Update: Wool Leaves

... I love my almost nephew.  I love my almost nephew.  And if I keep repeating it, maybe I won't set his baby blanket on fire.

2 row pattern.  Why can't I figure this out???

No photo, because I'm incredibly demoralized.

Today I have...

Today I have:

• Knit 4 rows on J's sweater.  Putting me at something like 100 rows total and about halfway up the back.
• knit and torn out 2 rows on the baby blanket.  72 stitches is not 71.  Nor is 70.  No, I do not know where I screwed up.
• decided to say fuck it, ripped out the entire thing and recast on, 1 repeat wider this time.  I'm using the rationale of "it was not wide enough" to justify ripping out 2.5 repeats of the pattern, something like 44 rows.  Better that than cutting it off, setting it on fire, and laughing manically at work
• tangled my yarn.
• balled my yarn and am now contemplating design changes and 

I'm currently trying to decide if adding 4 more stitches, in addition to the pattern repeat, will make the moss stitch look like moss stitch.  or if i add 8 more, i can do double moss stitch and possibly, maybe, not have the border look like ass.

I have a finished project to post, which I'll do Sunday night since I don't have it with me and I'm going to my folks immediately after work.  I don't know when I'll be back other than "by 3 on Sunday."

Pass the wine and the chocolate please.

General Update

In order of completion:

Sea Tide Socks: don't fit properly, and while I love the yarn, I hate the heel and how they fit.  Also, I cast off too tightly on one, so I have to work at it to make it onto my foot.  I need to find someone with long fat feet and skinny ankles.  I don't think this person exists.  So... I guess these will just kinda hang out.  Unless I decide to frog them entirely, which might happen, but is unlikely.

Fuzzy photo taking for the win!

Sweater update: am currently on skeins 2 and 3, and a little over half way through the first repeat of the main cable.  I might not need to do a full 3rd repeat, but we're not sure at the moment.  Also, the sleeves and armholes?  Still haven't worked that out.  I need to go the library and get some books.

I bought skeins 4-6 yesterday, completely emptying their stock.  And I need at least 10 more skeins I think.  The original pattern calls for about 1400 yards, at 217 yards/ skein= 7 skeins.  Double that since I have to hold the yarn double= 14.  Plus some extra because J is huge.  So I guess I'll have to do a special order.  Which is going to have to wait a paycheck, at least.

Pencil for scale again

Pirate Hat: someone gag me with a spoon.  It looks like a mini-skirt.  The pattern is overly fussy (yes, I realize the stupidity of the cosplay sweater being less of a pain than the soon to be felted hat).  Starting from the outside and working in may be the more logical way of doing this so it felts properly, but the decreases seem to be placed randomly and I'm currently at that awkward place where it's too small for the circular but too big for the dpns.  Also, that's not counting the pain finding size 13 dpns was.  And that's just borrowing them.  For a while, I was thinking I was going to need to sharpen a frickin dowel rod.  

Currently, this is on hold while I find the other ball of yarn that got moved somewhere over the weekend.  I currently don't even have enough to finish the row I'm now.  I'm pretty sure I saw it this morning, or at least the bag it should be in, but I was in a hurry and didn't have time to check.  I should be able to at least finish the knitting part of it this weekend, but probably not the felting.  I should probably go look up good instructions on how to felt.  Hrm.

Birthing Socks: These were originally supposed to be for me, in their toe and heel-less glory.  But those stupid stirrups at the dr's office get really cold.  And in summer, with it already being freezing inside due to the A/C? Screw that noise.  So these are now for Baby SH's mom.  Hopefully, she'll get more use out of them than just birthing, but, whatever.

Currently, there is no progress to speak of on these as I somehow dropped 7 stitches (or cast on the wrong number) while knitting from ball band to the heel, so when I went to increase for the almost gusset... bad things happened.  So it was promptly frogged.  I've about 3 more rows where I need to pay attention and then it drops into a much less attention needing rib.  Unless I decide to do the bottom in moss stitch for some extra cushioning?  Not sure yet.  This is definitely one of those pattern as a general guideline sort of deals.

Goals list:  I went through and pruned and updated it.  Every time I try to knit something for myself, it ends up getting turned into a gift anyway, so I just dropped most of the stuff I was doing for me.  I might add a second shawl in, as I found a couple patterns that are making me go all lustful and stuff, but that's still a maybe.  If I have time before Yule.  At this point, as long as I have a new pair of gloves/mittens and a hat by winter, I'll be happy.

Life in general: It's not looking particularly optimistic for getting a new job.  So I need to start looking for apartments.  And clearing out our crap.  If I get off early this afternoon, I should probably go find and apply for more jobs instead of playing with yarn.

Today is one of those days where you see why chemises, pettycoats and hairpins were invented.  At least then I'd be comfortable in my look like hell status.

