Yay for Christmas!

I had a pretty magnificent Christmas, even if it did mean running all over creation. See this?


This is the gorgeous sock yarn that Ben picked out for me for Christmas, in addition to Lantern Moon Ebony Sox Stixx. It's the Alpaca Yarn Co.'s Paca Peds Heels and Toes in Harvest. Now, add to that the fact that my winder tried to eat the yarn, and he spent 3 hours helping me untangle it! How could I not love this man? As a reward, I'm knitting him Masonic Lodge socks in Knit Picks Essential in Pine. He picked the color. Someone was hoping the words "masonic lodge" led to some secret site, weren't they?


As my reward for not killing anyone over Christmas, I'm knitting myself these Zombies in Ironstone Yarns Sock, a line that has been discontinued and I luckily managed to adopt at the local yarn store. That may tell you what kind of patronage they get...Anyway, I love the colors!

On a Christmas related note, that hat I designed for my brother? He didn't take it off all day Christmas Day. What do you know about a 14 year old boy who appreciates things like that? Who is this guy and where did he put my apathetic brother? More importantly, can I keep him?

Christmas knitting finished!

Read the title. It says all I have to say.

A new project, a new pattern - Barbed Wire

So I just knit this hat for my brother for Christmas from a stitch pattern in Barbara Walker's Charted Knitting Design. The cable is called Toggle Knot, but I think it looks like the knots on strands of barbed wire, hence the name. Someone on Ravelry asked for a pattern, so here it is!


This hat is made up of four 3 stitch ribs and four repeats of the Toggle Knot pattern. It is very stretchy, and should fit most adult heads.

Materials:

• app. 170 yards worsted weight yarn (it might be significantly less than this, but I used a 7 oz. skein of Vanna's choice that contains 340 yards, and I didn't use half)
• size 7 or 8 16" circular needle AND/OR five dpns of the same size (dpns will be necessary for decreases
• a cable needle if desired
• a tapestry needle for finishing

Basic abbreviations required:

• di: Double increase, represented by the flower-stem image in rows 2 and 6 of the cable chart - created by knitting into the back loop, then front loop, passing the stitches onto the right needle, then using the left needle to pick up the vertical strand created by the 2 stitches and knitting it
• dd: Double decrease, represented by the ^ symbol in rows 23 and 27 of the cable chart and referred to in decrease instructions - created by slipping 2 stitches as if to knit, knit 1 stitch, pass 2 slipped stitches over the knit stitch and off the needle
  
• p2tog: Purl 2 together
• p3tog: Purl 3 together
• k2tog: Knit 2 together

Instructions:

Cast on 96 stitches (divide evenly if working on dpns - 24 to a needle) and join to work in the round.

K3, P3 to end for 10 rows.

Next 2 rows: K3, P9 to end

Next 28 rows: K3, work corresponding row of cable chart to end.

Toggle Knot chart:

The dots refer to purls, the x's refer to stitches that are not there for that line of the pattern. (My apologies for the poor chart and explanation, I will try to get up my own chart when I can, for now we'll have to use a picture of the page from Charted Knitting Design.


After completing the chart, revert to K3, P9 to end for 5 rows.

Decrease Rows (These are intuitive decreases, but here are row by row instructions for those who would like them):

Decrease Row 1: K3, P1, P2tog, P3, P2tog, P1 to end
Knit one row in pattern.

Decrease Row 2: K3, P1, P2tog, P1, P2tog, P1 to end
Knit one row in pattern.

Decrease Row 3: K3, P1, P3tog, P1 to end
Knit one row in pattern.

Decrease Row 4: K3, P3tog to end
Knit one row in pattern.

Decrease Row 5: DD, P1 to end
Knit one row in pattern

Decrease Row 6: K2tog to end

Cut yarn, leaving at least a 6" tail. Using a tapestry needle, thread yarn through live stitches twice, then secure. Weave in your cast-on tail, and ta-da, you have a hat!

Any comments on how to improve this pattern would be greatly appreciated, especially since I'm still new at this pattern stuff! You can leave them here or send them to me on Ravelry: I'm swordsandneedles.

Christmas Diversion Complete

Well, I've finished my fun knitting, and now I have to seriously get down to the Christmas stuff. I'm not pleased, but hopefully everyone else will be. I'm still waiting on my swap package, so I hope it arrives soon. For now, all I've got is a pictures of my finished scarf that I love to pieces.



Mmm....warm and fuzzy...

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Christmas Knitting...

For a belated jump onto the bandwagon!


So, I went to Bellevue, Kentucky while I was home for Thanksgiving and hit up a yarn store called Knit On. Amazing stuff they had there. And since I'm setting up a moratorium on yarn purchases until March, I indulged one last time. What you see above is my version of the Noro Striped Scarf done up in a slightly cheaper fashion. I'm using Noro Taiyo and Harrisville Designs Wool and Flax Blend and enjoying knitting a 1x1 rib scarf entirely too much. Don't get me wrong, there is other knitting happening, just not so much while I enjoy myself. I did finish a couple of dishcloths for my step-aunt, though.

