in knitwear! I will post pics of it after the baby-shower in July, but if youre on Ravelry you can see it there(283projects)! In the meantime, here are some pics of alpacas looking awesome.

Multnomah Shawl

2010-04-01T10:00:00.002-04:00

"Necessity is the mother of invention," is that the phrase? In any case, poverty is the mother of stash-busters. Which brings me to my latest one-skein stash busting project, the Multnomah Shawl by Kate Flagg (http://helloknitty.net/).

Stay tuned for images of the finished product.

Three Irish Foamies

2010-03-31T07:59:00.001-04:00

I had gotten my hands on one spectacular skein of Glenahven Cashmerino Worsted by Three Irish Girls in Key Lime and I knew I had to make something (small but) sufficiently simple and lovely to better show off the yarn. I also wanted it to be a special item, not an everyday wear item so I ended up going with Gokce Baser's Foamy pattern.

Completed in just over two days, this project practically knit itself! I blocked it hard to make it a bit bigger, and didnt follow the pattern exactly... I will probably make more of these shawls, they are so easy and perfect for gifts.

UPDATE: Maroc Socks

2010-03-25T19:00:00.003-04:00

Here are some pics of my Maroc Socks! Almost done sock number one! My gauge is a little wonky from experimenting with different ways of holding the yarn (i.e. I thought it would be a good idea to learn to knit continental style... *sigh*) but mostly it looks ok. Can't wait to finish!

Tassels are where it's at. Word.

2010-03-16T18:47:00.006-04:00

For whatever reason I've been dreaming of tassels lately. I think it started when I got my Encyclopedia of Crochet in the mail, with its lovely magenta-sparkly-novelty-yarn-shawl-pattern (with a tassel!), because I've also been spending way too much time thinking about sparkly yarn....

I've been trying to come up with ideas for other items that can involve tassels. Shawls, hats that tie under the chin, lap-blankets, snoods with cinchy-tassel-goodness....

AND SO...

In an effort to find a way to use the 57 yards of shetland wool I recently spun, I created a Very Tiny Ear Warmer (VTEW) complete with twisted cord ties and tassels! YAY!

Ladies and gents I think we need a close up of those tassels!

W00T! (And the crowd goes wild!)

Are they just delicious?

Spinning again, finally! Results are, er, lumpy. :(

2010-03-11T18:45:00.010-05:00

So, it's been a while since I did any spinning. And I'm not in love with my new spindles. But, I'm getting better at working with them and have produced one 57 Yard skein of 2 ply wool, and half a skein of singles (will finish the rest and make it a two ply). Here are some pics.

The pictures above show the first bit of spinning I did. I used the brown wool to make the other ply. The two below show the first bit of spinning I did on my top-whorl spindle. It spins very fast and I had a hard time drafting fast enough. It is already kind of busted-up because I've dropped it a few times. :(

At least its still functional. I'm hoping its more of a broken-in kind of busted-up and not a will-shatter-next-time-I-drop-it kind of busted-up.

These next image show the 2 ply yarn on my bottom-whorl spindle which I used to spin both plys and to ply them. It got a little unwieldy at the end, but I think if anything is is a great plying spindle.

Ta-da! A skein!

The end result is a cute thick-and-thin yarn, but I hope to get more control over the spindle as I continue to use it. I've been reading more about different types and I think I might want a bottom whorl spindle with a smaller whorl and a top-whorl spindle with a larger whorl! Oh well, who knows, maybe after a few skeins I'll fall in love. Or maybe it's something you just "know". :-/

Maroc Socks

2010-03-01T16:16:00.009-05:00

When I went to Morocco last summer I decided to make some "traveling socks" with the idea that all of the wonderful things I saw there would inspire the patterns. Unfortunately, though I was very inspired, I didn't get to do much knitting while I was there. And since I've been back the little bit of a sock I started has sat in a bag, with the yarn, and I've been ignoring it. Until yesterday.

