The Land of the KnitaSaur

I really fail at finishing things. And I’m really good at starting things. Like, despite having 10-ish projects still on the needles, I’ve started a bag. And it’s a very pretty one. The pattern is Celtic Memories by Ganiggle and I’m using Diamond Yarn Galway Highland Heathers on US 3s to knit it. I’m having trouble getting a good pic of it, but in real life, the pattern is actually quite visible :p But no matter what I do and what kinda lighting I put it under, the camera just won’t catch it.

I totally love the yarn I’m knittting with. Galway is one of my favorite straight-up-worsted-wool yarns to begin with, but this colorway is fantastic. The skein looks kinda boring, just very dark, almost black burgundy. But, when you look at it closely, it holds a rainbow. Plus, it isn’t scratchy, it shows cables well and feels nice at a lot of gauges. Right now, I’m knitting it very tight for the bag, and it isn’t uncomfortable at all, I’ve used it for a hat at a loose gauge and the fabric wasn’t overly floppy. I just like this yarn.

Here’s a close up of the cable that I did earlier

That one was frogged though, ’cause I wanted to make a few changes. I’ve added a slip-stitch edge for seaming, reversed the lattice-lace on one side so that they mirror each other and changed the cable a wee bit. If you look closely at the photo above, you might be able to pick out broken cables at the very outside on the first of the pattern repeats. On the second, I adjusted it so that the cable continued in the pattern instead of ending. I also switched from US 2s to US 3s ’cause the 2s were bamboo and cabling with out a cable needle with worsted weight yarn on practically-toothpick needles is a bit scary. The 3s are metal.

Okay, so first off and most importantly in my world, yesterday whilst vulching the NYE Kick-Ass thread in Karma Yarn Swap (you need to be a member of Ravelry to use those links), a few people and I slightly derailed to talk spinning. Recently, susannemw of KYS sent me a spindle and pretty roving. So, yesterday, I made me some yarn.

So, it’s lumpy and bumpy and very much of the thick ‘n thin variety, but I’m pretty pleased. I don’t even know the yardage or fiber content. But, there isn’t much. I have no idea what I’m gonna do with it–besides keep it so I can see how far I’ve come later on when I’m an awesome spinner :p ‘Cause that right there isn’t awesome spinning. Some parts are overspun, others are hardly spun at all, I kept managing to tangle roving into it somehow. But, I’m very impressed with myself anyway. BECAUSE I MADE YARN.

As for other handmade stuff, I received a set of stitch markers from Ganiggle today. They are so totally cool. If you find yourself in need of stitch markers and aren’t able to snag a set of mine on KYS :p I totally recommend buying a set of hers. I mean, look at those, aren’t they pretty? And the wraps are perfect and they aren’t heavy. I’m crazy picky about stitch markers (rejected like 7 sets while knitting one sweater…), but I love these. Here’s a link to her blog and her shop.

Another thing about the stitch markers is they fit nicely into cute little bags. You know, awesome little bags made by Psst. I claimed it on KYS and it is so much cuter than I expected. Plus, I’m constantly tangling stuff up in my project bags, so having this should help. I plan on stuffing it to the max with darning needles, mini-scissors/nail clippers and stitch markers and just taking it with whatever bag I’m using. She’s got a bunch more cute ones in her etsy shop and if you want to see what she’s up to, here’s her blog.

And I’m really quite impressed with myself. It is Foliage from Knitty knit with Lion Brand Jiffy. I wasn’t expecting to like the yarn, but I really do, actually. It isn’t obnoxiously fuzzy like it seems like it might be when in the skein and the color is really nice. The yarn didn’t snag or split and held up even through 2 or 3 froggings. For some reason, I couldn’t get the pattern to line up properly. And I really really like the way the finished product feels.