Now to just motivate myself on the other Christmas projects instead of the scarf...

Swap project finished!

Last night I completed my big project for the Odd Ducks 30s and 40s Hollywood Glamour Swap! It took me almost a month of nearly continuous knitting, but it is complete. Too bad you won't see anything of it until my partner receives it. I couldn't get any decent pictures, so hopefully her camera is more effective, as I've already packaged it up. I'm just waiting on address confirmation before sending it off. I hope she likes her package. I can't wait to get mine!

I feel sorry for my swap partner.

Whoever she is, she hasn't had much to read recently. I'm part of a Hollywood Glamour Swap on Ravelry. I won't post any project pictures here until after I've mailed off my package, in case my receiving partner might be watching. Let's just say there's a lot of effort going into this project.

Classes are starting to wind down for fall quarter, and we're preparing for finals and winter break, which means real knitting time. However, I have finished another interesting project.

It's my first colorwork! Not spectacular, but I'm quite proud of my mittens. Now, back to I can't remember how many other projects. Happy Halloween!

Some projects will drive you crazy...

Ask 'Bine. This owl has threatened my patience and my sanity. But he is darn cute. He's for my friend Tim, in exchange for turning a broken epee blade into a dagger blade for me. I'm quite proud of this little guy, but I never intend to knit another owl ever again. So there.

Anyway, school has started back up and I've managed to already bury myself in homework even though it sounds like I'm only taking fun classes. Does History through Star Trek sound like I should be reading essays on anti-colonialism? I didn't think so. It's also the only class where I'm not allowed to knit. So boo. Nonetheless much knitting has been done, but has already been shipped off without pictures, and some projects I'm just too lazy to take pictures of, like a Manos del Uruguay hat I made for myself. Mine. All mine. So pretty and mine....

What? Two Posts in One Month?

A fairly productive Olympics if I do say so myself. I made a scarf and a pair of socks. Now to finish those deadline socks that I should have been working on. I've cast on for the second, does that count?



Anyway, I love these socks, I knitted them on the Magic Loop (Knit Picks Harmony circulars, 40", size 2) in the Jaywalker pattern that originally came from MagKnits. They fit just right. I did a stretchy cast-on to be sure, though, since I'd read about some of them being tight. The yarn is great fun to work with. Lion Brand Sock-Ease in Rock Candy. (All of their colors are named after candies.) There's aloe in the yarn, good for the hands. Not much else going on, though. Trying to convince myself to do some wedding planning. Not working out so well. I'm definitely ready for school to start back.

For Judi

So I don't have pictures of the bag I made, but I do have pictures of a new FO. I signed up to join Ravelympics, a knitting challenge that runs through the Olympics. I signed up to finish a sweater (that I've already started), a pair of socks (still not started yet), and a scarf (just completed). And since my camera is somewhat cooperating with my computer, I have a picture.

Specs: worked on 10s in Mainstays (Wal-Mart brand) acrylic yarn, color is Vallejo Tan. Based on the Komet sock pattern with a 4 st seed stitch border. Apologies to the non-Ravelers on the link. Anyway, it's for my cousin Jenny for Christmas.

Other than that, life proceeds as usual, with some discussion of wedding plans and lots of Olympics watching. Particularly volleyball. And some fencing. The gold medal match for sabre was pretty cool.

Honest, I haven't fallen off the edge of the world...

I'm still here and still knitting. But schoolwork and then lack of reliable internet have not permitted me to blog as I would like. I'm at work now, but everyone else is gone. I finished a pair of monstersocks for my brother, and a Hedwig the Owl for my boss's daughter. In progress is a Brea Bag out of Red Heart Supersaver. Knitting double with that will hurt your hands, but it promises to be a very sturdy bag. I'm also over half done with an Urban Aran cardigan, but that's been put away until the weather cools down.

Ben and I have also moved in together, much to my parents' dismay, but we're learning how to make a life together work. Doesn't everyone need a practice run?

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but when my camera and the internet can get together again, I promise some.

Sock Victorious!

You know what these are? That's right, finished!!!!!!!!!

Can I add a few more exclamation points? !!!!!!!!

Now to figure out what to do next.

Sock pictures and a random inserted project...

So, I did finally finish one stocking, though I'm piddling on the second. I'm quite proud of it and like to show it off. So I will show it off here, too. Ha.


Also, because I got sick of the Sock, I decided to make a snood! Don't ask why, I'm not sure either. Ta da!

Other than that, it's finals week, and a real pain. I go home Friday to celebrate a week off and Easter, have my wisdom teeth removed, and get glasses.

