To get my butt in gear for the summertime, and the finishin’s easy group
on Rav, I’ve decided to get a recap of all my WIP’s, on the needles and off (meaning, the ones that need non-knitting-finishing :D) So, get comfy, this is gonna take a while… All links are Rav links, apologies to those of you not on. You can click on the pictures to get to the originals, proper sizes maybe, or the titles to get to my Rav Page.

The WIPs

1. Almost Armor. Just started today as a KAL with the KYSwappers. Called Almost Armor because the color is almost metallic. Armor-ish, even. The pattern Branching Out in some yummy Artfibers Golden Siam that was Karma’d to me from MLO. I think it’s fitting to use a KYS yarn in a KYS KAL. The photo doesn’t do it justice–not big enough and the lace isn’t blocked. But I think this is gonna turn out gorgeous. And, lacy silk? Perfect for the cool summers that I get for living in the rainiest city in Canada.
2. Baker’s Dozen Lazy Anklets. Another KAL, this time with the Baker’s Dozen KAL group on Rav. Monthly pattern and two year-long ones. First is Basic Sock Recipe, but I got bored and decided to make them anklets. Really short anklets. Just to annoy my BF with another pair of “not real socks.” He’s got a weird prejudice against anklets.
3. Black Black Heart. Test knitting Under the Rose for Ganiggle on Rav. Beautiful pattern and I’m aware that the hearts are actually red. The yarn is (red) KP Palette and KP essential. These are going to be quite nice gloves, if a bit big on my scrawny wrists. Luckily, they aren’t intended for me. Silly skinny-wrist-ness makes unmodified glove patterns an automatic gift to someone.
4. FGF June KAL. My poor Merletto Mitts, after all the mods I’ve made, have been sorely neglected. See, I stole the needles I was using to use on Under the Rose. Again, the yarn is KP Palette. These were gonna be way too big, but I made them not. Hopefully, I can redecypher my modifications once I get to doing the second set. It would kinda suck to not be able to make them fit me after all that work!
5. Zort’s Zig Zag. Failing utterly to test-knit Zortified’s Spiral Zig Zag pattern. I don’t like frogging, but I did something wonky in the palm, so I have to. Plus, this yarn (Sox 4 Color Twister) is totally unsuitable for the pattern and for my taste in gloves. Far too bright and variegated, for both, actually. It overwhelms the pattern and I’m unlikely to wear them.
6. Large.. The gloves I was knitting to pre-test-knit the large size of By Starlight. They are just hanging out waiting for their turn to be knit–at least the second one is. The first is done, except maybe the thumb.

You know what? It’s late. I’ll do the other…7? some other day.

I’ve just been activated as a design seller on Ravelry, so my first for sale pattern is available! It’s the cable fingerless gloves that I’ve been working on for ages. The pattern is $4.50 and has multiple sizes and lengths to choose from. So, here it is!

By Starlight

Fingerless mittens with choice. Two sizes, two lengths.

Sizes

Long Small: 8.5 inches at cuff; 6 inches at wrist; 11.5 inches from cuff to end.
Long Large: 9 inches at cuff; 7 inches at wrist; 13 inches from cuff to end.
Short Small: 6 inches at cuff; 6.5 inches from cuff to end.
Short Large: 7 inches at cuff; 8 inches from cuff to end.

They Require:

Malabrigo Yarn Worsted Merino (100% Kettle Dyed Pure Merino
Wool; 3.5 oz/216yds), 1 skein Burgundy #41 or other worsted weight yarn with some “sproing.”

US 8 DPNs (set of 4 or 5) or size needed to obtain gauge
Cable needle or 5th DPN
Smooth waste yarn for thumb
Tapestry needle
Stitch Markers

By starlight, I’ll kiss you.
And promise to be your one and only.
I’ll make you feel happy,
And leave you to be lost in mine.
And where will we go, what will we do?
Soon said I, will know.

