Something to Wear While Defeating My 7 Evil Exes!

Just a quick little blog post to mention one of my quick little projects!

Found this pattern on Ravelry for the costume concept of Michael Cera's hat in the movie "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Loved the hat ( of course changing the colors to a girlie version in dark brown and antique rose) and quickly knit it up in a cashmere and merino version...It turned out as something like an odd marriage of piratey stocking cap, slouch hat and snood.  A whatchamacallit.  Perfection.

Just in time to wear while defeating my 7 evil exes!  Yea!

An Old Dog Learns New Tricks

A few months back I became pretty intrigued by the concept of convertible clothing:  If a garment could be worn two ways, wasn't that just twice as cool?  Lucky enough for me one of my various knitting books had a pattern for a convertible shrug that could SUPPOSEDLY also be worn as a shawl, scarf, cowl or hood.  I began my attempt at the Shape Shifter Shrug from Vampire Knits.

I decided to use one of my favorite yarns, Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Wool, to make this pretty little sweater....then, as I am known to do, the pattern modifications began.

The pattern recommended to put 10 buttons/buttonholes up each arm.  A good suggestion, and I'm sure it had a reason, but as I scrutinized the instructions I realized that if I were to wear the finished product as a shrug I would have buttons around my neck hems, tangling in my hair.  I decided to make only 6 up each arm, only enough to button up as long as would need the sleeve to be.  I also lengthened the sleeve dimensions, thinking that if I did happen to wear this as a scarf or shawl I would prefer more coverage.

And then, of course, came the "I know best when it comes to knitting my own clothes" flub.  The pattern suggested knitting the garment in 2 halves, beginning at the lace portion, working some rows in stockinette, then grafting both halves together with Kitchner Stitch, a method of grafting two ends of live stitches done in stockinette together seamlessly.  Well, knowing best, of course, I continued on thinking "Kitchner Stitch my butt......I'll just work the lace pattern backwards when I get to it....I'm just that cool."

Yeah.  Lesson is, I am NOT that cool.  This lace and it's varying row end count is not one to be done in reverse.  So after some frogging, picking up stitches and, I will not lie, mild cursing I attempted Kitchner stitch.  Lucky for me I have some fabulous co-workers to talk me through it.  Even taught me this handy little ditty to chant along while I wove the pieces together:

Yarn on Back Needle

Set up: 

FN: Purl, Stay

BN: Knit,Stay
Chant:

FN: Knit, Slip, Purl,Stay

BN: Purl, Slip, Knit, Stay

End:

FN: Knit, Slip

BN: Purl, Slip

Yes, I know it may sound like gibberish, but if you sing this along with grafting you're less likely to forget where you are....Like I typically do....

Anyways, here's the finished result.  And, the seam is barely visible except for one BIG hole where I stopped singing and got lost, then had to sew up later.  Still not bad for a beginner!

 Problem is, even though I know it's convertible, I've only worn it as a shrug and have only seen demos of it being worn as a shrug.  Oh well.

I was also able to try a new product that I had my eye on for quite some time: Bone Knitting Needles.

These things are lovely.  Like, seriously lovely.   They have this glossy smooth amazingly cool feel in your hands, they glide through your stitches, and they have this amazing ability to make you feel like you've stepped back in time.  Despite the fact that they are horribly heavy....and not suggested to be bought other than in person due to the fact that a matched set is rare being as they are crafted individually with natural material.  I learned this after testing out a pairs of size 4 and size 6 "set" where one was nearly an entire size off from the other. Test for conformity with a sizer, and if you can find a set that matches you're set!

So pretty.........

Love Poems For Knitters...

While recently flipping through a copy of Knitting Traditions magazine from Interweave Knits I came across a beautiful passage written by Jane Galer...Just thought I'd share for my knitting friends.

The Fisher Man's Lover

She is there every morning he is not. 

Nearly materializing with the misty dawn,

Leaning carelessly against the sea wall.

Gulls overhead 

describe their dinner order

until they see she has no means 

and other intentions.

She knits while she waits.

In her head a pattern combines today's heartbeat

ith the yesterdays of her ancient sisters.

They also stood at this wall

knitting charms into sweaters for dangerous work.

Celtic cross, ridge and furrow, 

berries, ropes, raising ladders.

Then more seriously,

marriage lines, tree of life.