Spring, finished booties

Never one for great wisdom, you should interpret this as you will:

ZOMG GREEN THINGS!!!  SPRING!!!  YAYAYAYAYAAY!!!!

And now for the crafting porn.

Starbucks Monkey says: BOOTIES!!!

In in further examples of how gauge matters: same pattern as the booties for Baby W, at least an inch bigger.  No new pattern notes other than at some point, I should probably try these with the yarn called for (sock weight) instead of worsted.  Maybe for the next pair.

In other news, found and ordered the yarn for Baby S-H's blanket.  KnitPick's Comfy Bulky in Marlin.  So I have yarn, pattern, and knitting needles.  Now I just need to actually knit it.  I also need to actually make progress on J's sweater instead of just toting the yarn and needles with me.

Have not even started on the pirate hat yet.  If Ostara celebrations get cancelled this weekend due to weather, I might start it then.  Other wise, it's going to wait until I finish this second sock.

FO: Baby C's 8 point Star

Baby C's 8 Point Star Blanket

You'll have to forgive the colors on the photos. Apparently, my camera doesn't like rainbows?  Properly, this is Red Heart's Mexicana, Forest Green, and Royal Blue.  I'm sure those are easily found.

this is the better of the 2 photos and is still awful.  But at least you can tell what the colors are supposed to be!

Pattern, such that it is, can be found here.

My final yarn count:

2 entire skeins of Red Heart Mexicana

Most of 1 skein of Royal blue

1 and a smidge of Forest Green.

I try not to pick on other folk's pattern's too badly.  Everyone has screw ups, everyone fails at math occasionally.  But, just so you know if you decide to do this one as well, the stitch counts stop being accurate after the 8th shell row in the printer friendly version.  The main pattern appears to be accurate through out (but my math could be wrong).  it's not a huge deal to fix, just add 1 dc in each side up the shell every row.

::edit:: apparently the pattern author has corrected this since I printed the pattern.  nevermind!

Attempted close up of the center.  Camera Fail.

The main part of the blanket took almost no time to knock out, even after adding additional rows to make it big enough.  The granny squares took longer than the blanket it feels like, just because there were so many, and then I had to sew them together.  All in all, this was a good learning skills blanket (granny squares!  sewing together!  sizing!).  It ended up way bigger than I thought it was going to.  I don't have the final dimensions yet, but it works quite nicely as a lap blanket for me or J, which is just amazing.  Before I added the granny squares, point to point was 34 inches and valley to valley was 27.  I possibly should have stopped there?  Adding the blocks between points adds at least 8 inches, possibly more.  

Baby C's blanket is now done.  Totally done even, outside of tossing it in the wash to get the cat fur etc off and out.  His booties will be done... in the next two weeks?  Baby shower is at the end of the month, so they'll need to be done by then.

FO: Baby W's Booties

And the matching booties are done too!

Poor kid isn't going to be able to wear these for a while (while Ravelry said they were newborn size, only if your newborn has ginormous feet) but they're cute.

Pattern can be found here (Ravelry link)

These killed the blueberry yarn from the blanket.  I guess somehow there was significantly less yarn in that skein?  I have maybe 1 foot left of it, not even enough to ball up for the cat.



These weren't too bad to make once I got it figured out.  The really tricksy bit was joining the tops (purple) with the bottoms (blue).  It really shouldn't have been as hard as it was, but the instructions weren't making sense in my head.  Theres a chance this is going to be the default bootie pattern for everyone, it's pretty easy to knock out over the course of the afternoon.  This is what I did while we were snowed in with the blizzard week before last.

The Baby Blanket that would not end (but did finally!)

It's finally done.  Finally.  Well, it's been done for a month now, but it's done and I have time to write about it.

Baby W's Circle Blanket.

overview of the entire blanket

These were all taken after I had washed it and blocked it out slightly (stretching it out on the living room floor counts right?)  Total measurement is 36 inches across, 113 inches around, 1017.9 square inches.

Close up of center

Total yarn use: Most of 1 skein each of Caron Simply Soft's blueberry, limelight, and grape.  I finished the blueberry skein making the matching booties.  There's probably enough of the limelight and grape to make another pair of booties, but I don't think I'm going to do so.

cat provided for scale.  If that's not particularly helpful, 36 inches

Overall, this pattern wasn't awful, except for the start.  The start, as I may have said before, was just infuriating.  3 hours to cast on is kind of ridiculous.  Accurately placing the stitch markers is really important for this one, as are tip protectors for when you have to put it down.  The biggest issue I ended up having was getting needles that the blanket would fit on as it grew.  I already had a 40 inch needle, but the 60 inch took over a month to arrive (and, apparently, the shop I purchased it from lost the notification that I had come to pick it up, as they called me last week to let me know it was in) which really slowed the whole process down.

