Holy Long Post, Batman!!!
So, how goes this blogging thing again? Oh, yeah, I remember. I always write the best posts in my head, usually when I'm driving, or waiting in queue at the store. In other words, when I can't actually blog.
I've been a little crazy lately, what with real life intruding, and my computer time being sucked up by that Traveling Doctor thing. Speaking of which, we have a flickr group, and a map, and even a calendar!
(The calendar is the only one I know how to imbed...it's also the least interesting right now. Oh, well.)
I *have* been making things as well. Let me just check what I last informed you, my three readers, about. ~goes off to check, insert hold musak here~ Ok, I'm back now. Wow, it's been a while. Well, I'll get right down to it then.
I had to go back five pages in my flickr stream to find where I was! Well, no more of that "update a little and hope to catch up stuff." I've proven that with the level of crazy I'm living with, it just ain't gonna happen. So this will be a big one. I'm not going to bother with formatting, either. So here we go. (All the pictures will link to flickr, so you can see the bigger version. I'll keep them smaller so as not to kill slower connections.)
Specs -
Pattern - Slave to the Plurk socks by Terry Ross (Rav link - and just to save typing it again, all the pattern links are.)
Yarn - Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids in Loden, 1 skein
Needle - US 1.5/2.5mm addi turbo magic loop
Notes - I did these pretty much as written, though next time I would do a provisional cast on - the long tail is a bit tight. I *adore* this heel. Normally, short row just isn't deep enough for me, but these fit like a charm!
Here we have the PlurkSlave sock. I'd been holding on to this yarn for the perfect pattern, which I was attempting to design. However, the needle size plus the stitch pattern made for what looked to be a sloppy knit. Since I already had it split and wound, I decided to cast these on instead.
Here we have a project bag that I made. Had this idea in my head for a long time. When I came across not quite a yard and a half of a linen blend fabric in brown with teal pinstripe, I knew it was time to make it. Found some quilting cotton in a watch print and some teal kitchen cotton to match the stripe, and got down to business. I crocheted the bottom outer panel, drafted the bag pattern, and sewed it all up. I put a karabiner on the outside, along with a drawstring, but decided that the karabiner really wasn't the optimum tool for the job. That night, I decided that I wanted to make some more of these, and this one became the prototype. I ran into all the problems with this one, and was able to correct the next one (which was a gift for MissViolet when I visited her.)
Look for me to start an etsy store, as soon as I have enough to list! I'm trying to crank these out right now! (There are more pictures of this bag in the photostream if you want to see it all closed up, or check out the karabiner.)
I am resorting to collages now.
Inset to the left and right are 40z merino/bamboo roving braids I got from MissViolet. In the center is a hank of merino/silk from KnittingDragon from Cables & Lace (and Sweaters for Dragons podcast.) I was sitting in MissViolet's computer room when he threw it at me! (Don't misunderstand - I'm not complaining, I *love* it when people throw yarn at me! Yay for yarn showers!) It's in the colorway Lust, and I'm thinking the body of a shawl, with some tonal black fingering along the border. I'm still working on the design, though.
(Yes, I had a grand ole time at MissViolets - yes it really is as fun as you think it would be, no I will not give you details. Suffice it to say, I wish I lived nearer to the yarn-y, sniff-y fun.)
I knit Nanner socks.
Specs -
Pattern - Nanner socks by Wendy Barnard
Yarn - STR Lightweight in Lemongrass
Needle - US 0/2mm addi turbo magic loop
Notes - I mirrored the design on each sock. I'm actually not a fan of the pattern - it biases so hard to one side it feels like it's twisting on my foot. But I do love the STR lightweight, and this was the first sock for myself I've knit on 0s - I like the firm fabric it makes.
Specs -
Pattern - An Unoriginal Hat by the Yarn Harlot
Yarn - Paton's Classic Merino, two green/tan/brown variegated, one green
Needle - who knows
Notes - Proof that not everything I knit comes out nicely. (Though I am entitled to only posting a teeny picture of it!) I give you The Unfortunate Hat. It fits, but it looks like something I dredged up from Shrek's swamp. I'm considering overdying, but really - is there any hope?
Back to good things. A friend outside of the country wanted me to order them a KP sock flat, but seriously - I have a knitting machine and can get hold of sock yarn, so I made her up a sock flat and sent it to her. As a thank you, she made me part of her sock yarn club for a month! This is 100g of the handpaint, and 50g of the coordinating tonal. I've always wanted a duet like this! Thanks, selana! You rock! The colorway is Pretty Girl, and you can find her at Handarbeitskram.
We took a weekend trip to San Francisco...wow, was it really last weekend? Anyway, I got some yarn-y bits. (Who's shocked about that one?)
Anyway, due to a packing mishap (I forgot to pack shirts....ok, you can stop laughing now) we had to go across town, so I got to go to Imagiknit. Got three skeins of Malabrigo Lace in Dusty Olive (Faroese, maybe?) and four skeins of Shibui Sock! - two in Pagoda (tonal rust) and two in pebble (which reminds me of a cold beach...somewhere like the pacific northwest.)
I also got to meet a friend from Ravelry, Tigereye. She was great - though my MathMan was a little overwhelmed. He didn't think there was anyone else out that as nutso about knitting and Doctor Who as me. We proved him wrong! She also took us over to Urban Fauna Studio, where I got the pin drafted roving (I couldn't wait to start using it, hence the semi-balled state.) I'm going to make (*ahemanotherahem*) Unoriginal Hat out of it. I sincerely want this hat!!! (I actually finished knitting it already, but preemie sized doesn't quite begin to cover it. Frogging will occur soon as I'm over the heartache. But it looks fantastic!)
I got a peek at the pattern for a hex blanket, and fell in love. However, my memory ain't what it used to be (and it wasn't much to begin with) and I didn't have access to a computer to check out the blocks, so I improvised this pattern. I would say it's a far cry from the hex I thought I was making, but I like it! I'm using scrap yarn, and started this to bring on trips when I can't continuously consult a pattern/only have a few minutes to work on it before I have to be somewhere else. It's being crocheted out of scrap fingering weight yarns (of which I have an abundance, mostly of the sock variety.) I love how crazy it's coming out! It's the one project lately that has actually gotten remarks when I'm working on it in public. Here's hoping that it makes a dent in the almost 1000g of scrap fingering yarns!
Yesterday, I went to the Taos Wool Festival (in Taos...) MissV had a blast seeing all the animals (she wanted us to take home an angora rabbit...maybe next time, or not. (I dislike rabbits - I think they're disgusting creatures, but I won't go into that now.)
Anyway, clockwise from top left is Plain & Fancy sportweight in Amish Colors, 1.5 oz of a mill end of roving that spoke to me (how could it not when it looks like vanilla ice cream drizzled in caramel?) and two different 4oz batches of alpaca/merino from LoneSome Stone Fiber Mill.
While we were at the festival, I ran into a friend from my knit group (which I have been unable to attend for almost two months now) and was able to catch up with her. I also was able to hand off the Doctor for the official start of the Traveling Time Lord Passalong!! Woot! And he met Jess and Casey - MamaRav and the BobFather themselves! (Unbelievely sweet, and adorable - a dangerous combination!) If you want to see those pictures, you'll have to head over to the flickr group.
The incredible shrinking desk chair has struck again. Over the course of writing this post, I have sunk until my eyes are approximately even with the keyboard. But I'm all caught up! Time to go! But I leave you with the amazing Jess and Casey - and MEEEE!!!!! (Also, MissV was *totally* flirting with Casey!)