Geeking out and blowing cash

2010-02-13T16:16:00.007-05:00

The past few days I have spent an enormous amount of time on Ravelry. I joined a long long time ago but really haven't made much use of it until now. I have been amazed at the amount of expertise just floating around out there. For example, I started a forum to ask about the type of Goat Down Yarn used to make traditional Orenburg shawls (which Deidre's scarf is based on) which has received almost 100 responses and been read by nearly 800 people!!! Woah! So awesome!

I also have decided, thanks to the helpful advice of my fellow Ravelers, to purchase some goat down yarn from a company called Taiga. The company seems to be out of business, or, more likely, no longer imported, but I found one person willing to sell me their stash and also a website with a few skeins left in stock. Thankfully its relatively inexpensive...

I also went ahead and bought myself a new spindle. Actually I bought two from a place called The Woolery. My crappy beginner's spindle is falling apart (the hook keeps falling off and now I've lost it) so I decided it was time for an upgrade. I ended up with a Greensleeves Bare Bones Top Whorl and a cute little Louet Bottom Whorl with sheep on it! (The image below shows the top whorl Louet)

Then I continued my shopping spree (my wallet hurts so bad right now...) and got two drop spindle books on amazon and a rigid heddle book. Silly amazon told me that two of my items would not ship for up to 3 months! AND to get the free shipping they would make me wait to get the other one until everything was ready! So I ended up buying things in two orders, one for the two books that are going to take a while, and one with the 3rd. But, helas, I needed another few bucks to make it to Super Shipper Savings, so I bought the classic Knitters Almanac as well. :D

What a happy Saturday!

UPDATE

The lovely people at The Woolery called me to say that the Bare Bones spindle is back ordered. I decided to try the Kentucky brand instead, which I am told is very similar, and local. Well, local for them at least... :P

Deidre wearing her Blizzard scarf pics and a finished snood!

2010-02-13T13:55:00.005-05:00

Here is a pic of Deidre wearing her blizzard scarf that I made for X-mas. Notice my brother's "gallery" in the background. :D

And here, is my snood! This pattern came from Vogue Knitting's Holiday 2009 issue. I used Malabrigo Merino worsted in "orchid" and size 9 needles. I had to add on 6 extra stitches to make it the right size (it looked terrible on 10.5s, which was what I needed to get the guage right). This pattern was super easy, great for a first pattern in the round or first yo pattern. Honestly though, I got kind of sick of doing whole rows of yo k2tog about halfway through... In any case, I'm very pleased with the result.

Crafting plans/goals/dreams in 2010

2010-01-30T00:07:00.006-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about what exactly it is I want to accomplish with my knitting/crafting. I'm always planning new projects. In fact, I think I spend more time planning new projects than I do working on them! But recently I've decided to take a more focused approach and make a game plan for what I would like to accomplish in the next year and beyond.

1) Continue to make awesome stuff and (more importantly) complete my projects in a timely manner. My next :

2) Continue to amass an awesome library of reference books and patterns (but not blow too much cash)

3) Brush up on crochet. I've only ever made one full object in crochet, and I think its time I had a bit more practice. The plan is to make crocheted cotton washcloths for everyone I know. There, you have now all been warned...

4) Figure out what else I can do with my loom.

5) Spin enough yarn to make something and then make it.

6) Next fall, if I feel confident enough I have decided to start level on of the Knitting Guild's Master's Program. Wish me luck. (Crouching Tiger Knitting Dragon, wha?! :P )

7) I want to publish a pattern. As soon as possible. AND get paid for it.

8) Also in the next decade I would like to develop at least have a working knowledge of the following:
a) Embroidery. In particular I would like to attempt an antique all over pattern, something crazy, complex and awesome.
b) Bobbin Lace. This has got to be the least useful craft ever. Yet it is awesome.
c) Sewing. YUCK! My least favorite thing.

Ok, thats it for now. Or at least that all I can think of. New stuff soon! :D

Mermaid's Tail Scarf!

2010-01-26T09:07:00.004-05:00

WOW! Two projects finished in the same day! The Blizzard scarf is almost dry and I just finished weaving in the ends on my Mermaids Tail Scarf! Here are some pics:

The yarn is Noro Kochoran. 50% Wool 30% Angora 20% Silk. I used almost 2 skeins for this and the mini version with size 9 needles.

