Just a quickie to post these pictures:
The dreaded nupps. Can I just say that I am terrible at nupps? Because I am. :/
Archive for the ‘knitting’ Category
Annis is done~
Thursday, June 17th, 2010More WIP wars
Saturday, June 12th, 2010I seem to have issues finishing things. Behold, exhibit A:
One shoulder seam, and the zipper, and I’m done! Sadly, that shoulder seam has languished in that state for about two weeks now.
However, in my defense, I present this.
The Sipalu bag that I started in January is off the needles. Now it, too, can languish in Finishing Purgatory until I get around to it.
I can’t be too hard on myself, though, because check out how awesome it is.
Anyways, I did in fact cast on the Annis shawl. Lace, especially long skinny lace like this, looks boring on the needles:
I have to set all of this aside for now, though, and do some major seaming work on SECRET PROJECT. It is at least easy, if not terribly interesting.
Status Update!
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010It’s been quiet here because I’m working on so many SECRET PROJECTS.
SECRET PROJECT #1 is done and just needs photos and wrapping paper.
SECRET PROJECT #2 is in the same state.
SECRET PROJECT #3, which is huge and has been spotted in the wild at knit night, just needs to be washed and blocked.
SECRET PROJECT #4 needs washing, blocking, and seaming.
This is the problem with gift knitting – I can’t write WIP reports! But boy, will I have some things to show off soon.
In the meantime, I am also finishing the Sipalu bag – it just needs two more rows of colorwork and a top welt. Then I need to figure out how I’m going to do the strap and closure, because I don’t like the originals. HMM.
After that, a certain Meg has convinced me to knitalong an Annis shawlette. Can I get it done before vacation? LET’S FIND OUT!
Since I’ve been gone
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010Man, it’s hard to keep up with a knitting blog when you’re knitting presents for people who might see said blog. Then I felt like I should have posted those presents after Christmas, but I never got proper pictures, and yeah. Things got backed up.
So here’s a quick update: I made two sweaters. They were awesome. You will probably never see them. I know, life is terribly hard.
I also made the Klein Bottle hat and it was an utter failure. It might maybe fit my two-year-old, but it certainly doesn’t fit my brother. I still need to redo it.
Finally, here’s something I do have a picture for: the Chunky Braided Scarf. I used Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. It made my brother-in-law quite happy. Me, I like the faux fringe created with ribbing.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper Christmas without a present that didn’t get made. Yes, I am still working on a sweater for my husband! I presented him with some lovely options, but since men are boring, he chose the plain vanilla raglan sweater. Oh, the miles and miles of stockinette I have knit! I actually finished the body and one sleeve, but the sleeve turned out comically large. Now I am trying to figure out the best way to decrease out all the bulk. I have a sinking feeling this will involve Math. Math and I are not the greatest of pals. It’s not that Math is a bad guy; it’s just that I have trouble understanding him sometimes. Really, even basic Math escapes me on a depressingly often basis.
On the plus side, I did finish something lovely! And I took a picture to show off the effects of my new sock blockers:
How awesome is that? It helps that I got a Rowenta commercial steamer after Christmas, with the help of a massive sale and a gift card. That’s right, it’s so great that even the words sparkle. Every time I use it, I swear hearts and flowers are surrounding us.
*cough* Right, knitting. These are Mini Mochi EYE socks, from Crystal Palace. I majorly messed up the lacework, but honestly? Nobody’s gonna notice. I just see lovely stripes and feel how darn SOFT these socks are.
What’s next in the pipe for me? Two (!) child cardigans for my duckling, two (!!) colorwork projects, some weaving (did I mention I got a loom, too?), and that darn mansweater. All in the next post!
notes to self
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009Dear Self,
No, you may not start a shawl. You have two sweaters on the needles right now (remember that other one? Hmm?), and the laptop bag, and if you cast on another giant project you will go cukoobananas. Put that laceweight down right now, missy.
You may, however, cast on a new pair of socks if you want. I am not entirely cruel, and that yarn you got for that sekrit project is not going to work for said project but would make a lovely pair of socks.