Great pattern, too. Written directions and charted–I went by written ’cause my chart skills aren’t so great and I knit it while watching a movie. TV causes too many distractions for chart knitting for me. I can definitely see myself knitting it again or adapting it for a lighter weight yarn more suitable for summer. It has instructions for chunky and worsted versions, but I think a DK bamboo version would be quite nice :D

Oh, and one last photo for the teen knitters of Rav, who are in a hair-showing-off mood. I desperately need at least a trim.

And, no, I didn’t even mess up the white balance on these photos. The walls are a pale beige, hit by evening sunlight, so looks even more yellow. But, the red on the gloves is very true. And, yep, my skin tone is actually that strange. I’m the same color as my Irish boyfriend’s freckles, actually. But that’s a bit better than a friend of mine from high school–she was cardboard-box colored. No joke. We made a cardboard cutout of her for a play and she was the same color as the box. It caused much amusement.

But, yeah, those are the gloves that I was knitting with the Fingerless Glove Fanatics LAST MONTH. Finished the KAL a little late :p Pattern is Merletto Mitts, but crazy modified. Knit with KP Palette in red. No fancy colorway names for that one :D

So, the mods:
1. CO only 48 stitches. At gauge, the pattern works out to be about 7.8 inches around. Obviously a bit large for my barely 6 inch wrists.
2. Carried the pattern, minus the cables ’cause of the lack of stitches, around the back of the wrist until the palm/beginning of gusset. Easiest way to do the back is to follow the chart, but when you get to the column of 6 stitches that make the cable, just knit one stitch instead. So, just to make it confusing :p

On all even rows: K all.
On all pattern rows: Work first 29 stitches exactly as pattern states.
For the last 19 stitches:
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.

I believe that should work. I mean, it did for me, but I may have messed up in transcribing. But, like I said, easier to just work from the chart and turn the cable column into one stitch on the last 19 stitches.
3. Lengthened thumb gusset by doing increases every 3rd, not 2nd rounds
4. 12 rows of 3×3 ribbing instead of the pretty, but kinda wonky, ribbing the pattern had.

Overall, it was an enjoyable knit.  I mean, the fact that the pattern is 7 pages long is a bit of a downer, especially considering there is at least a full page if you add up all of the banner ads at the top of each page and then the last page itself is one, fuzzy picture so kinda not worth printing…but, hey, it was a nice pattern and free, so can’t complain too much.   The layout-geek in me was crying, though.

So, another bunch. All glass beads, all but the black ones fit up to US 10.5 needles, the black ones fit every needle I own :p I love the new dollar store, full of pretty beads. I made all of these in about an hour while watching the middle->end of The Princess Bride. I love that movie. It’s a lot of fun. I meant to knit during it, but then I decided to catch up on some promised KYS stitch markers. I then noticed my new beads and made these ones instead. I kinda fail. I don’t work tomorrow or the next day, so I’ll get those done for sure. My fingers kinda hurt from these ones, though–I was doing some of the wraps, at least the beginning, using only my fingertips and that’s not the smartest idea. Metal tends to be stronger than flesh, I’ve noticed.

Oh, and I do still knit. I have photographic (if somewhat fuzzy) evidence :D Here is an almost done (*coughJuneKALcough*) Merletto Mitt, a Branching out Scarf and a Top to Fit Me v2.0 (complete with cool stitch marker :D).

Fancy...

Complete with my own crappy writing, pricing and descriptions. Man, my writing is messy (that is me actively trying to write legibly.) I’m still pretty stoked on the logo–created in grade 11 art marketing. Back when I was consistantly a band geek, it’s a musical note and my initials all in one (lowercase d, capital M. dM) . Not to mention pretty snazzy looking. And colorful staples always amuse me, I’m a simple creature. Now, I just have to master the art of not giving them away before I get them to the LYS to be sold…at least a new dollar store opened in town that sells the supplies significantly cheaper than the other one–a dollar for a pack of 8 rings as opposed to a dollar for a single one!

I swear I’m still a knitter.  I even almost have a glove done!  And I’ve frogged a bunch, but CO for another project, so I’m still in the double-digits on the WIP front :p

Fancy Shmancy new notions case!

