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:: February 2, 2008 Squarey
Finished this week. I love him! I used Cascade 220. Started knitting when I was pregnant, lost (to my great distress) the Jess Hutch pattern book, then finally found it in one of those horrible clutter piles that have a few bills, a bunch of receipts, a few articles-we-mean-to-read, a few drawings, etc. etc. etc., then gets swept into a box rather than sorted through. Stuffing knitted items is difficult. I think I prefer fabric toys. Wouldn't a fabric version of Squarey be cute and easy? posted by in Finished Projects , Knitting :: Comments (8) :: link :: September 30, 2007 Finished!: Child's Placket Neck Sweater
I finished something!
I started Otto's placket-neck sweater last winter, before he was born, and it was all finished except for that pesky end-weaving. I made the 6-9 month size thinking it would fit him this winter. Last week realized I better finish it and at least get a picture before he grows out of it.
I like how it turned out -- he looks professorial in it. Like he frequents the library and smokes pipes in front of the fireplace. There is still room to grow into it so it may be used in cool weather after all. For now he only wants to suck on the sleeves.
Pattern: Child's Placket Neck Sweater from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts (corrected pattern pdf here) posted by in Baby , Finished Projects , Knitting :: Comments (17) :: link :: July 19, 2007 Ravelry
I received my invitation shortly after Otto was born, and yesterday I finally got the time to sign up for Ravelry, which I first heard about it though Caro (who is now a volunteer editor for them - fancy!). Even though I'm not very knit-centric this site is a pure revelation, web 2.0 at its finest. You may have noticed people on Flickr taking endless pictures of yarn and thought Ravelry was just a stash-cataloging site, but it's WAY more than that. I love being able to see other people's incarnations of projects I'm working on (this could spell the end of the knitalong as we know it) and having a central place to keep everything I'd like to make someday. It's also a great way to stay exposed to the latest in the knitting world -- I've had to pare down my knit-blog reading to nearly nothing or else I'd be completely overwhelmed. I won't go on about it except to say that if you've ever taken a knit or crochet stitch in your life (or plan to!) you should sign up and wait for your invitation. A sewing/quilting version just HAS to be in the future, don't you think? Anyway, if you're already a member, look for me, kmel, and add me as a friend. posted by in Knitting :: Comments (7) :: link :: April 12, 2006 Yarnbar
My Crafty Beaver pals Gina (of ABDfCoW) and Susan have thrown back the curtains on (and also thrown back a couple drinks more potent than the Beaver Juice for) their new knitblog Yarnbar. It looks like they will be a sort of drunken Mason-Dixon Knitting, since Gina is moving far away across Texas, which you know might as well be the distance between Tennessee and New York. Maybe someday I will make a guest appearance as the drunken quilter (yes, I have tried quilting after drinking a number of Tecates and I have to say, it wasn't bad at all.) Anyway, congratulations ladies, and bottoms up! posted by in Knitting :: Comments (1) :: link :: March 15, 2006 Too Late
A couple weeks ago I finished with my winter set. It's the sum total of my seasonal knitting accomplishments and it's too late to use it ... in fact there wasn't really a winter at all in Austin this year. (Not that I'm complaining about the spectacular spring weather we have right now.) The yarn is chunky Misti Alpaca in "chartreuse melange." Susan said it well, the yarn is lofty and squishy like a down comforter. Mittens: Super Mittens from Weekend Knitting -- I thought I knew how to make a proper M1, but I didn't know about that stich-twisting part, so they have nice lacy holes up the thumb. Kinda defeats the purpose, but so do mittens in Texas to begin with. Scarf: Lopi Lace Scarf also from Weekend Knitting. This is a fun pattern to knit and the yarn became really lovely and drapey after blocking. The hat: My old standby, the Monmouth Cap (free pattern). This one turned out too big but amazingly my attempt to "felt it just a little bit" turned out perfectly. I decreased every few rows along the body and it turned out very 30s cloche. Another reminder: If you knit this hat, don't finish with the few-rows-of-icord, because your hat will look like a condom tip. Now I know ideally I'd have a set using the same stitch pattern, but that is asking too much from my knitting skillz. Baby steps. -- P.S. Modern Quilt Along member Pixie just started a knitting podcast. It's really good and I hope there are lots more! We seem to have very similar tastes, which makes this podcast extra welcome for me. posted by in Finished Projects , Knitting :: Comments (3) :: link :: October 2, 2005 Hourglass Sweater