Oh, and remember: you have 14 swatches to knit for TKGA! Yeah, you were hoping I wouldn’t say anything, weren’t you?
Love,
The sane part of your brain.
In other news, I made Monkey socks! They are, well, Monkey-like. But they fit! Huzzah!
the devil’s in the gutters
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
I am making a shrug! I based it off the Everybody’s Doing It pattern. I used garter stitch instead of seed stitch, though, and made as many border rows as I damn well pleased. As a person with extra-wide arms, wider bands tend to look more proportionate on me. Also, the yarn is so very, very soft.
I also picked up a hank of Noro’s Daria Multi in order to make some cute I-cord bracelets. Noro and I have such a love-hate relationship. This time around, I love the yarn but I hate how it absolutely refuses to become a ball. Honestly, I should go to JoAnn and ask for an empty trim spool – the sort with two posts – as I bet it would be the only thing that could properly tame this yarn. It’s more cord then yarn, anyways.
The other thing I’m working on is the TKGA Masters Program, Level I. I have heard tell that it can turn a normal knitter into a neurotic wreck, and it is SO TRUE. It’s for good reason, though; I’m learning how to really watch my tension and quality. The picture above is my billionth attempt at 2×2 ribbing. I am supremely unsatisfied with my ribbing skills. I am trying to tame the gutters that form in the second knit stitch, and so far I have not had much luck. Trust me, it looks worse in person. *sob*
In order to prevent myself from feeling completely inadequate, I knit Swatch 10, which deals with yarnovers. I discovered I also hate my yarnovers. Did you know that it’s possible to do them wrong? I mean, aside from wrapping the wrong way. I mean, mine were all sloppy. This did not help my feelings of inadequacy.
Finally, I turned to something I really can do: Swatch 4, bar increases. Bar increases! Easy peasy! I’ve done tons of those! In fact, it only took me about eight tries to get a decent swatch. I actually have to finish the top of that swatch, so there is no picture yet.
Yeah, I’m taking this program pretty seriously. How seriously? I knit a gauge swatch, which I then washed and blocked before I measured it. Doing things properly and by-the-book from the get-go? That’s serious business right there.
Picspam time!
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
The Fake Isle hat.
The Aguona laptop sleeve in progress. It looks way cooler than I actually am.
I am kind of irritated with Knit Picks, because they printed the two charts for the bag on two sides of the same page, meaning I have to pull the chart off my board every time I need to change charts – which is twice per row. If they were on separate pages, I could magnet them back-to-back. I ended up scanning them into Photoshop and following it on my laptop.
Things I done did
Monday, June 15th, 2009I realize I need to get photos for these things, but I’m just so lazy.
Recently finished objects:
- Fake Isle hat (needs blocking)
- Striped mat (needs ends woven in)
- 2, yes two, Clapotis-es
- Several dishcloths.
I also took the plunge and signed up for the TKGA Masters Course, level 1. I anticipate many learning experiences, and also tears, which are also learning experiences.
<kirk>NAAAAAAAN!</kirk>
Friday, April 17th, 2009Okay, I’m still obsessing over this book. I am declaring tonight to be NAAN NIGHT. To facilitate this, I picked up some ghee the other day. I also made the mistake of looking at the nutrition label on the ghee. It is about as healthy as one would expect clarified butter to be…
To combat that, I’m also going to try making the granola recipe. Sadly, I had almost none of the nice healthy ingredients needed. Yeah, I’m never gonna lose weight with my pantry like this.
In non-food news, I picked up some trim for the Flora Dress. I had an old Spool O’ Ribbon that I thought would work, but it was too shiny. Instead, I found this adorable, soft, multicolor braid. I love it – it keeps the dress festive.
See that line across the bodice? That’s where I screwed up the dot pattern repeat. Whoops. I still need to put the elastic shirring through the bodice, though, and I’m hoping the elastic will hide that little oops. It’s more obvious in some lights, anyways.
Next up: elastic, blocking, and then straps.
OFF THE NEEDLES
Thursday, April 16th, 2009My Flora Dress is off the needles! Finishing a knit is the greatest feeling in the world.
Of course, I still have a lot of finishing to do, but hey. It’s off the needles!
Pics later.