Soft Toy Glove Dog

Here’s the soft glove dog that I made following the pattern from Miyako Kanamori’s Sock and Glove book. We gave him a British-sounding name, but I’ve since forgotten what it was. Anyone want to name him?

 

Charitable Knits

The TooBoo crew went to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka “The Yarn Harlot“, speak a while ago and she handed out yarn and needles to make squares for Warm Up America! (I’d like to help on their Web site, I tried to spare you from the hideous intro page) while she spoke. Kate and I didn’t use that yarn for the intended purpose, but months later, we finally got our act together and sent the yarn squares that have been languishing in our dresser to Warm Up America! I unpacked them to get one final shot for the blog (complete with grazing kittens) and then had to pay for Priority mail because the post office guy said I had insufficient tape. meh.

 

Shamrock Season

Celebrate St. Patrick’s day in style by hooking yourself up a tiny Shamrock embellishment:

This works well on hats, as a sweet sweater pin, or sewed onto a simple greeting card (extra postage required?). I’m sure you can think of many other entertaining ways to use these. Shamrock earrings anyone? Er, no thanks.

For tutorial click on link:

 

I’m “it”

Cassandra tagged me with the “listening while knitting” meme last post. I think that for me it applies more to “listening while cooking or baking.” Most of my multitasking energy from knitting goes to fending off the yarn-crazed cat. Like Cassandra, I like to knit while watching dvd’s. This weekend, I locked the cat out of the room and worked on my Vogue knit.101 airplane pillow while watching “Shoot ‘Em Up.” I know, I know, strange combo, but it worked well because I was able to pause while I looked up ssk on youtube. Watching the knit witch’s tutorial helped me make the cognitive leap of how to do this elusive (for me) stitch. Cassandra had patiently explained it to me already, but I just kept resisting. I’m forced to employ a sappy simile here: yarn, like life, tightens up and resists when you try to take it in the wrong direction, and only by easing up does everything fall into place. “Shoot ‘Em Up” also had a knitting moment where Clive Owen takes his knitted sock and places it on a newborn’s head, but otherwise, yep, completely unrelated.

For “listening while cooking or baking,” it’s usually whatever’s on my running mix. Here’s a pic of a recent cupcake experiment, VeganYumYum’s marzipan knitting.

Okay, Lauren. You’re tagged now. Let’s see what you’re working on.

 

Still life with margarita glass

Bind one off: They’re the easiest fingerless gloves in the universe- a tube (I used double-pointed size 5 needles- 2 knit, 2 perl & cast on 16 stitches on each of 3 needles with cotton yarn that seemed a tad thicker than embroidery yarn). Then I sewed a few stitches at the top to make a thumb space, and they’re done! It’s as easy as the “tube with a hole” fingerless gloves project. A friend from work inspired this project- she was wearing a pair of gloves made just this way– and I couldn’t believe how great they looked, with such a crazy easy pattern.

Tie one on: Last weekend at the Museum of Art and Design we saw Cheers! A MAD collection of goblets. I love how there are so many glasses to match every different kind of beverage, and that there’s a reason for each design– the flat wide rim of margarita glasses that perfectly displays and distributes salt for every sip, and then the shot glass and espresso cup, both of which deliver the perfect little mouthful of delight, one warm and the other cold, one with a handle and saucer, the other without, both of which are sometimes accompanied by whipped cream.

 

*Knit Across The Row, Repeat From* Ad Nauseam

Between sweater sleeves and the Dr. Who Scarf (which I haven’t started but already feel the emotional weight of) I’m a little done with plain old knits. I’m going to break it up with a bit of bootee and hat (surprise) knitting. My husband’s cousin’s wife’s baby shower is early next month and will require something cute for oohing and aahing. But in the meantime:

Embroidery! Embroidery? Well, since Lauren has been making all these great embroidered gifts I thought I could too. This cheesy gem features one of those rare pink dolphins from the Amazon River (or LA). Witness my first real attempt at backstitch, not too bad for a first try. A little wobbly and not as even as I would like but HEY! check out that French knot eyeball. Pretty good eh?