I've started working on the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts In other news. Do you ever have those dreams where you discover a whole new room or wing in your house? (Obvious interpretation: your house is too damn small and cluttered and you're feeling the squeeze.) Yesterday I had this dream come true, of sorts: I found out there's a huge antique mall in Austin that I didn't know about before. Ironically I'd had the address listed in my guide to Austin fabric shopping but confused it with the Antique Marketplace on Burnet, which I've been to a million times. I will go this afternoon to find vintage swap fodder ... posted by in Austin , Knitting :: Comments (10) :: link :: February 15, 2005 Like a Hole in the Head
Oh my god how exciting, another Clapotis. You need more Clapotis progress updates from knitbloggers like you need a hole in the head, I know. But's it's better than no update to not say I haven't made any contribution to the Fryup Knitalong... Today it's going to 80 degrees F, reminding me that I live in Texas and very, very soon knitting and knitted garments will lose all appeal for about eight months. At least that's how it worked last year. So I have to bust ass and get this thing done (which hopefully means for you that the Clapotis Progress Updates will be quick and few.) :: February 4, 2005 Uruguay Ahoy
My eBay yarn purchase from the world-famous Serendipity in South America finally arrived yesterday. Oh mommy this yarn is nice. It feels like marshmallows. It will become the world-famous Clapotis. I have to see what all the hype is about. :: January 8, 2005 Muted Rainbow Socks
These socks are finally finished! I started them way back in May. Made from Trekking XXL color #34 with the beginner's lightweight sock pattern from Knitting Pure and Simple. For next time: how to avoid ladders (end of article). posted by in Finished Projects , Knitting :: link :: January 3, 2005 Battle of the Boatnecks
Free pattern: Arena Twisted Rib Raglan Pullover. Unfortunately the biggest finished size is 34" in the bust and I'm not smart enough to modify a pattern of this level. I'm just attracted to it because it's a boatneck raglan similar to the Hourglass Sweater, which I want to make. But, I haven't coughed up the cash for the book yet. posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link :: January 2, 2005 Hats
I'm on a mission to knit the perfect hat. These are my four attempts so far, and I'm not there yet. Upper left is a basic hat using the Kittyville pattern minus all the fun parts, and with 1x1 rib instead of seed stitch. I used Mission Falls 1824 just like the Stitch n' Bitch version calls for. But, it makes my head look funny (the hat is too oblong) and it does very little to keep out the cold. Lower left is the monmouth cap knitted in Rowan Polar. I love the yarn, but the hat turned out too short (next time, add another inch either to the band) and I messed up on the decreases. It is also suprisingly not-warm. And I can never use the two-row i-cord at the end again because, as Bryan pointed out, it looks like a condom tip. This one is getting ripped but I'm not sure the yarn will survive. Upper right is the Fun Flapper Hat by MLM inspirations. This one looks the best on, and I can't recommend So I tried the pattern again in Rowan Polar (lower right), adding an inch so it covered my ears all the way. I guess I shouldn't do that, because I don't like how it looks quite as much. I'm still plagued by the warmth issue. What gives? The hats are pretty loose despite being on gauge so maybe I should go down a needle size or two. That, or pick up the stitches along the rim and knit a second hat as lining. Oh yeah, each hat took only one skein, except for the Mission Falls 1824 wool hat, which took one plus a tiny bit of another. posted by in Finished Projects , Knitting :: link :: July 16, 2004 Mathghans
Crazy mathematical afghan patterns -- knitting and crochet (not free) at Wooly Thoughts. Belated thanks to Prentiss Riddle for the link! :: May 19, 2004 Monmouth Cap
The Knitlist is abuzz with talk of the men's knitted hats on PBS's Colonial House. Apparently they're called Monmouth Caps, hearty things made in bulky yarn with what looks to be a double-knitted cuff. Someone already replicated one and put the pattern up for all to use. Here is some history behind the Monmouth cap. I have a skein of Classic Elite Gatsby that would be PERFECT for these caps, except there's not enough on one skein! Of course I could order more ... posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link :: April 2, 2004 Spring Knitty
Ooh, Spring Knitty. I am liking Bad Penny and Sueet. Lots of helpful information in the articles Knitting Patterns 101 (a healthy rant about knitting patterns that assume too much of the reader) and Breaking Away (about getting out of knitting ruts). posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link :: March 27, 2004 Grace Ennis
Grace Ennis Knitting Patterns: Cool sock patterns created in the 1950s by a "pretty Bel Aire blonde." posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link :: March 20, 2004 Phildar en Gris