She counts the stitches,

the pattern appears.

She never looks at her work.

Her fingers glide, she is a graceful conductor.

She looks to the sea

as if in a moment her lover will appear,

a small chalice the ocean bears

carrying her fisher man to shore.

The mermaid cautions:

"Drink, for soon he'll be away again"

(the mermaid's hand draws too near to his face)

The girl pauses at her task.

Her eyes mingle tears, salt and wind.

Her heart fills with the importance of being loved.

Her hands return to her work as if this is necessary,

as if these threads are the keepers of her lover's fate.

Late for a Very Important Date!

As most of my friends know, I'm kind of, sort of, a little enamored with Alice in Wonderland.  (Yes, I can hear the sarcastic  "Oh, Reaaaaaaallllly"'s even over the internet.  Thanks.)  I knew it was only a matter of time before my obsession with Lewis Carroll's perky little heroine and my obsession with all things knitty came together in a massive collision of fiction and fibers, therefore I joined an AAIW swap group.  Hey, at least now I can justify merging two infatuations AND kick my butt into finishing projects that may have previously lingered on my needles for far too long.

Anyways...

This month's theme was "The White Rabbit".  The general rules are that you have to spend less than $35.00, and at least ONE of the items in the care package from swapper to swappee was hand knit or crocheted.  Here's what I came up with:

 Sorry for the poor quality photo.  Now you know why my blog is about knitting rather than about photography.  There's a stuffed White Rabbit, a pair of Rainbow-dyed birch needles from Knit Picks Harmony Line, an Alice and White Rabbit notebook and a White Rabbit Pen.  The hand knit White Rabbit themed project proved to be a more challenging feat, but here's what I came up with:

 

I thought the Cowl's lace pattern was vaguely reminiscent of rabbit tracks, and that was about as close to the theme that this project appeared.  I knit this quick little project with  size 8 needles, out of Cascade Yarns "Cloud 9" yarn in white, 50 % Merino, 50% Angora.  Hopefully the recipient doesn't mind that it was made OUT OF white rabbit...

It's a Good Thing This Pattern Was Easy...

Let me just start by saying I absolutely LOVE my job working at my LYS.  It allows me so many opportunities to see fabulous needles, yarns and patterns...This, too, is my constant downfall! So many neat knitting things!  Darned stash enablers.  But I digress.  I'll simply say I saw a nifty pattern for a cute sweater and had to try it =)

This is Plymouth Yarn Company's Quick Top Down Jacket in Baby Alpaca Grande yarn, pattern # 1756.  Quick is definitely a plus with my currently busy schedule, and I had always been intrigued by that particular yarn.  Of course those who know me also know that I do NOT like working in bulky weight yarn.  Ah well, no matter, I'd try it anyways.

I was in lean times, so at the pricey cost of the yarn and my poor decision making in what size I am I decided to make it in 2 strands of worsted weight in a cheap yarn just to see if it turned out well and in a size that would fit.  I ultimately made a purple and black combo sweater in what I thought would be an appropriate size, for a 36" bust, the smallest size on the pattern.

Of course, for that to work smoothly would be waaaaaaaay too easy.  It DID knit quickly, in 2 days, and the purple and black yarns made it have an awesome tweed appearance!  Too bad even though I knit it exactly according to pattern with a comparable weight of fiber and exact needle sizes it was SO not my size.  Boo.
Fortunately it fit my best friend Robbin, and she loved it!

So, back to the proverbial drawing board.  I decided to make the same pattern in only one strand of worsted this time, and on one size smaller needles.  I also omitted 4 stitches from the back section of the pattern, thus altering the size to a 32" bust.  Success!  Result!  This time the finished product fit!  An added bonus was that it only took 145 yards to complete!  And, I don't know if this was a bonus or not, but since I had already made it once the day prior it only took me 1 day to complete this time...

 

It's a good thing that I got more proficient with this simple project and was able to complete them in less and less time.  Another friend saw me in mine and wanted one, then so on and so forth until I had made 4 in one week.  I have a feeling that I could make them in my sleep at this point.  Maybe that's why I look less than thrilled in my photos.

Good thing I liked the pattern!

