Weekend Wind-Up

The socks are finally finished!

Through some amazing feat of the universe, the friend for whom these were made was actually in Las Vegas this weekend, on vacation with their partner. So I was able to give these in person, and he immediately tried them on, started raving about how awesome they feel, and said "once you wear handknit socks, you don't want to wear anything else."
Talk about being knit-worthy!
(That's someone who will almost certainly get another pair.)

I've started a pair of socks for myself!

I actually got really far on these, considering I started them Friday evening at dinner. My hands started hurting after I made it through the heel, so I put them down for a while.
The yarn is Wisdom Yarns Pix in the colorway "Succulent." I like the purple, and I like self-patterning yarns for socks. Although, if I'm being perfectly honest, I chose this yarn based on not having to wind it (like most of the sock yarns I have in my stash) or match dye lots on two 50g balls (I have a bunch of Felici in the stash, too).

Oh, that patriotic tape I started weaving last week? I finished it. I'm getting a bit better, but still there is a lot of variation on my tension (and subsequently, the width).

It's a long weekend, which should be nice - but both the boys are sick, which is not so fun. Luckily, it seems to be a minor cold, but sniffling kids don't sleep very well. Which means Mom doesn't sleep so well.

Weekend Wind-Up

Sad news: my favorite local yarn shop, Mirage Fiber Arts, closed down earlier this month. Now I'm stuck with online shopping for most of my favorite yarns.

On the upside, I purchased an inkle loom on clearance. And I've already started weaving. And I'm learning that I have plenty of room for improvement.

First weaving project

I took a weaving class in high school, so it's not as though this is completely new to me. But sophomore year was twenty-two years ago. And although all three use yarn, weaving is a lot different than knitting or crochet.

Still, I'm enjoying this. 

Yes, it's patriotic.

In crochet news, I'm making progress on my Doors of Durin filet project. It's the project bag attached to the stroller, so it goes with me to drop-off/pick-up C from preschool. 

And I finished this gorgeous shawl! The pattern is Over the Willamette by Jenn Wolfe Kaiser, the yarn is from Forbidden Woolery - the "Veiled Scandal" colorway I picked up at Vogue Knitting Live. It uses almost two skeins (I really should just weigh this and figure out exactly how much). Oh, wait. The scale is right next to my computer...173g, so 1.73 skeins.

 The details on this are just so pretty!

There's also this pair of socks that I promised for one of my friends. I finished one sock, I've turned the heel on this one, and now I'm panicking a bit because the color stripes aren't going to match on the leg. I really hope my friend loves these being hand-knit just for them enough to overlook the imperfection.

So, pretty good weekend. How was yours?

Weekend Wind-up

I really, really wanted to say I finished a sock this weekend.
I didn't.
I didn't even finish it this morning, although I'm binding off:

And then I need to make the second sock (luckily, second-sock-syndrome is not something from which I suffer).

I did manage to get another handle on that market bag:

And the garden is coming along. I think. Here's what the vegetable box looks like right now:

The cucumber plants got big. So did the basil. I really hope the cucumbers produce - I've seen evidence of cutter bees on the rose bushes, so I know we have pollinators around here. I'm just really eager for the fruit to grow!

Weekend Wind-up

I didn't actually manage to finish anything this weekend, but I did make some progress. And I started another project. Because I have to keep crafting. It's an addiction. 

First up: The nearly-finished grocery bag. This is not the same pattern that I just wrote and released on Saturday; this is the leftover yarn from that bag, and I had a choice between making two dishcloths or making a small mesh bag. I have plenty of dishcloths already. 

Just one more handle to go

Next: I started a sock. Again. Because I have a serious case of startitis with socks. But as this pair is for a friend, I might actually finish them.

Seriously, I'll finish this pair!

Finally, there's this pair of wool shorts that are very nearly complete...except for the drawstring and lanolizing that will ready them as a diaper cover/springtime clothing.

Oh, and I might have added a bit to the stash...but, I mean, I had to buy a new circular for the socks. And I didn't want to wait for shipping, which meant I had to visit the yarn shop...and no one expects to walk into a yarn shop like Sin City Knits and not buy yarn, right? At least I kept it manageable. A skein of Vintage (I've got a bit of inspiration to design something) and a skein of self-patterning sock yarn. Because, like I said, I've got a serious case of sock startitis. 

Weekend Wind-Up

I finally finished that market bag I started a few weeks back.

This one is made from KnitPicks Dishie Multi, which I absolutely love for kitchen cotton! It's much nicer to work with than Sugar & Cream, and the colors don't fade as fast. 

Of course, it's thinner than Sugar & Cream - which means the gauge is different, and thus this bag is smaller than the first.

That's ok, though! It's a market bag, not a fitted garment. It just has to hold soup cans and cereal boxes, or apples and clamshells of berries (especially since it's spring, and strawberries are back in season).