Sorry for the random disappearance there. Somehow, my totally awesome new clothing store job turned out to be not so awesome. Despite not being blamed for anything, and actually getting a “promotion” (quotes because that “promotion” is a whole 25 cent an hour raise…) it’s really quite stressful, what with all the money disappearing and people being accused of drinking on the job. Plus, the complete lack of any stock being put out and my utter lack of training…anywho, what that works out to is my being totally drained and not motivated to do anything. Moving on :D

Does this look familiar?

The same yarn as was once gonna be the sweater to fit me (Eiffel from Knitty) but got frogged ’cause there was no way it was gonna fit me. I cast on for Picolovi from Knotions, but am not getting gauge. However, doing the math says it really ought to fit this time, ’cause I’m also not knitting my size :D *crossingfingers*

Yummy karma-mail today from Becky–a skein of Malabrigo in Red Java

Absolutely yummy and I have no ideas as of yet what it’s gonna turn into, but it will be much loved :D

And a couple of gloves. Not much progress, as they are sharing the same set of needles.
Heavily modified Merletto Mitts (from Javajem Knits. Here’s my Rav project page)

They were way huge, so I fixed that :p
Basically, the easy way to do it is to CO less stitches and remove the cables from the palm side–replacing the 6-stitch column with a single stitch to accommodate the yo’s.
CO 48 sts.
Work k3, p3 rib for 12 rows.
Work lace and cable pattern for first 29 sts, on remaining 19 work as follows:
Rows 1, 5: k1, *yo, sl 1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, yo, k1. Repeat from * 2 more times.
Rows 3, 7: k2, (yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, k3) 2 times, yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, k2.
At thumb gusset, work last 19 sts and thumb gusset in st st.
Thumb gusset–lengthened to fit my long hands by working increases every third row, not second.

And totally unmodified Under the Rose Mitts, designed by Ganiggle. (Pattern available in her shop)

(Oh, and the long fingerless gloves I’ve been getting test knit are all done and written up as a pattern–By Starlight. But you can’t have it. Still waiting on being able to upload it to Rav :D)

Noro Cash Island… courtesy of susannemw
and Vandy

Artfibers Siam (100% silk!) from MLO–and she sent The Little Box of Scarves filled with pretty scarf patterns!

And a yummy partial of Brown sheep Lambs Pride Bulky! It came with another pretty coordinating skein of a marble-look yarn from codependentgamer :D

And then, there is a skein of Suri Merino (alpaca!) from PinkSheep that is actually a pretty blue, not black like the picture looks

And the most recent–SMOOSHY! sent by djduckee

Karma Yarn Swap is awesome! Thanks so much you guys for fueling my yarn-addiction! :D

The Fingerless Glove Newsletter Issue 2 has started the prep-work. And we are looking for help! Here’s what we are looking for so far:

Contest: This time it’s Haikus. PM me on Ravelry with up to two haikus about Fingerless Gloves for to enter the contest!  THESE WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSLETTER.  You must be a member of the Fingerless Glove Fanatics to win (but we aren’t exclusive.  Just hit the join button over there) Submissions in by Sunday, June 22.

Haiku: a three–line poem in which the first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables, and the third line has five syllables

Example:
The Fingerless Glove
group is my favorite one.
Addicts, just like me!

~~~

Photo: I’m wanting an actual cover this time. So, send me your outdoor fingerless glove photos in a PM (link to flickr page is fine) I may only use one for the cover or I may do a collage. I dunno :p Let’s get those in by Wednesday June 11. Very quick!

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Writer: I think a regular feature with the recent designs coming out of FGF could be cool–and not just ‘cause I’m doing one right now :p But, like, an article with the little “life storys” of designs from the designers in FGF who’ve made designs recently. Between 200-750 words. PM if you’d like to write this article this issue or take charge of it as a regular feature!

~~~

Writer: Tips and Tricks. Doesn’t need to be a large article, so perfect for someone without a lot of time to spare. Just a little blurb with some tips and tricks for knitting fingerless gloves.