Mil Besos Shawl, A FAB Designer, & My Love Affair With Madeline Tosh

I know it's been quite a while since I've posted anything here.  Life got pretty hectic around the 'ol Junaidy household from March to April and sadly many of my recent projects that were completed were never posted.  In March I married my wonderful (now) husband and I was finally able to let go of MONTHS of pent up wedding-related stress.  We spent a lovely, albeit rainy honeymoon in Monterey on the beach.  Month after we took our family's annual pilgrimage to Disneyland for my son's spring break.  As soon as we got back from THAT adventure I was hit with a MASSIVE illness that landed me in the hospital for a few days.  But, putting that aside, time has passed and I'm finally back to blogging!

So, where to begin?  Oh, yes, my fabulous new shawl:

 This pattern is yet ANOTHER fabulous free shawl pattern on Ravelry.com, entitled Mezquita.  Not only is this shawl adorable and easy to make, but the pattern's designer Roxanne Yeun is quite possibly one of the sweetest people I have ever e-conversed with.  I started having issues with the way the shaping of the pattern was written and said so under a comments section on the pattern.  In less that 24 hours I had received an email from Roxanne outlining a simplified explanation, tutorials and incredible words of encouragement.  And not just one email:  Multiple responses to each time I wrote, thanking her, asking questions, etc.  She is certainly one talented lady.

AND!!! (yes, as you can tell by the multiple explanation point used there that I'm REALLY excited) When you look up her Mezquita pattern, my project and sweet little mug (LOL)is on the designer's page!  WOOT!

I named my finished shawl 'Mil Besos' (Thousand Kisses) after a song by Patty Griffen with the same title.  It has a bit of a flamenco flair to it, and has always struck me as a very powerful love song.  The first day I wore this shawl out in public I was told by one lady that I looked like an old-fashioned flamenco dancer.  I don't necessarily think it was a true statement, but now I can't wear it without thinking of that comment!

I made this project out of Madeline Tosh's "Tosh Sock" Yarn.  I had previously bought some of the Madeline Tosh Lace yarn, and this sock weight only reinforced that I have a secret knit crush on Madeline Tosh (Yes, I know the actual producer is Amy Hendrix, but I'll just refer to the yarn's moniker as my yarny love-interest).  Seriously.  She induces yarn-lust.  The lace I bought was called 'Nebula'.  She uses words like 'Lucious' to describe her fibers.  I ADORE her!  My husband is aware of this infatuation, and other than the fact that the down side is her growing effect on my yarn stash, he only seems lightly amused rather than threatened.

Anyways...

This particular colorway is called 'Tart'...

\

Again, this causes quite the turmoil in my head.  Is it called that because it is the perfect shade of a crisp apple, or  is it called 'Tart' because it is a shade suitable for a brazen hussy?  But as I knit I realized something rather important.  She could actually call one of her yarns 'Brazen Hussy' and I would buy it and wear it proudly.  Sigh......

Another Blog About Hats

I realized as I finished my last post about baby hats and holding my son's little preemie hat from when he was born 10 years ago just how much that kid has grown.

...So, time for a new hat.

This pattern from Carissa Knits blog was just about the most perfect pattern for my kid that I could possibly imagine....and it's freeeeeeeeeeee!

My son is one of the biggest Star Wars fans I know. He can give you the down low in the Galactic Empire, the specs of the latest models of pod racers and light sabers and a who's-who list of the Jedi High Council.  My son is a walking Wookiepedia.  When he saw a pattern to make a beanie resembling R2D2 I practically had to wipe the drool off my keyboard.

It's a great pattern in and of itself: Multiple size options (Child, Adult Small and Adult Large), chart OR written instructions, even different  methods for embellishments (duplicate stitch or color stranding).  Awesome.

I ended up making him the Adult Small size, although in hindsight I  may have been better off making the child's size.  No matter, he can grow into it.  I started doing the charted/color stranding method, but I think my combination of worsted yarn and large needles (size 7DPNs) made it awkward for me and created some gaps in my finished project that I wasn't too pleased with.  So, I frogged and started over doing the striped beanie method with a LOT of duplicate stitch embroidery detail work....and I do mean a LOT.  I think I spent way more time stitching the details rather than knitting the actual hat.

But goodness, did the man-child love it:

It's amazing to see in size and in style of simple knitted hats how much my baby has grown.

If he keeps up at this rate, I'll be investing in both University AND larger amounts of yarn!