I'm Back (Well, Kind of)
If you stopped by the site in the past two weeks, you might have noticed that it didn't exist. My domain company helpfully lost my annual billing information and sent multiple email reminders to an address that has been defunct since 2004. Thanks guy! Big help!
Two angry emails, my credit card and an hour long chat with a tech support person later, we're back online. Who knows, I may even update one of these days. Of course, this would require me to finish a project... so... um... yeah.
Beer Cozies?
I know, I know, I never call, I never write, you're so alone!
But the truth is... sigh... I have not completed a single knitted object since Ned in February. I've been working on never-ending long term projects and spinning a little, but the truth is that I've been going through one of those phases where I don't really want to be knitting that much. Crazy, I know.
But, one of my best friends from high school got married on Saturday, and like any good friend would do, I knitted for them.
At the last wedding for a high school friend (April), I told the happy couple that I would make them a set of beer cozies for their wedding. Due to the vast quantities of champagne and wine I consumed at said wedding (oops), I can't remember how the offer came about. Still, I hope they enjoy!
Pattern is the
King's Cozy in 100% wool that I got for $1.50 at a thrift store in January (score!). I ran out of yarn for the very last one, hence the one tall, one short pictured here.
These were easy to make and a ton of fun! I think next time, I'd probably go up a needle size, since these killed my wrists a touch.
I feel like lace may be next on the agenda. I've got a mill end from MDS&W last year that would make a lovely stole...
Meet Snoozing Ned!
Meet Snoozing Ned, otherwise known as the Thinggummer's Thing on my personal journal, also known as my Valentine's present for my girlfriend. I actually finished it on Thursday but didn't put it up here for fear she'd see it and spoil the surprise.
Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen? This is one of those where I'm extremely proud - not only did I make that, I made it so it didn't look like a not-too-bright four year old made it! (this is what usually happens when I attempt to be arty.
Details:
Pattern:
Coats & Clark's Snoozing Ned
Yarn: Originally, this was going to be a remnant ball of Wool-Ease which I'd given to my girlfriend for a remnant ball rug. So, I asked for it back. And then I got the ball. And I read the pattern. And I realized it called for sport weight. Luckily, this is why knitters have stashes - I found a ball of cotton that a friend, Kati, had sent me a couple of years ago, that worked perfectly.
Needles: size 3 DPNs
Etc... Felt found at a basic craft store, cut according to pattern and then sewn on with my absolutely awesome sewing machine that I have to marry because I lurve it so (girlfriend be DAMNED!). Stuffing and embroidery floss, er... borrowed from the girlfriend (what? I asked her permission. She got it back... sort of).
This project was far easier than I thought, except for when it wasn't. Maybe I'm just not that bright, but I had the hardest time reading the instructions for this - for example, it asks you to K 3 rows in one place, where they mean work 3 rows stockinette stitch. Still, I loved my first chance at sewing fabric into knitting... it makes the idea of steeking far, far less scary. I did the bulk of the project on Tuesday, which I took off to get a crown put in, and it was a great mindless project to do while watching "Six Feet Under" and waiting to regain feeling in my face. The combination of sewing and knitting was a lot of fun. I'm not saying I'm going to be going crazy with knitted toys in the near future, but the girlfriend loved the present more than I enjoyed making it, so it was definitely worth it.
Spinning
I've caught the spinning bug again. It's something that happens... I'll go for months with my spinning wheel sitting in a corner, gathering dust and then I'll pull it out and want to do nothing but spin for weeks at a time.
So, I went to California for the last weekend of January. I got these gloves from Haight Street in San Francisco, and they are seriously the best thing ever.
But yes, I got back and I pulled out my spinning wheel and I went kinda crazy. In the two weeks since then, I finished spinning this
and then pulled out and spun this.
The first is alpaca picked up at Rhinebeck two years ago. The second is some kind of wool that I think I picked up at a Maryland Sheep & Wool, but I honestly couldn't say for sure.
Here's a close up on the colors for the second...
Whee, new yarn!
Adventures in Sewing Machines
My parents are good, kind individuals. They got me a sewing machine for Christmas. I picked out the
Brother Ex-660... and by picked out, I mean bought the only sewing machine Costco had.
Y'all, Costco is a genius store. This sewing machine is awesome. Mainly, it's computerized. No foot petal! Just hit a button and it goes! Adjust speed using a slidy thing! This is the best thing ever!
So, I broke my shiny! new! plaything! out of its packaging and got to work. First up was an old pair of jeans that I turned into a skirt using
this pattern. See?
I was originally going to hem the bottom, but now I'm not sure... I kinda like the rough edge. Thoughts?
I was also working on a cute print skirt. I'd cut it out, sewed everything, tried it on and realized that I was ready to start dealing with interfacing things. But first I had to cut open and press the darts and then press the side seams.
Yeah. I thought I was snipping the dart. Guess not. I'd pulled out the iron and the ironing board and everythingn (a rare occasion, let me tell you). There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. I figured I'd just do the interfacing, then I realized I was missing the 1/4" seam allowance and didn't actually own
press cloth. So, yeah. I put everything away and took out the cookie dough.
Mmm... cookie dough.
Jaywalking...
So, on New Year's Day, I finished my father's Christmas present:
Y'all, it was the first time I have ever,
EVER gotten a knitted gift in late (excluding never ending afghans). But I realized around 11pm on Christmas eve, I would have to bite the bullet and wrap my one and a half socks and mention that it was a "gift in progress." Luckily, I have a very sweet, tolerant father who's willing to put up with such shenanigans for socks. I managed to finish the socks about 6 hours before I left California for the wilds of Washington DC and left them blocking in my room.
So, yes,
Jaywalkers. Quite a nice pattern, though the calves ended up being ridiculously tight, probably because I'm a tight knitter. Because I am not an insane person, I scaled down the socks to 68 stitches on size 3 needles (size 1s? Are you kidding? I'm sorry, I don't knit with toothpicks), which worked just fine. I used
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Amish, a gift from
an old Secret Pal exchange. Oh yes, I de-stashed a bit. Anyway, the colors aren't to my taste, but my dad claims to love them and wears them to keep his footsies warm at night.
Next on stitch-witch... I got myself a sewing machine! Woo! Go crazynuts!
I... buh... wah?
So, when did
knitting.about.com reorganize and why did no one tell me? More importantly, why did it lose so many patterns? Now, I can understand losing yet another shapeless sweater that was unflattering and listed in 5 other places, but the
Mistake Rib socks that I so enjoyed and looked to revisit? Or how about my
never-ending afghan pattern? People, I never print these things out because it's on the internet! It's ALWAYS THERE. So now I have one year old, extremely battered print out to work with. Luckily, I'm just down to borders at this point, but the borders NEVER END.