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Designer: I keep thinking it’d be cool to have a free pattern available through the newsletter. We have a nice readership here, so it’s a decent way to get some exposure. If you have a pattern you’d like to have available through the newsletter, let me know!

~~~

Yarn/pattern review: Anyone up for doing a review? Fairly simple–choose a yarn, get a pic of it in it’s normal state, knit a swatch, let us know what you think. Or do a pattern. Between 200 and 750 words.

~~~

Let me know if you’d like to take on any of these! I’ll be keeping the list on the forum updated, but probably not here ’cause I’m lazy. And if you have an idea for something that you’d like to read, but don’t really want to write, let me know! :D Would you like to donate a prize? Let me know and I’ll send the info to you!

Look at all the beads! This time, it was Missy32996! (You know you spend too much time on Rav when you automatically surround their name with [] and follow it with (person)) She sent me a TON of cute beads and some tea and french vanilla cocoa mix and post cards! All of that AND cute little flamingos and a packet of toggles :D Those flamingos are pretty much the cutest things I’ve seen in quite a while :D

I’ve made a couple of sets of stitch markers–I need a few to send out to my awesome test knitters!

Big thanks to Amanda (1stitchwonder on Ravelry) for completely spoiling me!

There’s all sorts of pliers and wire cutters and TONS of pretty toggles and fancy headpins and normal headpins and jump rings and PEARLS! And I had just gotten to the point of running out of supplies again. Thanks sooo much, Amanda! This is so great! Those fancy pins are beautiful and will make some lovely markers. I’ll have to be sure to find some people with stitch markers on their RAK wishlist to pass the karma along!

Speaking of karma, the latest Karma-mail has arrived from Nandodge and it is lovely! Fingering weight green/gray yarn :D Froehlich Wolle Die Tolle Wolle, in case you were interested. Quite the name :D You should hear my dad’s “angry German” version of pronouncing the name. It becomes quite the intimidating ball o’ yarn. But, I believe it will make lovely fingerless gloves of some sort, as that is all that I knit these days. Very gratifying, those things.

Moving on slightly:

Okay, so it doesn’t look like much progress. But, there really has been! ‘Cause I frogged ‘em to make them fit me. I’ve also added the lace pattern to the underside and plan to fix the thumb gusset to fit my hand. Oh, and changed the ribbing and added more rows of it. Does it count as a KAL if you make the pattern unrecognizable?

Okay, so with 93 comments and 70+ of them being chock full of numbers meaning multiple entries per post, plus extra entries flying everywhere for links and such, I eventually gave up on counting them so that I could tell you exactly how many entries there were. Let’s just say, most people had 2 entries, quite a few had more than that in the hat :D This is totally going to make an awesome article in the FGF newsletter. Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to do their measurements!

Okay, okay, I’ll tell you who won. Wait, I did that already. Well, CONGRATULATIONS TO BETH, of Life, Knitting and the Pursuit of Roller Coasters! You’ve won yourself the skein of Elspeth Lavold Silky Wool. I even have a picture of it, but it’s a bit too red.

So, get me your addy (my email address is alariddathreman AT gmail DOT com) and I’ll send that on to you! Thanks for participating!

On the knitting front, I’ve started knitting the Merletto Mitts for the Fingerless Glove Fanatics KAL

Unfortunately, they are going to be too big for me :( At a gauge of 7.5sts/inch and 58 stitches CO, they are almost 8 inches around the wrist. As I said before, I have teeny tiny wrists :( Oh well, they are pretty enough that I’m sure I’ll find somebody to take them off my hands.

And the large size of the gloves that are in testing are coming along. But this is not a pattern for variegated yarns.

But you know what? It’s the middle of the night. So I’m gonna do all the contest tallying tomorrow. :D Have a bird silhouette to tide you over. Bald eagle, no less. Not that you could tell, but hey, it’s hard to get a good shot of them at sunset with a point-and-shoot.

UPDATE: I’M TALLYING :D IT’S TAKING A LONG TIME!