Spoiled by Ravelry

So folks, have you missed me?

I blame Ravelry and depression for keeping me from blogging. Ravelry for being, in my mind, a sufficient place to communicate what's going on in my life, and depression for making me not care whether or not it was.

Right now, I'm deep in the midst of Christmas knitting, and thinking that I'm way behind. But completed so far, we have:

Savanna's Jayne Hat

Hillorie's Monkeys

Lizzie's Pat-a-Cake Mittens


And I think that's it. Eeek!

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!

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.

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.

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!!!