The final edging I kinda just fudged.  It would have worked better if I had actually done the math and realized that 550 isn't divisible by 3 and 3x3 ribbing wasn't going to work very well.  But the end result ended up looking kinda cool and who's really going actually look at the ribbing when there's a pretty baby wrapped up in it?  Making it divisible by 3 would have involved another 6 rows and I was already in tears because I just wanted to be DONE with it.  (Knitting at 2 am because you promised yourself you'd finish it tonight?  Might not be the best idea ever)

When I make another one of these, I think I'm going to stick with 1 color and do different stitch patterns for each section.  Also, I will know better than to set arbitrary deadlines for it.

Blanket update

And the epic blanket continues.  At this rate, O is only going to get 1 blanket and some booties.  Although I really shouldn't say that.  Technically, I am half way done.  It's the small half, but it's half.

I think I should have run a couple rows of green between the purple and green, but it's a bit late now.

Current counts:

28 stitches to the section, 280 stitches total

16 inches diameter

On my (sole) 40 inch needle in hopes that I'll continue to have room on it until the 60 inch I ordered comes in.  Scrunching stitches as tightly as possible I can fit about 14 stitches to the inch, so I might be able to fit this all on a single 60 inch.  I hope so.  

I've about 4 more rows of green before I switch colors.  I'm trying to decide if I want to do a large row of blue and a short row of purple, or keep with the established pattern.

In other news, still working up plans for Yule/Christmas presents.  Everyone is getting fudge and nuts like normal, but I'm trying to decide if I can learn how to knit buttonholes in time to churn out a couple of small presents for important peeps.  Given the complete failure at socks last night, I don't have a whole lot of hope, but things are possible.  I'll fuss with it later this week.  It's not like my folks aren't terribly used to me sitting in the living room muttering over my crafting while watching tv.

blanket status

Progress is being made on the baby blanket.  In between random searches on Ravelry for ideas for the outer edging (seed stitch?  cable?  simple ridging?) and other baby related items.  Found an couple of different ideas for onesies, but I might also purchase blank ones and commit art upon them.

Oh!  Nifty idea.  Must speak to coworker who speaks japanese.  Also, check the veracity of google translate.

Anyway, Blanket is booking along.  I moved it to my 30 inch circular late last night and it's gone from being a stretch to actually knit it to being comfortable.  I've about 2 more rows of the purple to do before switching over to the blue for about an inch.  I think I'm going to do seed stitch for those (6) rows, as it's relatively easy to do.

Current color layout:

16 rows green (Garter stitch)

16 rows purple (garter)

6 rows blue (seed)

Current counts:

15 stitches to the section

150 stitches on needles

Per the nifty calculater I found, I'm currently at a 27 inch circumferance, which seems small.  Which means I might be making this bigger than originally planned.  *pause to do math*  Yeah, Circumferance of 38 means a radius of just over 6 inches.  NOT BIG ENOUGH.  Radius of 19 gives a diameter of 38 though... which I think was the original plan anyway.  Hrm *does more math* that means when I'm done, I'll have something like 60 stitches per section.  I'm going to need bigger needles.

Gratuitus photo of out cat:

Pinwheel Baby Blanket start

Found out exciting news Saturday.  Yay, there's going to be a baby to spoil and practice on before I have one of my own!  This completely upsets the to do list for knitting and crocheting.  I now have baby blankets and booties and sweater and other fun stuff to get done by May.

First up, Pinwheel Blanket from Ravelry.  I'm still looking for booties etc, but for the first blanket, it's going to be round and stripy and very colorful.  I'm looking at a final diameter of about 38 inches (seems big enough I think).

This should be easy right?  Knit in the round with the occasional yarn-over until big enough.  And now that I'm something like 12 rows in, it is!  The first 5 rounds however, are *very* fiddly.  Expanding 5 stitches out to 20 over the course of 3 rows is kinda difficult.  Specifically, knitting 5 stitches in the round is almost impossible.  It took me about 3 hours to cast this thing on and to get more than 3 rows in.  There are a number of different methods detailed around on the web about how to get this thing cast on, among them to do a crochet cast on, magic loop, etc.  I tried everything I could find after the first 2 attempts of knitting in the round over 3 dpns failed.  In the end, several hours later, I ended up going back to knitting in the round and just cursing a fair bit. 

The main issue seems to be that there's nothing to stablize the stitches except carefully knitting and patience.

My pattern mods (so far)
Knit cast on 5 stitches.
Join into loop.
1: K1, Make 1 (yarn over method)= 10 stitches.  Mark beginning of round.
2: Knit row
3: K1, yarn over= 20 stitches
4: knit row
5: K2, yo; repeat around.  Place marker before each yo, slide them as you come to them.
6: knit row
7: K3, yo; repeat around
8: knit row
odd rows: K(x), yo; repeat around
even rows: knit row

So far, 12 rows in, it looks like this:

This is before I added the markers so I don't have to think about where the yarn overs go anymore, but it's a good start.