My plan is to practice a bit and then embroider a simple knife diagram on an apron for my brother-in-law’s birthday. It’s not as strange as it sounds: we took cooking classes this winter (we’re both vegetarians who want to be able to make delish veggie dinners) and knife skills was part of the course. I learned both the Japanese and French style of cutting food. Fancy!

I’m still not sure about the placement, but I think the pocket would be nice. UNLESS!!! OH IDEA! I could flip the knife 180 degrees and boom! it will fit on the sternum. I may just do that since embroidering on the pocket would be rough. Thanks for the inspiration blog!

Now I just need to practice: dolphin pod or other twee critters?

 

Happy International Pipe Smoking Day

That’s right, it’s today.  Enjoy!

 

ceci n’est pas une valentine

Right now, while someone is out smokin’ and drinkin’ and carrying on at pipe club, I am here struggling in the last vain attempts at girlfriend perfection. I also kind of need to be writing an article for a professional journal that’s due on Friday, so that just shows you where my priorities are right now.

The inspiration:

The pipe bag:

Thanks goes out to this awesome lady, without her I would be making a big giant mess with needle and thread. Not that it’s not really messy or anything, but I shudder to think about what would have happened had I done it regular old embroidery-style.

Tomorrow I will try to have pics of the finished accessory! God help me.

 

What’s Going On?

Well, as mentioned last week I’ve conquered my confusion about the ‘magic loop’ method. I’m not going to give you a link for the method because nothing I found on the net made sense to me. I had a serious brain block and the only way to move forward was to just work it out for myself. It really wasn’t hard once I got past my assumptions. See below:

Well, that’s kind of a duh moment. Instead of knitting one item all the way around then moving to the next you will:
• knit half of item one
• knit half of item two
• turn your work to
• knit other half of item two
• knit other half of item one
Seems REALLY obvious now. I knew it couldn’t be as hard as I made it out to be. Sometimes I could just kick myself for being so blond.

If you’re interested, a couple more tips I learned the hard way:

1. cast on using DPNs and join to work in the round. Knit a row or two. Transfer half your stitches to one side of the circulars and half to the other side. IMPORTANT! make sure the tail of your working yarn is facing out toward the needle points. Repeat step 1 for the second item and just slide the first item back on the loop.

2. make sure you knit on the stitches closest to you (obvious right? Well I must’ve been having a moment because I ended up working 2 inches of rib then tried to knit some stockinette only to have to purl it because I was knitting on the wrong edge - see diagram above…)

3. idiot proof your end of row mark - again obvious but my brain is still mystified by the ML concept and needs extra help. I’ve placed an open stitch marker in the middle of the sleeve just as a “HEY! You are at the end of your row dear” reminder.

Anyhow, it’s great to finally conquer the two items on one circular technique! Go me! whoo hoo! And if I can do it you can also (or already do and haven’t bothered reading this far…)

Next time: Dr. Who!

 

Laying Low

I’ve been in hiding lately. Too much going on? Sure. But mainly I’m trying to sneak up on this sweater I’ve promised to make my husband. Poor guy is sort of an unwilling participant. I can get a little intense and obsessive. And his natural response is to give me space to work out my obsession (which normally is great) however, I need a model damnit!

That’s where the sneaking up part comes in. If I don’t fantasize TOO much and worry and obsess it won’t be so bad. I’ve told you I cry just about every Halloween I make my costume right? Well imagine the pressure I’d put on myself for a garment worn more than twice?

Well it had better be worn more than twice! SEE THAT! That’s the attitude I don’t want to have.

So I’m going to breathe, take a step back,  remember that it’s a first sweater and therefore a learning process, and most importantly: not be a crazy lady.

Almost 220 yards of sweater goodness. Everything seems on track so far. That purple yarn on the bottom of the sweater is my provisional cast-on edge. Shortly I’ll begin the sleeves - shh! Don’t tell the sweater I’m making progress!