Crafts

I Do Sometimes Finish Things

Sarah Knitting

Just in time for last week’s cold snap, I finished knitting my mitten-gloves! And then I determined that the leftover yarn I was going to extend the scarf with looked enough different that it would be better to just bind off. So I hid all the ends on the whole set, and wore them to rehearsal the night it got down to 1°F (before wind chill).


Somehow, the hat is too short and too long at the same time. It doesn’t cover my ears, but I can’t wear it above my ears. I’m really tempted to rip it back and make it a bit longer (or shorter) but I also really want to be done with the project, since I’ve been working on it for two years! Other than that, I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out. Details are on project page.

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In other knitting news, I finished my first Pomatomus sock. I really think this is the prettiest sock I’ve ever knit. So much so that I’m worried about starting the second. As far as I can tell, there is no place where the colors repeat on this yarn, so they won’t match. I don’t know why that matters to me – although I try to match socks with obvious repeats in the yarn, I don’t worry about it with variegated sock yarns – but it does. I guess I’m worried that I’ll be three quarters of the way through the second sock and finally find the repeat point. In which case, I wouldn’t rip it out, so I should just start it, right?

Of Bunnies and Mathematical Oddities

Sarah Knitting, Project Spectrum 2.0

Want to see my two latest finished objects?

On the left, a Klein bottle hat which I knit for my brother for his birthday. (Which was last month, but as he’s been away at school this was the first time I’ve seen him since Christmas break.) On the right, a cute bunny blanket buddy which I knit for Carrie. This pattern is going into my last minute baby gifts file, since it’s even appealing to a two-year-old who’s going on twenty.

The hat, being of the mostly gray and blue persuasion, also works for Project Spectrum. Bonus!

In other knitting news, I finally finished swatching for the future hoodies. Is it bad that US 6’s and US 7’s gave me exactly the same gauge? I guess I’ll go with the 7’s. It will make me feel like it’s going faster since it’s on bigger needles… But before I cast on, I’m back to working on my never-ending mittens. My hands have been cold these past few weeks, and I have no one to blame for it but my own lazy knitting self! It even seems like the knitting gods are trying to nudge me into finishing them, since the needles I’m using to knit my Pomatomus socks – my favorite sock knitting needles! – broke and I have to order new ones.

Pomatomus Socks

Sarah Knitting, Project Spectrum 2.0

I’m probably the last knitting blogger in the world to try knitting the pomatomus socks from Knitty. But, really, what else could this mostly blue (but with a tiny hint of teal) sock yarn become?

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I’m still trying to decide whether I love the striping effect, but since it’s relatively subtle I think it will work. This is 1 1/2 repeats of the 22 pattern rows (which is a really complicated way to say 33 rows), so halfway to the heel shaping. It’s really not as hard as I’d expected, but it definitely requires a lot more concentration than my typical toe-up ribbed socks do. (Look, I’m actually even using stitch markers!)

In other blue knitting news, I started swatching for the sweaters I’m planning to make. I’m using my new KnitPick’s needle set. At first I started with size 7 needles, and I’m getting gauge, but I’m worried that when I wash and block the swatch it will expand, so I thought I’d switch to size 6 needles for the second half of the swatch…except. One of the size 6 tips doesn’t actually stay on the cable, the hole that’s supposed to thread onto the cable is too big. Luckily, KnitPick’s customer service is as fabulous as their new needles, and they’re sending me out replacement tips free of charge and no questions asked. So, responsible swatching will have to wait a few days.

Long Overdue Craft Update

Sarah Cross Stitch, Knitting, Project Spectrum 2.0

Every year I end up not doing much craft-wise in January, and every year it takes me the entire month to realize it’s because I’m burnt out from doing all sorts of crafts leading up to Christmas. This year was no exception. But I did work on a cross-stitch birth record for Carrie for a bit. And I just finished a girly baby hat for a friend’s new granddaughter.

I also dug out the potential blue/gray/white projects for Project Spectrum:

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There’s enough for four pairs of socks there, three of which are cotton blends. And the lone “cake” of Cascade 220 at the bottom of the picture has several friends, which along with a couple of different greens are destined to become zippered hoodies for myself and for Carrie.

Now I have to decide which project to start first. Sweaters? Socks?

Any votes?

First Snowman

Sarah Firsts, Project Spectrum 2.0

Carrie made her first snowman today. She was thrilled. We’ve read books about snowmen, but she wasn’t so much into playing in the snow last year, and we’ve only had snow a few times when it wasn’t too cold this year. Today, though, was perfect snowman-making weather – I imagine the next time we drive around the neighborhood there will be several snowmen hanging around.

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I took this picture as she was hugging the snowman and saying “I love you, snowman!” I think we’ll be paying daily visits to our snowman until he melts.

(Oh, and since the snowman is white with a blue hat, he fits nicely in with the colors for Project Spectrum!)

Knitting Blahs

Sarah Knitting

I’m not feeling very inspired by my knitting projects lately. After I finished the bag for the knit mitten kit swap I decided I’d try to finish up some things that had been languishing in my knitting bag for a long time. The first thing on that list was my scarf, hat & mitten set. I’m making the mittens/fingerless gloves/whatever up as I go along, and I’m not sure I’m all that happy with how they’re turning out. But I want to finish up this project before I start anything new. So…I’m avoiding knitting at the moment.