I know I've got quite a poker face (you should see my passport...) but I felt silly smiling for the camera alone at 9am. :P

The pattern is alternating Moss stitch and k3p3 ribbing. There are 4 panels of ribbing and 3 panels of moss. The ends are k5p5 welting.

Its so cozy and soft. The yarn has really fluffed up after being handled.

Blizzard scarf finally complete!

2010-01-25T18:57:00.006-05:00

Last night I finally finished the Blizzard scarf from the Nov/Dec 09 Piecework. I just pinned it down for blocking, but here are a few pics. Notice how sad and deflated my skein looks. It is amazing though that there is more than enough yardage in one of those babies for a whole scarf!

Kromski Harp

2010-01-18T07:09:00.006-05:00

I got a Kromski Harp rigid heddle loom for Xmas last year. I asked for it because I am interested in weaving, and the Harp is a nice compact little loom, in the "affordable" range of prices for looms (which is still stupidly expensive). However, it is also a full on loom, not a mini project maker like the Weavette, so it takes some serious skill to use.

Which explains why it has sat in my house, unused, until now...

There are several things that make weaving different from knitting or crocheting. One, is speed. Because you create your piece row by row as opposed to stitch by stitch, the project grows very quickly. The second major difference, however, is the time an effort required to prep the loom for weaving, which is called "warping" the loom. It is a serious pain in the arse.

Warping the loom requires two people, so Sunday morning I took advantage of the fact that I had a friend staying over and asked him to give me a hand. (Thanks Eli!) It took us about an hour, not counting the prep work I had done (measuring the warp on the warping board) earlier in the week.

Since then I have woven about 25-30 inches of a thin scarf. Today one of my warp threads broke. More on that later. :/

Sexy new camera, a growing stash and more...

2010-01-07T19:52:00.008-05:00

Nearly 5 years ago, while living in Paris I bought my first digital camera. It was an inexpensive Pentax, but it served me well. If you are a regular reader of my blog you would know that last spring it started giving me trouble, working only when it felt like it. Then in July, during my big trip to Morocco, it gave up the ghost mid stride. :(

But now finally, thanks to my wonderful family, I was able to purchase a new one with my combined X-mas booty. :D

I chose the Cannon Powershot S90, the Lamborghini of compact point and shoot digital cameras. Its got a bigger light sensor than the G11, plus image stabilization, making it AWESOME in low light. It also has all kinds of fun features I havent even begun to play with!

But to get to the point, tonight I tried it out for the first time, shooting some pics of my latest projects. Enjoy!

"Mermaid's Tail" Scarf

The first project I'm going to talk about began in one of my evening classes at Hunter. I was reading Mary Thomas's Knitting Book and was very inspired by what I was learning about how stitch patterns alter the shape and size of knitted fabric. While in class I would doodle little designs, one of which was the "mermaid's tail scarf." Many months later while visiting my mom in Kilmarnock, VA I bought some beautiful yarn from a shop called the Bay Window with plans to finally start the scarf. Later that month (while waiting to be called for jury duty) I made a swatch, essentially a mini version of the scarf.

This is my baby brother wearing his version of my scarf, which began as a swatch. :)

Mine isn't quite done yet, as you can see, but its coming along. This has been a really fun project, though I think the end result is a little on the goofy side. I think I want to try knitting this design again in the round, but tassels on the ends in imitation of a miser's purse.

Happy Purchases and an Unexpected Gift

I've been helping a good friend of mine re-learn to knit over the past few months. We're running partners and we cool down with a cup of tea and our needles after every session. To thank me for my help, she bought me this lovely skein of hand dyed merino from Catskill Merino Sheep Farm. :D

Beautiful, isnt it! She knows grey is my favorite color, and its oh so soft...

The next few images are of yarns I bought while I was out in Denver, CO for the X-mas holiday. They were bought at a place called the Lamb Shoppe. The pink one is earmarked for a snood pattern from Vogue knitting magazine, so more on that later. The other too I just couldnt resist and so, they came home to my stash. I bought 5 skeins of the brick-red and two of the blue.