I also finished this lovely shawl:

The pattern is Blackcomb, and I enjoyed crocheting this immensely. However, I chose a yarn that just didn't have the yardage I needed for a shawl that would be my size (which is, um, ample up top). I should have read the ballband closer, it was only 75 grams. But look at that color changing! The colorway is called Aloha, and I really think it does suggest an island sunrise. (This was part of my yarn haul from VKL last month, I'm so excited to already start working through it!)

Weekend Wind-Up

Well, I managed to finish the crochet shorts!

They fit perfectly over a large prefold. I still have to lanolize them, but I'm quite happy with the result.
These were made from the Little Fire Crochet Pants pattern (Ravelry pattern page is here). I typically knit wool diaper covers, but decided to try out this pattern in honor of both NatCroMo and the Earth Day CAL I'm doing.
One thing I liked about this pattern is the lack of short rows for shaping - instead, half-double and double crochet stitches are used to give extra length on the back side.

It's especially nice as it doesn't cause obvious patterning changes with variegated yarns. This yarn is fairly monochromatic, so it wouldn't be as noticeable anyway, but on some colorways it really shows.

Shortly after I finished these, we had a crazy dust storm. I went outside to secure everything on the patio, and snapped a picture while I was out - it was crazy haze.

Seriously, there is no filter on this. Here's what it normally looks like (from a slightly different angle)(ignore the weeds, please, it's an ongoing struggle):

We didn't lose power, but I did lose a few branches off one of the rose bushes. And our welcome mat got flipped over. And there was dust everywhere. But otherwise, we're fine.

I had another bout of startitis, and just had to begin making a shawl.

That's one of the yarns I got at Vogue Knitting Live, I've already hit the first color change (you can see the last row is green instead of yellow), and I'm loving how this is working up!

Finally, I have some garden news. I have a carrot sprout!

 And a strawberry!

I hope you had a great weekend, too!

Weekend Wind-Up

I did manage to get some crocheting done this weekend! Nothing is finished yet, but that's ok.

Remember this market bag I made earlier in the month? Well, I'm making another one. This is out of KnitPicks Dishie, which is so much nicer to work with than Sugar & Cream. The cotton is a bit thinner, so I'm using a 5.0mm hook instead of 5.5mm. This will also make a slightly smaller bag, but that's ok! The mesh will stretch quite a bit. 

I'm also using this project to trouble-shoot the notes I made from the prototype. If I can actually nail down the challenges and solve them, I'll have a workable pattern to share. 

And I'm working on a pair of shorts for Grant. It's starting to warm up, and in the hot weather I'd rather use a wool diaper cover than a plastic one. Wool is breathable, he stays cooler. I haven't made this pattern before (I usually knit diaper covers), so it's interesting to see the different construction. 

The yarn is Malabrigo Worsted in Comfy Junkie, and I'm using a 4.0mm hook - my gauge was spot-on with the first swatch, which is always a nice feeling! It's like the pattern just wants to be made, right away!

Hopefully, I'll be able to finish at least one of these before Friday, so I can have more than one completed project to wrap up National Crochet Month!

Weekend Wind-Up

I didn't get much time with a hook or needles this weekend. Instead, I planted some vegetables. 

Rather than build raised garden beds (Tim would never agree to that, anyway), I'm trying my hand at container gardening. I found this planter box at Lowe's, then visited Star Nursery for the potting mix and seedlings. I have bush beans, cucumbers, and basil and oregano in this box.

If I get one cucumber, I'll call it success. 

These are carrots. Or at least, they will be. I hope. 

Strawberries. I have very low expectations for these, but the notes at Star Nursery said this variety is well suited to containers, so I'm hopeful.

And then, I decided I wanted something ornamental for the patio. 

Eventually, I'll build a stand for this one. 

Who knows how this will turn out. Gardening in Las Vegas isn't the same as gardening elsewhere, but then again I haven't really gardened elsewhere. We'll see! 

Weekend Wind-up

So here's what the weekend produced:

This scarf, which is pretty short but very colorful.

It's the Lizard pattern by Jasmin Räsänen, which is easily adjustable to any gauge and works up very quickly. The yarn is Premier Yarns Serenity Garden Sport, and I used a 5.0mm hook. 

Yeah ok the scarf is barely long enough to wrap around my neck once, but have you ever been to Las Vegas? I was planning on this being my "keep cool" scarf this summer (the kind of scarf you either wear to mop up your sweat, or dip in water to keep your neck cool). It doesn't need to be long, it just needs to be cheerful. 

I've made considerable progress on this filet crochet project. I think I'm about 20% through it by now; when it's finished, it will be either a wall hanging (if I ever manage to mount and frame it) or (more likely) a doily on top of the sideboard. I'm using KnitPicks Curio crochet thread, and a 1.75mm hook.