But all bets are off on February 1st, when Project Spectrum 2.0 starts. I have two cardigans (one me-sized, one Carrie-sized) and at least two pairs of socks that could fit into the blue/white/grey color scheme for February and March. Think I can knit two sweaters and two pairs of socks in two months? OK, maybe not, but at least it will be a goal. Technically, the cardigans will also have a fair amount of green, so if they stretch into April and May that would be OK. I’m still pondering some non-knitting projects to do with that color scheme.

And if I really apply myself, I bet I could finish those mittens before Thursday so I can start all those new projects guilt free!

Goodies from Alaska!

Sarah Knit Mitten Kit Swap

Check out the fabulous mitten kit that arrived this afternoon! Rebecca really put together a wonderful kit:

I *love* the blue and orange combination of both the bag and the yarn – it’s not something I would have ever thought to put together myself, but it’s so perfect! (After all, they’re two of my favorite colors, why have I never put them together?) It will also go wonderfully with my blue winter coat. The yarn is an alpaca and silk blend. It is so incredibly soft and wonderful, I might just have to pet it for a while before I knit it up. I’ll have to think about how I’d like to do the mittens, since the included pattern is a great basic mitten pattern which leaves a lot of options for customization. Stripes? Fair isle? The possibilities are endless.

Also in this package are several packets of peppermint hot chocolate, a couple of polar bear smooches (which Denis tried to make off with but I insisted they had to be photographed first), and some lovely beaded stitch markers (blue and orange, of course!) made by Rebecca’s sister Sarah.

What a great package! Thanks, Rebecca! I’m off to go drink some fabulously yummy-sounding peppermint cocoa and pet my new yarn for a bit.

Knit Mitten Kit Finished

Sarah Knit Mitten Kit Swap

I meant to post this the day I mailed out the kit, but we’ve been cleaning house and I’ve barely had the time to check my email, let alone blog.

Anyway, after two trips through the washer, countless hours on the shelf in the dryer (it’s amazing how much water can still be soaked into wool after rolling it in a towel several times), and a few stitches here and there, the bag was ready for needle felting. I definitely foresee more needle felted projects in my future. I had to restrain myself from putting needle felted flowers all over the bag.

Since I delayed so much in posting this, Mary Lynn already received her kit so I can say who it was for! I really enjoyed putting this kit together, even if I did wait until the 11th hour. I love doing swaps. Usually the recipient’s tastes are not quite what mine would be, so when I choose the project or the colors it wouldn’t necessarily be something I would wear/use/want. But then by the time I’m done with the project or I put a kit together, I really like it. It lets me try out new colors or patterns without being committed to, say, owning a pair of neon yellow lace socks. Of course, this bag is two colors I adore, so I had a harder time than usual mailing it off. I can’t wait to see what’s in my kit when it gets here all the way from Alaska! I was working so hard on Mary Lynn’s kit that I actually forgot I would be getting one in return until my pal left a comment the other day.

There are more details on the project page.

The Deadline Approacheth

Sarah Knit Mitten Kit Swap

Carrie is modeling the bag I’m knitting for the knit mitten kit swap. It’s currently on it’s second trip through the wash cycle. It looked pretty good after the first trip, but it was a bit bigger than I’d planned and I thought it would be sturdier after a second felting. Hopefully it won’t be too small when I go down to check on it in a few minutes! And then I just have to hope it dries in time to do the needle felting embellishment and get it in the mail on Tuesday.

I have to confess, I love these colors so much that I went back to the yarn shop yesterday to get more. I’m going to try to make a Janda-style sweater, but as a cardigan. I got a lighter green as well, thinking I could make a Carrie-sized sweater. Because, of course, I have no other yarn anywhere in the house that could be made into Sarah- or Carrie-sized sweaters. The yarn is Cascade 220, so it’s already pretty cheap, and it was on sale for 25% off. How could I pass it up? Or the skein of sock yarn (oranges, purples, yellows and greens!) that somehow magically appeared in my basket when I was checking out?

My goal for the week: find all the sock yarn in my craft room and put it in one place. I’m pretty sure, after going to this huge sale at my LYS no less than three (3!) times, that I now qualify as having an obscene amount of sock yarn. How many socks can one person knit, anyway?!?

Deadlines

Sarah Knit Mitten Kit Swap

Uh-oh. Somehow the days (weeks, months, etc.) have gotten away from me. I didn’t get started on my bag for the mitten kit swap until Saturday. So I have to finish knitting it, felt it, embellish it, fill it with goodies, and mail it by a week from tomorrow.

The good news is that it’s a fast knit. But with auditions for West Side Story starting tomorrow I’ve been having to split my knitting time with rehearing the (insanely difficult) piano music. If I can get everything knit, sewn up, and in the washer by Saturday afternoon I think it will be OK. I think. Otherwise, hopefully my pal will be understanding if it’s a day or two late…

Anyway, I’m excited about the colors and pattern for the bag. You can check them out on the project page. As is always the case, I think this one will be hard to give away!