The Blizzard Scarf

This project, taken from a pattern in Piecework Magazine, is my pride and joy. Its my first major lace work and it has been a wonderful experience to knit. It is also an over-due Christmas present... *sigh*

The yarn is Alpaca and Im using size 3 needles. There are 9 pattern repeats at either side of the small central patter (4 more to go! yay!) and now that I'm so far in I really dont find it difficult at all. I am glad that I went ahead and used lifelines, inserting them after every patter repeat. That saved my behind several times and also made it easy for my to count my repeats.

The recipient of the scarf is my step-mother, and I hope to get it done, blocked and over to her with in the next week or so. ;)

Finally, I just want to say that now that I have a camera again, you can expect more (and better!) posts! Feels great to be back! :)

First post since May! Woah!

2009-08-11T13:24:00.005-04:00

SO, it's been forever since I posted (and since I did much crafting...)

In June I went on vacation to Morocco for 16 days. I will post a few pictures soon.

In July I came back and looked for a new apt. I no longer live at 283! Ack!

And on July 31st I moved into a new place in Ditmas Park. Moving and getting settled are my projects for the moment. I'm trying to get out from under all the boxes, get things set up and make the space livable. Soon I'll paint. :D

Here are a few pics.

Lovely hallway!

Kitchen! Yay!

Bathroom floor tiles, which are actually deep blue, not black.

My room!

More blocking!

2009-05-11T16:57:00.004-04:00

Here are some of my hand spun panels being blocked. Again, apologies for the bad image. Its hard to hold up the computer to take photos like that!

The blue and white one is the first bit of yarn I ever spun, way back in october. The orange and yellow was the second and third bits I ever spun and my first two ply. The pink and grey and blue and green are both much newer, and finer.

A little doily! And apologies for not posting lately...

2009-05-10T17:32:00.004-04:00

I made this little doily in the last week to help me get through the last bit of grad school. This is it being blocked.

Also:

I apologize for not posting more. I have finished my poncho, but my camera is broken (the picture above was taken with photobooth), and also, things be crazy at school! However, I will soon be done (FOREVER!!!) and intend on treating myself to a new camera before I go on vacation in June (*cough* *cough* unless someone *cough* wants to *cough* get me a graduation present...*cough* *ahem* *cough* *cough*)

Want to thank Karen's Variety for some amazing patterns!

2009-04-26T17:09:00.004-04:00

As I near the end of my little poncho project (photos soon I promise!) I started to look for other vintage patterns for my next knitting projects. I discovered Karen's Variety which has a lot of great vintage and antique patterns for sale at very reasonable prices. I bought three pattern books that I really look forward to working on. Anyone who like vintage knitting or small gauge knitting should really give her website a visit. :)

Havent gotten the scanner to work yet but heres my next project...

2009-02-18T23:15:00.004-05:00

Yes, I still havent gotten the scanner to work yet so I can post the pattern for my last sweater. AND I still havent gotten buttons for that one, though Ive already been wearing it!

Anywhoo...here is my current project. Pics to come. Ive done about 13 inches of the back so far.

Announcing the 283 Ladies Crafting Circle!

2009-02-15T16:47:00.003-05:00

I'm please to announce that, based on the success of my recent Valentines Making Party, I have decided to try and incorporate a small craft circle for regular events.

The 283 Ladies Crafting Circle is an attempt to both pay homage to and to resurrect the craft circle as a social institution. We hope to host a variety of events to bring together both women and men (while we are called a "ladies" craft circle, we do not discriminate based on gender) who desire greater sense of community and opportunities for crafting.

Check us out on facebook or email us at 283ladiescraftingcircle@gmail.com

Great Spinning Photo

2009-02-15T16:40:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share this. It was taken by my friend Mark (http://www.markchampionphotography.com) on Christmas Day. Im spinning an aquamarine yarn. Pics of that to come soon!

Sweater!

2009-02-14T08:56:00.005-05:00

Hello, all! Sorry its been so long since my last post. Its not that I havent been crafting, I've just been too busy to post.

Here are two quick pics of a sweater that I started over two years ago and put down, for whatever reason. I vowed I would finish it over the holiday, which I did, minus the buttons which I need to purchase. You can also see that I still have a few ends to sew in.

Cheers!