And finally, I've started on a market bag.

The inspiration to start this one came from the Earth Day Crochet Along in one of the Ravelry groups I belong to. (Please note: if you are not a member of Ravelry, you won't be able to view any of the forums. The website is free to join, though, and is a wonderful database of yarns, crochet/knit patterns, and projects.) 

Anyway, the CAL is not a particular pattern, but more of a general theme. Reusable items, like market bags and dishcloths, or recycled/upcycled items such as plarn (yarn made from plastic bags) or reclaimed yarn from old sweaters. 

I've been meaning to make some more market bags; I would like to make a shift to reusable bags when grocery shopping, and my local Smith's gives me bonus loyalty points when I bring my own bags. So I decided this CAL was a perfect reason to design one! (Wait, did I say "design"? Why, yes I did!)

So it's started, and (hopefully) I'll have it completed by next weekend, and once it's completed I'll have a pattern to share. 

Weekend Wind-up

Another productive weekend!

Finished, blocked, and mailed the Onodrim shawl:

It should be reaching its intended human today. I hope she likes it. 

And I made another pair of ballet flats:

And now it's just a matter of finishing up some items for a themed swap I'm participating in, and getting those mailed out by this coming Saturday. It's the crunch time, which I actually enjoy, even when it stresses me out a bit. 

Weekend Wind-Up

On Saturday, I finally made it to an event at my local yarn store (LYS), Mirage Fiber Arts. It was Brunch Knitting, and if you imagine that means people knitting and crocheting while eating french toast and drinking coffee and mimosas - you're absolutely right.
I made a lot of progress on my Onodrim shawl. I'm about halfway through it, now, and I might even finish it before my birthday...oh, wait, that's next weekend. Probably not going to happen. But I might finish by the end of the month. That's a more realistic goal. Did I mention I'm using madelinetosh Tosh Sock to make this? The colorway is "leopard".

I'm also working on a giant cowl, which is also crocheted lace. This is made from Blue Sky Fibers Metalico, which is 50% alpaca/50% silk and really soft to work with. I've caught myself snuggling with it already, and I need to just finish it so I can wear it. What's that? I live in Las Vegas, and the temperature has been creeping up towards the 70's already? Yes, I know. I also know that the movie theatres and restaurants like to keep their air conditioning set at "arctic". I'll still get plenty of use out of a cowl, even in the spring and summer (and fall).

My other big accomplishments from this weekend involved laundry and vacuuming, which are not nearly as fun as crocheting and knitting...but that doesn't stop me from feeling accomplished about them. Especially as I rescued a couple of stitch markers from the vacuum (after they'd been eaten by the couch).

There's also the part where I picked up my order of Girl Scout cookies, and didn't immediately consume an entire box. Instead, I hid them from the family stored them carefully in the freezer. This time next week, we'll see how many are left...

It's December What? (weekend wind-up)

It's a bit late to be posting a Weekend Wind-up, but here I am anyway.

Today was the last day to ship to/from a Fleet Post Office and be sure that your package will arrive in time for Christmas.

Momma, I am sorry, I did not get yours out in time.

But I did manage to get all the hand-knit goodies for my 6(!) nieces & nephews in the post today.
I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I don't think any of them read this blog, so here's a little peek anyway:

I hope that 1) these fit and 2) they are liked. I will even be happy with one of the two.
Oh, and those pretty hats in the middle? Both of those came from Pacific Knits, which means that this particular book can be marked as "Complete" in my little project.
(What project? The one I decided to take on a few months ago, described in this post. I'm rather terrible about updating, though - really need to work on that!)

Of course...I might have totally added a few more patterns since then. The count is up to 1091. More to come on that.

I hope you are having a lovely holiday season!

Weekend Wind-up

Well, I'm back from my two-week hiatus. And you know what? I managed to accomplish what I set out to do...and then some!

If you recall from this post, my challenge to myself was knitting two items that wrap around the neck.
They haven't been blocked yet, but that is due to weather in Sasebo, which has been switching between raining and very high winds. I can't use the floor inside for anything thanks to three cats and a crawling baby, so blocking has had to wait.
But here's the Common Bean:

And the Windsor Warmer:

And I also decided to make a sock monkey. It's crocheted, so not technically a sock monkey, but it's still handmade, which is better than the cheap piece of yuck that I saw on a friend's baby registry. (Yes, the sock monkey will be a shower gift. Along with a diaper cake, because I'm a show-off like that.)
His ears aren't sewn on yet, for some reason they've been giving me issues, but here he is:

Pretty neat, huh? But wait, there's more! Since the expectant friend is also planning to use cloth diapers, I had to knit her some diaper covers as well:

So there it is. Two weeks of yarnalicious activity!
The next two weeks are supposed to be dedicated to motifs. Hopefully I can do this!