My kit for the Phildar cowl-neck Eponge sweater arrived after a long wait (I didn't realize the shop was far away in Canada!). I love the Spring Tendances magazine -- it'll keep me in sweater patterns for years -- but the Eponge yarn in Clementine ... bleargh! Instead of the subdued, white-flecked soft orange I expected, it's the most vibrant, pure, orangey orange imaginable. It is not unlike the color I chose for the links of this website, #FF9933 to be exact. Clementine is actually the perfect name for it, but if I ran the circus I would insist it be called "Electric Navel." This sweater plus this color ... plus ME ... damn, it'd be so loud you could probably hear it, and it would sound like construction noise, or a crossing guard whistle. I am the victim of a poorly calibrated monitor, I guess. And it's my first internet yarn purchase! Ah ... live and learn, live and learn. I swatched it up and it actually makes the gauge nicely for the Little Black Top in Stitch 'n' Bitch. I abandoned that though because it seems like the front stripe would drown in the terrycloth-boucl\'8e texture of the fabric. So, I will suck up a round of shipping charges to exchange the yarn (except for the one skein my dog got a hold of, probably because it looked like a Dreamsicle). Update: The exchange has gone down. The yarn knits up so soft and spongy, true to its name. It's an easy drop stitch pattern on US 2 needles, and it's going quickly. Update 2: After a couple of do-overs, I kind of gave up. The pattern is very confusing, and the yarn sticks to itself, making the whole endeavor very not-fun. posted by in Knitting , Works in Progress :: link :: March 11, 2004 Continental Style
Nice how-to video clips of continental knitting :: March 4, 2004 Crystal Palace Castles
Thanks to Action Hero's crocheted flowers I was led to the wonderful world of Crystal Palace yarns. I've been trying to familiarize myself with all the different brands but for some reason I skipped over this one, even though the name reminds me of the 80s arcade game Crystal Castles, which I liked very much. There are a buttload of free patterns on their site, some patterns that would go well with some 80s arcade game playing, in fact. I could see me in this scarf and this sweater, but not together, don't get me wrong. :: February 22, 2004 Amelia Earhart Aviator Cap
Just finished: an Amelia Earhart Aviator Cap. Fun and satisfying to knit, and a low-commitment introduction to the Wrap & Turn technique. I used Paton's Katrina yarn, which is stretchy, so of course the hat turned out too big. I can't win. But I would knit the cap again with some regular ol worsted weight.
Rock Star Scarf
Almost-finished project: A modified Rock Star Scarf out of grayish-purple GGH Apart and Noro Shinano. I'm not looking forward to weaving in all those yarn ends! Which I will be putting off until the weather allows me to think of wearing it. posted by in Finished Projects , Knitting :: link :: January 29, 2004 Interweave Knits Free Patterns
Some intriguing free patterns from Interweave Knits: Monk's Travel Satchel, a vintage-y capelet (crochet), and a wedding gown, which I might have tried for my 2002 wedding if I'd been able to start knitting it in like 1994. posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link
Denise Needles
My Denise interchangeable needle set arrived last week. I've tried knitting a few swatches on them and found that the yarn snags on the joins and on the embossed needle size numbers. Maybe I have the bad batch of cords that this Knitty review mentions? Or maybe it's a sign I'm knitting too tightly? I may try to contact their headquaters, or try them for a while longer and see if I can get used to them, but I may have to turn around and sell them to someone else. In the end, the convenience of having nearly every possible combination at hand for this price may be worth some snagging problems. :: January 24, 2004 Fry-Up!
"Fryup" hat and purse pattern! The provocative British secondhand bookstore Cult 45, which sells titles such as "I Stole Freddie Mercury's Birthday Cake," has unearthed this one. The only things that trouble me are that the chips look a little slug-like or turd-like, and Americans won't understand peas with eggs. Maybe peas done in variegated white/brown would look like hash browns? (via Not Martha) posted by in Fry-Up! , Knitting :: link :: January 16, 2004 Elvis Wig
Knitted Elvis Wig Pattern. This opens up a whole new world. The possibilities for wig knitting are endless. posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: Comments (1) :: link :: January 15, 2004 Fluffy Cuff Mittens
Fluffy Cuff mittens from Stitch & Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook I used GGH Esprit for the fluffy cuffs. It was a challenge to work with, especially on the dpns, but it is erotically soft. George Costanza would give up velvet for this. I substituted the Classic Elite Montera with something else, then went ahead and lost the label. I had problems with gaping holes at the base of the thumb, and got advice from the Craftster boards that you should pick up more than the required stitches then decrease them right away down to the required number. Instead of ripping I just sewed the holes up, which worked OK. posted by in Finished Projects , Knitting :: link :: January 14, 2004 Flapper Hat
On the future projects list: Flapper Hat by MLM Inspirations posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link
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