PS: Tried to scan the pattern with all my corrections, but its not working right now. Look for that soon!

Two new mini-skeins

2008-12-22T09:15:00.004-05:00

Pink and grey (which I already discussed) and white and grey. The pink and grey is 44 yards! Double any of the others! I dont know if I just spun it finer than the others or if there was just more fiber... The white and grey is 23 yards. Note that the grey of both these skeins is not solid grey, but has some other colors in.

2008-12-16T17:36:00.003-05:00

I made this video while waiting for my roommates to come pick me up for a night on the town. I hope you enjoy my metallic magenta spandex dress...Oh...and my spinning...

Lou models his socks and more spinning

2008-12-13T16:15:00.004-05:00

Here is my brother Louis modeling his booties. Sorry for the flash photography, but it was nighttime.

And here is a picture of my latest spinning. You'll recognize the pink from my last post. The other color is a variegated blue grey. Very nice. It spun up beautifully. Or it looked good, I suppose I should say...

I had so much trouble spinning the grey yarn, I dunno why. It just kept breaking on me, and then when I plied it with the pink they both broke twice! And then I just couldn't reattach it. I ended up tying a knot both times, which did not make me feel good, but I suppose Ill learn how to do it better next time? *sigh*

More spinning images...

2008-12-07T09:02:00.005-05:00

The following images show the continuation of my spinning. First, the green roving, then the finished skein of blue and green. It made about 20 yards. The last images shows some new pink yarn I've spun. It seems like each bit of roving I spin gives me more and more yardage as I learn to spin a finer more consistent yarn. The off colored pieces you see in some of the pictures (like the brownish orange yarn on the pink skein) are my leader line that I just haven't cut off yet.

Spinning

2008-11-29T18:27:00.001-05:00

I got this great little "do-it-like-its-colonial-times" spinning kit with a drop spindle while I was on vay-cay in rural PA. I spun the wool in the kit that same night, and ordered some more a week or so ago. Heres some photos of what Ive been spinning.

This is the skein of yellow and orange two ply yarn I made. Its about 17 yards long. Image 1 shows the skein, image two is my skein and drop spindle. Image three is my freshly wound ball of yarn, post soaking to "set" the twist.

This is some blue roving that I spun today into single ply yarn. Image 1 shows the roving separated out into pieces. Each one is about 12". Image 2 shows my work station. Notice my ingenious use of a candlestick holder. Image 3 shows the yarn partially spun and on the spindle (pretending to be a candlestick) and the last image shows the full amount of roving spun and on the spindle.

Lots of Projects! YAY!

2008-11-26T08:56:00.001-05:00

Dear friends and family,

Im starting this blog to catalogue some of the many projects Im working on, knitting and otherwise. Here are some current and recent projects:

These little booties I made from scrap yarn. Its Manos de Uruguay wool, in a deep purplish brown with a light pinkish beige trim. I knit these in about 3 days, mostly on the bus to and from Philly. The pattern comes out of the Debbie Bliss Baby Knits book. They are HUGE. 4 1/2 inches. Much too large to fit a 3-6 month child. Debbie Bliss, you are crazy, but its ok, they will be given to Lou, my baby bro.
The last image shows the ribbing under the fold.

The next project I would like to share is the hat Im working on.

Im not sure what brand the yarn is, Silky Wool maybe? Its a wool and silk blend, and was pretty inexpensive. About 175 yards for $7.95. Got it in Philly. The pattern comes out of Vogue Knitting's Fall issue. It has an error in the first line which I figured out once I was about 2 inches in. *sigh* So I started over. I also used a two needle cast on here because it gives a much tighter finish. When you start a hat from the crown instead of the brim this becomes important. The last image shows the underside of the hat, where the yarn is carried up to the next level.

And last but not least, the faux roll-top desk I bought this past weekend at the Fort Greene Flea.

It needs to be cleaned, sanded, primed, painted and braced. The legs are a bit wobbly. When I start work on it, I will look to see if I can find info on the manufacturer. The sides are made of panels of wood rather than solid pieced so I will paint it rather than stain it to cover some of that, I also want to get some decorative bolts for the sides where the hinges show.

:D