Yepperz. See, people seem to think I’m a jewelry box sort of person. And I am! But, I’m not much of a jewelry person–I’m kinda too lazy to change my earrings daily, so I tend to just collect them. But, I’ve gotten rid of the ones I never use and am down to a very small amount. Same with all of the other jewelry. So, I don’t have enough to fill ALL of the jewelry boxes I own. But, I just can’t give the boxes up. I’ve found a use for at least one–a notions case! A super pretty, fancy notions case! It holds stitch markers and measuring tapes and yarn needles and hand cream! And it sits there looking all fancy and sophisticated. Plus, things don’t get lost. I have this way of losing things. Like, those darning needles? I just can’t keep ‘em. They seriously run away from me or something. But, now they are safely in a case.

Oh, and I’ve made a bunch more stitch markers!

I FINISHED SOMETHING! ME! EVEN A PAIR OF SOMETHINGS!.

So, those are my version of Ganiggle’s Under the Rose pattern (rav page).

The were knit with Knit Picks Essential (black) and Palette (red) on US2 needles. They come out just a smidge big for me, so they are perfectly sized for a normal person. I love the pattern and the product! Excuse the wretched nails, it turns out that putting clothes on clippy-hangers isn’t all that good for cheap nail polish. Go figure, huh.

In other knitting news, I’ve gotten about 14 pattern repeats done of Almost Armor, but for some reason can’t get a good pic. Oh well :P I’ll show it off later.

I feel sorry for anyone who hasn’t seen this. In fact, I feel sorry for everyone who has only seen a youtube version. Actually, I feel sorry for me for not having seen it live.

Okay, so another random disappearance there :p So, here’s the rest of that epic list:

1. Cables Rock Short Using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes that Nordly RAK’d me in one of her KYS packages. It was originally a long version, but there wasn’t enough in the skein for a pair, so I frogged and shortened. Unfortunately, I really suck a knitting second gloves. So, I have a glove completed and it is quite lovely, but is also quite lonely. I don’t know how many pairs of fingerless gloves one person needs, though, so these may end up gifted to someone :D
2. Fruity Bag Um. Kinda got neglected. It’s a bag that I’m going to use for holding fruit in grocery stores instead of those flimsy, yucky plastic ones? But I was making the pattern up as I went along and then put it down… Poor thing! It’s made from SWTC Bamboo, which is quite lovely and the bamboo needles are wearing in like butter… or would be if I were using them! But, it’ll get done eventually, I’m sure.
3. Scarfy Noro Kureyon and Diamond Yarn Galway. Quite lovely yarns and is going to be quite a nice almost stained glass window colored scarf. But, going along slowly. The needles suck–sticky plastic and are too long to knit with comfortably. So, it’s sorta not going as quickly as it really deserves to, considering the lovely yarn. I may end up just making it work on a couple of DPN’s so they aren’t so annoying. And the colors are great, but not me, so this is likely to be a gift as well.
4. Scarf-Mitts The Entwined pattern from Knitty and Red Heart Symphony make for a nice warm fluffy scarf. More cheap sticky plastic needles make for really annoying long rows of garter stitch. So, again with the lack of progress. I’m seeing a trend. No second mitts, and no progress when using cheap sticky needles. Now, I could do something about this or I could keep with the compulsive start-ititis.
5. Top to Fit me v2.0 This time, it’s Picovoli, available from Notions. Lovely pattern, I’m knitting the 38 inch bust with a different gauge, which according to my calculations should make it fit me. Crossing fingers! I’d love to have a top for me eventually! Love the needles, hate all of the stitch markers I’ve used so far. I guess as someone who makes them, I’m kinda picky. Some have bent, some have snagged, some are too heavy…
6. Star Wallet Lovely yarn, but gonna be frogged, so I’m not even go into detail.
7. probably gonna be frogged… Again, may as well not say much.

And that’s about it, methinks. Maybe we’ll get back to regular blogging eventually…