Camera Laziness and an Etsy Contest!

So, my first stocking has rounded the heel and the foot is about two inches long. I am too lazy to take a picture until it is completely finished. So there. But I'm so proud of it and keep showing it off at SCA meetings.

Also, stop by NH Knitting Mama's blog or her etsy shop. She's running a contest and she sells beautiful yarn!

Progress and Domination!

See this? This isn't even the updated picture!

What you see is the beginning of my Eleanora of Toledo sock, which is now a few inches longer and well into decrease territory. I'm too lazy to take a new picture, so this is what you get for now. I'm quite proud of my pattern alteration skills, as I've had to adjust for pattern mistakes and my own preferences. Perhaps there will be more to come on that.

Also, guess who won Top Female Player of the ACUI Division 7 Regional College Bowl Tournament? That would be me! (Or I, if you're grammatically insane.) We came in 4th overall, but I'm still so excited. It would have been an even better weekend if I'd gotten some homework done, but I guess I can't have it all.

YAY!

One Project Down, and a New One Up!

So I finished the Green Tea socks, and now I've started the Eleanor of Toledo socks, mostly because Sabine gave me the pattern and I was amused, so we shall have to see how it works out. (It'll be funny to see what she thinks on Craft Night Thursday.) They're going slowly. I'm only knitting them on 1.5's, so I feel bad for those who used 0's. They will be a looonnng project. I'll probably have something else going at the same time, and I have no expectations of finishing them this quarter. Oh well. Just wanted to drop by and mention the newness!!!

Valentines!

So, I know now that I'm not getting any Peace Fleece for V-Day, but I'm getting a schlager! Hooray swords for romantic occasions! Also, anyone reading might want to stop by Bark and Knit to enter a contest (ending on the 14th) by telling how they met their significant other. (And she sends honest to goodness responses.) Enjoy!

P.S. The second sock is almost done, but I have to stop and make myself read Native Son for English class.

P.P.S. Yay swords!

Continuing Progress

First piece of evidence for why I shouldn't use a camera. And here is the second piece of evidence.



These are both shots of the first sock for my sister, made on 3's (they're actually too short for me). I just hope my sister likes them. Earl Grey by the Yarn Harlot in Cucumber Melon from Thank Ewe. I like the colors, but then, green is my thing.

Now I'm just hoping that the Cat gets me what he said he'd get me for Valentine's Day...Peace Fleece!!!

Work in Progress

If my camera were more cooperative, I'd post a picture of the almost finished sock for my sister, based on Earl Grey by the Yarn Harlot. It's in a green handdyed yarn, so I'm calling it Green Tea, because I think it's funny. Then I intend to make some frankensocks for my brother, and then I might attempt Eleanora of Toledo's stockings, for the heck of it. I also entered a contest for the first time at My House of Wool, and I'm blindly hopeful, even though there are so many applicants. Right now the Cat and I are trying to find a place to live for next year, and it's not going too well, mostly because of arguments with the parents. Just keep hoping and praying.

Pictures!!!

See, there it is, I actually finished it and got to take a picture, even if it's not spectacular. Grandma seems quite proud of it, though, which is all that really matters. I went home over MLK weekend to have Grandma take measurements for my wedding dress (she's going to make it) and I got to take this picture and eat some home-cooked food that I didn't have to prepare. Hurray for lazy college students. I really just want to show off my first lace project, so here's a fuzzy, but more color-accurate picture:

Grandma's chair is modeling with the assistance of some pillowcases. The pattern is available for free from MimKnits, and I made mine on KnitPicks Harmony Options, size 5, out of KnitPicks Shadow in Vineyard Heather.

I'm currently making a chevron scarf for a friend, and then I guess it will be socks for siblings, but it's up in the air, really.

Project finally complete!

Finally I have finished my sister's Christmas socks. They are the Boyfriend Socks by slippedstitch worked on 1.5's in KnitPicks Essentials Bare (aka Confetti Socks). It's taken a while, but I am quite proud of them, and hopefully she will enjoy them! Now to figure out what my next project will be...

Back in School

I now have regular computer access again, which makes me very happy, but nonetheless, I still have no pictures to put up. Christmas knitting got a little crazy, but I finished the Adamas shawl on Christmas Day by shortening it by 3 repeats. I also blocked something for the first time. I was very proud of it, and hopefully I can take pictures when I go home for MLKJ day. My sister's second sock is almost finished, and the atypically.knit-style scarf for my uncle is complete, along with a pair of simple hats for my roommate and her boyfriend. Classes are in full swing and are probably going to drive me crazy, so the only time I'll have to knit will be in class. Hopefully that means there will be some progress. I'm just worried that after I finish those socks I won't have anything to do, because I can't afford to buy yarn right now. :( Oh well, that's college life.